UN warns of growing hunger crisis in Gaza
The UN says one in five children in Gaza City is malnourished, with cases rising daily. Aid groups warn of mass starvation and urge urgent international action, BBC reported.
Despite Israeli claims of allowing humanitarian aid, the UN reports only limited access, with severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Over 100 people, mostly children, have reportedly died from hunger.
Residents describe extreme hardship, soaring prices, and unsafe access to aid. Many families are going to bed hungry, and children are searching through garbage for food.
The World Health Organization calls the situation “mass starvation” and says Gaza is already experiencing famine, according to BBC.
Ukraine, Russia attack each other's Black Sea coasts after latest round of peace talks
Ukraine and Russia launched fresh airstrikes along the Black Sea early Thursday, shortly after peace talks in Istanbul failed to yield progress.
Russian drones hit Odesa, injuring four and damaging the city’s historic center, including the Pryvoz market. In Russia’s Sochi region, falling drone debris killed one woman and injured another, and briefly shut down the airport after a strike on an oil facility, according to Reuters.
Ukraine’s Cherkasy region was also hit, with seven injured, including a child. Ukrainian President Zelensky said Russia responded to ceasefire proposals with more drone and missile attacks, targeting civilian and transport sites.
Russian plane crashes in Russia's Far East, nearly 50 people on board feared dead
An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying around 50 people crashed in Russia’s Far East on Thursday, with all on board feared dead, according to Reuters.
The aircraft, operated by Siberia-based airline Angara, was flying from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it disappeared from radar near its destination. Its burning wreckage was later spotted by a helicopter in a forested area roughly 15 km from Tynda in the Amur region.
Preliminary reports said there were 43 passengers—including five children—and six crew members. The aircraft, built in 1976, was nearing 50 years old.
Emergency services confirmed debris had been located and that rescue teams were en route. Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash, Reuters reported.
US-funded contraceptives for poor nations to be burned in France, sources say
U.S.-funded contraceptives worth nearly $10 million are being sent to France from Belgium to be incinerated, after Washington rejected offers from the United Nations and family planning organisations to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations, two sources told Reuters.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that a decision had been taken to destroy the stock.
The supplies have been stuck for months in a warehouse in Geel, a city in the Belgian province of Antwerp, following President Donald Trump's decision to freeze U.S. foreign aid in January.
They comprise contraceptive implants and pills as well as intrauterine devices to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, according to seven sources and a screengrab shared by an eighth source confirming the planned destruction, according to Reuters.
