Reuters World News Summary

The talks, first reported by Reuters, are expected to span topics including reducing Palestinian civilian casualties, securing a temporary ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and increasing aid to the territory, a White House official said. US carries out first airdrop of aid into Gaza The U.S. military on Saturday carried out its first airdrop of aid into Gaza, after the deaths of Palestinians queuing for food underlined the growing humanitarian catastrophe in the crowded coastal enclave after months of Israeli military operations.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russians lay flowers at Navalny's grave, hail him as symbol of hope

Russians queued on Saturday to place flowers on the grave of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny, with mourners hailing him as a symbol of hope and perseverance the day after he was laid to rest in Moscow. Navalny's mother Lyudmila was among the mourners, visiting her son's grave for the second day, accompanied by the mother of Alexei's widow Yulia. Both women, dressed in black, stood quietly at the grave, before leaving.

US VP Harris to meet Israeli war cabinet member on Monday

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz at the White House on Monday as Washington seeks to reach a deal for a temporary ceasefire and increase the flow of aid to Gaza. The talks, first reported by Reuters, are expected to span topics including reducing Palestinian civilian casualties, securing a temporary ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and increasing aid to the territory, a White House official said.

US carries out first airdrop of aid into Gaza

The U.S. military on Saturday carried out its first airdrop of aid into Gaza, after the deaths of Palestinians queuing for food underlined the growing humanitarian catastrophe in the crowded coastal enclave after months of Israeli military operations. Other countries including Jordan and France have already conducted airdrops of aid into Gaza, where the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says a quarter of the population - 576,000 people - are one step from famine.

Russia says it destroyed two Ukrainian drones

Russia's defence ministry said its air defences destroyed a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, over Leningrad region, which borders the Gulf of Finland, and a second one in Belgorod region on Saturday. Alexander Drozdenko, the Leningrad regional governor, said "aerial targets" were hit over the waters and coastline of the Gulf of Finland in Lomonosov district, which includes Bronka, a port about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of St Petersburg.

Government candidate wins Australia by-election amid cost-of-living squeeze

A candidate from Australia's government claimed victory late on Saturday in a by-election in Victoria state seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's handling of cost-of-living pressures across the country. Candidate Jodie Belyea of the centre-left Labor Party defeated Nathan Conroy of the conservative Liberal party in the by-election in the electorate of Dunkley, in Victoria's capital Melbourne, sparked by the death of the sitting Labor member.

US makes its first Gaza aid airdrop as mediators to seek truce deal

The United States on Saturday carried out the first of what it said would be a series of humanitarian airdrops of food into Gaza, as aid agencies warned of a growing humanitarian disaster in the Palestinian enclave in the absence of a ceasefire deal. Three C-130 U.S. military planes delivered more than 38,000 meals into a territory where the United Nations says at least 576,000 people are one step away from famine conditions. Palestinians posted videos on social media showing boxes of aid being dropped. Jordanian forces also participated in the operation.

Thousands join Israeli hostage families in march on Jerusalem

A march by thousands of Israelis demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza reached Jerusalem on Saturday as negotiators prepared to resume ceasefire negotiations in Cairo that would include a swap deal with Hamas. A column of protesters, led by families of hostages seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas' deadly rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, walked up the winding highway to Jerusalem, arriving at the city at sundown.

Eight killed in Russian drone attack on Odesa, Ukraine says

A Russian drone attack whose multiple victims included an infant and a two-year-old on Saturday could have been avoided if Ukraine was not facing delays to weapons supplies, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Seven Western leaders have signed 10-year security agreements with Ukraine in the last two months as Kyiv fights to plug a big hole in stockpiles with a vital package of U.S. military assistance stuck in Congress and facing months of Republican opposition.

Germany investigates eavesdropping on officers after Russian media play recording

Germany said on Saturday it was investigating an apparent eavesdropping of a call, after Moscow said a recording of German officers showed them discussing weapons for Ukraine and a potential strike by Kiev on a bridge in Crimea. A German defence ministry spokesperson said on Saturday the Federal Office for Military Counterintelligence was investigating what appeared to be a case of eavesdropping, and that it was possible that the recording had been altered.

Ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea environment, Yemeni government says

The UK-owned Rubymar, attacked by Houthi militants last month, has sunk in the Red Sea, Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Saturday, warning of an "environmental catastrophe" from the ship's cargo of fertiliser.

If confirmed, it would be the first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial shipping in November, forcing shipping firms to divert vessels on to the longer, more expensive route around southern Africa.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)