ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Friday with, including Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering the creation of a "buffer zone" along the Russia-Ukraine border, France saying it is ready to impose additional national sanctions against Israel, and a US court charging the suspect in the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC with two counts of first-degree murder.

TOP STORIES

• Putin orders creation of a 'buffer zone' along Russia-Ukraine border

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he ordered the creation of a buffer security zone along the border between Russia and Ukraine.

"A decision has been made to establish a necessary security buffer zone along our borders. Our military units are currently addressing this task," he said at a government meeting in Moscow.​​​​​​​

Putin described methods by Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries against Russia as "terroristic."

• France says ready for further national sanctions against Israel

France expressed its readiness to impose additional national sanctions against Israel, saying the level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable.

"We will not hesitate to take further measures, including targeted national sanctions," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said at a weekly press briefing.

He stressed that they are prepared to take "concrete measures" if Israel continues its offensive in Gaza and reaffirmed that "nothing is off the table" regarding sanctions, although noting that they would be discussed at the "European level."

• Suspect in killing of 2 Israeli Embassy staffers charged with first-degree murder

A US federal court charged the suspect in the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC with two counts of first-degree murder.

Chicago-born Elias Rodriguez, 30, was arrested after opening fire outside the Capital Jewish Museum in the US capital late Wednesday, killing Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were set to be engaged.

The suspect shouted "Free Palestine" as he was taken into custody, according to a video that went viral on social media.

Rodriguez was also charged with the murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm and the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the criminal complaint.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to refrain from speculation amid an investigation into the double murder of two Mexican officials.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC a "horrifying assassination" and linked it to radicalization in the country.
• Japan's Air Self-Defense Force declared two crewmen dead after a training aircraft crashed last week, Jiji Press reported.
• The US State Department approved the possible sale of javelin missiles and related equipment to Estonia, the Pentagon said.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Maj. Gen. David Zini as the new head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency, defying a Supreme Court ruling and the Attorney General's directive that the dismissal of current chief Ronen Bar was unlawful.
• Finland summoned the Israeli ambassador in Helsinki over Israeli gunfire during a visit by diplomats to Jenin in the West Bank.
• US President Donald Trump discussed ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
• The UN confirmed that almost 90 trucks loaded with aid have entered multiple locations in Gaza.
• Deepfake videos, while showing obvious signs of being doctored footage, will become increasingly difficult to tell apart from real videos with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), an expert told Anadolu.
• The Kremlin said it handed a list of names to Ukraine for a prisoner swap involving 1,000 prisoners from each side agreed between Moscow and Kyiv during direct talks in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul.
• Russia claimed that it took control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
• The South Korean army conducted live-fire drills with cluster munitions, which are prohibited in many countries around the world.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he may visit the United States and hopes to hold a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump.
• Israeli attacks killed at least 98 Palestinians in Gaza in the last 24 hours, a Health Ministry official said.
• China called for a “full investigation” into warning shots fired by Israeli soldiers at a delegation of diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, urging Tel Aviv against any “escalatory move.”
• North Korea said a major accident occurred the previous day during a ceremony to launch a new warship

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Chinese electric vehicle firm BYD outsells Tesla in Europe for 1st time in April

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) producer BYD sold more EVs than US-based Tesla for the first time in Europe in April, according to data from auto sector information provider Jato Dynamics.

BYD's sales of fully electric vehicles increased 169% year-on-year in Europe in April, reaching 7,231, while Tesla's sales fell by 49% to 7,165 in the same period.

The Chinese manufacturer further outperformed Tesla when plug-in hybrid vehicles are taken into account.