The world in brief

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, was greeted with a 21-gun salute on his arrival in Vietnam, where he met with the country’s president, To Lam. Mr Lam, who praised Mr Putin for fostering “domestic political stability” in Russia, drew criticism from America for hosting the Russian president. Mr Putin’s trip follows his visit to North Korea, where he deepened his dangerous bromance with Kim Jong Un, the country’s dictator.

The Israel Defence Forces bombed several refugee camps in the Gaza Strip and moved further into Rafah, according to reports. Earlier Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, appeared to cast doubt on Binyamin Netanyahu’s strategy in Gaza, saying that “anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong”. The IDF later clarified that Mr Hagari was referring to Hamas as an ideology—not to its military capabilities.