The Loop: Ukraine approves state of emergency, Trump prosecutors reportedly quit, and Kate in Denmark

Good morning, it's Thursday, February 24. Here's what you need to get going today.

One thing to know right now: Ukraine has declared a state of emergency

Ok, let's unpack what happened overnight:

• First up, that state of emergency. It will last for 30 days but needs parliamentary approval first (that just happened around 7am AEDT)
• What does it do? It could restrict transport, give extra protection for critical infrastructure, ban strikes and establish document checks
• A senior US official told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin has put 80 per cent of the troops assembled in a position to launch a full-scale invasion on Ukraine
• "He is as ready as he can be," the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity
• Another major cyber attack has been launched on Ukraine — government websites and some banks were hit by a so-called "DDOS" attack – which flooded them with malicious traffic and caused them to shut down. 

Ukraine's top security official, Oleksiy Danilov, visits combat positions of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donetsk region. (Reuters: Valentyn Ogirenko)

• There's been no confirmation of Russian troops crossing into the breakaway regions in Donbas– but witnesses have reported seeing unidentified tanks in rebel-held areas
• Ukraine's Foreign Minister has vowed his country will defend itself if Russia invades. Dmytro Kuleba has told the UN that war with Russia could de-stabilise the existing world order
• Meanwhile, Russia has started evacuating diplomatic staff from Ukraine
• We're also live-blogging the unfolding crisis here.

One thing you’ll be hearing about today: Prosecutors in a case against Donald Trump have reportedly resigned

• The New York Times has just reported two prosecutors leading the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation into the former president have abruptly resigned
• Prosecutors Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz reportedly made the move after the DA expressed doubts about the case
• A spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed the resignations of the pair, both of whom started with the probe under the former district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, but declined to comment further
• There'll be more to come on this throughout the morning.

The former president and the Trump Organization were being investigated. (AP: Carolyn Kaster, file)

News while you snoozed

Let's get you up to speed.

• Authorities are bracing for more localised flooding across South East Queensland, with more intense rain expected today and tomorrow. Up to 400mm could fall in the next 24 to 48 hours in the region — and Gympie and the Sunshine Coast have already had plenty:

Floodwaters inundated roads at Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast. (Supplied: Alex Townsend)

• Cambodia has started vaccinating three and four-year-olds with Chinese-made Sinovac shots after finding young children accounting for many of its new COVID-19 infections
• The UN's World Food Programme is warning that desperately needed aid in Yemen could be stopped next month as funding runs out, as the civil war there enters its eighth year. Here's head of the World Food Programme, David Beasley:

The news Australia is searching for

• Rio record: That's Rio Tinto's mega annual profit — a record full-year dividend of US$16.8bn (that's $23.2bn Australian, but who's counting). Why? Higher iron ore prices and strong demand from China
• Elden Ring: That'll be the hotly anticipated release of the new game — it's out here from midnight tomorrow on consoles (and 10am Sydney time for those on a PC).

• Kate in Denmark: And the Duchess of Cambridge has met with everyone's favourite (and surely only?) former Tasmanian princess — Crown Princess Mary. Kate's there to talk about early childhood development. Have a flick through these pics:

One more thing: Heartbreaking story of 'sweetheart' kidnapping

You might remember this pair:

Carol Lisle and Ralph Gibbs died within days of each other. (ABC News: Supplied)

Ralph "Terry" Gibbs kidnapped his dementia-stricken "sweetheart" from a Perth nursing home and tried to drive her across West Australia's hard border to Queensland in January. 

He died in a car accident in Queensland yesterday — just 48 hours after that of his partner of 15 years, 84-year-old Carol Lisle, who passed away in an aged care facility in Mandurah.

In January, they were caught by police 90 kilometres from the Northern Territory border, and Ms Lisle had to be airlifted back to Perth for medical treatment.

Just days ago, a magistrate described Gibb's actions as "extremely dangerous" and issued him with a restraining order to prevent him from contacting Ms Lisle. 

That's it for now

We'll be back later on with more of the good stuff.

ABC/wires