World
"We will continue at the fastest pace to take steps to enhance and develop our country's nuclear capabilities," Kim said, according to a report published by the official North Korean Central News Agency.
The agency noted that Kim delivered his speech late Monday during a military parade marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang.
North Korea is subject to strict US and UN sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, and multiple negotiations with Kim have so far not convinced him to put an end to his nuclear program.
Kim said the country's nuclear weapons are a "symbol of national strength" and should be diversified.
"In preparation for the turbulent political and military situation and all kinds of crises in the future, we will strengthen our nuclear power as quickly as possible," he added.
The North Korean leader added that although the primary role of nuclear weapons in his country is deterrence, they can be deployed if North Korea's "essential interests" are attacked.
The agency stated that the display included North Korea's largest intercontinental ballistic missile, "Hwasong-17", called "The Beast," and hypersonic ballistic missiles and others launched from submarines.
The massive missile was first tested last month. Still, South Korean officials believe efforts to conduct a full test ended with an explosion over Pyongyang.
"The viewers cheered and were very excited when they saw the Hwasongfu-17 ICBM that soared into the sky on March 24 to demonstrate the sheer power of (the doctrine) of Juche Korea and the strategic position of our republic in front of the world," the agency said.
The North Korean Central News Agency has not published any pictures of the military parade.
"Your resistance inspired the free world," Austin said at the Ramstein base in Germany, denouncing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "unjustifiable." "It is clear that Ukraine has confidence in its ability to win, and so does everyone here," he added.
With Russia aiming to take complete control of southern Ukraine and the Donbas region, Austin said, "We can do more with our defense industrial base to continue to help Ukraine defend itself more effectively."
The United States is meeting in Germany with about forty allies to provide more weapons to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, while Moscow warned of a "real" danger of a third world war.
"We have decided that Germany will deliver Gibbard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine," German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said. These armored vehicles, whose number is undetermined, come from the German defense industry's stockpiles.
As the war in Ukraine causes unprecedented tensions between Russia and the Western world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has hinted at the possibility of the war expanding into a global conflict.
Lavrov said to Russian news agencies: "The danger is great and real, and it cannot be underestimated." His words came the day after a visit to Ukraine by US Secretaries of State and Defense Anthony Blinken and Lloyd Austin.
On Tuesday, Austin will hold a meeting at the Ramstein base in Germany with representatives of about forty countries "to provide additional capabilities to the Ukrainian forces," according to the US Secretary of Defense said.
"They (Ukrainians) can win the war if they have the right equipment and the right support," Austin said Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's victory was only a matter of time.
On Monday, the United States announced an additional $700 million in military aid to Ukraine, bringing its total assistance to $3.4 billion.
The Americans are now providing Kyiv with heavy weapons to repel the Russian forces, focusing their efforts on eastern and southern Ukraine after they failed to control Kyiv.
"We want Russia exhausted to the point where it cannot take steps like invading Ukraine," Austin said. Moscow has not released any toll since March 25, when it confirmed that it had lost 1,351 of its soldiers.
Macron secured 58.5% of Sunday's vote, making him the first French leader to be reelected in 20 years. He and Le Pen advanced to the runoff after finishing in first and second place, respectively, among 12 candidates who ran in the first round on April 10.
Macron also fended off a long-time rival, Marine Le Pen, who vowed to quit politics if she lost in the presidential elections. However, soon after her defeat war, official Le Pen assured his supporters that she would continue to fight for France as elections for the parliament are set on June 12.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres will travel to Kiev next Wednesday and will be received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, a day after his trip to Moscow, a statement from the UN spokesman said today.
Guterres will not only see President Zelenski and his foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba; he will also meet with UN agency staff to discuss "how to optimize humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine."
Hours before this announcement, the Secretary-General had informed of his trip to Moscow next Tuesday. Before being received by Putin, he would hold "a working meeting" with the head of Russian diplomacy, Serguei Lavrov.
Although it has not been described as a "mediation" mission, this is Guterres' first trip to the two warring countries since mid-February, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, triggering the most significant refugee movement in Europe in decades.
Just a week ago, Guterres proposed to Putin and Zelenski an "Easter truce" on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, which began yesterday and continues until Sunday, but got no response from Russia.
The UN has been under fire during the war in Ukraine for its inability to stop the war or even reach a truce or an agreement for "humanitarian corridors," mainly due to Russia's veto power in the Security Council as one of its permanent members.
He added on his Twitter account that the aid includes "heavy artillery weapons, dozens of howitzers, and 144,000 rounds of ammunition for them."
Recently, the US government sanctioned the Russian bitcoin miner, with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) precisely placing Moscow-based Bittrefer on its blacklist. US authorities have added 10 Russia-based subsidiaries of Petriver AG, the Switzerland-based holding company of Petriver AG, to the list.
This is the first time that the United States of America has imposed sanctions on a cryptocurrency mining company. The latest sanctions aim to harm the Russian economy in the wake of Russian military operations on Ukrainian soil.
The Treasury also imposed sanctions on the Russian commercial bank Trans Capital Bank, whose representatives it said serve several banks in Asia, and suggested options to avoid international sanctions.
The measure freezes any US assets for those targeted and generally prevents Americans from doing business with them.
In the French presidential elections, the two candidates, outgoing President Emmanuel Macron and his nationalist right-wing rival Marine Le Pen remained silent on Saturday, the day after the official campaign for a vote whose results appear decisive for the country's future.
The latest opinion polls revealed that Macron will win the second round, which constitutes a second version of the one that took place in 2017, with a smaller difference than the one recorded five years ago when he received 66% of the vote. However, the abstention rate may have a significant impact.
Both camps fear that their voters will abstain, especially in this period of spring school holidays across the country.
The historical significance of the Election
Whoever wins, this ballot will have historical significance.
Macron will become the first re-elected president since Jacques Chirac in 2002 (and the first president to be re-elected outside a period of coexistence with a government by another politician since the head of state was elected by direct universal suffrage in 1962). As for Le Pen, she will become the first woman and the first leader of the far-right to hold the presidency.
As of Saturday, public meetings and the distribution of leaflets and digital advertising of candidates are prohibited. The results of an opinion poll cannot be published before the first estimates are announced at 20:00 (18:00 GMT) Sunday.
Until the last moment, each candidate urged his supporters to go to the polling stations, stressing that he did not settle anything, whatever the expectations or opinion polls.
Macron concluded his campaign, which he started late due to the war in Ukraine, with a meeting in Vigiac in the rural region of Le Pen (central France). At the same time, Marine Le Pen, who toured around the country for a month, ended her campaign in her stronghold in Pas-de-Calais (Northern France).
Where do the votes of Melanchon voters go?
The two contenders courted voters for the radical leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who came in third place in the first round, which took place on April 10, after Le Pen, and won about 22% of the vote.
Because of the time difference, the overseas territories of Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre-et-Miquelon and French Polynesia will vote on Saturday.
The health crisis largely overshadowed the campaign and then the war in Ukraine, which affected the French's purchasing power, the primary concern, given the repercussions of the conflict on energy and food prices.
To attract Melenchon voters, Marine Le Pen has promised to protect the weakest, while Emmanuel Macron has swung to the left, vowing to put the environment at the heart of his business.
TV debate results
The televised debate, on Wednesday evening, between the two candidates who qualified for the second round revealed the profound difference in their positions on Europe, the economy, purchasing power, relations with Russia, pensions and immigration.
Le Pen tried to entrap her rival in the numbers trap, but she fell, embarrassing her when he said that her call to ban the headscarf in public places would lead to a civil war, so her argument declined on this subject.
Macron said, "The issue of the veil concerns a particular religion. Secularism is not a fight against any religion. The veil is forbidden in school, but banning it in cities will lead to civil war. What you are saying is very dangerous."
Whoever wins, the legislative elections scheduled for June could become a "third round", as it is difficult for both Le Pen and Macron to obtain a parliamentary majority.
Melenchon also expressed his ambition to become prime minister and thus impose coexistence, hoping for a big vote for the deputies of his "Rebellious France" party, which started negotiations with other leftist formations.
On the other hand, a third-round could take place in the streets along the lines of the popular protest of the "yellow vests" in 2018-2019, especially regarding Emmanuel Macron's project to reform the pension systems, which angers part of public opinion.
But if Marine Le Pen wins, the tremors may start from Sunday evening, and the country will enter into the unknown the next day.
Peskov explained to reporters on Thursday that "there was and is an opportunity for the Ukrainian forces to lay down their weapons and get out through the opened corridors."
"The operation continues according to plan," he said, noting that Mariupol was "liberated."
Asked whether the order not to storm the steel plant represented a change of plans, he said, "This is a separate facility, where the remaining group of Ukrainian nationalists are completely surrounded."
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military not to storm the Azovstal steel plant in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. He wanted the blockade to continue safely instead, adding that it was necessary to cordon off "the area so that not a single fly could pass."
The Russian President congratulated Defense Minister Sergio Shoigu on the success of the operation in the city of Mariupol in Ukraine and said that the control of Mariupol was successful. There was no need to storm the industrial zone in Mariupol.
Putin also stressed that Russia guarantees not to be disturbed and treat Ukrainian forces leaving the Azovstal facility with respect.
For his part, the Russian Defense Minister told Putin that the situation in Mariupol was calm and allowed the return of civilians, pointing to the Russian forces' control of Mariupol completely, with the exception of the Azovstal factory, where there are still Ukrainian fighters in the factory.
He added that members of the Ukrainian armed formations in Mariupol had weapons capable of reaching Russian regions.
Shoigu stated that at the moment of the encirclement of Mariupol, the number of Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries was about 8,100, and added that during the liberation of the city, more than 4,000 of them were eliminated, 1,478 others surrendered, while the remaining group of more than 2,000 militants were surrounded in an area Azovstal Industrial.
US Defense Department officials revealed that the "spirit of the phoenix" drones were manufactured by US forces at the request of the Ukrainians, as these drones were manufactured in just weeks.
They added that they are suicide marches that explode on their targets, a weapon similar to the Switchblade marches.. They also revealed that the new howitzer guns obtained by Ukraine are the size of 5 artillery battalions (72 guns and 144,000 rounds).
They said that the aid announced by the US President today would begin to reach the theater of operations within 24 hours.
US officials confirmed that the weapons are being handed over to the Ukrainians.
A senior US official said that the US Stinger missiles do not carry tracking devices to ensure that they are in the hands of the Ukrainian forces and not in a third party (there are fears that these missiles will fall into the hands of terrorists).
The US official said that the Ukrainians now have more armor on the battlefield than the Russian forces.
He stressed that the Russian forces now have 85 combat battalions operating on Ukrainian soil. The Russians have introduced three new battalions to the battlefield during the past 24 hours.
The US official said that the Russian forces have fired 1,670 missiles since the start of operations, some of which came from the Black Sea.
Changing the Balance of Power
The aid came after Ukrainian Prime Minister Dennis Shmyal said during his meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that his country needed stronger assistance from the West to change the balance of power to end the war in their favour.
Ukraine's prime minister admitted that US aid helped push Putin back. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that US aid to Ukraine included 150 howitzers, armored vehicles and radars.
New Weapons
Today, Thursday, US President Joe Biden spoke about the Russian-Ukrainian war as part of his efforts to complete a new weapons package for the Ukrainian army.
A source familiar with the matter said that Biden "is expected to talk about developments in our efforts to support Ukraine and the assistance we are providing."
Another US official told Reuters that the new weapons package would likely be the same value announced last week, which is $800 million, but details are still being worked out.
The US president had met with senior military officials at an annual meeting at the White House.
A spokesman for the US National Security Council said that the meeting touched on a number of issues, most notably the war in Ukraine and sending more military aid to it.
The US aid announced last week includes artillery systems, artillery shells, armored personnel carriers and unmanned coastal defense boats, thus expanding the range of materials sent to Kyiv to include new types of heavy equipment.
The size of the arms package expected this week is large, this means that the US military aid to Kiev will exceed three billion dollars since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A senior US defense official revealed that the United States sent four flights carrying weapons during the past 24 hours, including howitzers, and delivered a total of 40,000 artillery rounds to the Ukrainians.
The official indicated that his country has started training about 50 members of the Ukrainian forces to use howitzers, adding that the exercises are taking place outside Ukraine and will last about a week.
The official pointed out that the Ukrainian forces had introduced 20 combat aircraft to its air force after receiving spare parts abroad.
He explained that the Ukrainian airspace is being contested by the Ukrainian forces with the Russian aviation, which has so far avoided entering it.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson, Igor Konashenkov, said that among the targets hit were four command posts, 57 assembly points of Ukrainian forces, and military vehicles and equipment.
He also referred to the elimination of about 40 Ukrainian targets, and the destruction of 7 military vehicles, as a result of targeting points in the Novorontsova and Kislyovka regions, with high-precision missiles.
In addition, the ministry claimed that the Air Defense Forces had shot down six drones and had intercepted two "Tochka-O" missiles in the Donetsk region.
These strikes came after the ministry announced yesterday, Tuesday, that it had started a new phase of military operations in eastern Ukraine to liberate Donetsk and Luhansk republics, referring to the two regions controlled by pro-Moscow rebels.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described this stage as very important amid Western and Ukrainian expectations that these areas would witness violent fighting between the Russians and the Ukrainians.
Since its withdrawal from the vicinity of the capital Kyiv, at the beginning of April, the Russian forces announced that they would shift their operations to eastern Ukraine, which is of great importance to Moscow. Still, the zero hour did not seem to start until two days ago.
Eastern Ukraine, especially the Donbas region, is vital for the Russians. Controlling would enable Moscow to move at ease between those regions and the south, specifically the Crimea peninsula, annexed to Russia in 2014. Russia has based one of its four fleets in the Crimean peninsula which would help it consolidate its power over the black sea region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a press briefing that his country had handed Ukraine a draft document containing an explicit formula for reaching an agreement, and the ball is now in Kyiv's court, and we await an answer.
He also claimed that the Ukrainian side constantly deviates from the agreements that it had previously presented and constantly changes its position.
The effectiveness and feasibility of negotiations are affected by changes in Ukrainian positions, the spokesperson for Kremlin added.
In response to a question about whether there were any specific deadlines for Kyiv's response, he said: "It depends on the Ukrainian side," according to the Russian "Interfax" agency.
However, he stressed that the dynamics of work on the Ukrainian side are going badly, especially since the Ukrainians do not show a great desire to intensify the negotiation process, as he put it.
Earlier today, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Moscow had lost confidence in the Ukrainian negotiators, describing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a vassal and dependent who carries out the orders of America and Nato.
These statements came after Zelensky's adviser, Mikhailo Podoliak, announced yesterday that it was impossible to set a date for the next round of direct talks between the two sides, considering that negotiating with Russia to stop the conflict has become more difficult and complicated, especially after the military field developments in the besieged city of Mariupol in the south, and eastern Ukraine.
Since the first days of the launch of the Russian military operation on the Ukrainian territory on the 24th of February, talks began between the two parties, and several rounds were held, either directly or online, in order to reach an agreement that would establish peace between the two countries, but none of those meetings was conclusive.
While Moscow adheres to the impartiality of the western neighbour, halting its efforts to join NATO, as well as disarming it of weapons that threaten its security, Kyiv demands multiple international guarantees in order to stop any future Russian attack on its territory.
It also refuses to relinquish its sovereignty over the eastern regions of the country or to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea.
The recent military developments on the ground have obstructed and halted these negotiating rounds, especially after the accelerated operations in Mariupol and the east of the country.
"Coinciding with the fall of Ashraf Ghani government, part of the Afghan army's special forces entered neighboring Afghanistan countries as ordinary refugees, but within the framework of their previous organization, they maintained contacts with American and British liaison officers," the report said.
According to Tolo News: "Over the past month, a large number of these Afghan soldiers have been summoned from different provinces, to be sent to Ukraine due to the country's need for trained forces from various military and intelligence disciplines."
The Afghan Network added: "In this regard, an active network was established by the former Afghan army forces that were sent to Ukraine to recruit volunteers from among the Afghan refugees and citizens residing in Afghanistan, who wish to participate in the war in exchange for a salary."
Peter Hennessy, a historian and member of the UK's House of Lords, said Johnson had become "a symbol of the breach of compliance in modern public and political life" after police fined him for attending a Downing Street gathering during a lockdown.
According to the British government's website, the ministerial act sets out the standards of behavior expected of ministers and how they perform their duties.
Opposition MPs accused Johnson of misleading Parliament on the issue after the prime minister told Parliament last year that all rules were followed in Downing Street during the pandemic.
The prime minister will appear in the House of Commons on Tuesday to explain why the police have fined him.
Johnson also apologized after becoming the first British leader to be found to have broken the law while in office. Police are investigating other gatherings, and Johnson could face additional fines.
"I think we are going through the most severe constitutional crisis involving a prime minister that I can remember," Hennessy told the BBC, asking why anyone in public life would abide by the rules when the prime minister did not abide.
He added: "The Prime Minister has reserved his place in British history as the first violator of the law to take over as prime minister," adding that he no longer deserves to serve the Queen or her country, as he put it.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a minister in Johnson's cabinet, said he respected Hennessy but did not believe the constitutional expert had fully understood the constitutional significance of the ministerial act.
He added that Johnson told Parliament in good faith that he had not broken any rules and did not believe he did.
It was unacceptable for London to push its Western allies and other countries to impose wide-ranging sanctions on Russia, which she described as "counterproductive," the Russian "TASS" agency reproted.
Earlier today, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had included British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Secretary of State Liz Terrasse, and Defense Minister Ben Wallace on the list of those banned from entering the Russian territory in response to British sanctions.
It is noteworthy that since the launch of the military operation announced by Moscow on February 24, the tension has escalated in an unprecedented manner between it and the West, which entailed a security alert in Europe, and support for Kyiv with weapons, equipment, and humanitarian aid.
European countries have sent missiles, defense systems, weapons, and mechanisms, but they have not sent aircraft or offensive "quality" weapons.
However, Britain had the strongest position against the Russians. It imposed a series of extensive sanctions that included the exclusion of major Russian banks from the British financial system. In addition, the freezing of assets owned by all Russian banks, and London also prevented companies from exporting spare parts or aviation technologies to Moscow.
Britain also considered the flight, take-off, or landing of Russian planes run by Russian companies or leased to Russian personalities as a crime under the law.
Its sanctions affected many wealthy Russians and officials to impede the Russian economy, and influence its richest personalities.
After the continuation of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces for the 52nd consecutive day, especially in the east, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned, on Saturday, that eliminating the last Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, which is besieged by Russian troops, "will end negotiations" with Moscow.
"The liquidation of our soldiers in Mariupol will end the negotiations for peace," he said in an interview with the news website "Okranska Pravda," warning that the two sides would find themselves in a "stalemate."
"The agreement with Russia may consist of two documents, the first for security guarantees and the second for relations between Kyiv and Moscow," Zelensky also added.
Zelensky explained that talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson focused on defense agreements between the two countries.
Talks to end the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24, continue but have not yielded any tangible results.
The last round of Russian-Ukrainian direct talks was held on March 29 in Istanbul. Ukraine presented details of its main proposals to reach an agreement with Moscow, especially its "neutral status" in exchange for an international agreement that guarantees its security.
It is noteworthy that the war in Ukraine entered its second phase at the beginning of this month, with Russia announcing its focus on the eastern regions with the aim of invading the Donbas region.
The region includes the unilaterally declared republics of Lugansk and Donetsk in 2014, which were recognized by Moscow days before Russia began its march into Ukraine on February 24.
Russia has still insisted on disarming Ukraine, protecting Russian speakers, and preventing it from joining NATO.
While Kyiv adheres to its independence and the protection of its territory, demanding international security guarantees to prevent any Russian attack in the future.
Musk, who calls himself a free-speech absolutist and has been critical of Twitter, disclosed a 9.1 percent stake on April 4 and said he plans to bring about significant improvements at the social media platform.
His appointment to the board was to become effective on Saturday and would have prevented him from being a beneficial owner of more than 14.9 percent of common stock.
But “Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board,” Agrawal said in a note on Twitter.
“I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input,” Agrawal said.
Musk limited his response to a face with hand over mouth emoticon on Twitter. Tesla did not immediately respond to an email sent to the company seeking a comment from Musk.
News of Musk taking a board seat had some Twitter employees panicking over the future of the social media firm’s ability to moderate content, company insiders told Reuters.
Before taking a stake, Musk ran a Twitter poll asking users if they believed Twitter adheres to the principle of free speech.
A day after becoming the largest shareholder, he launched another poll asking users if they want an edit button, a long-awaited feature on which the social media platform has been working.
The Tesla boss also asked users in a poll if Twitter’s headquarters should be converted into a homeless shelter, a plan backed by Amazon.com Inc’s founder Jeff Bezos.
On Saturday, he suggested changes to Twitter Blue premium subscription service, including slashing its price, banning advertising and giving an option to pay in the cryptocurrency dogecoin.
Twitter shares, which soared 27 percent on April 4 after Musk disclosed his stake, has lost 7.5 percent since then to Friday’s close.
“There will be distractions ahead, but our goals and priorities remain unchanged,” Agrawal said in his Sunday note. “Let’s tune out the noise, and stay focused on the work and what we’re building.”
In response to a question about whether the 27-nation bloc is ready to ban Russian oil, Borrell stressed that the paper imposing more sanctions on Moscow is always present on the EU table.
"Sanctions are always on the table," he told reporters upon his arrival in Luxembourg to attend a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Reuters reported
He also made it clear that the ministers will discuss in their meeting today other or next steps that can be taken regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
In addition, he emphasized continuing to increase support for the Ukrainian people.
As for the field operations on the ground, he warned that the fighting will intensify in the Donbass region, in the east of the country, in the coming days.
An oil embargo?!
Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, in a press statement before the meeting, indicated that the European Commission may ban Russian oil as part of possible sanctions.
German Foreign Minister Annalina Birbock spoke of the need to send more weapons to Kyiv.
She also pointed out that there are indications of war crimes in Ukraine, but conclusive evidence is also needed.
As for the Austrian Foreign Minister, he thought it good to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin face to face that he had lost the war.
The European foreign ministers will discuss today the imposition of a sixth package of sanctions on Moscow, but the bloc is still divided on the issue of banning imports of Russian gas and oil.
Although the sanctions that will harm Russia to the maximum extent. The European Union's boycott of its energy imports, are not officially on the table for discussion. European diplomats confirmed that they are still negotiating these sanctions.
It is noteworthy that the fifth package of European sanctions imposed from Friday, included a ban on imports of Russian coal, which was an important first step towards a broader ban on other energy resources.
But consensus is required among the 27 EU countries to impose any sanctions related to gas or oil, especially since countries that depend on Russian gas, including Germany, Italy, Austria and Hungary, are still reluctant to add it to the embargo list.
Since the start of the Russian military operation on Ukrainian soil on February 24, the Kremlin has generated more than 25 billion euros in gas, oil and coal sales to the union, Borrell previously confirmed.
Therefore, Kyiv adheres to the demand to ban oil and gas, in order to dry up the resources of the Russians, despite the thousands of European and American sanctions imposed on Moscow about two months ago.