Asus affirms that ROG Ally will debut a global profile.

Asus revealed the ROG Ally portable gaming console earlier this month. It supports Windows 11 as well. Even though they haven't yet thoroughly examined all of its features and capabilities, the announcement has stirred up a lot of debate among gamers worldwide.

In a recent advertisement, Asus said that ROG Ally will be sold everywhere and that an official launch may occur soon.

The 7" IPS LCD display on the ROG Ally will be FHD and offer a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It will also have a Ryzen 7040U powered by AMD Zen4 with an RDNA3 CPU and GPU, along with 512GB and 1T of storage.

The ROG Ally is up to twice as good as the Steam Deck Valve with the same 35W power consumption and 50% better at 15W, according to YouTuber Linus. In addition, the fan on it operates well and quietly.

The ROG Ally is somewhat smaller and lighter than the Steam Deck, measuring 28.0 x 11.3 x 3.9cm and weighing 608 grams, respectively, on the outside. Additionally, ROG Ally will function on Windows 11 natively with select ASUS applications.

It should be noted that the ROG Ally may cost anywhere from $649 and above. However, this price is merely to be anticipated; we are yet unsure of the precise cost. Therefore, all we can do is wait and watch when Asus formally declares that it will be completed shortly.

Brazil's Lula requests a "peace group" to mediate an agreement between Ukraine and Russia

Reuters, ABU DHABI,   Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, suggested on Sunday (April 16) that a group of nations not involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict be formed to mediate a settlement after discussing the idea with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping earlier in the week.

Lula, who has criticized the US and the EU for their involvement in the crisis, stated, "I think we need to sit on a table and say, "that's enough, let's start talking" because violence has never and will never serve mankind.

After returning from an Asian tour, the president of Brazil told reporters in Abu Dhabi that he was aiming to assemble a group of leaders that "prefer to talk about peace rather than war."

He mentioned his recent meetings with Xi and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates.

Lula has earlier stated that the group should include of states that are not "encouraging" conflict, and that countries that are already providing arms should be persuaded to quit doing so.

Since Russia invaded the neighboring nation more than a year ago, the United States and the European Union have been giving Ukraine arms and other forms of assistance. According to reports, Germany requested armaments from Brazil early this year, but Lula declined.

Lula emphasized that the decision to start the conflict was "made by two countries," perhaps including Ukraine in this. She also said that it would be more difficult to cease the war since additional countries would need to be persuaded.

To convince people that peace is the best option to start a dialogue, Lula stated, "We are trying to form a group of countries that have no involvement in the war to talk to Russia and Ukraine, as well as the US and EU."

Earlier this year, Lula spoke over the phone with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine. Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, will be welcomed by his government in Brasilia on Monday.

In response to North Korean threats, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan conduct missile defense exercises in the East Sea.

On April 17, SEOUL (Yonhap) -- According to Seoul's Navy, a trilateral missile defense drill involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan got underway on Monday in the East Sea's international seas as part of increased efforts to strengthen deterrence against North Korean threats.

Following Pyongyang's provocative actions, such as the launch of an allegedly solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last Thursday, the three countries have been tightening their security cooperation.

Amid North Korean threats, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conduct missile defense exercises in the East Sea.

17 April, SEOUL (Yonhap) As part of increased efforts to strengthen deterrence against North Korean threats, South Korea, the United States, and Japan started a trilateral missile defense drill on Monday in the East Sea's international seas, according to Seoul's Navy.

Following Pyongyang's provocative actions, such as the alleged launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile last Thursday, the three countries have been tightening their security cooperation.

The last time the three nations engaged in such a joint missile defense drill was in February.

They decided to perform regular missile defense and anti-submarine drills to confront the threats from the North at their senior-level defense talks, known as the Defense Trilateral Talks, last week.

Netflix Users in the US Drop by 11,000

 

About 11,000 users across the US are experiencing crashes on the well-known streaming service Netflix. This is in accordance with Reuters' press announcement from April 17, 2023.

On Monday morning, reports from several US users on social media and other sites were gathered by the website Downdetector, according to sources.

Netflix has not officially acknowledged the problem, however it is expected that a remedy will be made and a new version will be released shortly, as is the case with other businesses.

Michelle Yeoh, an actress, celebrates the Oscars with other well-known Hong Kong people.

(Hong Kong) Michelle Yeoh, a Malaysian actress who began her film career there, recently organized a celebration for Hong Kong's A-listers to commemorate her Oscar win. due to the 1980s. According to a report from the Straits Times on April 17, 2023, this is the case.

She met a lot of Hong Kong celebs who were celebrating Oscar victories. The 60-year-old made history in March when she became the first Asian woman to get the Best Actress Oscar for the role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once." Anthony Wong, an actor, was one of several Hong Kong celebrities who shared the first images of the Oscar festivities.

On Sunday morning, Yeoh posted a picture on Facebook with the caption, "It was a great night to celebrate and share my joy with those who gave me a foothold in Hong Kong." I'm happy to see everyone. Yeoh gained notoriety in Hong Kong as an actor after appearing in the films Yes, Madam, Police Story 3: Super Cop, and Wing Chun.

15 Russian 'intelligence personnel' are expelled from the embassy by Norway

Reuters, 13 April 2018 - The latest such deportation by a Western country since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine involves Norway's decision to dismiss 15 Russian embassy staff members who, according to the foreign ministry's statement on Thursday, were intelligence agents working undercover in diplomatic posts.

The decision made by Norway was "another extremely unfriendly step, which will see a response," the Russian embassy in Oslo told Reuters.

The expulsions represent more than a third of the 40 Russian diplomats who are now accredited in Oslo.

Since Moscow began its full-scale assault on Ukraine last year, it is the most recent instance of a Western nation removing Russian ambassadors. Estonia, the Netherlands, and Austria have all kicked out Russian ambassadors so far this year.

In April 2022, Norway also evicted three Russians.

Anniken Huitfeldt, the foreign minister of Norway, stated during a press conference that "their actions pose a threat to Norway."

"We have continuously monitored their activity. Since the invasion of Ukraine, they have grown.

She said that the officers in question had to leave Norway soon.

State-run news outlet TASS quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying without more explanation that Moscow will retaliate to the expulsions.

In the Arctic, Norway and Russia share a border. Norway is a part of NATO.

The expulsions might make it more difficult to change the head of the Arctic Council, a multinational organization where Arctic countries meet to discuss matters pertaining to the arctic area.

The chair is presently held by Moscow, but Norway is scheduled to take over on May 11 and Oslo has stated that a peaceful handover is a top priority.

It is still too early to judge if the expulsions will have an impact on the Arctic Council's transition, according to Huitfeldt.

According to Huitfeldt, Norway continues to work to keep regular diplomatic ties with Russia, and Russian diplomats are welcomed in the nation.

Poland is permitted by Germany to send outdated fighter planes to Ukraine.

German capital, April 13 (Reuters) - The German defense ministry said on Thursday that Germany has granted Poland's request to send five outdated MiG-29 fighter planes to strengthen Ukraine's air force against the Russian incursion.

The Polish defense ministry did not respond right away.

The request was received on Thursday, according to German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, and Berlin's prompt acceptance proved that it could be trusted.

When East Germany and West Germany reunited in 1990, Germany received 24 MiG-29 aircraft from the GDR. The planes were among the most cutting-edge fighter jets in existence at the time.

Berlin transferred 22 of the planes to Poland in 2004. One of the two remaining jets was destroyed in a collision, while the other is on display at a museum.

To deploy its remaining aircraft to a third nation, Poland requires Berlin's approval.

When visiting Warsaw last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that Poland will join a coalition of Western nations to provide Kyiv with airplanes.

In order to defend against airstrikes, Ukraine, which plans to launch a counteroffensive in the upcoming weeks or months, wants to acquire fighter planes.

While some nations have stepped in to give Ukraine's existing MiG-29 fighter planes, Western nations have so far been unwilling to lend sophisticated fighter jets like F-16s to Kyiv.

Club Al-Nasr Garcia has been fired by Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo presently plays for the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, who fired coach Rudi Garcia on Thursday after less than a year in command. from the media on the tension in the team's locker room in the days leading up to the crucial game against champions Al-Hilal. This is in accordance with a report from CNA on April 14, 2023.

Garcia, a former coach of Olympique de Marseille and AS Roma, reprimanded the players following Sunday's scoreless draw with lower-level Al Feiha. "It's awful. With the players, I'm not pleased.

According to local media, Garcia was fired and unhappy with his performance as a result of his friendship with the athlete.

With seven points from their past four league games, Al-Nassr, who paid more than $200 million to get Ronaldo, has slipped to second place in the standings. With seven games remaining in the season, they are three points behind league leaders Al-Ittihad.

Ford is getting ready to convert a 70-year-old facility into an electric vehicle assembly plant.

In order to fulfill its commitment to produce electric vehicles, Ford Motor Co. wants to modernize its 70-year-old Sport car manufacturing factory in Oakille, Ontario, Canada. 2020 contract discussions for the Unifor union in Canada. This is in accordance with Reuters' news report from April 13, 2023.

Ford intends to start the Oakville plant's renovations in the second quarter of 2024. The Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus SUVs are now produced there; however, in order to compete with the rest of the globe, they have been converted into electric car assembly. Ford said that during the plant refurbishment, the vehicle assembly workers there would be permitted to take a break until the facility is finished next year, when they will be able to work regularly with the new production line. Confirm.

Ford Electric's head electrician, Dave Nowicki, explained that the project was a component of the 70-year-old facility's restoration, in which the company had committed roughly $ 50 billion. Nevertheless, Nowicki refrained to raise the issue of whether the factory will construct five electric vehicles as agreed upon with Unifor during the 2020 contract negotiations during a conference call.

Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford, claims that by 2026, Ford would have the ability to construct up to 2 million electrified vehicles globally.

Twitter expresses optimism when more advertisers come back

 

As most advertisers have returned, Twitter CEO Elon Musk stated today that things are "back to normal" for the social media platform. This is in accordance with Reuters' news report from April 13, 2023.

Following the withdrawal of numerous investors' Twitter advertising since Elon Musk formally purchased the social media business for $ 44 billion, Twitter is poised to resume making money.

Musk recently made a hint about the return of sponsors in a recent interview with the BBC on Twitter Space, which has received more than 3 million views (3M). changes in the cost of advertising, some of which may be "political". Most Twitter advertisers are returning, according to Musk.

One of the greatest layoffs for the social media firm, Twitter presently employs 1,500 people overall, down from 7,000 prior to Musk taking over the company. for Twitter's sturdiness.

Reading, an English club, fires manager Ince as the team faces relegation.

Reuters: London Paul Ince, the manager of Reading's English second tier team, was fired on Tuesday as the team sat 22nd in the Championship and faced relegation. According to a CNA report from April 12, 2023, down to the third division of the English league.

The team's U-21 manager, Noel Hunt, will serve as the team's manager for the next five games of the season, the club announced in a statement.

When the team was also in danger of losing its manager, former England, Manchester United, and Liverpool player Ince was named temporary manager in February of last year. Become an ongoing manager.

Reading was demoted after losing 2-1 to Preston North End on Monday. They had not won any of their previous eight games. Due to the club's failure to adhere to budgetary constraints, six points were deducted last week.

Reading will welcome Burnley in their upcoming match since they already have a shot at making the Premier League next year and are currently in first place in the Championship.

Park Seo-Joon, an actor from South Korea, will feature in "The Marvels."

The first teaser trailer for the next film starring The Marvels, which recently dropped a trailer on Tuesday this week, features South Korean actor Park Seo Joon. The clip's publication coincides with the episodes of the Disney + Ms Marvel series. This is in accordance with a report published by CNA on April 12, 2023. 

The two-minute footage opened with Korean actor Park Seo-joon wearing long hair and armor and appeared to be getting ready for a fight. The actor's role has not yet been made public, despite the fact that internet users have claimed that he would play Carol Danvers' husband, Prince Yan.

With Claudia Kim in "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" and Ma Dong-seok in "Eternals," Park is the third Korean celebrity to appear in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film.

Canada promises further military assistance to Ukraine and penalties against Russia.

 

Reuters, April - After meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Toronto on Tuesday (April 11), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced more sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and renewed military assistance for Kiev.

According to Trudeau, Canada would penalize 14 Russian persons and 34 businesses, including security targets connected to Wagner Group, and supply 21,000 assault weapons, 38 machine guns, and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.

He declared, "We will continue to provide Ukraine with all essential help for until long is required.

Since January 2022, shortly before the invasion at the end of February, Canada has given Ukraine financial, military, humanitarian, and other aid totaling more over C$8 billion.

To exert even more pressure on Russia's "enablers in Belarus," Canada is also placing sanctions on nine firms connected to the country's banking industry, according to Trudeau.

Pentagon chief: US will "turn over every stone" to discover the source of the leak.

Reuters, April , Washington - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Tuesday that the US will keep looking for the source of the latest alleged secret document leak.

More than 50 of the "Secret" and "Top Secret" documents that originally surfaced on social media in March and purportedly provide information about some U.S. partners and enemies' military capabilities have been examined by Reuters.

The validity of the papers has not been independently confirmed by Reuters.

Austin stated during a news conference at the State Department, "We will keep looking into this and turn over every stone until we uncover the source of this and the breadth of it.

The Pentagon was aware that papers dated February 28 and March 1 had been placed online, according to Austin, the first senior U.S. official to remark on the leak. However, Austin was unsure if there were more records that had previously been online.

Austin continued, "These are things that we will learn as we continue to examine.

In a subsequent speech at Rice University in Texas, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns referred to the leaks as "deeply unfortunate," but he made no mention of the Pentagon and Justice Department investigations, which he described as "quite intense."

Burns added, "We need to learn from that as well about how we can strengthen processes.

Investigators are trying to identify who or what could have had the means and desire to make the intelligence information public. Since the 2013 release of tens of thousands of government papers on WikiLeaks, the disclosures may be the most devastating disclosure of material from the US government.

According to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters, Milancy Harris, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, is in charge of the Pentagon's investigation into the potential consequences of the exposed data.

The most sensitive material supposedly relates to the military prowess and deficiencies of Ukraine, and one paper emphasizes the little presence of Western special forces personnel there.

The release of the papers is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department.

Given the range of themes the papers address, several national security specialists and U.S. authorities say they believe the leaker may be an American. As the probe goes further, other hypotheses can emerge, they added.

Wagner believes Russia holds the majority of Bakhmut, while Kyiv asserts its soldiers are steadfast.

 BAKHMUT,  (Reuters) After some of the bloodiest and hardest combat of the conflict, the leader of Russia's Wagner mercenary organization said on Tuesday that his troops held more than 80% of the destroyed city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

Senior Ukrainian military authorities did not immediately respond to the allegations, but they did state that their troops were resisting severe attacks in a city that formerly had a population of 70,000 while keeping Russian forces in check.

Russia's months-long operations to seize Bakhmut have been led by Wagner fighters. The brutal trench fighting and ongoing artillery bombardments have evoked analogies to World War One due to the significant amount of deaths sustained by both sides.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of Wagner, declared that his soldiers, who have been crucial to Russian advances in the east, were advancing with their encirclement of Bakhmut.

In a video uploaded by a Russian military bogger, he claimed that "in Bakhmut, the larger part, more than 80% is now under our control, including the whole administrative centre, factories, warehouses, and the administration of the city."

One of the four regions Moscow announced to have seized in September, the Donetsk region's newly installed Russian leader said that Russian forces had forced Ukrainian defenders into a corner.

Denis Pushilin was cited as saying on state television, "In the western territories where their troops are entrenched, they have no alternative except to come forward and give themselves up.

The situation in Bakhmut is under control, according to Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, who also said that Kyiv will not permit its forces to be encircled.

Hanna Malyar, the deputy minister of defense for Ukraine, confirmed that Bakhmut "took the main hit" during the battle. But she said that because Russian soldiers "typically lose to us in street battles, they just destroy all buildings and structures."

Senior Ukrainian officials continued their efforts to persuade partners to free up stockpiles because Kiev claims it needs more and better Western weaponry to defeat Russia.

According to a report, South Korea will provide the US 500,000 artillery shells.

Reuters, - According to a South Korean publication on Wednesday, South Korea and the United States agreed last month to lend each other 500,000 155 mm artillery shells, which might offer Washington more freedom to send weapons to Ukraine.

Unnamed government sources were reported by the DongA Ilbo daily as claiming that South Korea chose to "lend" the ammunition rather than sell it to reduce the likelihood that South Korean rounds would be used in the conflict in Ukraine.

It said that the United States would fill its stockpile mostly with the borrowed shells.

The U.S. government requested to purchase the same amount or more of the shells in February after purchasing 100,000 rounds of them the previous year, but the South Korean government looked for another way to provide its ally with the ammunition.

After considering how to honestly respond to the blood ally's request while upholding government policy against giving Ukraine lethal weapons, it was reported that "we've chosen to significantly increase the volume of shells but take the rental method."

Both Seoul and Washington have previously confirmed that they were negotiating an artillery supply deal, but there has been no official word on whether any agreement was finalised.

The defense ministry of South Korea said that the allies were looking at methods to assist Ukraine in defending its freedom, but it would not confirm any particular conversations.

The American State Department was unable to comment right away.

According to Yonhap news agency, Foreign Minister Park Jin told reporters that he could not confirm the newspaper allegation but stressed that the government's stance against giving Ukraine deadly assistance remained the same.

The study, which followed the disclosure of highly confidential U.S. military papers, emphasized South Korea's challenges in balancing demands from its friends in the west to assist with the delivery of military supplies to Ukraine with its own policy of abstention from the conflict.

Despite being a significant artillery ammunition supplier and important U.S. partner, South Korea has tried to avoid enraging Russia due to their mutual economic interests and Moscow's leverage over North Korea.

Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, has stated that his country has not sent Ukraine any lethal weaponry and would instead increase humanitarian supplies. Yoon Suk Yeol is now in Washington for a meeting with Joe Biden, the president of the United States.

Moscow claims a US intelligence leak may have been done on purpose to mislead Russia.

 

(Reuters) MOSCOW On Wednesday, Russia's deputy foreign minister said that recent US intelligence disclosures may be a result of a "deliberate" scheme by Washington. Russia. On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the AFP news agency published this.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said to local media that it could be interesting to examine these documents and try to ascertain whether they are authentic. Definitely a phony document or one that was intentionally leaked. It is probable that these strategies are being employed to trick their foe, the Russian Federation, given that the United States is fighting a hybrid war against us and is a party to the conflict in Ukraine.

The leak includes US intelligence on Ukraine's combat capabilities against Russian aggressors, as well as hacking and spying on its allies, including Israel, South Korea and Ukraine. And so on. In some documents reviewed by the AFP and Washington Post, the United States has expressed concern about Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian attacks, and Washington has expressed doubts about the success of Ukraine's counter-attack plan. In the future as well.

In response to US surveillance charges, South Korea calls a leaked US intelligence dossier "untrue."

Reuters, April 11, 2019 - The material in allegedly leaked U.S. private documents, which seemed to be based on internal conversations among top South Korean officials, is "untrue" and "altered," a senior South Korean security official claimed on Tuesday.

The statement, which emphasized that the two nations' relationship remained solid, was issued by Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo as he left for Washington ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the United States on April 26.

A number of documents, some dating back a month, have lately surfaced on social media, providing a partial picture of the conflict in Ukraine. One of these documents includes information on internal talks South Korean officials had over U.S. pressure on Seoul to assist with the delivery of weaponry to Ukraine.

The report on South Korea is "untrue," Kim told reporters, adding that "the two countries have a similar assessment that much of the information disclosed is altered."

He did not specify what information in the document was false.

According to the paper, which doesn't appear to have a date, South Korea had agreed to send artillery rounds to the United States in order to assist it restock its stocks. South Korea insisted that the "end user" should be the American military. However, senior South Korean officials were concerned internally that the US might send them to Ukraine.

According to South Korea, sending weapons to a country at war is against the law, hence it cannot deliver weapons to Ukraine.

According to the American assessment, which looked to be partially based on signals intelligence, the United States may have been snooping on South Korea, one of its most crucial allies.

The validity of the papers has not been independently confirmed by Reuters. Some reports on Ukrainian battlefield casualties looked to have been changed to minimize Russian losses.

The most recent information, according to Kim, won't have an effect on South Korea's partnership with the United States.

Since (Yoon's) inauguration, we have exchanged intelligence in practically every field, according to the United States, which has the greatest intelligence capabilities in the world, Kim claimed.

Prior to that, South Korea's defense ministry said that Tuesday's phone conversations between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart included recent media reports on the leak of secret U.S. papers.

The Pentagon chief promised to closely communicate and work with South Korea on the matter during the phone call, which was initiated by Austin, the ministry said.

Israeli PM changes his mind about firing the defense minister

Reuters, JERUSALEM, 10 APRIL - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed a decision to remove Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that sparked demonstrations and international concern by announcing on Monday (Apr. 10) that he would keep Gallant in his position due to a growing security situation.

He said that they had come to an understanding over Gallant's last month public appeal for the government's hotly disputed judicial overhaul plan, which Gallant claimed had become a security danger to Israel.

Netanyahu said he would postpone the dismissal last week.

Netanyahu declared at a news conference on Monday, "I've chosen to put our problems behind us. He said that throughout the previous two weeks, the two had collaborated closely.

Hours after two Israeli girls and their mother were killed in a gun incident in the occupied West Bank, an Italian tourist was killed and five other people were injured in a vehicle ramming in Tel Aviv on Friday.

After a night of cross-border assaults in Gaza and Lebanon, this week's attacks added to already-high Israeli-Palestinian tensions caused by Israeli police raids at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa shrine.

When Israel attacked sites in Gaza and southern Lebanon related to the islamist organisation Hamas in response to a barrage of missiles, tensions threatened to worsen, but fighting subsided on Friday.

According to a survey released on Sunday by Israel's Channel 13 News, if elections were conducted today, Netanyahu's Likud party would lose more than a third of its seats and would be unable to form a majority with his hard-right coalition allies.

According to Netanyahu, the survey doesn't bother him.

The prime minister said that despite appearances to the contrary, ties with the United States were "stronger than ever" and that there was close intelligence and security collaboration between the two nations.

In his most recent term as prime minister, Netanyahu also addressed the problem of not yet receiving an invitation to an official visit at the White House.

Don't worry, there will be a visit, Netanyahu assured.

After weeks of widespread protests, his administration halted legislation on the revamp to allow for compromise talks with the opposition parties.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, has come under fire for declaring that Europe should have a stance on Taiwan that is different from that of the United States or China.

(Reuters) PARIS - By asserting that Europe should become a pole of power and that Europe has no interest in escalating tensions over Taiwan, French President Emmanuel Macron has drawn some criticism. Third, unattached to Beijing and Washington. On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the AFP news agency published this.

During a three-day trip to China last week, McCormack spoke with Les Echos and Politico and said: "The worst thing is to think that we in Europe need to be walkers."Follow them throughout the area (Taiwan) and adjust to either the US or Chinese stance.

Politicians in the US and Europe have attacked the French president's policy for pandering to China. According to a tweet from German member Norbert Roettgen, French President Emmanuel Macron made Xi Jinping's trip to China a public relations triumph. An absolute disaster for European foreign policy. Senator of the United States Marco Rubio said: "Perhaps we shouldn't take sides on the Ukraine crisis if Europe does not want to choose between the US and China over Taiwan." _

Beijing has never ruled out using military force to bring Taiwan back together since it sees Taiwan as a part of its territory. After the Taiwanese president met with the speaker of the US House of Representatives in California on Monday, the Chinese military just finished a three-day drill in the vicinity of Taiwan.

This weekend, Germany will shut down its final three nuclear reactors.

 

(Reuters) BERLIN Germany will shut down its final three nuclear reactors on Saturday this week in hopes of accomplishing its green energy aspirations without the need for nuclear power. Faced with the energy crisis created by the Ukraine war. On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the AFP news agency published this.

The Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2, and Emsland nuclear reactors are the final three ones still in operation in Germany. Since 2002, Germany has worked to reduce its reliance on nuclear energy. The three reactors' initial shutdown date was set for December 31, 2022, however it was moved up to April 15, 2023.

Since 2003, Germany has shut down 16 nuclear reactors in total. Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, is still having trouble, even though many Western nations are expanding their usage of nuclear energy as they switch to greener, less harmful fuels. abide by its decision to stop utilizing nuclear power.

In contrast to the approximately 31% of operational nuclear reactors in 1997, Germany's electricity supply last year came from the Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2, and Emsland reactors only to the tune of 6%. In contrast, renewable energy made up 46% of Germany's energy in 2022, down from 25% a decade earlier.

However, Germany's aim of closing all remaining coal-fired power plants in the nation means that the current state of renewable energy production will not be sufficient for the country to meet its objectives. By 2038, with the first round's start date set for 2030. Germany now gets a third of its electricity from coal, and last year it increased by 8% after losing power to Russia due to the Ukraine crisis.

A almost $ 32 million punishment was imposed on Google for monopolizing power in South Korea.

 

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, was recently penalized $31.99 million by the South Korean antitrust authority for abusing its monopoly over video game developers. transmitted on its primary online platform. This is based on information published by Reuters on April 11, 2023.

According to the Korean Trade Fair Commission (KFTC), Google has increased its market domination and harmed several local app industries. Since June 2016 to April 2018, the Korean digital giant ONE Store Corp., which is renowned as the country's leading game and game content producer, has been affecting Google Play's income and price. Other game businesses including Netmarble, Nexon, and NCSOFT are also subject to Google's exclusive authority to prohibit in addition to the ONE Store. 

Additionally, several smaller gambling businesses have added to the problem.

According to the KFTC, the government's action against the US tech giant was an effort to guarantee a fair market.

The South Korean fine has not yet received a response from Google, but a spokeswoman for the company stated: "Google has heavily invested in the success of the developer and we do not agree."Honor the KFTC's

US government secrets about the war in Ukraine leaked: report

Washington, DC (New York Times), April 8 - According to the New York Times, top-secret documents detailing US and NATO intentions to assist Ukraine in getting ready for a spring onslaught against Russia have leaked into social media sites.

A Ukrainian presidential official said on Friday that the alleged leak appeared to be part of a Russian misinformation campaign to cast doubt on Ukraine's intended counteroffensive.

According to Mykhailo Podolyak, Russia was attempting to regain the upper hand in its invasion and the data comprised a "very large amount of fictitious information."

On Thursday, the Pentagon declared that it was investigating the alleged security lapse.

Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated, "We are aware of the claims of social media posts, and the department is evaluating the situation.

According to the Times, the documents—which were shared on Twitter and Telegram—contain graphs and information regarding weapon supplies, battalion strengths, and other sensitive data.

No information was provided as to how the plans were acquired.

According to the report, the records contain information that is at least five weeks old, with the most recent date being March 1. Plans did not include details on particular actions, such as the timing of Ukraine's attack.

N. Korea claims to have tested a further "underwater nuclear attack drone."

AFP - SEOUL, April 8 - In its latest reaction to military drills by South Korea and the United States, North Korea said on Saturday that it has tested yet another underwater nuclear attack drone. However, many have questioned whether Pyongyang actually has such a weapon.

North Korea recently conducted tests of an underwater nuclear-capable drone and an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, according to official media.

From April 4 to 7, a test of an undersea strategic weapon system was conducted in the DPRK, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The "Haeil-2" underwater nuclear attack drone "cruised" for 71 hours and 6 minutes across a simulated distance of 1,000 kilometers.

The test warhead accurately detonated underwater, according to KCNA. The test successfully demonstrated the undersea strategic weapon system's dependability and its capacity for lethal strike.

In less than three weeks, North Korea claims to have already completed three underwater drone tests.

It claimed to have performed the first test of the Haeil, which means "tsunami" in Korean, on March 23 and blamed US-South Korea drills for a deteriorating regional security situation. Haeil is capable of unleashing a "radioactive tsunami."

It said that a second test had been conducted five days later.

In response, Seoul was "capable of monitoring and detecting such drones infiltrating underwater," South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said MPs.

A high level of activity has also been seen in satellite images of North Korea's main nuclear facility after Kim Jong Un's directive to increase the manufacture of nuclear material fit for use in weapons.

Kim has called for a "exponential" expansion in weapon manufacturing, including tactical nuclear weapons, and North Korea last year declared itself a "irreversible" nuclear power.

According to Seoul's military, South Korea and the US conducted joint air exercises on Wednesday that included at least one US B-52H strategic bomber with nuclear weapons capability.

North Korea responds to previous recent drills with a flurry of increasingly aggressive prohibited weapons because it sees such activities as invasion preparations.

Along with expanding its nuclear arsenal, North Korea is attempting to diversify its delivery systems.

Similar weapons, including nuclear-capable Poseidon torpedoes, have apparently also been created by Russia, but analysts claimed North Korea may still not be able to grasp the intricate technology needed for such weapons.

However, Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP that the North's assertions regarding the tests should not be "easily dismissed for being exaggerated".

"While the North may have overstated the degree of success to some extent, they seem to demonstrate Pyongyang's underlying confidence in this technology, some of which may have been imported from Russia," says the author.

The transmission of the underwater drone technology has not received any formal comments from Russia or North Korea, Choi continued.

Chinese military drills are announced in the Taiwan Strait

AFP, Beijing, April 8 - China made a three-day military exercise in the Taiwan Strait official announcement on Saturday. "United Sharp Sword" will take place from April 8 to April 10 in order to "improve combat readiness," according to the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command.

"United Sharp Sword" would feature police patrol drills in the Taiwan Strait, "to the north and south of Taiwan, and in the sea and airspace to the east of Taiwan," according to Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokeswoman for the Eastern Theatre of the PLA.

The exercises' precise location wasn't made clear. The Taiwanese defense ministry reported on Saturday that it had spotted 13 Chinese aircraft and three warships in the area of the island.

The exercises' precise location wasn't made clear. The Taiwanese defense ministry reported on Saturday that on the previous day, the island had been the target of 13 Chinese aircraft and three vessels.

In a morning dispatch, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said that "4 of the detected aircraft had crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line and entered Taiwan's southeast ADIZ."

China's action on Saturday comes after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met in California.

Self-governing Taiwan is considered to be a part of Chinese territory, and China has pledged to one day annex it, using force if necessary.

Following a visit to the island by McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi, China made its greatest display of force in years in August by deploying warships, missiles, and fighter planes all around Taiwan.

On Pingtan, an island in southwest China that is considered to be the closest part of the Chinese mainland to Taiwan, there were no early indications of increased military action.

On a Saturday morning, tour operators led groups of day-trippers around the shoreline as other tourists watched the rough seas of the strait.

A military tugboat and three army helicopters were spotted Friday by AFP journalists passing through the waters around Pingtan, although it was unclear if they indicated increased activity.

Beijing maintained that Taiwan is still a "inseparable part" of its territory on Friday as it dispatched warships and planes to the area for a second day.

Tsai visited Taiwan's diminishing number of formal diplomatic allies in Latin America on Friday. During her two stops in the US, she had discussions with McCarthy and other politicians.

She assured reporters that her trip had been successful, adding that "we will never yield to suppression." She also stated that she had "let the international community see that Taiwan is more united when facing pressure and threats."

China moved its Shandong aircraft carrier through Taiwan's southeast seas on its approach to the western Pacific hours before meeting with McCarthy in California on Wednesday.

Beijing warned against the Tsai-McCarthy meeting several times before declaring earlier on Friday that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China."

At a routine news conference, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, declared that "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity will never be divided."

The reunification of Taiwan with the motherland is essential for its future.

As the EU works to mend fences with Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping recently met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

For a second day, China deploys military planes and ships near Taiwan.

APRIL 7 (Aljazeera): BEIJING In response to Beijing's displeasure at this week's meeting between Tsai Ing-wen, the president of the self-governing island, and Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the US House of Representatives, China has deployed warships and planes near Taiwan for a second day and imposed penalties.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense on Friday, three Chinese warships cruised in the waters surrounding the island, which China claims as its own. A fighter aircraft and an anti-submarine helicopter also flew above the island's air defense identification zone.

Hours before Tsai and McCarthy met in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong was seen traveling through Taiwan's southeast seas on its route to the western Pacific.

Beijing issued many warnings prior to the conference and a censure on Thursday upon its conclusion.

According to Mao Ning, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, "China will take firm and forceful measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

After McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August of last year, China made its greatest display of force in years by deploying warships, missiles, and fighter planes into the waters and skies surrounding Taiwan. McCarthy, the third-ranking lawmaker in the US, had intended to travel to Taiwan but changed his mind and met Tsai in California.

Taiwan has so far reacted to the Tsai-McCarthy summit with more restraint, although it is still on guard.

Obama administration blames Trump while defending the departure from Afghanistan

 

Washington, DC (Aljazeera), April 6 - The administration of US President Joe Biden has defended its decision to remove US troops from Afghanistan, but stated that the 2021 pullout underscored the need for Washington to improve its "high-risk scenario" planning in the future.

The United States government agencies engaged in the withdrawal criticized the previous administration of President Donald Trump for problems that resulted in the disorderly US disengagement from the nation in a summary report released on Thursday.

It stated that the circumstances put in place by his predecessor "severely constrained President Biden's choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan."

Biden promised to uphold the Taliban departure deal that the Trump administration had struck. The study on Thursday, however, criticized the former Republican president for not having enough strategy to implement the agreement.

The study stated that the outgoing government "provided no plans for how to conduct the final withdrawal or to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies" during the transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration.

Even though the agreed-upon full pullout was still more than three months away when President Biden took office, there were no such arrangements in place at that time.

China promises a "resolute" response to the high-level US meeting with the leader of Taiwan.

 

AFP, Beijing, April 6 - The meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Thursday, April 6, was denounced by China's foreign ministry, according to official media Xinhua.

Tsai visited Guatemala and Belize, two of Taipei's shrinking number of formal allies, on a layover in the US on Wednesday. There, she met with a team of US officials from the Republican and Democratic parties.

According to a statement from the ministry obtained by Xinhua, "China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the seriously incorrect acts of collusion between the United States and Taiwan."

Beijing rejects Taipei's official contacts with foreign nations and asserts Taiwan as its own territory.

China has promised to take it one day, using force if necessary.

The meeting on Wednesday "gravely violated the one-China principle," according to the ministry, referring to the US's long-standing official recognition of the policy.

The Taiwan question is the first line that cannot be crossed in ties between China and the US, according to the ministry. It is also at the center of China's basic interests.

According to Xinhua, the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy was also denounced by the Ministry of National Defense.

According to Xinhua, the ministry issued a statement saying, "We firmly oppose all forms of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan and any visit by leader of the Taiwan authorities to the United States in any name or under any pretext."

The ministry also stated that "the (People's Liberation Army) will steadfastly defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the peace and stability on the other side of the Taiwan Strait."

Ukraine advocates for a "coalition" of Western aircraft

Reuters, April 6, 2019 - The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pledged Poland's assistance in assembling a group of Western nations to send jets to Kyiv as his troops fought to protect Bakhmut in the east against constant Russian attacks.

Zelenskyy claimed Poland was crucial in persuading Western allies to send combat tanks to Ukraine during a visit to Warsaw on Wednesday (5 April), and he felt Poland could fulfill the same function in a "planes coalition."

The Polish government announced it would deploy 10 additional MiG fighter jets in addition to the four already offered, but the United States and Ukraine's other main military sponsors have not yet agreed to provide the additional aircraft.

"For me, the most important thing is not to lose our soldiers," Zelenskyy said, apparently referring to a withdrawal. "Of course, if there is a moment of even hotter events and the danger we could lose our personnel because of encirclement - of course, the corresponding correct decisions will be taken by generals there."

One of the fiercest battles of Russia's invasion, which is now in its fourteenth month, was fought for Bakhmut, one of the remaining urban areas in eastern Donetsk Province that has not yet fallen to Russia.

Before a projected counteroffensive against Russian forces in the upcoming weeks or months, Ukrainian military commanders have emphasized the need of keeping Bakhmut and other cities and inflicting damage on them.

"Bakhmut is completing the crucial duty of causing as

Australia to prohibit TikTok on government devices

 

SYDNEY, April four (Reuters) - The Australian authorities said on Tuesday it'd dispose of TikTok from all federal government-owned gadgets, following many other nations inside the West in barring the Chinese-owned video app over security issues.

The ban underscores growing worries that China's government ought to use the Beijing-based agency, owned by means of ByteDance Ltd, to harvest users' records to develop its political agenda, undermining Western security interests.

The ban will come into impact "as quickly as potential", Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said in a assertion, including that exemptions could best be granted on a case-by way of-case basis and with appropriate security measures in region.

With Australia's ban, all members of the so-known as Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network - which includes Australia, Canada, america, Britain and New Zealand - have banned the app from authorities gadgets. France, Belgium and the European Commission have introduced comparable bans.

The Australian newspaper past due on Monday pronounced Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had agreed to a government-wide ban on using TikTok after the crowning glory of a overview by means of the Home Affairs department.

TikTok and the top minister's workplace did not right now respond to requests for comment.

Victoria state will even ban the video app from government telephones, The Age newspaper reported, citing a nation government reputable.

Tiktok Australia general manager Lee Hunter turned into quoted by using The Age as saying the organization become disenchanted to examine of the ban via the media "no matter our repeated offers to interact with authorities constructively about this policy".

"We stress that there's no proof to signify that TikTok is in any manner a security hazard to Australians and have to no longer be handled differently to other social media platforms," he become quoted as announcing.

Trump widens lead in 2024 Republican presidential primary: Reuters/Ipsos ballot

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump has widened his lead over his opponents within the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, at the same time as he faces crook prices in New York, in line with a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday.

Some 48% of self-described Republicans say they want Trump to be their party's presidential nominee, up from forty four% in a March 14-20 ballot .

Some 19% back his closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, down from 30% last month. Other probably opponents polled within the unmarried digits.

The online ballot  become performed between March 31 and April 3, after information broke that Trump might face crook charges related to hush money paid to a porn big name before the 2016 election.

Trump is the first U.S. President to face crook indictment. He is expected to plead no longer guilty at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday.

DeSantis in current weeks has been buffeted with the aid of grievance over a March 13 statement wherein he said that it became not a important U.S. Countrywide interest to become "in addition entangled in a territorial dispute among Ukraine and Russia."

Trump has stepped up his assaults on DeSantis, who has now not officially introduced his candidacy but is expected to run.

Some seventy one% of Americans, together with 58% of Republicans, say it's miles believable that Trump paid porn superstar Stormy Daniels to keep quiet approximately an affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has proclaimed his innocence and denied the affair, even though he has acknowledged paying Daniels.

At the equal time, 51% of ballot  respondents, which includes eighty% of Republicans, stated they believed the expenses are politically stimulated.

Those figures are largely unchanged from last month.

The survey of 706 U.S. Adults has a credibility c language, a degree of precision, of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for all respondents and plus or minus 4.Five percentage factors for Republicans.

The US claims it cannot verify if China obtained real-time data from a surveillance balloon.

Washington, DC, April 3, 2018 - The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Monday that it was still doing analysis and could not corroborate rumors that China was able to get real-time data from a spy balloon as it sailed over important military locations earlier this year.

According to NBC News, the Chinese balloon was able to communicate data back to Beijing in real time despite efforts by the US administration to stop it from doing so. This information might increase Republican criticism of Biden for not shooting down the balloon until it reached a safe zone.

One former senior administration official and two current senior U.S. officials were named by NBC.

Reporters were informed by the White House and the Pentagon that they were unable to validate this claim. The Pentagon said that specialists were still examining the balloon's debris after it was shot down on February 4.

Pentagon spokesman Sabrina Singh stated, "I could not confirm that there was real-time communication from the balloon back to (China) at this time," adding, "that's something we're examining right now."

Reuters' request for comment was not immediately answered by either the Chinese Embassy in Washington or the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing.

The U.S. military shot the balloon down off the Atlantic Coast on Biden's instructions after it spent a week flying over the United States and Canada, which China claims was a government surveillance craft.

According to Reuters, US authorities think China was in charge of the high-altitude balloon as it passed over the country, occasionally guiding it left or right.

Nevertheless, at the time, US officials downplayed the balloon's influence on national security, claiming that it had taken precautions to limit its capacity to gather data on important American facilities. Although conceding the balloon's capacity to linger longer above US areas than a satellite, it also downplayed the claim that it was far more capable of gathering information than Chinese espionage satellites.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a trip to Beijing due to the Chinese balloon incident, which further strained ties between Washington and Beijing.The incident created a commotion in Washington and prompted the American military to scan the sky for further objects that were not being picked up by radar.

Since the United States announced on February 17 that recovery attempts to gather sensors and other debris from the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina had been successful, the FBI has assumed the lead in analysis.

According to TASS, Russia would create a unique branch of Poseidon torpedo carriers.

Reuters, MOSCOW, April 3 - By the end of 2024 or the first half of 2025, Russia intends to create a division of specialized submarines that will be a part of its Pacific Fleet and carry Poseidon nuclear-capable torpedoes, according to a report from the Russian TASS news agency.

Four years after President Vladimir Putin unveiled the fundamentally novel form of strategic nuclear weapon, Russia stated in January that it had created the first batch of Poseidon torpedoes and confirmed it will have its own nuclear power source.

In the Kamchatka Peninsula, where Russia's Pacific Fleet's ballistic nuclear missile is located, the coastal infrastructure for the submarines that would deliver the Poseidon torpedoes will be built, according to Russian statements made in late March It is a submarine base.

According to an unnamed defense source quoted by TASS, "the decision to build a division of special-purpose nuclear submarines in Kamchatka has been decided." We're referring about the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.

Little verifiable specifics regarding the Poseidon are known to the general public, but military analysts claim that it is effectively a torpedo and drone hybrid that can be fired from a nuclear submarine.

Before to a difficult election, Thai PM Prayut highlights his experience.

AFP | BANGKOK, April 3 - The kingdom needs an experienced leader, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday (Apr 3), as candidates started registering for next month's general election. Prayut Chan-o-cha is up against a tough campaign to secure a second term.

The former army chief, who was installed in office following a coup in 2014, is up against a formidable opponent in Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the millionaire daughter of the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

In colorful scenes at a Bangkok sports hall, Prayut, 69, arrived on an open-top truck with potential MPs and supporters from his United Thai Nation party.

Thailand "need workers who are skilled in their jobs. They cannot perform if they have never done it "Mr. Prayut

Blinken requests that Russia release Evan Gershkovich is a WSJ reporter.

Washington, DC (Aljazeera), April 2 - In a phone discussion with Sergey Lavrov on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, who is the secretary of state for the United States, advocated the release of Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia announced on Thursday that it had detained Gershkovich and accused him of acquiring information about a state-secret Russian defense contractor.

Gershkovich was not spying, according to The Wall Street Journal. The espionage charge, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, has been dubbed "ridiculous" by the White House.

"Secretary Blinken expressed the profound concern of the United States on the unjust detention of a journalist by Russia. His immediate release was requested by the Secretary, the US Department of

Wednesday, Zelensky will visit Warsaw: Polish presidency

WARSCHAU, 3 APR (AFP) - Wednesday will be one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's few excursions outside of his country, which is fighting a Russian invasion, according to Poland.

Poland, a NATO member and neighbor, is a crucial ally in Kyiv's defense efforts and has taken in many Ukrainians escaping the conflict.

The head of the international policy office, Marcin Przydacz, noted that Zelensky would also meet Ukrainians living in Poland and said, "This is a formal visit but there will also be an element of a public nature."

Zelensky will have a meeting with Andrzej Duda, his Polish counterpart, while in Poland.

Zelensky is scheduled to speak in the heart of

Once Kim ordered bomb fuel, high activity was observed at the North Korean nuclear complex, according to a report.

Reuters, Washington After the North Korean leader ordered an increase in the production of bomb material to boost the country's nuclear arsenal, a U.S. think group claimed on Saturday that satellite photographs of the country's primary nuclear site show a high level of activity.

The Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) at the Yongbyon complex may be close to completion and moving into operational condition, according to the 38 North North Korea monitoring group, which is based in Washington.

According to the report, the photos demonstrated that a 5 megawatt reactor at Yongbyon was still in operation and that work on a support structure had begun.