World News News - Page 8

In a recent meeting of international relations, Russia has indicated who it wishes to partner with to create a "democratic world order".

The sentiments come from a recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Russia's top diplomat recently landed in China, and throughout his meetings with China's Wang Yi, he described that Russia and China are moving towards creating a new "democratic world order". Notably, Lavrov said that the planet was "living through a very serious stage in the history of international relations."

The sentiments from Russia's top diplomat were echoed by Wang Yi, with him saying, "China-Russia relations have withstood the new test of the changing international situation, maintained the correct direction of progress and shown tenacious development momentum." Adding that China and Russia will maintain working together in "advancing global multipolarity and the democratization of international relations."

Reports indicate Russian soldiers have acquired "highly active samples of radionuclides."

Russian forces could use the radioactive material stolen from a radiation monitoring lab near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant to make dirty bombs, combining conventional explosives with radioactive material. The troops took radionuclides, or radioactive isotopes, and radioactive waste. The material can't be used to make proper nuclear weapons, as none of it contains plutonium or uranium.

"There are so many radioactive sources around the world. If someone wants to get their hands-on this there's an easier way. These radioactive sources you can steal in every hospital. It would always have been possible for someone to sneak in and steal something. I don't see that the risk is any higher than before the Russians invaded," said Bruno Merk from the University of Liverpool.

Russia announced on Tuesday that it would "dramatically reduce" the attacks on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, but that announcement may be a ploy.

According to the Ukrainian military, Russia's announcement and seemingly obvious withdrawal of troops from the region is "probably" a ploy to get the Ukrainian military to believe that they are withdrawing. Ukrainian military claims that Russia is attempting to "mislead the military leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and create a misconception about the occupiers' refusal to plan to encircle the city of Kyiv," according to a Facebook post from the Ukrainian armed forces.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said that Russia has pulled back its troops to "increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations". Russia states that its withdrawal of troops will lead to an environment where nations can come to a peace agreement. Ukraine's military isn't alone in expressing doubt on Russia's announcement, as the Pentagon claimed that the movement of troops is a "repositioning".

The chief intelligence officer for Ukraine has warned Russia that it has people working for Ukraine "everywhere".

The claims have come from Ukraine's intelligence service, which took to Twitter on Monday to warn Russia that it has sources within the Kremlin and to request jets. According to Ukraine's intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov who was recently interviewed by Coffee or Die Magazine, the intelligence agency has people working for Ukraine "everywhere", adding there are individuals in "the army, in the political circles, and administration of the president."

Budanov explained that these undercover sources have been able to provide the Ukrainian military with information on Russian attack plans. Additionally, Budanov said that Ukraine received intelligence from Western countries such as the UK and US on Russian movements. "We have made considerable progress in cyber intelligence. We see the letters and all they write," said Budanov to the magazine.

On March 23 a video was released that showcased Ukrainian forces destroying Russian military equipment with combat drones.

The footage comes from Ukraine's Operation Command South, which is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces that posted the video along with a caption that is a reference to a statement made by famous British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery. Ukraine's Operational Command South said the following, "The harder the fighting and the longer the war, the more the infantry, and the whole army, rely on the artillery." Adding, "And in modern conditions - also on the UAV" [drone].

For context what Montgomery said was "The harder the fighting and the longer the war, the more the infantry, and in fact all the arms, lean on the gunners." As for the combat drone, the Bayraktar TB2 has been used repeatedly by Ukrainian forces throughout Russia's war, and according to reports Ukraine has more than 20 of the UAV combat drones with Russia only having shot down one. Ukraine has recently requested the West for more drones, check out which ones it wants below.

A Ukrainian official close to the matter has warned that the forest fires burning in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone may impact the entire world if they aren't dealt with.

According to Lyudmila Denisova, the commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights recently said, the region near the failed nuclear power plant currently has 31 fires recorded, which are causing an increase in radiation being released into the atmosphere, putting Ukraine, Belarus, and other European countries at risk of exposure. Additionally, Denisova said that due to the Russian military occupying Chernobyl, its impossible to send firefighters into the region to tackle the fires.

Denisova goes on to explain that if nothing is done to stop the fires around the nuclear power plant, there may be "irreparable consequences not only for Ukraine but also for the whole world." The Verkhovna Rada commissioner said that a catastrophe can be prevented if the Russian military occupying the area fall back.

A top Ukrainian official has warned that Russia is attempting to split Ukraine into two nations, similar to North and South Korea.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recently gave a speech following some heated remarks from United States President Joe Biden. The Ukrainian president dropped stark comments aimed at the West that claimed the many nations "ping-pong about who and how should hand over jets" and other weapons that Ukraine has requested. Zelenskyy wished that the people making decisions about how and when to hand over jets and tanks to Ukraine had more courage.

"I've talked to the defenders of Mariupol today. I'm in constant contact with them. Their determination, heroism and firmness are astonishing. If only those who have been thinking for 31 days on how to hand over dozens of jets and tanks had 1% of their courage," said Zelensky.

US President Joe Biden gave a press conference in Brussels where he discussed what the US would do if Russia used chemical weapons in the Ukraine war.

Biden told reporters in Brussels that the US "would respond" if Russia began using chemical weapons in the Ukraine war and that the level and nature of the response would depend on the "nature of the use" . Additionally, Biden declined to comment on what intelligence suggests to the US that Russia may be considering using chemical weapons while also not going into any specifics about what that kind of response the US would have.

"We will respond," Biden told reporters. "The nature of the respond will depend on the nature of the use." Adding, "It would trigger a response in kind. We would make that decision at the time." The US president comments on relations between the US and China, saying that China's President Xi Jinping understands that if China sides with Russia it would come at great economic cost, and that China's economy is much more reliant on the West than Russia.

The missile test is North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test since 2017.

On March 24, North Korea conducted its most recent ICBM test, which flew for about 71 minutes, traveling 684 miles (1,100 kilometers) and reaching a peak altitude of 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers). The previous ICBM test in 2017 launched a Hwasong-15 missile approximately 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), taking 54 minutes and reaching its highest altitude at 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers).

"This action demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritise its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a statement.

Ukraine is requesting more aid from the United States and has provided a list requesting hundreds of anti-tank/aircraft missiles.

Ukrainian soldier holding the American-made FGM-148 Javelin.

Ukraine has updated its wish-list of military gear that its requesting from the US with hundreds more missiles that weren't previously included in the last list, according to CNN. The newly updated list features an increased number of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles, with Ukraine stating that it needs 500 of each per day.