In a farewell looking message, the Ukrainian Navy announced in Mariupol that it is preparing for the "last battle" to control the city's southern port, which the Russians have besieged for 40 days.

The fate of some will be death, while others will fall into captivity, "especially since they are besieged by the Russian forces." He continued, "We are slowly disappearing," the navy added. 

"We don't know what will happen, but we really ask you to remember us with kind words," the Ukrainians remarked.

No ammunition, no food

The Mariupol navy explained that Ukrainian forces fought for more than a month without new ammunition supplies and food or water.

He pointed out that about half of the members of this regiment were wounded, saying, "During more than 40 days of intense battles, the enemy has gradually repelled us, surrounded us, and is now trying to destroy us."

The lack of assistance from the army command and President Volodymyr Zelensky. He explained that "the regiment received only once 50 shells and 20 mines and anti-tank missiles, without anything else," the navy complained. 

80% of the city is under separatist control

This statement came after the deputy head of the forces of the separatist Donetsk Republic, Eduard Basurin, announced earlier that Russia had captured 80% of Mariupol.

He also added in an interview on "Russia 24" television when asked about the situation in the coastal city: "There is still resistance," noting that "the rest of the Ukrainian army is trying to retreat to Azovstal."

Earlier today, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov announced that Russian forces would attack Mariupol and other regions.

Since the Russian invasion on February 24, Mariupol has been a strategic target for Russia, especially since its capture will link the areas controlled by the pro-Russian separatists in the east with the Crimea, which Russia annaxed in 2014.

The alliance "plans a permanent military presence on the borders of member states, with the aim of confronting any future Russian aggression." Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday.

He also added in an interview with the British Telegraph newspaper that NATO "is in the midst of a fundamental and very important transformation that expresses the long-term consequences of the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin."

He considered what the world now sees as a "new reality for European security." He stressed that NATO is currently asking its military leaders to present options for the so-called reset plan for long-term adaptation.
He also made it clear that decisions related to that plan will be taken at the NATO summit held in Madrid next June. 

It is noteworthy that the military operation launched by Moscow last February on the territory of Ukraine prompted Western countries to rethink their defense policy, especially after the escalation of tension between the two sides, recalling the specter of World War II.

It also urged NATO countries to support Kyiv with weapons and humanitarian aid, while support for its inclusion in the alliance increased among some European countries.

While Moscow has threatened more than once that any military presence in its vicinity, which may threaten its security, will be considered the party participating in the war.
Since the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin has repeatedly called on the alliance to stop its military expansion in eastern Europe.

Moscow has usually accused the West and NATO in particular of not taking its security concerns seriously.

Sulaimani - A severe dust storm covering the Kurdistan Region has hospitalized many and restricted movements across the cities and limiting eyesight to only tens of meters.

Forty-five people have been hospitalized in Sulaimania, a city with more green space per induvial than any other city in the Kurdistan region and Iraq.

The skies of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region were obscured by a thick layer of dust on Thursday, leading to impaired breathing, reduced visibility, and making driving difficult.

In Kirkuk, 90 cases of breathing difficulties were recorded with people admitted to the city’s hospitals.

The number of dust storms has increased dramatically in the last decade. Climate change is a significant factor in the increased frequency of dust waves. 

According to statistics recorded by the General Meteorological Authority, the number of dusty days increased from 243 to 272 days per year over the past two decades and is expected to reach 300 dusty days annually in 2050.

Kurdistan region usually boasts good dry weather where people go to picnic this time of the year. But the dust storm prevents people from enjoying the beauty of the region’s spring.

During the first meeting of the Coordination Committee for Foreign Economic Relations, he said that the United States had put forward new demands during the past weeks that contradict the terms of the agreement, according to Fars news agency.

He also considered that the US administration is interested in proposing and imposing new conditions while his country adheres to its red lines, calling on it to issue an executive order lifting some sanctions as a goodwill gesture. "We seek to lift the sanctions, but with dignity and in a sustainable manner," he said.

In addition, he pointed out that the Iranian delegation explicitly asked the US side to be realistic and not to obstruct the talks that started since last April in the Austrian capital.

He pointed out that his country reached results in the technical files with the three European countries during the talks.

He also added that "there is criticism from China, Russia and European countries against Washington and its increasing demands," he said.

The US administration had expressed a few days ago that it was not very optimistic about reaching an agreement with Tehran soon, despite the fact that all the European atmosphere had previously indicated that it had reached the final stage of the talks that extended for months.

However, the issue of removing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from the list of terrorist organizations by America had surfaced weeks ago, a difficult obstacle for negotiators, especially since the administration of US President Joe Biden is under extreme pressure in Congress, in order not to remove it from the terrorism list.

The sanctions still constitute one of the obstacles to reaching a final agreement between Iran and the three European countries (France, Britain and Germany), along with Russia, China, and the United States, which indirectly participated in the marathon negotiations.

Prosecutor Irina Venediktova explained that the judiciary had identified 500 people as war criminals from Russia and the separatists in the east of the country, local media reported.
She also posted a tweet with the name of the deputy of the Southern City of Mariupol.

She said that the official mentioned earlier "has agreed to serve the occupiers and help the activities of the aggressors in Mariupol, so the prosecution charged him with treason as well."

Kyiv had vowed more than once not to tolerate traitors, despite the unity of Ukraine to a large extent in the face of Russian aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had announced earlier this month (April 2022) the dismissal of the former head of the Internal Security Administration, Olehovich, and the former director of the Security Service Bureau in the Kherson region, Krivoruchko Serhiy Aleksandrovich, from their posts, which was the first sign of internal dissent.

He also stressed that "high-ranking officials and officers who violate the oath of military loyalty to protect the country and its independence will be severely punished, and they will inevitably be deprived of their high military ranks in accordance with Article 48 of the Armed Forces Discipline Charter."

It is noteworthy that the southern city of Mariupol, overlooking the Sea of Azov, was a strategic target for the Russian forces. Russia moved to its vicinity and besieged it for weeks. Controlling it would open the way for Russia to connect eastern Ukraine, specifically the Donbas region, to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

The two most prominent candidates in the first round of the French elections will qualify for a second round, scheduled for April 24.

Agence France-Presse reviewed quick information about the most likely candidates and their electoral programs:

Emmanuel Macron (44 years old)

Macron has been at the forefront of international talks to support Ukraine amid the war and impose sanctions on Russia.

Economy: Macron promises is "full employment" after unemployment fell during his 2017-2022 term to its lowest level in a long time.

He wants to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 and increase the minimum monthly pension.

Migration: Macron is pushing to strengthen the external borders of the "Schengen" area, which includes 26 European countries, and seeks to create a new force to better control national borders.

Marine Le Pen (53 years old)

Chairwoman of the far-right National Assembly.

Ukraine: She admitted that the Russian attack on Ukraine changed its view of Russian President Vladimir Putin "in part", saying that he was "wrong". She says she supports the Ukrainian people, and refugees should be welcomed.

Immigration: Le Pen's plans include ending family reunification policies, restricting social benefits to the French, and deporting foreigners who have been unemployed for more than a year and other immigrants who have entered illegally.

Economy: I promised to cut taxes on energy and essential commodities. It wants to keep the minimum retirement age at 62 and raise the minimum pension.

Policies relating to Muslims: Le Pen promised to enact a law banning the wearing of the veil in all public places and banning events and financing, which is a means to spread "Islamization".

Jean-Luc Melenchon (70 years old)

Extreme left.

Ukraine: Melenchon used to call Russia "a partner," even as European governments were scrambling to find ways to avoid a Russian attack on Ukraine. Now he supports the Ukrainian "resistance" and the Russians fighting what he calls "dictatorship" in their country.

Economy: Melenchon promised to raise the minimum wage and minimum pension in France and reduce the retirement age to 60 years.

Eric Zemmour (63 years old)

A former far-right television analyst was repeatedly convicted of hate speech.

Ukraine: He initially said he would prefer Ukrainian refugees to stay in Poland but later supported granting them visas if they had relations with France.

Immigration: He wants to limit the granting of asylum to a minimal number of foreigners.

Policies relating to Muslims: Zammour wants a ban on wearing the headscarf in all public places and a ban on the construction of large mosques and foreign funding of the Islamic faith.

Economy: He promised to cut taxes on corporations, low-income workers and retirees with small pensions and give families a bonus for children born in rural areas. He wants to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030.

Valerie Pecres (54 years old)

Conservative Republican Party candidate.

Ukraine: Pecres denounced the Russian attack on Ukraine and demanded strict sanctions on Russia.

Policies for Muslims: Pecres want to ban headscarves for young girls and in gyms. It also wants to ban the burkini, a full-body swimsuit worn by conservative Muslim women in swimming pools.

Immigration: Pecres plans to set immigration quotas.

Economy: Pecres promised to raise the workers' salaries with low and middle incomes by 10 per cent and reduce taxes on companies and workers. It wants to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 by 2030.

Head of the city's military administration, Valentin Ryzhnichenko, wrote on the Telegram, "On a new attack on the Dnipro airport, nothing remains of it. The airport and the nearby infrastructure were destroyed. The missiles are still falling," adding: "We are counting the casualties."

The Interfax news agency, citing the Russian Defense Ministry, reported that Russian attack helicopters destroyed a convoy of Ukrainian armored vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons.

President Emmanuel Macron is seeking a second five-year term, with a strong challenge from the far right.

Unless someone gets more than half of the nationwide vote, there will be a second and decisive round between the top two candidates on Sunday, April 24.

Aside from Macron, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon are among the prominent figures vying to take the presidential Elysee.

Pakistan's parliament will vote on Saturday on whether to remove Imran Khan as prime minister, days after Khan blocked a similar attempt, potentially adding to political and economic uncertainty in the nuclear-armed country.

Ahead of the vote, Khan is widely expected to lose. The former cricket star vowed to "fight" against any move to oust him, the latest development in a crisis that threatens the political and economic stability of the South Asian nation of 220 million people.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that Khan broke the constitution last Sunday by blocking a confidence vote scheduled for Sunday, dissolving parliament and calling for early elections. The court ordered the parliament to reconvene.

Members of Parliament will return to the House on Saturday morning. The vote request submitted by opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif is the fourth item on today's agenda.

Khan, 69, rose to power in 2018 with the support of the military. But he recently lost his parliamentary majority when allies withdrew from his coalition government. Opposition parties say he has failed to revive the economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and has not fulfilled his promises to root out corruption from the country and make Pakistan a prosperous nation respected on the world stage.

The opposition and some analysts say Khan is at odds with the military, a charge he and the military denied. The military has ruled the country for half of its 75-year post-colonial history, and no prime minister has completed his full five-year term.

Khan enjoyed broad public support when he took office and said he was disappointed with the court's decision but agreed. He had called for elections after the dissolution of the parliament. But he made it clear that he would not recognize any opposition government to replace him.

Imran Khan: 'I am ready to struggle'

"I will not accept an imported government," he said in an address to the nation late yesterday, noting that the move to oust him as part of a foreign plot and called for peaceful protests on Sunday. "I am ready to fight," he said.

Khan opposed the US-led intervention in Afghanistan and has strengthened ties with Russia since becoming prime minister. He accuses the United States of supporting a plot to overthrow him without providing evidence of his accusation. Washington denies the accusation.

And if Khan loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition can nominate a prime minister from among its ranks.

After the court ruling, Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said that the opposition had nominated him to take over if the parliament impeached Khan.

Former US President Bill Clinton indicated that he offered his Russian counterparts, Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, the possibility of Russia joining NATO.

In an opinion piece for The Atlantic, he emphasized the "development of relations between Russia and the Alliance in the 1990s," pointing to Moscow's Partnership for Peace program participation.

After the conclusion of the Russia and NATO founding law, American funding for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Baltic states and bilateral participation in some peacekeeping operations. "All this time, we kept the gates of NATO open for Russia, which was made clear to Yeltsin and then to his successor, Vladimir Putin," he wrote.

The former US president denied allegations that "the United States ignored and disrespected and tried to isolate Russia, describing these allegations as false." Stressing that his first foreign visit after assuming the presidency of the United States of America was to Vancouver to meet with President Yeltsin. He also confirmed that he met Yeltsin 18 times and Putin 5 times, including twice during his position as Russian Vice President, while three other meetings took place within ten months.

According to Russian "Novosti," Putin said that "during Clinton's visit to Moscow in 2000, he asked him how the United States would react to Moscow's possible admission to NATO?"

He added, "the real position of the United States regarding such a possibility was embodied in its unfriendly steps toward Moscow. Such as open support for terrorists in the North Caucasus, ignoring Russian security demands and Moscow's concern about NATO expansion, withdrawal from the missile treaty, and others."

The country will unveil nine new atomic achievements on April 9 on the occasion of the National Day of Nuclear Technology, announced Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI),

Two other achievements are in the fields of plasma, which helps in curing cancer. Four achievements are in the industry related to lasers, and three are in the field of controlling, imaging systems and nuclear energy, Eslami added.

"We aim to increase nuclear electricity output by 10,000 megawatts (MW)," Eslami said.

Eslami explained that the projects would be financed by "local and foreign" investors based on the current budget law to reach their goal.

" Will pursue the construction of an indigenous 360-megawatt power plant" in Darkhovin, located about 70 kilometers south of Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province," Eslami explained.

On April 5, over 190 Iranian lawmakers signed a letter demanding that the government seek "stronger guarantees" from the US to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), mainly known as the 2015 nuclear deal.

The announcement comes after the nuclear talks in Vienna have once again come to a halt, and the United States has introduced new sanctions against the Islamic republic.

The Significance of the region's energy to Europe was mentioned in the meeting on April 9. Greek foreign minister said that the Kurdistan region is looking at a historical opportunity to export its oil and natural gas to Europe.

"Yes, Kurdistan region is looking at a historical opportunity but the Kurdish government and Iraqi central government dispute over energy export. So it requires first addressing these disputes between them and Baghdad before they can take a step to export their energy, the deputy prime minister said.

Qubad Talabani and the Greek foreign minister discussed many issues, including tourism, e-government, and investment.

Sabah Omed, chief of staff of Kurdistan region council of ministers, Amal Jalal, head of Kurdistan tourism committee, and Daban Shadalla, deputy manager of Kurdistan foreign relations department, accompanied Qubad Talabani at Delphi international economic forum.

On Saturday, the Iranian foreign ministry announced it has blacklisted nine individuals for “their involvement in terrorist acts.”

Iran has listed 24 United States officials and people on its blacklist of sanctioned individuals over charges of “terrorism” and violations of human rights of the Iranians.

On Saturday, the Iranian foreign ministry announced it had targeted nine individuals for “their involvement in terrorist acts.”

The list includes George W Casey Jr, former Chief of Staff of the US Army and Commanding General of Multi-National Forces in Iraq; Joseph Votel, former commander of the United States Central Command; former attorney to Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani; and several current and former American diplomats in Palestine and Lebanon.

The foreign ministry also blacklisted 15 individuals for “gross violations of human rights.” This list mainly includes people who helped impose and expand punishing US sanctions on Iran during the Trump and Obama administrations.

Several former treasury department officials and several top executives at Kharon,a data analysis consultancy firm, were also blacklisted.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the promulgations and application of Unilateral Coercive Measures is a stark violation of the fundamental principles of international law set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and a blatant transgression of international law and impede enjoyment of human rights,” the foreign ministry statement said.

The sanctions, part of what US officials branded a “maximum pressure” campaign to bring Iran to the table, were increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

Previously, Iran had announced sanctions on US officials on two occasions, targeting 60 individuals overall. Those included Trump, his top officials, including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and dozens of officials representing US military and diplomatic interests across the region.

Before Saturday’s announcement, the sanctions were limited to individuals who played a role in the assassination of Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani.

The sanctions are perceived to be largely symbolic as the mentioned individuals are unlikely to have assets that could be seized by Iranian authorities and do not travel to Iran.

On a visit to Kyiv, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised UK armored vehicles and anti-ship missiles for Ukraine as he acclaimed its military for “the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century”.

“It is because of President [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that [Vladimir] Putin’s monstrous aims are being thwarted,” he said after meeting Zelensky, a Downing Street statement read.

The Jordanian royal court said, "His Majesty King Abdullah II will leave the homeland on Sunday for Germany to undergo surgery to treat a herniated disc in the thoracic spine."

He added, "According to the advice of Jordanian doctors who were briefed on His Majesty's condition, the operation will be performed at a specialized hospital in Frankfurt, Germany this week."

The 60-year-old King of Jordan had previously suffered from spinal pain intermittently due to parachute jumping during his years of service in special operations.

But the pressure on the nerve resulting from the herniated disc has increased recently, which increased the pain and necessitated an urgent operation, according to the doctors' advice.

The operation is followed by a rest period of about a week before the king returns to Jordan.

Although Jordan is known for its quality hospitals, the king's medical journey to Germany has raised suspicion. Especially after a recent coup that aimed at overthrowing him. 

Speaking at Nato headquarters, where Nato foreign ministers are meeting later today, Kuleba said there are three items on his agenda when he talks to the allies: “Weapons, weapons and weapons”.

The Ukrainian foreign minister said there is no distinction between offensive and defensive weapons - any weapons, including tanks and fast jets, would be used to defend Ukraine.

He added that any country making this distinction are being duplicitous.