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Ukrainian authorities have arrested two colonels from the Ukrainian forces who had allegedly collaborated with Russians to plot the assassination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

"The attempt was planned under the supervision of employees of the 5th department of the FSB as a gift to Vladimir Putin for the inauguration," Ukrainian Secret Service SBU said in a post on Telegram after detaining two "traitor" colonels. 

"The enemy was actively developing plans to eliminate President Volodymyr Zelensky," the SBU added. "One of the tasks of the FSB intelligence network was to search for executors among the military close to the protection of the President, who could take the Head of State hostage and later kill him."

Zelenskyy in March told Fox News chief political anchor and executive editor of "Special Report" Bret Baier that he had avoided five attempts on his life up until that point, describing such plots as "not interesting for me now." 

RUSSIA ANNOUNCES NUCLEAR DRILLS IN RESPONSE TO ‘PROVOCATIVE’ COMMENTS BY WESTERN OFFICIALS

Colonel Andrei Gun and Colonel Derkach (no first name given) allegedly agreed to help set up the kidnapping of Zelenskyy, with plans to later assassinate him. The colonels agreed to betray their country for $50,000, which Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) handlers teased could increase to $80,000.

Prior to their arrest, the colonels spied on Zelenskyy and provided information to FSB on the presidential guard, as well as Zelenskyy’s movements. Ukraine's SBU managed to catch one of the colonels as he traveled out to another region of Ukraine allegedly to collect weapons for the operation. 

Audio released by Ukrainian intelligence caught an exchange between the colonels and their handlers, who wanted to complete the assassination as an "inauguration gift" for Russian President Vladimir Putin after his latest election. Western leaders from the United States and the European Union did not attend Putin's 6th inauguration, held on Tuesday, Voice of America reported. 

UKRAINE EXAMINES NORTH KOREA MISSILE DEBRIS FROM RUSSIAN STRIKES

In the audio clip, the conspirators discuss weapons – such as a drone, mines, RPG rockets and anti-tank rockets – which the colonels claimed to have hidden away near the Odesa highway. The conversation indicated that the FSB would look to hit their target with two missile strikes, during which the colonels would use their weapons to "finish the things."

"The subjects are two cars. One car with guards and the second with (muted)," the FSB handler said, according to a transcript provided by news agency East2West. "I'm going to give you the location for observation."

The handler described Zelenskyy, "the boss," as traveling in an armored Jeep, with a second car carrying guards in a "convoy." The FSB had assured the colonels they would have 20 to 30 minutes to escape before dealing with any authorities. 

RUSSIA THREATENS STRIKES ON BRITISH MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, PLANS NUCLEAR DRILLS AFTER CAMERON'S REMARKS

"After that, we cover up your trace, the fact that there was a drone strike, we cover it up with a missile strike," the agent said. "So we have like a sandwich: Missile, drone, missile." 

The plot would also have taken out SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk and the head of the Ukrainian Intelligence agency GRU.

Malyuk told reporters that "a limited number of people knew about" the operation to capture the colonels, which he "personally" handled. 

"The terrorist attack, which was supposed to be a gift to Putin before the inauguration, was actually a failure of the Russian special services," Malyuk insisted. "But we must not forget - the enemy is strong and experienced, he cannot be underestimated."

"We will continue to work ahead of time, so that every traitor receives the well-deserved court sentence," Malyuk added. 

The mother of a U.S. soldier detained in Russia, accused of stealing from his girlfriend, believes he was "set up."

The detainment of Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, on May 2 in the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok was announced by U.S. officials on Monday. Black's mother told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that her son had met the Russian woman when she was tending bar near his Army base in South Korea, and she was later deported back to Russia. 

"I knew something was going to happen," Melody Jones told "GMA." "I felt like he was being set up by her."

Jones described her son's relationship with the Russian woman as "volatile," and even suspected the longtime girlfriend might be a spy. She said she told her son not to travel to Russia when he was supposed to be returning home to the U.S. while on leave.  

AMERICAN ACCUSED OF BREAKING INTO CHILDREN'S LIBRARY SENTENCED, HELD IN RUSSIAN PRISON

"Did she cause the argument? Did she start the fight to get him arrested?" Jones asked. The charges Black faces involve beating a woman and stealing money from her, according to "GMA," which cited Russian television reports. 

Black deployed to Iraq from Oct. 2009 through Sept. 2010, and to Afghanistan from June 2013 until March 2014, Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said. 

"On April 10, Black out-processed from Eighth Army, and signed out on Permanent Change of Station leave enroute to Fort Cavazos, Texas. Instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea through China to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons," Smith said in a statement.

Smith said that Black, an infantry soldier, did not request official clearance and did not receive authorization to go to those countries. 

"There is no evidence Black intended to remain in Russia after his PCS leave period ended," Smith said.

EVAN GERSHKOVICH MARKS ONE YEAR IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA AS FRIENDS CAN ONLY WAIT FOR ‘NIGHTMARE’ TO END

Black will remain in a Russian pre-trial detention facility at least until his next hearing – reportedly set for early July – if not longer.

The State Department strongly advises U.S. citizens not to go to Russia and advises those already there to leave.

Several other Americans, along with Black, remain detained in Russia.  

William Nycum, an English instructor in Russia on a six-month tourist visa, was found in a Moscow children's library Friday after breaking a window to gain entry, the Associated Press reported. Russian newspaper Izvestia says there is CCTV footage capturing Nycum partially naked breaking into the children's library, according to British publication The Daily Mirror. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail.

Corporate security executive Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March 2023 on espionage charges, are two Americans held by Russia. The U.S. government has designated both as wrongfully detained and has been trying to negotiate their release.

Others detained include Travis Leake, a musician who had been living in Russia for years and was arrested last year on drug-related charges; Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, also on drug charges; and dual nationals Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.

FOX News' Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A mayor in southern Brazil asked residents to ration water Tuesday in a state capital where some 80% of the population is without running water, a week after massive flooding that has left at least 90 people dead and more than 130 missing.

Efforts were continuing to rescue people stranded by the floods in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, as more rains were forecast for the region into next week. The capital, Porto Alegre, has been virtually cut off, with the airport and bus station closed and main roads blocked due to the floodwaters.

Five of the city’s six water treatment facilities aren’t working, and Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastião Melo ordered that water be used exclusively for "essential consumption." Local shops have also been short on water supplies.

DEATH TOLL FROM HEAVY RAINS, FLOODING RISES TO 13 IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

"We are living an unprecedented natural disaster and everyone needs to help," Melo told journalists. "The shortage is real and it will take some time until it goes back to normal."

"I am getting water trucks to soccer fields and people will have to go there to get their water in bottles. I cannot get them to go home to home," the mayor added.

The most urgent need is drinking water, but food and personal hygiene products are also in short supply. Other Brazilian states are mobilizing trucks with donations bound for Rio Grande do Sul.

Residents in Rio Grande do Sul who are able to flee are doing so, over fears of shortage and the spread of disease. However, it's difficult for many to leave Porto Alegre with main access roads blocked by floodwaters. The city's airport and main bus terminal are filled with water and closed for the foreseeable future.

The downpour has stopped for now, but a looming cold front will bring more severe rain starting Tuesday night, mainly in the southern part of the state, according to the National Meteorological Institute. Rainfall is could exceed 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) by early Wednesday.

Late Monday, Rio Grande do Sul's Gov. Eduardo Leite issued an alert for several cities close to the massive Patos Lagoon. The floodwaters in Porto Alegre and other cities pass through the lagoon to the sea.

"The water level will rise and it will affect you," he said in a video broadcast on his social media channels. "Please, believe the alerts and help us save lives. Let's reduce the damage so we can be together to rebuild."

Damage from the rains has already forced more than 150,000 people from their homes. An additional 50,000 have taken refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Rio Grande do Sul for a second time on Sunday, accompanied by Defense Minister José Múcio, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Environment Minister Marina Silva, among others.

During Mass at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis said he was praying for the state’s population.

Public health experts say there is growing risk of disease as much of the region remains underwater, warning that cases of dengue fever and leptospirosis in particular could rise sharply within days

Security is another concern. Rio Grande do Sul’s public security secretariat said in a statement that police will beef up operations to prevent looting and theft. Several volunteers working on rescue operations have been robbed as they tried to help in the Porto Alegre metropolitan region.

Also on Monday, three top-tier Rio Grande do Sul state soccer clubs whose stadiums are flooded urged Brazil’s soccer federation to suspend their national league matches for the next 20 days because of the flooding. Brazil’s soccer confederation said it would consider the request.

Russia on Monday defended its veto of a U.N. resolution urging all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space, challenging the U.S., Japan and their Western allies to support Moscow’s rival resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space "for all time."

Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said the United States and Japan, which sponsored the vetoed resolution, are guilty of of "hypocrisy and double standards." He accused the U.S. and Western nations more broadly of planning for the military exploration of outer space, including the deployment of weapons, in particular "strike combat systems."

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood countered, telling the U.N. General Assembly: "The truth is that Russia currently has several conventional anti-satellite weapons already in orbit, one of which it tested in 2019." He added Russia has threatened to target satellites with weapons, and said there "is credible information that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device."

RUSSIA PROPOSES UN RESOLUTION TO BAN WEAPONIZATION OF OUTER SPACE

The verbal clash came on a day that Russia threatened to strike British military facilities and said it plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons. Moscow's actions were a response to comments by senior Western officials about possible deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

In February 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to rising tensions with the West over its support for Ukraine by announcing that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty — the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States.

The United Nations warned Monday of growing concern about recent increasing talk about nuclear weapons by various parties when asked about Russia's planned drills simulating the use of tactical nukes.

"Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided."

Under a General Assembly resolution adopted in April 2022, any of the permanent member of the Security Council — the U.S, Russia, China, Britain and France — that vetoes a resolution must appear before the 193-member world body to explain why.

Before the U.S.-Japan resolution was put to a vote April 24, Russia and China unsuccessfully proposed an amendment that would have called on all countries to prevent all weapons — not just weapons of mass destruction — in outer space.

In the ensuing vote on the U.S.-Japan resolution, 13 countries voted "yes," China abstained, and Russia voted "no," vetoing the measure.

A week later, Russia circulated its rival resolution that calls on all countries to stop all weapons from being deployed in outer space as well as "the threat or use of force in outer space," also "for all time."

On Monday, Nebenzia argued that the United States and its allies oppose a ban on all weapons in outer space because they plan to deploy weapons there and hold out the threat of using force in outer space — "from outer space and against objects in outer space."

Wood questioned the sincerity of Putin's public comments that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space.

"If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution," Wood said. "Russia’s actions cast significant doubt as to whether it will uphold the existing legal obligations under the Outer Space Treaty and raise concerns about what this could mean for international peace and security."

The vetoed U.S.-Japan resolution would have affirmed that countries which ratified the 1967 Outer Space Treaty must comply with their obligations not to put in orbit around the Earth "any objects" with weapons of mass destruction, or install them "on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space." The treaty was ratified by 114 countries, including the U.S. and Russia.

Wood said all countries should support the Outer Space Treaty and not let Russia distract from the pact's provisions by seeking to advance its own resolution, which he said has language being discussed in other bodies where there is not yet consensus.

"Russia’s actions only seeks to divide states not unite us," he said.

Japanese Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki asked U.N. member nations to imagine what would happen if a nuclear weapon detonated in outer space.

"A large number of satellites and other critical space infrastructure would be taken down," he said.

But the consequences wouldn’t be limited to outer space, Yamazaki said, saying there would be repercussions on people’s lives and it would obstruct development "in every region on Earth, disastrously and irreversibly."

The United States has repatriated 11 of its citizens from sprawling camps in northeastern Syria that house tens of thousands of family members of suspected Islamic State militants, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday.

The repatriation was the largest Washington has carried out from the camps to date, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Five of the 11 citizens brought back were children, and one non-U.S. citizen child -- the 9-year-old sibling of one of the other children -- was also brought with them.

As part of the same operation, the U.S. facilitated the repatriation of 11 other camp residents, eight of them children, to Canada, the Netherlands and Finland, the statement said.

US WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA WOULD PUT 'WHOLE REGION AT RISK,' ALLOW IRAN TO 'SOW' MORE DISCORD, EXPERT WARNS

Although the pace of repatriations has picked up -- neighboring Iraq recently returned hundreds of its citizens -- many countries remain reluctant to bring back citizens from the al Hol and al Roj camps, which now hold about 30,000 people from more than 60 countries, most of them children.

The camps are run by local authorities affiliated with the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF and its allies, including U.S.-led coalition forces, defeated the Islamic State group in Syria in 2019, ending its self-proclaimed Islamic "caliphate" that had ruled over a large swath of territory straddling Iraq and Syria.

Human rights groups have regularly reported on what they describe as inhumane living conditions and abuses in the camps and in detention centers where suspected IS members are housed.

"The only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis" in the facilities "is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and where appropriate, ensure accountability for wrongdoing," Blinken said in the statement.

The United States and its allies must encourage mining projects in countries where Western corporations are reticent to do business to guarantee a reliable and sustainable global supply of the critical minerals needed to combat climate change, a senior White House official said on Monday.

In a stark warning, White House senior adviser for energy and investment, Amos Hochstein, said mineral resources in nations like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia were essential to meeting enormous global demand for clean energy components and power infrastructure to support the growth of artificial intelligence. They also offered an alternative to the world's current dependence on China.

"We can all live in the capitals and cities around the world and say 'I don't want to do business there.' But what you are really saying is we're not going to have an energy transition," Hochstein said on a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. "Because the energy transition is not going to happen if it can only be produced where I live, under my standards."

US, CANADA AND INDIGENOUS GROUPS ANNOUNCE PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS CROSS-BORDER MINING POLLUTION

President Joe Biden's landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act, created big subsidies for producers of minerals like lithium and copper that are needed in equipment like batteries and solar panels.

The same is now needed for projects in countries that possess large amounts of those resources but may have poor labor and environmental standards and less stable political systems, Hochstein said.

"If you want to invest in, whether it's Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Congo, Zambia, DRC, etc, Angola - these are different profile countries that have different kinds of risks associated with them. And Western finance has basically said we will not be able to absorb this risk," Hochstein said.

The United States and Group of Seven (G7) nations as well as Australia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia must collaborate to unlock capital that would back up companies that currently are unwilling to take on projects in countries they deem risky to their reputations or assets, Hochstein said.

The capital could flow through U.S. agencies like the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Export-Import Bank of the United States and global institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Those collaborations must offer countries incentives to improve their communities and quality of life, Hochstein said.

"The government has a real role here of incentivizing private capital by taking more risk in this initial work, in a responsible manner, but more risk to allow the private sector to come in, augment it and allow the investment so that we have a diversified, sustainable and equitable energy transition," Hochstein said.

Togo's president has signed a new constitution eliminating presidential elections, his office said late Monday, a move that opponents say will allow him to extend his family's six-decade rule. Civil society groups in the West African nation have called for protests.

Parliament will now choose the president. The new constitution comes days after the election commission on Saturday announced that President Faure Gnassingbe's ruling party had won a majority of parliament seats.

There was a crackdown on civic and media freedoms ahead of the vote. The government banned protests against the proposed new constitution and arrested opposition figures. The electoral commission banned the Catholic Church from deploying election observers. Togo’s media regulator suspended the accreditation process for foreign journalists.

REWRITTEN TOGO CONSTITUTION BUCKED BY CITIZENS, STOKES DICTATORIAL FEARS

The new constitution also increases presidential terms from five to six years and introduces a single-term limit. But the nearly 20 years that Gnassingbe has served in office would not count, and the political opposition, religious leaders and civil society say it's likely that Gnassingbe will stay in power when his mandate expires in 2025.

Togo has been ruled by the same family for 57 years, first by Eyadema Gnassingbe and then by his son. Faure Gnassingbe took office after elections that the opposition described as a sham.

The new constitution also creates a figure similar to a prime minister, to be selected by the ruling party. Critics fear that could become another way for Gnassingbe to extend his grip on power.

A group of about 20 civil society organizations in Togo have called for protests to reinstate the previous constitution.

"We will never accept this new constitution, even after its promulgation," David Dosseh, a spokesperson for the civil society groups, told The Associated Press, calling the 2025 election "absolutely necessary for the people to choose a new president and finally achieve a democratic transition in Togo."

Vietnam on Tuesday celebrated the 70th anniversary of the battle of Dien Bien Phu in which the French colonial army was defeated by Vietnamese troops, marking the end of the French occupation of Indochina.

At Dien Bien Phu, Vietnamese troops led by General Vo Nguyen Giap, surprised French forces with heavy artillery fire at their mountainous garrison in northwestern Vietnam.

When Dien Bien Phu fell in 1954, it spelled the end of almost a century of French colonial rule.

HEAD OF VIETNAM'S PARLIAMENT RESIGNS AMID INTENSE ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN

"The historic Dien Bien Phu victory is a remarkable event, not only for the Vietnamese revolution," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in a speech at the ceremony. "It is also a monumental saga that inspired countries rising up to fight for independence and freedom, marking the collapse of the colonialism all over the world."

On Tuesday morning, the commemoration was held at a stadium in the center of Dien Bien Phu, once a village in a valley dense with trenches, barbed wires and bomb craters. It is now a city of more than 80,000 people.

Thousands of locals and veterans with chests full of medals, most of them in their 90s, cheered and waved Vietnamese flags as the military parade marched by under a brief tropical shower.

One of the veterans, Nguyen Trung Dung, 94, said the event was a good opportunity for him to meet up with his friends, those he fought alongside in the Dien Bien Phu battle.

Also in attendance was French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu, the first time such a high ranking French official visited the former battlefield and attended the commemorations in Dien Bien Phu.

A day earlier, Lecornu visited several wartime relics, including the preserved bunker of Commander General Christian de Castries.

The bunker, now reinforced with cement and covered with a roof, is the location where de Castries surrendered, ending the fierce battle of nearly two months.

As time passes, relations between Vietnam and its former colonial power also evolved.

"When we were fighting, we were enemies. But now, we shake hands with them," said another 94-year-old veteran, Pham Duc Cu, who commanded an artillery company during the battle.

"Together we unite to build a world of peace and happiness and no war," Cu added.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to European ally Serbia on Tuesday falls on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO's air war over Kosovo.

U.S. jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on May 7, 1999, setting it ablaze and killing three Chinese nationals. Twenty other people were injured in the incident, which has burdened relations between the two powers ever since.

Xi referred to the bombing in an op-ed published in Serbia’s "Politika" newspaper on Tuesday, saying that "we must not forget that 25 years ago today, NATO brazenly bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia," according to translations carried by Chinese state media.

LAWMAKERS IN SERBIA ELECT NEW GOVERNMENT WITH PRO-RUSSIA MINISTERS SANCTIONED BY THE US

"The Chinese people value peace but will never allow historical tragedies to happen again," Xi added.

The Western military alliance had launched the air war in March that year to force then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic to end a brutal onslaught against ethnic Albanian rebels in Kosovo.

The U.S. at the time apologized and said the embassy bombing was a mistake that happened due to faulty intelligence. The intended target, Washington said, was the headquarters of a Serbian state arms exporter located on the same street, a few blocks away.

"Imagine that somebody would, even by accident, strike an American Embassy somewhere around the world. The reaction would be immediate," said Sven Biscop, a professor of European foreign and security policy at the Ghent University and Egmont Institute.

"So for a country like China, it is also clear that this is a big thing," he added. "And, of course, it has not been forgotten."

Angry protesters in China stormed U.S. diplomatic installations as the bombing fueled anti-American sentiments and speculation that the attack was intentional rather than accidental. Mistrust over the incident has endured to this day.

"We will probably never really conclusively know either way," Biscop said. "But one thing is sure. In war, incidents like that do happen, and I usually tend to go for the most simple explanation rather than try to invent complicated theories."

While straining Beijing's relations with the U.S., the embassy bombing brought China and Serbia closer together. China has emerged as Serbia’s largest provider of foreign direct investment and its second-largest trading partner after the European Union.

Beijing opposed the NATO bombing campaign and has since backed Belgrade's bid to counter the Western-backed push for independence in Kosovo, a former Serbian province. In return, Serbia has been a loyal ally to Beijing and has opened its doors without restraint to billions of dollars of Chinese investment, even as it formally seeks EU membership.

"The friendship forged in blood between the peoples of China and Serbia has become the common memory of the two peoples and will inspire both sides to move forward together," Xi wrote. "We are willing to work with our Serbian friends to stay true to our original aspirations, join hands in progress, write a new chapter in national development and revitalization, and build a China-Serbia community with a shared future for mankind in the new era."

Signs of pro-China sentiments were clearly visible ahead of Xi's visit on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Belgrade, a huge Chinese flag was placed on a skyscraper along a roadway leading into the city from the airport. Smaller Chinese and Serbian flags could be seen downtown and along a highway.

Xi will arrive from France and proceed from Serbia to Hungary as part of his first European tour in five years.

He is expected to visit the site of the former embassy on the anniversary date and pay his respects to the bombing victims. A Chinese cultural center now stands at the spot where the embassy was once located.

The sprawling complex reportedly includes a Confucius Institute, workshops, exhibitions, offices, residential space and a hotel. It is seen as a symbol of China's growing influence in Serbia and across Europe.

Near the institute, a group of visitors from China last weekend bowed in front of a simple black-marble monument and laid flowers in honor of the victims of the 1999 bombing. An inscription on the monument in both Chinese and English reads: "Honor Martyrs, Cherish Peace."

Pakistan’s military on Tuesday said a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in March was planned in neighboring Afghanistan and that the bomber was an Afghan citizen.

At a news conference, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said four men behind the March 26 attack in Bisham, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had been been arrested.

Sharif said the attack that killed the Chinese engineers, who were working on Pakistan’s biggest Dasu Dam, was an attempt to harm friendship between Pakistan and China. Thousands of Chinese are working on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

PAKISTAN TO PERFORM DNA TEST ON REMAINS OF SUICIDE BOMBER WHO KILLED 5 CHINESE NATIONALS

Sharif also said Pakistani Taliban who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan were behind a surge in attacks inside Pakistan since January in which 62 security forces were killed around the country.

He said the Afghan Taliban had failed to honor promises they made to the international community before coming to power, vowing no one would be allowed to use Afghan soil for attacks against any country.

There was no immediate comment from the Afghan Taliban government, which has previously denied such allegations.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

Sharif said Pakistan had solid evidence about TTP involvement in violence in the country.

Sharif also vowed that no foreigner living in Pakistan without valid documents would be allowed to stay, and 563,639 Afghans living illegally had gone back to Afghanistan since last year, when Islamabad launched a crackdown on illegal migrants.

He said Pakistan's military had completed 98% of a fence being constructed along the border with Afghanistan. He said 91% of a fence along the Iranian border had also been completed to check illegal movement, curb smuggling and prevent cross-border militant attacks.

Afghanistan has never recognized the porous border that runs through the heartland of the Pashtun, Afghanistan’s largest ethnic group.

The army spokesman also dismissed media reports about the possibility of any deal or talks with the country's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan or his party. Khan is serving multiple prison sentences on charges of corruption, revealing official secrets and marriage law violations.

Ukrainian state prosecutors say they have examined debris from 21 of around 50 North Korean ballistic missiles launched by Russia between late December and late February, as they seek to assess the threat from Moscow's cooperation with Pyongyang.

In previously unreported details of an investigation under way into the missiles, the office of Ukraine's top prosecutor, Andriy Kostin, also told Reuters that the failure rate of the North Korean weaponry appeared to be high.

"About half of the North Korean missiles lost their programmed trajectories and exploded in the air; in such cases the debris was not recovered," Kostin's office said in written answers to Reuters' questions.

NORTH KOREA TESTS NEW HYPERSONIC MISSILE WITH ONE US TARGET IN MIND

North Korean missiles account for a tiny portion of Russia's strikes during its war on Ukraine, but their alleged use has caused alarm from Seoul to Washington because it may herald the end of nearly two-decade consensus among permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on preventing Pyongyang expanding its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

In addition to providing North Korea with an opportunity to test missiles, Russia has taken steps that will make it harder for the United Nations to monitor sanctions imposed on Pyongyang in 2006.

Last month, Moscow vetoed the annual renewal of the U.N. sanctions monitors - known as a panel of experts - that has for 15 years monitored enforcement of the U.N. sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea's official name.

China, one of the five permanent members on the Security Council with Russia, the United States, Britain and France, abstained from the vote.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILE OFF ITS EAST COAST: OFFICIALS

Days before its mandate expired, the panel submitted a report confirming for the first time that, in a violation of U.N. sanctions, a North Korean-made ballistic missile known as Hwasong-11 had struck the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

This, and Moscow's veto, underscore how Russia and North Korea have intensified their bilateral relations beyond largely transactional, barter agreements, said Edward Howell, an expert on North Korea at Oxford University.

"There is a lasting legacy that is being shaped now, which is the fact that North Korea, through being assured of Russia's support, is really being able to undermine key international institutions like the U.N. Security Council," he said.

The Russian presidency referred questions on the North Korean missiles to the Russian Defence Ministry, which did not respond to emailed questions from Reuters. North Korea's mission to the United Nations in Geneva also did not respond.

Despite the setback at the United Nations, Kostin has said his office will carry on with the investigation.

The prosecutor's office said that when debris could not be collected at impact sites, Hwasong-11 missiles, which are also called KN-23 in the West, were identified by looking at their flight trajectories, speed and launch sites.

The last recorded use of a KN-23 was on Feb. 27, the prosecutor's office said, adding that the total number of launches it has identified tallied with intelligence showing North Korea delivered about 50 ballistic missiles to Russia.

According to the United States, Russia received ballistic missiles and artillery rounds from North Korea after the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, met Russian President Vladimir Putin for a rare summit last September.

The 21 cases, in which debris was collected, include three that were fired at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and its surrounding region, Kostin's office said. The others struck the regions of Kharkiv, Poltava, Donetsk and Kirovohrad.

The attacks, which began on Dec. 30, 2023, killed 24 people, wounded 115 and damaged a number of residential buildings and industrial facilities, it said.

The about 50 missiles were launched from multiple sites including in Russia's western regions of Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk, it added.

The Ukrainian statement did not say whether any of the missiles had been shot down by air defences. Ballistic missiles are typically hard to intercept because of their trajectory and speed.

According to Kostin's office, Ukrainian authorities were still investigating whether Pyongyang had dispatched instructors to monitor the ballistic missile launches.

The United Nations General Assembly could vote on Friday on a draft resolution that would recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full U.N. member and recommend that the U.N. Security Council "reconsider the matter favorably."

It would effectively act as a global survey of how much support the Palestinians have for their bid, which was vetoed in the U.N. Security Council last month by the United States. An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly.

Diplomats say the 193-member General Assembly is likely to back the Palestinian bid. But changes could still be made to the draft after some diplomats raised concerns with the current text, seen by Reuters, that also grants additional rights and privileges - short of full membership - to the Palestinians.

HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS CALLS FOR REPARATIONS TO 'OVERCOME GENERATIONS OF EXCLUSION AND DISCRIMINATION'

Some diplomats say this could set a precedent for other situations, citing Kosovo and Taiwan as examples.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan on Monday denounced the current draft General Assembly resolution, saying it would give the Palestinians the de facto status and rights of a state and goes against the founding U.N. Charter.

"If it is approved, I expect the United States to completely stop funding the U.N. and its institutions, in accordance with American law," said Erdan, adding that adoption by the General Assembly would not change anything on the ground.

Under U.S. law, Washington cannot fund any U.N. organization that grants full membership to any group that does not have the "internationally recognized attributes" of statehood. The U.S. halted funding in 2011 for the U.N. cultural agency (UNESCO)after the Palestinians became a full member.

"It remains the U.S. view that the path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations," said Nate Evans, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the U.N.

"We are aware of the resolution and reiterate our concerns with any effort to extend certain benefits to entities when there are unresolved questions as to whether the Palestinians currently meet the criteria under the Charter," he said.

The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012. The Palestinian mission to the U.N. in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its push for action in the General Assembly.

The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes seven months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the U.N. considers to be illegal.

The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.

Authorities were searching the European Parliament office of a prominent German far-right lawmaker in Brussels on Tuesday, Germany’s top prosecutor’s office said.

Maximilian Krah, the Alternative for Germany party’s top candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections, has been under scrutiny after an assistant of his was arrested last month on suspicion of spying for China.

Jian Guo — a German national who had worked for Krah since his election to the European Union legislature in 2019 — has been accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament in January. Prosecutors allege that he was also spying on Chinese dissidents in Germany.

GERMANY RECALLS AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA IN RESPONSE TO ALLEGED CYBERATTACK TARGETING CHANCELLOR'S PARTY

The arrest cast an unflattering light on the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which already faced criticism for having Russia-friendly positions. The European Parliament elections will take place June 9 in Germany.

The federal public prosecutor’s office said in Tuesday's statement that "the European Parliament has consented to enter the premises."

An apartment of Guo in Brussels had already been searched last month, the prosecutors’ statement said.

Prosecutors said that on Tuesday both the offices of Krah and Guo in Brussels were searched on the basis of orders issued by the investigating German judge and a European investigation order.

Krah had dismissed his assistant last month after he was arrested, but both the German government and opposition lawmakers have sharply assailed the Alternative for Germany for its alleged closeness to China and also Russia.

Despite the allegations, Krah remains the AfD's top candidate for the European Parliament election.

News magazine Der Spiegel and public broadcaster ZDF reported last month that Krah was questioned by the FBI at the end of a visit to the United States in December about possible payments from pro-Russian sources.

Krah has denied receiving any such payments. He wrote on the social platform X that the preliminary investigation was expected but added that "we are still in the area of suppositions and insinuations."

Separately, the no. 2 on the AfD’s list for the European Parliament election, Petr Bystron, last month denied allegations in a Czech daily that he may have received money from a pro-Russian network.

Also last month, German authorities also arrested three other people suspected of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses.

Prosecutors said the three German citizens are accused of having acted for Chinese intelligence since before June 2022. They are also suspected of violating German export laws by exporting a special laser without permission.

Bugging devices were found in a room where Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was scheduled to meet with his Cabinet on Tuesday, an official said.

The Cabinet ministers were meeting in Katowice, a southwestern Polish city where Tusk was attending an economic conference.

Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesperson for the head of Poland's secret services, said a routine security check uncovered equipment that could be used for recording or eavesdropping.

NOTORIOUS POLISH JUDGE FLEES TO BELARUS, TRIGGERING INVESTIGATION

He wrote on social media on Tuesday morning that "the State Protection Service, in cooperation with the Internal Security Agency, detected and dismantled devices that could be used for eavesdropping in the room where the meeting of the Council of Ministers is to be held today in Katowice."

"The services are conducting further activities in this matter," he added.

The Cabinet traditionally holds a weekly meeting in Warsaw but exceptionally held it in Katowice due to the European Economic Congress taking place there, at which European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delivered a speech.

Tusk and the government ministers went to Katowice on Tuesday morning by train.

France’s president is hosting China’s leader at a remote mountain pass in the Pyrenees on Tuesday for private meetings after a high-stakes state visit in Paris dominated by trade disputes and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a point of inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Tourmalet Pass near the Spanish border, where Macron spent time as a child visiting his grandmother. It is meant to be a reciprocal gesture after Xi took Macron last year to the residence of the governor of Guangdong province, where the Chinese president’s father once lived.

Snow coated nearby slopes after new snowfall overnight, and security was tightened around the area. The winding roads up to the pass were blocked by authorities Tuesday for dozens of miles.

DURING FRANCE VISIT, CHINESE PRESIDENT URGED TO INFLUENCE RUSSIA TO END WAR IN UKRAINE

The mountain meetings come after a grandiose state visit by Xi on Monday that included a ceremonial welcome at the monument housing Napoleon’s tomb and a state dinner at the Elysee Palace with celebrities and magnates.

Xi is on a trip to Europe aimed at reinvigorating relations at a time of global tensions. He heads next to Serbia and Hungary.

An American in Russia on a six-month tourist visa working as an English instructor was sentenced to 10 days in jail for reportedly breaking into a children's library while drunk, state news agency RIA-Novosti said Tuesday.

William Nycum was found in the library Friday after breaking a window to gain entry, the Associated Press reported. Russian newspaper Izvestia says there is CCTV footage capturing Nycum partially naked breaking into the children's library, according to British publication The Daily Mirror. 

Nycum was staying with acquaintances during his time in Russia, although it is unclear when he entered the country.

His arrest for hooliganism charges comes at a time of heightened tension between Russia and the United States centering on Russia's war in Ukraine, and increasing concern about Americans detained in Russia.

US ARMY SOLDIER DETAINED IN RUSSIA, CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT: OFFICIALS

On Monday, U.S. officials said American soldier Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, also had been detained in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on charges of stealing from a Russian girlfriend whom he met while stationed in South Korea.

Black was in the process of returning home to Fort Cavazos, Texas. Instead, officials said, Black – who is married – traveled to Russia to see a longtime girlfriend.

RUSSIAN SUSPECT IN $4B BITCOIN FRAUD PLEADS PARTIALLY GUILTY IN US

According to officials, the Russian woman had lived in South Korea, and last fall she and Black got into some type of domestic dispute or altercation. After that, she left South Korea. It isn’t clear if she was forced to leave or what, if any, role Korean authorities had in the matter.

Officials also said that Black, an infantry soldier, did not tell his unit that he was going to Russia, and did not receive any authorization to go there. They said he was essentially on leave, as he left Korea to redeploy back home to Fort Cavazos.

EVAN GERSHKOVICH MARKS ONE YEAR IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA AS FRIENDS CAN ONLY WAIT FOR ‘NIGHTMARE’ TO END

It’s unclear, however, if U.S. service members are specifically prohibited from traveling to Russia, although the State Department strongly advises U.S. citizens not to go.

Corporate security executive Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March 2023 on espionage charges, are two Americans held by Russia. The U.S. government has designated both as wrongfully detained and has been trying to negotiate their release.

Others detained include Travis Leake, a musician who had been living in Russia for years and was arrested last year on drug-related charges; Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, also on drug charges; and dual nationals Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Russia has threatened strikes on British military installations in "Ukraine and beyond" and plans nuclear drills in response to remarks by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and other Western officials. 

Moscow summoned British ambassador to the Russian Federation Nigel Casey in "strong protest" to Cameron’s recent interview with Reuters "about Ukraine’s right to strike Russian territory using British weapons," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Monday. 

"Casey firmly pointed out that D. Cameron's hostile attack directly contradicts the previously sounded assurances of the British side when transferring long-range cruise missiles to the Kyiv regime, that under no circumstances would they be used on Russian territory," the statement continued. "Thus, the head of the Foreign Office disavowed this position, de facto recognizing his country as a party to the conflict."

The ministry said that the Russian side "views D. Cameron's words as evidence of a serious escalation and confirmation of London's increasing involvement in military operations on the side of Kyiv." 

US ARMY SOLDIER DETAINED IN RUSSIA, CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT: OFFICIALS

"N. Casey was warned that the response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on Russian territory could be any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond," the ministry said. "The Ambassador was called upon to think about the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps from London and to immediately refute in the most decisive and unequivocal manner the bellicose provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office."

The remarks came on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration to a fifth term in office and in a week when Moscow on Thursday will celebrate Victory Day, its most important secular holiday, marking its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons come in response to "provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation," Russia's Defense Ministry also said in a statement. It was the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises, according to the Associated Press. 

Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield. They are less powerful than the strategic weapons — massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to obliterate entire cities.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric expressed concern that various parties have been talking about issues regarding nuclear weapons more and more recently.

"Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level," Dujarric said. "All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided."

RUSSIAN JOURNALIST CHARGED WITH 'JUSTIFYING TERRORISM' OVER YEARS-OLD TELEGRAM POSTS

The Russian announcement was a warning to Ukraine’s Western allies about becoming more deeply engaged in the 2-year-old war, where the Kremlin's forces have gained an upper hand amid Ukraine's shortage of manpower and weapons. Some of Ukraine’s Western partners have previously expressed concern that the conflict could spill beyond Ukraine into a war between NATO and Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron repeated last week that he does not exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and Cameron said Kyiv’s forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Some other NATO countries providing weapons to Kyiv have balked at that possibility.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Cameron told Reuters last week.

The Kremlin branded those comments as dangerous, heightening tension between Russia and NATO. The war already has placed significant strain on relations between Moscow and the West.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Macron’s recent statement and other remarks by British and U.S. officials had prompted the nuclear drills.

"It’s a new round of escalation," Peskov said, referring to what the Kremlin regarded as provocative statements. "It’s unprecedented and requires special attention and special measures."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry also summoned France's ambassador.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

EU countries approved a plan worth $6.45 billion to support Western Balkan states on Tuesday aimed at accelerating reforms and economic growth in the region, as they seek future membership in the bloc.

The Council of the European Union said the plan, which covers the period from 2024 to 2027, is expected to provide up to $2.15 billion and $4.3 billion in loans. Aid is contingent on reforms that would bring Western Balkan economies in line with EU rules.

"The facility will support a range of socio-economic and fundamental reforms, including reforms related to the rule of law and fundamental rights," the Council said.

EUROPEAN UNION WILL BEGIN INVESTIGATION TO SEE IF CHINA IS DENYING ACCESS TO MEDICAL DEVICE MARKET

The region’s six countries — Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — are at different stages in their applications for membership, but residents have been frustrated with the slow pace of the process. Croatia was the last country to be accepted by the EU in 2013.

The six countries pledged to adapt customs regulations and create joint border crossings like EU member countries. They also set targets to launch research and development hubs for industry and install free Wi-Fi in public places.

The Council said that a precondition for Serbia and Kosovo to receive aid is that "they engage constructively with measurable progress and tangible results in the normalization of their relations."

Serbia has not recognized Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, and recent tensions between them have sparked concern among Western powers. Both have said they want to join the EU, but the bloc has warned that their refusal to compromise is jeopardizing their chances for membership.

The widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny vowed Tuesday that the rule of President Vladimir Putin will "definitely come to an end" shortly before he was sworn in for another six-year term, reports say. 

Yulia Navalnaya, speaking in a video posted to YouTube months after her husband mysteriously died at an Arctic penal colony, said "Our country is currently being led by a liar, a thief and a murderer, but this will definitely come to an end," according to Reuters. 

"Don't give up, truth will prevail," she added. 

During a ceremony inside the Grand Kremlin Palace on Tuesday, Putin, who has already led Russia for 25 years, placed his hand on the country’s constitution and promised to defend it, The Associated Press reports. 

RUSSIA’S KREMLIN PARADES WESTERN EQUIPMENT CAPTURED FROM UKRAINIAN ARMY AT EXHIBITION 

The U.S. State Department said Monday that it would not have a representative at the event. President Biden said in February that "Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death." 

Putin secured a fifth term in office in March, winning an election that featured no real opposition. 

"We certainly did not consider that election free and fair, but he is the president of Russia and is going to continue in that capacity," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday. 

PUTIN LIKELY DIDN’T INTEND FOR NAVALNY TO DIE IN FEBRUARY, US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES ASSESS: REPORT 

Putin had walked away with 87% of the vote, according to Russia's election commission. He celebrated his victory over the smattering of token opposition candidates by saying at the time it was proof of the Russian people's "trust" in him. 

Russia's election commission also reported that Putin won over 76 million votes, setting a new record. 

Putin’s latest term as Russia’s president is set to last until 2030. 

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 

A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s family poisonous mushrooms pleaded not guilty in an Australian court on Tuesday to three charges of murder and five charges of attempted murder.

Erin Patterson, 49, appeared briefly in Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court by video link from a Melbourne prison, where she has been held since her arrest in November last year. She is accused of killing her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66.

All three died in a hospital days after consuming a meal at Patterson’s home in July.

WOMAN UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER POISONOUS MUSHROOM MEAL KILLED HER THREE FORMER IN-LAWS

She pleaded not guilty to all charges and will appear at Victoria state's Supreme Court in Melbourne for the first time on May 23.

Proceedings have been fast-tracked after Patterson dispensed with a committal hearing where a magistrate would have examined the prosecution's case to ensure there is sufficient evidence to warrant a jury trial.

She has not applied to be released on bail during any of her four court appearances.

Erin Patterson is also accused of the attempted murder of her ex-husband, Simon, at that lunch and on three previous occasions dating back to 2021. Simon Patterson did not accept an invitation to attend the lunch.

She has also been charged with the attempted murder of Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.

Ian Wilkinson spent seven weeks in a hospital following the lunch.

Police say the symptoms of the four sickened family members were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms.

Erin Patterson could face up to 25 years in prison for each attempted murder charge, while murder in the state of Victoria carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.