WORLD

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has indicated that if South Korea starts to provide military assistance to Ukraine, Russia may provide North Korea cutting-edge weapons.

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol hinted at a potential policy change on the Ukraine conflict ahead of a state visit to the US the following week.

“It might be difficult for us to insist only on humanitarian or financial support if there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any significant attack on civilians, massacre, or serious violation of the laws of war,” Yoon added.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is gearing up for its next big mission to launch a customer satellite in an orbit around the planet. The TeLEOS-2 mission will launch onboard Isro's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on its 55th mission to date.

The Singaporean probe is an Earth Observation Satellite, which has been designed to capture round-the-clock, all-weather satellite imagery.

The 750-kilogram satellite, developed by ST Engineering, will provide imagery that could be used for hotspot monitoring and haze management, air crash search and rescue operations, and much more.

Finland's much-delayed and costly new nuclear reactor, Europe's most powerful by production capacity, has completed a test phase lasting more than a year and started regular output, boosting the Nordic country's electricity self-sufficiency significantly.
The Olkiluoto 3 reactor, which has 1,600-megawatt capacity, was connected into the Finnish national power grid in March 2022 and kicked off regular production on Sunday. Operator Teollisuuden Voima, or TVO, tweeted that "Olkiluoto 3 is now ready" after a delay of 14 years from the original plan.

It will help Finland to achieve its carbon neutrality targets and increase energy security at a time when European countries have cut oil, gas and other power supplies from Russia, Finland's neighbor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin applauds 'strengthening' role of church amid conflict

Putin after taking part in the liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow said, “I would like to express my profound gratitude for your tireless and selfless work in preserving the enduring historical, spiritual, moral and family values, by educating and enlightening youth,” reported AFP.

He added, “For many years, your wise pastoral words have served to strengthen society… Today, as we face serious challenges, it is particularly important.”

Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund, stated on Friday that debtors and creditors made “tangible progress” this week on debt restructuring difficulties, but urged nations with rising debt troubles to seek assistance sooner in the process.

Georgieva stated at a press conference held during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington that a new roundtable on sovereign debt was assisting in the acceleration of work on debt restructurings. She said that this week’s discussions had led to a shared understanding of the potential contribution that multilateral development banks might make by generating positive net flows for underdeveloped nations.