*) Russia warns of consequences after Finland announces NATO bid

The Kremlin has warned about taking retaliatory “military-technical” steps after Finland’s leaders came out in favour of applying to join NATO.

Finland has been militarily neutral for decades, but it shares a 1,300 kilometre border with Russia.

The Nordic country is expected to approve the plans to join the alliance next week and its neighbour Sweden could do the same within days.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance would welcome Finland and Sweden with open arms.

*) Kiev in talks to evacuate 38 wounded Azovstal fighters

As Ukraine continues to push back against Russia, an explosion hits the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

Ukraine general staff said that Russia’s military hit the embattled port city and the plant with artillery and air strikes.

Kiev earlier said it was holding "difficult" talks with Russia to secure safe passage for dozens of wounded fighters from the plant

Azovstal is the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the devastated southern port city.

*) Slain Al Jazeera journalist to be buried in Jerusalem

The UN has said the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh may be a war crime.

And, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would refer it to the International Criminal Court.

The Al Jazeera correspondent has been remembered in a state ceremony in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Witnesses say she was shot in the head by Israeli forces while covering an army raid on a refugee camp in Jenin.

*) North Korea confirms first Covid-19 death in explosive outbreak

North Korea has reported its first Covid deaths and said 350-thousand people are infected with the virus.

The country has expanded its lockdown to try to stop the virus spreading.

Pyongyang says almost 200-thousand people are in quarantine after six people died in the past few days.

North Korea has declared the outbreak an emergency and tighter restrictions are expected to continue to be rolled out

And, finally...

*) Scientists for first time grow plants in soil from the Moon

Scientists for the first time have grown seeds in soil from the moon.

The ground-breaking experiment has given researchers hope that it may be possible to one day grow plants directly on the Moon.

However, scientists said the plants in the lunar samples grew more slowly and had stunted roots.

Still, much remains to be studied on the topic and the researchers intend to leave no stone unturned.

*) EU: Russia ‘most direct threat to world order’

Russia is the "most direct threat" to the international order because of its attacks on Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said.

Russia "is today the most direct threat to the world order with the barbaric war against Ukraine, and its worrying pact with China," von der Leyen said after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

For his part, Kishida said Russia's offensive in Ukraine is not just a matter for Europe, but it shakes the core of the international order including Asia.

*) Ukraine to hold first ‘war crimes’ trial of captured Russian

As fighting continues in Ukraine, Kiev's top prosecutor has disclosed plans for the first "war crimes" trial of a captured Russian soldier.

The 21-year-old soldier is accused of gunning down a 62-year-old civilian in February, four days into Russia’s attack on the country.

While he could get up to 15 years in prison, it is not known when the trial will start.

The prosecutor general’s office added it has been investigating more than 10,700 alleged "war crimes" committed by Russian forces.

*) North Korea confirms first Covid outbreak, orders nationwide lockdown

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for thorough nationwide lockdowns as the country confirmed its first-ever case of Covid-19.

The country has detected an outbreak of a sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron version of the coronavirus, state news agency said.

The agency called it a "severe national emergency incident" after more than two years of keeping the pandemic at bay.

*) Calls for probe into killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh grow louder

The killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank has drawn global condemnation.

The United States, United Nations, European Union and Türkiye separately called for a fair probe into the incident.

Al Jazeera said 51-year-old Palestinian-American Abu Akleh was killed "in cold blood" and demanded Israeli forces be held accountable.

But Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggested "armed Palestinians" were "likely" responsible for the killing.

And, finally...

*) Oil giant Saudi Aramco overtakes Apple as world’s most valuable company

Oil giant Saudi Aramco has dethroned Apple as the world's most valuable company as surging oil prices drive up shares and tech stocks slump.

The Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company was valued at 2.42 trillion dollars based on the price of its shares at close of market on Wednesday.

Apple, meanwhile, has seen its share price drop over the past month and was valued at 2.37 trillion dollars when official trading ended.

*) Ukrainians make gains in east

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian troops are being pushed away from Ukraine's second city Kharkiv.

In his nightly address, Zelensky said "the occupiers are gradually being pushed away" from the Kharkiv region.

Ukrainian authorities in the region said four villages near Kharkiv were cleared from Russian troops.

"Fierce battles" were ongoing in the region, and that the city itself was under heavy fire, they added.

*) US lawmakers approve $40B military, economic aid for Ukraine

US lawmakers have voted to send a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine.

The defence, humanitarian and economic funding passed the House of Representatives by 368 votes to 57.

It will likely pass the Senate by the end of the week or next week.

All the dissenting votes came from the Republican ranks.

*) Israeli troops shoot dead Al Jazeera journalist in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have shot dead an Al Jazeera reporter in the occupied West Bank.

Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces while reporting on a raid in the city of Jenin, Palestinian officials said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a second reporter, Ali Samodi, working for the Jerusalem-based Al Quds newspaper had been wounded.

Israeli army confirmed that it had conducted an operation in Jenin refugee camp, saying that reporters were hit “possibly by shoots fired by Palestinian gunmen."

The occupied West Bank city of Jenin has seen intensified army raids in recent weeks as violence in the region has surged.

*) UN urges restraint, calls for dialogue to quell deadly Sri Lanka unrest

The UN has condemned the spiralling violence in Sri Lanka, calling on authorities to prevent further unrest and pursue “meaningful dialogue.”

“I am deeply troubled by the escalation of violence in Sri Lanka after supporters of the prime minister attacked peaceful protesters in Colombo” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said.

Eight people, including a parliamentarian, have been killed and over 250 wounded in initially peaceful demonstrations as the country battles its worst economic crisis in history.

And, finally...

*) Apple pulling the plug on iPod after 20 years

Apple is discontinuing the iPod more than 20 years after the device became the face of portable music.

The company said in a blog post that the current generation of iPods will only be available as long as current supplies last.

The trend toward streaming music services has made devices designed just for carrying digital tunes around less enticing for customers.

*) Biden signs bill reviving world war 2 plan to supply arms to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden has eased the acceleration of US weapons shipments to Ukraine through a law based on a World War II measures helping US allies to defeat Nazi Germany.

Biden signed the Lend-lease Act in the Oval Office, saying the US supports Ukrainians' "fight to defend their country and their democracy against Putin's brutal war".

Acknowledging the billions of dollars already spent by the United States, Biden said "caving to aggression is even more costly".


*) Marcos Jr wins by landslide in Philippines presidential election

The son of late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos has won a landslide presidential election victory as Filipino voters dismissed warnings his rise could put their fragile democracy at risk.

With more than 90 percent of an initial count concluded, Marcos Junior had secured almost 30 million votes, more than double the tally of his nearest rival, liberal candidate Leni Robredo.

Rights activists and Catholic leaders and analysts had all warned Marcos Jr could rule with an even heavier fist if he wins by a large margin.


*) Sri Lankan PM quits, lawmaker among several dead in violence

Sri Lankan Prime Minister has resigned in the worst violence since anti-government protesters took to the streets against an unprecedented economic crisis.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down after more than 100 people were wounded when his supporters attacked protesters demanding his and the president's ouster.

Sri Lanka imposed curfew deploying thousands of troops and police to enforce it after the worst violence in weeks of protests.


*) Cleaning up 'imminent' Yemen oil spill will cost $20B

The UN has warned that it would cost $20 billion to clean up an oil spill in the event of the "imminent" break-up of an oil tanker abandoned off Yemen.

"Our recent visit to (the FSO Safer) with technical experts indicates that the vessel is imminently going to break up," the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen said.

Last month, the UN said it was seeking nearly $80 million for its operation.

And, finally...

*) Famed painter Hockney’s The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020 in Istanbul

Legendary English painter David Hockney’s latest paintings created during the pandemic have arrived at Istanbul’s Sakip Sabanci Museum.

They are prints of paintings created on a custom-made iPad app that a programmer had developed for the artist.

A total of 116 artworks, printed on frames and filled with intricate detail now hang at Istanbul’s Sakip Sabanci Museum at Emirgan.

*) Ukraine's Zelenskyy says Russian strike at school killed about 60

Sixty civilians have died in the bombing of a school in eastern Ukraine's Lugansk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is appalled by the reported attack which hit a school where many people were apparently seeking shelter from the ongoing fighting.

Guterres reiterated, in a statement, that civilians and civilian infrastructure must always be spared in times of war.

*) Putin to mark Soviet Union's WW2 victory over Nazi Germany

President Vladimir Putin will lead anniversary celebrations of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany as Russian forces fight Ukrainians in one of the deadliest European conflicts since World War Two.

Putin has in recent years used Victory Day to needle the West from a tribune in Red Square before a parade of troops, tanks, rockets and ballistic missiles.

*) Philippines votes for new president in 'most consequential election'

Filipinos have begun voting for a new president with the son of an ousted dictator and a champion of reforms and human rights as top contenders.

Monday's election pits Vice President Leni Robredo against former senator and congressman Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of a dictator.

Opinion polls put Marcos, popularly known as "Bongbong", leading his rival by over 30 percentage points, having topped every poll this year.

*) Dozens killed in 'CODECO militia' raid on DRC gold mine



Raiders have killed at least 35 people in an attack on a gold mine in Ituri, in Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said.

One local official of the rural Mungwalu settlement in Djugu, Ituri, said the militia carried out the attack on the artisanal mine.

29 bodies had been retrieved, while another six burnt bodies had been found buried at the site.

And, finally...

*) Türkiye inaugurates renovated Armenian church in Diyarbakir

Türkiye has officially reopened a 16th-century Armenian church that had been damaged by terrorists before restoration by the Turkish government.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said everyone “shares the excitement” of the renovated Armenian Church in Diyarbakir which will reopen for worship.

The historic church in Diyarbakir's Sur district was damaged by PKK terrorist attacks in 2015.

*) UK: Russia aims to take #Mariupol before V-Day

The UK believes Russia wants to take the port city of Mariupol and its vast steel mill before it marks Victory Day on Monday.

“The renewed effort by Russia to secure Azovstal and complete the capture of Mariupol is likely linked to the upcoming 9 May Victory Day commemorations”, the British Defence Ministry said in a daily intelligence briefing.

Whilst Ukrainian resistance continues in Azovstal, Russian losses will continue to build and frustrate their operational plans in southern Donbass, it added.

*) Almost 500 civilians evacuated from Mariupol: Ukraine

Staying with Ukraine, Kiev has said almost 500 civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol and its besieged Azovstal steel plant since a UN-led rescue operation began.

"We have managed to evacuate almost 500 civilians," Andriy Yermak (An-dree Year-mak), who heads Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said.

The United Nations had said that a new convoy would evacuate civilians from the "bleak hell" of the factory, which has become the last pocket of resistance in the southern port city.

*) UK PM Johnson loses control of traditional strongholds in local elections

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has lost control of traditional strongholds in London and suffered losses elsewhere in local elections.

Early results showed that Johnson's party was ousted in Wandsworth - a low-tax Conservative stronghold since 1978.

The Tories also said they had lost control of the borough of Barnet, which has been held by the party in all but two elections since 1964.

"This is a warning shot from Conservative voters," said Daniel Thomas, the Tory leader of Barnet council.

*) Researchers find animal virus in deceased man's implanted pig heart

US researchers trying to learn what killed the first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig have discovered the organ harboured an animal virus.

University of Maryland doctors said they found an unwelcome surprise, viral DNA inside the pig heart.

They did not find signs that this bug was causing an active infection. But a major worry about animal-to-human transplants is the risk that it could introduce new kinds of infections to people.

57-year-old David Bennett died in March, two months after the groundbreaking experimental transplant.

And, finally...

*) Asian Games postponed as China battles Covid

The Asian Games due to take place in China in September have been postponed indefinitely as Beijing battles a resurgence of Covid cases.

"The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that the 19th Asian Games will be postponed," said a statement on the official Games website.

No reason was given for the delay, but China is racing to extinguish its largest outbreak of Covid-19 since the early days of the pandemic.

#RussiaVDay #UKElection #OrganTransplant #PigHeart #AsianGames

*) Russia announces 3-day #ceasefire for civilian evacuations in Ukraine's Mariupol

Russia announces a three-day cease-fire for evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's Black Sea port city of #Mariupol.

In a statement, Russia’s defence ministry said an evacuation corridor would be opened in the #Azovstal area "based on humanitarian principles".

The humanitarian corridor will be opened for the evacuation of civilians, including workers, women and children, from the Azovstal plant site on May 5-7, from 0500 GMT to 1500 GMT, the ministry said.

*) UN: More than 300 evacuated from Mariupol

Over 300 civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol and other areas in southern Ukraine as part of a joint UN-Red Cross operation, the United Nations said.

The evacuations came as Ukrainian forces inside Mariupol's Azovstal steel works said they were fighting "difficult bloody battles" against Russian troops.

Mariupol is one of the most battered cities in #Ukraine. A group of Ukrainian forces are still holding out at the plant with hundreds of civilians trapped inside.

*) UK votes in local elections with historic N Ireland result predicted

Polls have opened across the UK in local and regional elections that could prove historic in Northern Ireland and heap further pressure on embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The contest in Belfast could see a pro-Irish nationalist party win for the first time in the troubled history of the British province.

On the other side, poor results could reignite simmering discontent within Johnson’s ruling Conservatives about his leadership after a string of recent scandals.

*) Colombia extradites 'world's most wanted' drug trafficker to US

#Colombia has extradited the world's most wanted drug trafficker, Dairo Antonio Usuga David, to the United States, where he faces indictments in three federal courts

Colombian President Ivan Duque said that Usuga David is "comparable only to Pablo Escobar", referring to the late former head of the Medellin drug cartel.

The former rural warlord had stayed on the run for more than a decade by corrupting state officials and aligning himself with combattants on the left and right.

Usuga David and his drug cartel are accused of illegally bringing over 73 tonnes of cocaine into the US between 2003 and 2012.

And, finally...

*) Real Madrid beat Man City, to face Liverpool in Champions League final

Real Madrid have fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra time in an enthralling and dramatic Champions League semi-final.

City led 1-0 on the night when Riyad Mahrez scored after 73 minutes, but Real substitute Rodrygo equalised in the last minute of normal time.

Five minutes into extra time Karim Benzema converted a penalty awarded for a foul on him and Real held the shell-shocked English side at bay to reach the final.

Real, the record 13-times European champions, will play Liverpool on May 28 in Paris.

#RealMadrid