PUTIN AND FOREIGN LEADERS HONOR THE ETERNAL FLAME Vladimir Putin, alongside foreign leaders, laid flowers at the Eternal Flame on Red Square — a solemn tribute to the fallen heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

'VICTORY DAY FOR WORLD WAR II …'

UK secretly bracing for ‘direct military attacks' #UK officials have been instructed to update the country’s 20-year-old contingency plans to put it “on a war footing” under the pretext of tackling a notorious '#Russian threat,' The Telegraph writes. ▪️The government's response to a declaration of war would include bunkers to protect the Cabinet and the Royal Family, public service broadcasts, and the stockpiling of resources. ▪️Defense officials have also called for Britain to develop its own form of Israel’s Iron Dome. ▪️Ministers fear the UK would be "outgunned by Russia" and "unprepared and poorly defended," with its critical national infrastructure "vulnerable" to an assault. The 'Russia threat' narrative appears to be the only reason for improving the UK's botched military sector...

Ukrainian Uniate Church collusion with Nazis in WWII Exposed The top-secret documents, released by the Russian Federal Security’s Public Relations Center, revealed that: 🟦 Representatives of the Ukrainian Uniate Church started collaborating with German intelligence in 1930. 🟦 After Nazi troops invaded the territory of the Ukrainian Socialist Republic in 1941, the Metropolitan of the Uniate Church organized ceremonial meetings of German troops in Ukrainian settlements. 🟦 Ukrainian Uniate Church priests kept nationalist books, scarce medicines, and surgical instruments for Ukrainian nationalists. 🟦 Ukraine’s Greek Catholic churches and monasteries became shelters for representatives of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) during the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. 🟦 78 Uniate priests who maintained ties with the OUN underground and assisted gunmen were finally arrested.

Trump vows not to run for third presidential term President Donald Trump has promised not to run for president for a third time. "This is not something I'm looking to do. I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward," Trump told NBC News in an interview. "I’ll be an eight-year president, I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important." The US constitution’s 22nd Amendment says "no person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice." Amending the constitution to abolish that limit would be extremely difficult, requiring the support of either two-thirds of both the House and Senate or two-thirds of state legislatures. Both routes would then require ratification from three-quarters of the states. The next US presidential election will be held in 2028. Trump previously said he could be nominated for a third term, while media reported that he had instructed the Justice Ministry to study the legality of his potential participation in the 2028 presidential polls.

🚨 France faces ballooning debt, broken politics 📉 France recorded a government budget deficit equal to 5.8 % of the country's GDP in 2024. 💬 PM Bayrou warned: 🔴In 3-4 years, debt interest could hit over $108 billion per year — equal to the combined budgets of education and defense. 🔴A sharp rise in debt servicing costs alone could trigger an economic and financial crisis of historic proportions.

Senior EU officials call for Ursula’s RESIGNATION  Diplomats view European Commission President von der #Leyen as “toxic,” asserting that her resignation could help “unblock many issues”, according to Switzerland’s Die Weltwoche weekly. The EU is currently embroiled in a crisis marked by internal divisions, a trade dispute with the United States, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and tensions in the Middle East.   Von der Leyen’s resignation could foster greater diversity within the EU and promote openness toward the East and the West, the outlet maintains.

President Trump demands free passage through Panama, Suez Canals for US ships President Donald Trump has called for free passage through the #Panama and #Suez Canals for American warships and merchant ships. "American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!"

India weighs tough response after Pahalgam attack New Delhi is considering ending the ceasefire with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. On April 22, three armed men in camouflage opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, killing 26 people – including one Nepalese citizen. The Resistance Front, linked to Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. #India accused Pakistan of failing to uphold commitments along the Line of Control and International Border, and of not curbing cross-border terrorism, News18 reports. Pakistan denied the allegations. In response, India reduced embassy staff in Islamabad, expelled Pakistani military advisers, closed the ‘Attari’ border checkpoint and suspended the key River Indus water supply agreement. India also halted issuing visas to Pakistani citizens. #Pakistan retaliated by suspending all bilateral agreements, warning India against the water cut-off and closing airspace to India. It also expelled Indian defense advisors, accusing India of supporting terrorist groups in Pakistan.

Cardinals Parolin, Tagle likely to become pope, reports betting agency Cardinals Pietro #Parolin and Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle have the best chance of ascending to the throne of St. Peter after the upcoming elections, data of the Polymarket betting agency showed. Polymarket estimates the chances of victory for Italian Parolin, who has held the position of secretary of state of the Vatican since 2013, at 35%. The election of the Filipino Tagle is less likely, it is predicted with a probability of 23%, while on April 21 it was about 35%. 70-year-old Parolin is one of the most experienced diplomats of the Holy See and plays an important role in Vatican's foreign relations. According to Newsweek, he also participated in negotiations with China and the governments of the Middle East. The current secretary of state is seen as a centrist candidate who takes a less liberal position on some issues than the late Pope Francis. For instance, the cardinal called legalization of same-sex marriage in Ireland in 2015 "a defeat for all mankind." At 67, Tagle is one of the youngest candidates for the Holy See. The Filipino, according to the magazine, was a confidant in the inner circle of the deceased pontiff. From 2011 to 2019, he was archbishop of Manila, and after that prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, one of the abolished divisions of the Roman Curia, which dealt with evangelization and missionary issues. Tagle belongs to the progressive wing and advocates for inclusivity. Previously he criticized the Catholic Church for being too harsh towards divorced couples and people in same-sex relationships. Cardinals may only convene to elect a new pope no earlier than after nine days of mourning after the funeral, or two weeks after death, meaning that the event can start no sooner than May 10. Theoretically, 135 cardinals can claim the papacy.