May 13, 2022

*) 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, f