WARSAW, Poland – A Polish man has been arrested on suspicion of preparing to spy for Russia’s military intelligence in an alleged plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polish prosecutors said Thursday.

According to a statement released by Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office, the individual, known only as Pawel K. under Polish privacy regulations, was accused of preparing to transmit airport security information to Russian agents and was arrested in Poland on Wednesday.

Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot

The man was looking for contact with Russians directly involved in the war in Ukraine and was expected to provide detailed information about the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in south-east Poland, near the Ukrainian border, which serves as the gateway for international military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine. It also caters to leaders and politicians traveling in and out of Ukraine. The airport is controlled by US soldiers.

If convicted, the guy faces up to eight years in prison, according to the statement.

Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot

The prosecutors claimed that close cooperation with Ukrainian prosecutors and security agencies, who tipped them off and provided crucial evidence, made the arrest possible. They stated the case is progressing.

On Thursday, prosecutors in Germany announced the arrest of two German-Russian individuals on suspicion of espionage, with one accused of agreeing to carry out assaults on potential targets, including US military bases, in the hopes of damaging supplies to Ukraine.

Dieter S. and Alexander J. were arrested Wednesday in Bayreuth, Bavaria, according to German federal authorities.

Since Moscow initiated its campaign on Ukraine in February 2022, several persons have been arrested in Poland on suspicion of spying for Russia, including a dual Russian-Spanish citizen.

Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot

Poland, a European Union member, has been a loyal backer of neighboring Ukraine and Zelenskyy in their fight against Russia’s aggression for more than two years.

SOURCE – (AP)

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The U.S. 7th Fleet reported that a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense leaders conducted their first discussions since November 2022 to ease regional tensions.

The patrol and reconnaissance jet “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” according to a 7th Fleet news release.

US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks

The statement stated, “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.”

The vital strait, 160 kilometers (100 miles) wide, separates China from the self-governing island democracy. Although it is on the international seas, China regards the passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it as a threat to its sovereignty.

China claims Taiwan and has threatened to protect it with force if necessary, despite U.S. military support for the island.

According to a report on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command’s official Weibo social media site, China dispatched fighter jets to “monitor the U.S. plane’s passage” and operated “in accordance with laws and regulations.”

“Theater troops are on high alert at all times to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,” Li said in a statement.

US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks

China often issues severe protests and deploys fortifications in reaction to the passage of ships and military planes across the Straight, particularly those from the United States.

China also regularly deploys navy ships and airplanes into the strait and other locations around the island to wear down Taiwan’s defenses and scare its 23 million people, who staunchly support their de facto independence.

“By operating in the Taiwan Strait in conformity with international law, the United States protects all nations’ navigational rights and freedoms. The aircraft’s passage through the Taiwan Strait underlines the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. According to the 7th Fleet statement, the United States military flies, sails, and operates wherever international law allows.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, on Tuesday in the latest move to strengthen relations with the Chinese military and lessen the likelihood of a regional conflict.

It was Austin’s first time speaking with Dong and his first time speaking in depth with any Chinese counterpart since November 2022. The call lasted slightly more than an hour, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China this month for discussions.

US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks

Military-to-military contact ended in August 2022 when Beijing terminated all communication following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Asia. China replied by firing missiles over the country and increasing military exercises, including what seemed to be a rehearsal for a naval and aerial blockade of the island.

SOURCE – (AP)

Peshawar, Pakistan — Lightning and torrential rains killed 14 people in Pakistan on Wednesday, increasing the total death toll from four days of extreme weather to at least 63. The biggest rainstorm in decades inundated towns on the country’s southwestern coast. In neighboring Afghanistan, flash floods have killed hundreds.

In Pakistan, the majority of the deaths were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, located in the northwest. According to Khursheed Anwar, a spokesman for the Disaster Management Authority, 32 people have died as a result of building collapses, including 15 children and five women. Anwar reported that dozens more people were hurt in the region, which reportedly suffered damage to 1,370 homes.

Death Toll From 4 Days Of Rains Rises To 63 In Pakistan With More Rain On The Forecast

The eastern region of Punjab has recorded 21 deaths due to lightning and collapse, while Baluchistan in the country’s southwest has reported 10 deaths as officials issued a state of emergency in response to flash floods.

Baluchistan was braced for additional rains on Wednesday while rescue and relief activities continued, as flash floods flooded villages near the coastal city of Gwadar.

Heavy rains also fell on the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Authorities warned that a second round of heavy rain will affect numerous places, including the capital, Karachi.

According to Zaheer Ahmed Babar, a senior official with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Pakistan will experience more rain in April due to climate change.

“This month, so far, there has been 353% more rainfall than normal in Baluchistan,” Babar told The Press. “Overall, rainfall has been 99% higher than the average across Pakistan, and it shows climate change has already happened in our country.”

Death Toll From 4 Days Of Rains Rises To 63 In Pakistan With More Rain On The Forecast

Babar reported that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province received 90% more rain than typical in April, but rainfall in other regions of the country remained relatively normal. This has been the wettest April in the last 30 years.

In 2022, downpours swelled rivers and flooded a third of Pakistan, killing 1,739 people. The floods also inflicted $30 billion in damage, which Pakistan is currently working to repair. That year, rainfall in Baluchistan was 590% above average, while Karachi received 726% more than usual.

Meanwhile, the death toll in neighboring Afghanistan has risen to 70, with 37 additional people killed in recent rain and flash flooding occurrences, according to Abdullah Janan Saiq, the Taliban’s spokesperson for the State Ministry of Natural Disasters.

Death Toll From 4 Days Of Rains Rises To 63 In Pakistan With More Rain On The Forecast

He also stated that flash floods have damaged 2,000 homes, three mosques, and four schools, affecting thousands of individuals who will require humanitarian help. Floods also devastated agricultural land, killing 2,500 livestock, according to Saiq.

SOURCE – (AP)