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UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain claim 2-0 first-leg lead over English Premier League champions Liverpool.

Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League defence remains on course after a dominant 2-0 victory against Liverpool in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie.

The home side took the lead thanks to a deflected effort in the 11th minute on Wednesday, after Desire Doue’s effort from outside the box looped over the helpless Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The Reds are long out of their own title defence in the English Premier League this season and left only with the Champions League as a faint hope of silverware, but Arne Slot’s side rallied in response to the Parisians’ fortune until the half-time whistle.

The second period was a far different matter, and all too familiar to Liverpool fans this season. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deservedly doubled the advantage in the 65th minute when the Georgian international dribbled into the box before rounding the keeper.

A total of 18 shots were registered by the home side, with six on target. Liverpool managed just three efforts on goal with none on target in reply.

It was far from the most fluent display by Luis Enrique’s side in the French capital, despite relentless passing and a 74 percent share of the possession, but their second-half showing was a vast improvement from the first.

Achraf Hakimi’s 82nd-minute drive was one of the biggest moments to settle the tie, but drew a fine save from Mamardashvili, low to his left, which keeps his side in with a chance as the teams head to Anfield for the second leg next Tuesday.

There was little the Reds’ keeper could do other than hope, as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele produced a moment of brilliance with two minutes to play when he exchanged a one-two with substitute Lee Kang-In in the box only to see his fierce strike rebound off the post.

It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive defeat away from home, a first for the Merseyside club since April 2012

The winner will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round, with the latter holding a 2-1 advantage following the first leg of their quarterfinal in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.

April 8 (UPI) — A Russian hacking group financed by the spy agency GRU managed a large-scale campaign to steal information about militaries and governments by hacking into Wi-Fi routers, the FBI said.

The group known as Fancy Bear is behind the hack done to governments around the world. Intelligence and police services in the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Romania and others discovered the operation, which attacked poorly protected Wi-Fi routers, they announced in a joint statement Tuesday.

The hackers took “passwords, authentication tokens and other sensitive information, including emails” Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, said in a statement.

“This way, they acted as ‘intermediaries’ in the online space to collect passwords, authentication tokens and other sensitive information, including emails, which under normal circumstances are protected by SSL [Secure Sockets Layer] and TLS [Transport Layer Security] cryptographic protocols,” SBU said.

The GRU operatives, who have been using this technique since at least 2024, planned to use the information to “carry out cyberattacks, information sabotage and the collection of intelligence,” SBU said.

The FBI said the GRU has “indiscriminately compromised a wide pool of U.S. and global victims and then filtered down impacted users, especially targeting information related to military, government and critical infrastructure.”

Romania, which participated in the investigation, said the GRU operatives “were collecting military, governmental, and critical infrastructure-related information,” Romanian President Nicușor Dan said.

“Russia therefore continues its hybrid war against Western countries — only those acting in bad faith could fail to see this,” Dan said in a post on X.

The FBI also urged “all network defenders and owners of small office/home office (SOHO) routers to update to the latest firmware versions, change default usernames and passwords, disable remote management interfaces from the internet, and stay alert for certificate warnings in web browsers and email clients.”

US vice president in Hungary calls Ukrainian leader’s ‘threatening’ remarks ‘completely scandalous’.

US Vice President JD Vance has said Ukraine’s prime minister made “scandalous” comments about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as he echoed Budapest’s accusations that Kyiv is trying to influence the upcoming elections there.

Vance’s remarks on Wednesday came during a visit to Budapest days before the far-right Orban, a Trump ally, faces the toughest challenge of his 16-year rule in an election on April 12.

Hungary’s strained relations with Ukraine have taken centre stage in the election campaign, with Budapest’s government accusing Kyiv of deliberately stopping flows of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline in an effort to sway the ballot.

Kyiv says the pipeline was damaged by a Russian drone attack in late January, and it is fixing it as quickly as it can.

Hungary responded by blocking a 90-billion-euro ($105bn) EU loan for Ukraine, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say he could give the address of whoever was responsible to the Ukrainian army, who could “speak with him in their own language”.

‘Completely scandalous’

Speaking at a Hungarian university, Vance said Orban had told him about Zelenskyy’s remarks.

“It’s completely scandalous,” Vance said. “You should never have a foreign head of government … threatening the head of government of an allied nation.”

Vance then accused the media of double standards in their coverage of alleged foreign interference in the 2016 US presidential election and in the Hungarian vote.

“You saw this back in 2016 where a lot of the American media said that it was a true scandal that the Russian government bought like $500,000 of Facebook advertisements … That’s foreign influence,” he said.

“But what’s not foreign influence is when the European Union threatens billions of dollars withheld from Hungary because you guys protect your borders… What’s not foreign influence is when the Ukrainians shut down pipelines, causing suffering among the Hungarian people in an effort to influence an election.”

Budapest has been embroiled in a long‑running dispute with the European Union over issues ranging from judicial independence to the treatment of migrants.

Vance had already lambasted what he said was EU meddling in the Hungarian vote at a news conference on Tuesday.

A European Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday Brussels would use diplomatic channels “to convey our concerns to our US counterparts” following those comments, according to the Reuters news agency.

Before a single term has been negotiated, Trump is claiming total victory over Iran, but with leadership intact, enrichment continuing, and a new Strait of Hormuz toll that didn’t exist before the conflict, is this really a win? Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett explains.

April 8 (UPI) — Brazil is heading toward a highly competitive presidential election, with a statistical tie between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, amid concerns over possible U.S. influence and geopolitical tensions tied to critical minerals.

A poll by consulting firm IDEIA, conducted April 3-7 with 1,500 respondents, shows Lula with 45.5% support in a runoff scenario, compared with 45.8% for Bolsonaro, a difference within the 2.5 percentage point margin of error.

The survey points to an open race six months ahead of the October presidential vote.

IDEIA said the electorate remains unstable. About 51.4% of respondents said they could change their vote before the election and the survey introduced an unusual geopolitical dimension. Some 9.1% identified foreign influence as one of the main threats to Brazil’s democracy.

In addition, 52% said elections should be decided exclusively by Brazilians, while 28% said seeking international support is legitimate.

The scenario comes amid rising political tensions over the role of external actors in the campaign, particularly the United States, and Brazil’s strategic position in sectors such as critical minerals.

Tensions intensified after Bolsonaro took part in the Conservative Political Action Conference held in Texas on March 28.

During his speech, Bolsonaro said he expects to win the election but conditioned that outcome on institutional guarantees.

“I will win because it is the will of my people. But for that will to be preserved, we need free and fair elections,” he said in English before a conservative audience.

The senator said these conditions depend on greater transparency in vote counting and protections for free expression on social media.

“This is a major challenge. If our people can express themselves freely on social media and if votes are counted correctly, we will win,” he said.

Bolsonaro also called on the United States and the “free world” to closely monitor Brazil’s electoral process. He urged them to track freedom of expression and apply diplomatic pressure on institutions to ensure “elections based on values of liberty and transparency.”

At the same time, he rejected what he described as foreign interference in past elections, referring to the administration of Joe Biden, while maintaining the need for international oversight.

In that context, the senator presented himself as a political continuation of former President Jair Bolsonaro, describing himself as “Bolsonaro 2.0,” and positioned Brazil as a strategic U.S. ally in countering China.

“Brazil will be the battlefield where the future of the hemisphere will be decided,” he said.

He added that the country could play a key role in reducing U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals, particularly rare earth elements.

“The United States still depends on China for about 70% of its rare earth imports, while China controls about 70% of global mining and more than 90% of processing,” he said.

“Without these components, U.S. technological innovation becomes impossible and the production of advanced military systems falls into the hands of adversaries.”

The remarks drew reactions from the ruling coalition. Rep. Lindbergh Farias of the Workers’ Party said he had asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to assess possible liability by the senator.

Farias said Bolsonaro may have received a “confidential” report and shared it with U.S. authorities, an allegation not supported by public evidence.

“This has a name: betrayal of sovereignty,” he wrote on the social media platform X. “Those who act like this do not defend Brazil. They work against it. Brazilian sovereignty is not negotiable.”

The Prosecutor General’s Office has not said whether it will open an investigation.

Senegal, who were stripped of the AFCON title, are appealing the decision for the trophy to be awarded to Morocco.

The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has visited Dakar, nearly a month after the body’s shock decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.

Patrice Motsepe announced the trip at the end of March, stating that he would travel to Senegal and Morocco to emphasise the importance of “working together to grow African football”, as his organisation faces considerable criticism.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will receive Motsepe at the presidential palace later in the day, with a news conference to follow.

His visit comes at a particularly tense time for CAF following its surprise decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in the Cup of Nations final on January 18.

CAF cited regulations about leaving the field as it recorded a 3-0 victory in Morocco’s favour on March 17.

During the match, Senegalese players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded an added-time penalty, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.

The Senegalese Football Federation has appealed CAF’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The decision has prompted a strong response by Senegal, whose government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within the institution.

Weighing in on the matter late last month, Motsepe said he would “respect and implement the CAS decision. My personal opinion regarding the matter is irrelevant.”

April 8 (UPI) — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was set to kick off a visit to Washington on Wednesday with a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump after European allies’ lack of support for the Iran war prompted fresh threats to pull the United States out of the defensive alliance.

Rutte was expected to use the meeting, at which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will also be present, to try to smooth over trans-Atlantic tensions stoked by the refusal of several NATO countries to let U.S. military planes to use their airspace or bases.

Allies also declined to take part in military action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, effectively blockaded by Iran since the start of the war on Feb. 28, and provide naval vessels to escort oil and gas tankers through the key sea lane.

Trump’s frustration with what he views as a NATO relationship that is unfairly weighted in European allies’ favor boiled over last week after the spat over the strait, with him questioning the point of U.S. membership and saying he would rethink how much the United States contributes to the alliance going forward.

Rubio has also adopted an increasingly hawkish stance calling it a “one-way street” where the United States was always there for other NATO members but was told ‘no’ when it needed to use their military bases, begging the question why it was in the alliance.

The position of European NATO allies is that they were not consulted before the United States launched its airborne offensive in Iran — with the majority of states were not even informed beforehand — and that as a purely defensive alliance, the action has no relevance to NATO.

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker told Euronews that vocal criticism of military action against Iran expressed by countries including Germany, France, Spain and Finland ran counter to their own interests.

“The messaging from Europe has been terrible,” said Volker, explaining that it created an opening for Trump to deflect blame onto partners who refused assistance, if his Iran gambit backfires.

“The Europeans could have said, ‘we all have a stake in this and let’s see how we can help,'” added Volker who said this could have been achieved without getting pulled into direct military confrontation with Iran.

Patrick Bury, Senior Associate Professor in Warfare at Bath University, said Rutte had a delicate balancing act to perform of persuading Trump of the alliance’s value while as diplomatically as possible defending members’ right to stay out of the war

“His job is to keep the U.S. in NATO. He represents the alliance as a whole, rather than individual member states,” said Bury.

Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said if any one could talk Trump down it would be Rutte, calling him a “Trump whisperer.”

The multi-discipline event scheduled for May 8 will now be held on June 19 should conditions allow, organisers say.

World Athletics has postponed its season-opening event in Qatar’s capital, Doha, due to concerns for “player and spectator safety” as the  US-Israel war on Iran continues to affect the Middle East.

The Doha Diamond League has been rescheduled from May 8 to June 19, conditional on the safety and security situation in the region, World Athletics said in a statement on Wednesday.

“In the interests of athlete and spectator safety, a decision has been taken to postpone the meeting,” the global governing body for athletics said, adding that the event will go ahead on the new date “should conditions allow”.

The Diamond League said it had been “monitoring the situation in Doha” in recent weeks and was “working in close coordination with meeting organisers, Qatari authorities and other stakeholders”.

While Iran and the United States accepted a two-week ceasefire deal – mediated by Pakistan – Gulf states continued to intercept missile and drone attacks on their territories.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it intercepted a missile attack in the hours leading up to the ceasefire announcement, and the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain reported strikes after news of the ceasefire was confirmed.

The organisers said they would continue to monitor developments in the Middle East in the coming weeks to deliver “the highest level of safe and secure competition for athletes, media and spectators”.

The Doha meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the Qatar Sports Club as the opening event of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season, but will now be held at the Khalifa International Stadium, a temperature-regulated venue with air cooling vents.

The stadium hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2019 and was one of the FIFA World Cup 2022 venues in Qatar.

Olympic gold medallist from Botswana, Letsile Tebogo, headlined the 2025 event, winning the 200m race, while Jamaica’s Tia Clayton won the women’s 100m event.

Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra was the crowd favourite for the field event but finished behind Julian Weber of Germany.

Chopra, Olympic gold medallist in 2021 and silver winner in 2024, has finished on the Doha Diamond League podium on five occasions.

The new date of the Doha Diamond League will fall between the Bislett Games in Oslo on June 10 and the Meeting de Paris on June 28, making it the eighth leg of the 2026 season.

The series will begin in Shanghai on May 16 and end at the Diamond League final in Brussels on September 5.

April 8 (UPI) — Global oil prices tumbled after the United States, Israel and Iran agreed to a Pakistan-brokered two-week cease-fire deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

The Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate benchmarks saw double-digit percentage falls following U.S. President Donald Trump‘s announcement of the breakthrough Tuesday evening, and have since stabilized, changing hands at $95.51 and $96.48 a barrel in early trade on Wednesday.

The market reacted to the prospect that oil tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf would be finally be able to transit the 21-mile-wide body of water between Iran and the UAE and Oman, easing major disruption to global supply caused by Iran’s effective blockade of the strait.

However, oil remained well above its $72 a barrel level on Feb. 27, the day before the United States and Israel unleashed their airborne offensive against Iran, amid uncertainty over the mechanism for the resumption of maritime traffic in the strait and the ongoing impact of war damage to energy infrastructure in Gulf countries.

There was also confusion over whether the cease-fire extended to Israel’s military offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Pakistan said it did, but Israel said it did not and that its operations would continue.

Financial markets in Europe rallied Wednesday morning, following very significant gains in Asia, where the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo ended up 5.42%, Korea’s KOSPI surged almost 7% higher and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed up more than 3%.

Out-of-hours futures transactions in the United States suggested equities would also rally very strongly there when stock exchanges open in a few hours.

Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets in New York, expressed skepticism.

“It wasn’t much of a surprise that there was an announced reprieve in the Iranian conflict. The concern now is if this all too familiar ‘two-week’ timeframe is going to lead to a resolution,” said Woods.

A statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council posted on X by the Iranian foreign minister said safe passage of ships through Hormuz Strait would be possible for the duration of the cease-fire, but that it would have to be “via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces.”

In a post on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Wednesday hailing the cease-fire, Trump pledged U.S. assistance with the logistical problems.

“The United States will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will. Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!” Trump wrote.

MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic told the BBC that while the number of ships getting through the Hormuz Strait would increase from a trickle, a return to normal levels of energy production in the region was unlikely without a permanent end to the conflict and warning that repairs to damaged infrastructure could take many months.

A former Trump administration official predicted Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump could meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit sometime this fall, citing Trump’s continued indications of interest in resuming dialogue with the reclusive leader.

Fred Fleitz, a former chief of staff of the National Security Council under the previous Trump administration, made the remarks as speculation persists that Trump and Kim may resume dialogue around the time when Trump visits China for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in May.

“I believe there is a good chance of a Trump-Kim summit this fall,” said the vice chair of the America First Policy Institute at a press event on the sidelines of a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies.

“President Trump has often indicated that he wanted to resume a successful personal diplomacy … It is something that Trump believes in that this was a big success that he has to build upon,” he said.

Fleitz pointed out that although Trump is open to meeting Kim again, he would not back away from the U.S. demand for denuclearization.

“The Trump administration might join talks with North Korea but will be pushing for denuclearization,” he said. “I would strongly advise the Trump administration that another progress should be that North Korea has to stop sending weapons (to Russia for its war) in Ukraine.”

“They are helping a disastrously bloody war and I don’t think it’s a lot to ask for Trump to say that to Kim Jong-un.”

On a similar note, Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, gave an outlook of a “more than 50 percent chance” that Trump will meet Kim, after he meets Xi in Beijing.

“I don’t think Xi Jinping will want a meeting (between Trump and Kim) before his summit with Trump,” he said. “There is a greater than 50 percent chance that they could meet after their (Trump-Xi) meeting in Beijing.”

Cha also noted that unlike the approach to China, Russia or Iran, Trump shows that he puts North Korea in a “different basket” in terms of his potential engagement with Kim.

“I think he clearly wants to engage with him, which is just fascinating,” he said.

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Israel has backed a ceasefire between the US and Iran but made clear it does not extend to Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett reports that as Israeli strikes continue, residents remain wary after repeated violations of past ceasefires and ongoing displacement.

April 8 (UPI) — Republican Clay Fuller has claimed victory in Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s former House seat as Democrat Chris Taylor won a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.

The two contests were closely watched Tuesday as voters in Georgia and Wisconsin cast ballots in races Democrats hoped would help them regain ground ahead of November’s midterms.

Fuller, a district attorney in northwest Georgia, had secured President Donald Trump‘s endorsement and ran on a platform supporting many of the president’s key priorities: an America First economy, mass deportations, conservatism founded on Christianity and being tough on crime.

The District 14 runoff between Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris was held after neither candidate won a majority in the March 10 special election, when Fuller trailed Harris by about 2 points.

During his victory speech Tuesday night, the former U.S. Air Force lieutenant thanked Trump for elevating his campaign with his endorsement.

“So much of what the story has been when this race started and so much of what you’re going to hear from the fake news media is that President Trump doesn’t mean anything to Georgia 14 anymore,” he told supporters.

“Well, you can see with the results on March 10 and you can see the results of what we’re seeing here today that President Trump is the most critical factor in our election, and he has made sure that we were going to win. He made sure that he was the ultimate trump card.”

With all 10 localities reporting late Tuesday, Fuller had secured about 72,304 votes for nearly 56% of the vote share compared to Harris’ 57,000 votes for 44.1%, according to unofficial results from the office of Georgia’s secretary of state.

The district is solidly Republican, with Greene winning District 14 with about 64.4% of the vote in 2024, the same year Trump carried the state.

Harris framed Tuesday’s election loss as a victory in the fight against Trump during his speech Tuesday night, noting that he had cut the GOP margin in the district to far fewer votes than the more than 108,000-vote margin Greene had won by in 2024.

“Donald Trump came right here to Rome, Ga., and didn’t do a damn thing,” he told supporters.

“We have absolutely no fear because we have Democrats, independents and, yes, Republicans voting for us because they are ready for change.”

The District 14 seat became available after Greene, a firebrand politician and former staunch Trump supporter, resigned in November as she sparred with the president, whom she accuses of distancing himself from his America First policies.

Harris had campaigned on supporting farmers, protecting SNAP benefits, defending Medicaid and Medicare, cutting the cost of living and fixing the U.S. immigration system.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the U.S.-based pro-Israel lobby, congratulated Fuller on his victory.

“Fuller replaces Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose tenure was marked by repeated efforts to undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship and disparage millions of pro-Israel Americans engaged in the democratic process,” AIPAC said in a statement.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, also congratulated Fuller.

“I was proud to have appointed Clay as District Attorney and even more proud to now see him take that same fighting spirit to Congress,” Kemp said online.

“Keep Chopping, Clay!”

In Wisconsin, Taylor, a Democrat-backed appeals judge, claimed victory in a seat on the state’s Supreme Court left vacant by retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.

“Tonight, the people of Wisconsin stood up for our rights and freedoms, our democracy, our elections and a strong state Supreme Court that will protect the independence of our beloved state,” she said in her victory speech Tuesday night in Madison, Wis.

“Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe that the people should be at the center of government and the priority of our judiciary — not the billionaires, not the most powerful and privileged, but the people.”

With Taylor’s victory over Maria Lazar, a Republican-backed appeals judge, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court tilts even more heavily to the left, now with a 5-2 liberal majority.

During her speech, Taylor said Lazar had called her to concede the race.

Lazar confirmed the phone call in her own speech before supporters in Pewaukee on Tuesday night.

“I think that this race was run so that people in this state from now on will know that judicial races are not political races, and the next race and the next race and the next race we will keep fighting to put judges — good, talented judges with experience — on the bench and we will not take that status quo,” she said.

Justices serve a 10-year term on the bench, with no term limits.

Voters on Tuesday cast ballots to fill a state Supreme Court seat left vacant by retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.

Last year, Democrat-endorsed Susan Crawford was elected to the court despite Elon Musk pouring millions into the race.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Francesca Hong congratulated Taylor on her victory.

“Wisconsinites voted for a Supreme Court that will protect their rights and freedoms,” she said on social media.

“This shows voters are ready for leadership that represents our state motto — Forward.”

SEOUL, April 8 (UPI) — North Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles on two separate occasions Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, marking three launches over two days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over a drone incursion.

At 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, the North launched several short-range ballistic missiles from its coastal Wonsan area toward the East Sea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters.

The missiles flew approximately 150 miles, the JCS said, adding that South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing their exact specifications.

“Under a steadfast South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, the military is closely monitoring North Korea’s various movements and maintaining the capability and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation,” the JCS said.

North Korea later fired a single short-range ballistic missile from Wonsan toward the East Sea at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, the JCS said in a separate message. The missile flew approximately 435 miles.

The launches came one day after the South’s military detected an unidentified projectile fired from the Pyongyang area. The JCS said South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials are still analyzing its detailed specifications.

Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it detected both days’ launches and was consulting with regional allies and partners.

“Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies,” the command said in a statement.

The launches came after a statement by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, describing President Lee as “frank and broad-minded” after he expressed regret over unauthorized drone incursions into the North.

Lee had addressed the drone issue earlier Monday during a Cabinet meeting, following last week’s indictment of three individuals accused of carrying out incursions between September and January.

“Although this was not an act by our government, I express regret to the North Korean side over the unnecessary military tension caused by such reckless behavior,” Lee said during the meeting.

While Kim’s remarks struck a less hostile tone than recent statements from Pyongyang, she still included a warning to the South to “stop any reckless provocation against the DPRK” and to “refrain from any attempt at contact.”

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

North Korea’s first vice foreign minister, Jang Kum Chol, later dismissed Seoul’s positive interpretation of the remarks, calling them a “hope-filled dream reading.”

In a statement released late Tuesday and carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Jang said that the South’s identity as “the enemy state most hostile to the DPRK can never change with any words or conduct by its chief executive.”

Victor Cha, president of the geopolitics and foreign policy department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned against reading into the timing of the launches relative to Kim’s drone statement.

“I’m more and more of the view that the recent missile demonstrations we’ve seen by North Korea are not testing and they’re not political statements — they’re exercising,” Cha told UPI during a press briefing at the Asan Plenum policy forum in Seoul.

“I don’t think [North Korea] had any notion of when the South Koreans were going to convey communications on the drone activity,” Cha said. “If anything, these [launches] just happened to be on parallel tracks.”

North Korea last fired ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on March 14 as the United States and South Korea held their annual springtime joint military exercise. Pyongyang later said the launches were part of a firepower strike drill involving 600mm multiple rocket launchers overseen by Kim Jong Un.

April 8 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1913, the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted, requiring that U.S. senators be “elected by the people.”

In 1918, actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin pitch Third Liberty Loan bonds in front of the Sub-Treasury (now Federal Hall National Memorial) in New York City.

In 1935, the U.S. Congress approved the Works Progress Administration, a central part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

In 1952, U.S. President Harry Truman ordered government seizure of the steel industry to avoid a general strike.

In 1960, the United States Senate passed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1960. President Dwight D. Eisenhower would sign it into law on May 6, 1960.

In 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s longstanding career record. Aaron played two more seasons, ending with 755 home runs, a total eventually surpassed by Barry Bonds, who had 762.

File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI

In 1990, Ryan White, who put the face of a child on AIDS, died of complications from the disease at age 18.

In 1992, former tennis great Arthur Ashe confirmed he had AIDS. He said he contracted the disease from a blood transfusion.

In 2005, about 250,000 mourners attended a 3-hour funeral mass for Pope John Paul II in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square while about 1 million others gathered nearby. Among those in attendance were U.S. President George W. Bush and about 100 other world leaders.

File Photo by Tom Theobald/UPI

In 2008, American Airlines grounded all 300 of its MD-80 jetliners after an FAA review found faulty wiring in nine of them. Over the next five days, American canceled about 3,300 flights, disrupting travel of more than 100,000 passengers.

In 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the merger of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Al-Nusra Front under the name Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, or ISIS.

In 2021, archaeologists announced what they called the most important ancient Egyptian discovery since that of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 — that of the so-called “Lost Golden City” of Aten.

In 2022, SpaceX made history by launching the first private crew of astronauts to the International Space Station to conduct dozens of science experiments. The Ax-1 mission docked with the ISS the next day.

In 2024, a rare total solar eclipse, the first in seven years and the last in two decades over the continental United States, completed its trek across the sky, viewable throughout North America.

File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with talks to finalise a peace deal set to begin in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Friday.

The truce, announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, will see Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.

Countries around the world have welcomed the development.

Here’s a roundup of the reaction:

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that he supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes on Iran, and the “US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran’s Arab neighbours and the world”.

Netanyahu said, however, that the ceasefire does “not include Lebanon“, where Israeli forces have launched a ground invasion and are fighting with the Iran-aligned Hezbollah.

Iraq

Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the news of the ceasefire but said that both the US and Iran must commit to the deal to achieve a lasting resolution.

“As the ministry asserts its support for regional and international efforts to contain crises and prioritise the language of dialogue and diplomacy, it stresses the need for full commitment to the ceasefire and refraining from any escalations,” the ministry said.

Iraq has been drawn into the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Tehran-backed armed groups and US forces trading fire in an escalating cycle of violence.

Egypt

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ceasefire “represents a very important opportunity that must be seized to make room for negotiations, diplomacy, and constructive dialogue”.

The ministry said in a statement on Facebook that a truce must be built upon with a full commitment to “stopping military operations and respecting freedom of international navigation”.

The post also said that Egypt will continue efforts with Pakistan and Turkiye “to promote security and stability in the region”, and that the talks between the US and Iran “must take into account the legitimate security concerns” of Gulf nations.

United Nations

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement and called on all parties to abide by the terms of the ceasefire “in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region”, according to his spokesperson.

Guterres underscored “that an end to hostilities is urgently needed to protect civilian lives and alleviate human suffering”, and thanked Pakistan and other nations involved in facilitating the truce.

Japan

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters that Tokyo welcomes the news of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran as a “positive move” as it awaits a “final agreement”.

Minoru said the de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East remains a top priority, according to the Kyodo News Agency.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry Yvonne Mewengkang said Jakarta welcomes a ceasefire deal and called on Iran and the US to respect the “sovereignty, territorial integrity and diplomacy” of each side, according to the Reuters news agency.

Mewengkang also called for a thorough investigation into the deaths of three Indonesian UN peacekeepers killed by explosions in Lebanon in late March amid fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ceasefire marks a “significant development [and] serves as a crucial step towards de-escalating tensions and restoring much-needed peace and stability” to the Middle East.

It also urged “all parties to fully respect and implement all terms of the ceasefire in good faith to prevent any return to hostilities”, while also avoiding any “provocative actions or unilateral measures that could negatively impact the fragile stability of the region or jeopardise global economic and energy security”.

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong issued a joint statement welcoming the news and expressing their hopes that the deal will lead to a long-lasting resolution.

“Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with its attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities, is causing unprecedented energy supply shocks and impacting oil and fuel prices,” they said.

“We have been clear that the longer the war goes on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be, and the greater the human cost.”

Albanese and Wong thanked Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia for their work as negotiators.

New Zealand

New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said his government welcomes the news of a ceasefire, although many concerns remain.

“While this is encouraging news, there remains significant important work to be done in the coming days to secure a lasting ceasefire”, as the war has had “wide-ranging impacts and disruptions” on the Middle East and beyond, he wrote in a post on X.

Peters praised countries like Pakistan, Turkiye, and Egypt for their work negotiating a deal.

Iranians have commemorated the victims of the US strike on a girls school in Minab, that killed 168 people on the first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran. The vigil was held hours before the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

April 7 (UPI) — An Iran-backed militia freed an American journalist it kidnapped last month in a prisoner exchange with the Iraqi government, Iraqi and militia officials announced Tuesday.

The militia, Kataib Hezbollah, confirmed the release of Shelly Kittleson in response to negotiations with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. Kataib Hezbollah representative Abu Mujahid al-Assaf said Kittleson was released “on the condition that she leaves the country immediately.”

“This initiative will not be repeated against in the coming days,” Assaf said. “We are in a state of war resembling that imposed by the american enemy against Islam, and in such situations, many considerations are set aside.”

Kataib Hezbollah abducted Kittleson in late March and set her free in a swap involving multiple members of the militia, Iraqi security officials told The New York Times. The Washington Post reported that it was believed Kittleson was held at Turf al-Sakhar, a stronghold of the militia about 40 miles north of Baghdad.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he extends his department’s appreciation to those who had assisted in securing her release, which he framed as a reflection of the Trump administration’s steadfast commitment to the safety and security of American citizens, no matter where they are in the world.”

“We are relieved that this American is now free and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq,” he said in a statement.

The National Press Club said it was “relieved” to learn of Kittleson’s release and hoped for her safe departure from Iraq.

“Today’s development is a welcome update for all those who believe in the ability for journalists to report safely and freely,” club president Mark Schoeff Jr. said in a statement.

“Her ordeal underscores the growing threats journalists face today as they do their jobs and report the truth.”

Kataib Hezbollah is a U.S.-designated terror organization and has links to Iran’s Quds Force, part of Iran’s military. It’s the second kidnapping of a foreign national by the group in Iraq in recent years.

In September, the group released Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israel-Russian citizen and Princeton University student, after more than two years of captivity.

Kittleson worked as a freelancer reporter for more than a decade in the Middle East.

Amid an escalation of regional violence in response to the war in Iran, the U.S. government urged all American citizens living in Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to leave as soon as possible.

According Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to Trump, 106 Americans held in foreign countries have been released since January 2025.

“No man, or woman, left behind,” he said on X.

April 7 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Labor Ministry launched a joint inspection Tuesday after a foreign worker was seriously injured at a manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, where a high-pressure air gun was allegedly used, causing internal organ damage.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said it began a combined labor and occupational safety inspection of the facility following media reports of the incident.

Authorities plan to examine whether the worker was subjected to assault or workplace harassment, as well as possible violations of labor laws, including unpaid wages. The probe will also review compliance with safety regulations under the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

Officials said they will investigate whether the company attempted to conceal the workplace injury or failed to implement required safety measures.

If serious violations are confirmed – including abuse, harassment or major industrial safety breaches – the ministry said it will pursue strict measures such as revoking or restricting employment permits and seeking criminal prosecution.

The victim filed for workers’ compensation benefits Tuesday with the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service, and the ministry said it will ensure the claim is processed promptly.

Separately, the ministry has been conducting broader inspections this month targeting workplaces employing large numbers of foreign workers. The inspections focus on sites suspected of labor violations, including those with frequent worker turnover, prior complaints, or records of serious accidents.

As part of the inspections, authorities are conducting surveys and interviews with foreign workers to assess workplace conditions, including potential abuse or harassment.

Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon said all workers, regardless of nationality or immigration status, are entitled to safety and dignity.

“We sincerely apologize to the injured worker and colleagues who witnessed the incident,” Kim said. “We will thoroughly investigate the case and take strict action against any violations of the law.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260407010002131

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says ‘if attacks against Iran are halted,’ then Iran agrees to the terms of the two-week ceasefire with the US, announced by Donald Trump. Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall explains the response from Tehran and how the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.

April 7 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s internet security agency has launched a project to develop security standards and industry-specific protection models for physical artificial intelligence, as concerns grow over cyberattacks that could cause real-world damage in industrial settings.

The Korea Internet & Security Agency, or KISA, said Monday it will accept bids through April 21 for the project, titled Development of Physical AI Security Standards and Industry Expansion Security Models.

The initiative comes as South Korea steps up investment in physical AI, a field that applies artificial intelligence to machines and systems operating in real-world environments. Unlike conventional cyberattacks that mainly target data, attacks on physical AI systems could trigger equipment malfunctions, production shutdowns and other physical damage, officials said.

A KISA official said the agency is seeking to create practical security guidelines that companies can use during product development and operation to help prevent such risks.

The project is scheduled to run through mid-December after a contractor is selected. Its goal is to establish common security standards for what officials described as a Korean model for physical AI and to build a foundation for responding to emerging threats.

KISA said it plans to review domestic and international legal and regulatory trends related to AI security and convene a working group of experts from industry, academia and research institutes to identify technical and policy requirements.

The agency also plans to develop integrated security models that address both advanced AI threats and potential physical harm.

In addition to common standards, KISA said it will create customized security models for major industries including manufacturing, healthcare and mobility, based on field surveys and interviews with experts.

The agency said it plans to produce shared security guidelines along with five industry-specific standards and practical manuals that companies can apply across the planning, design and operation stages of physical AI products and services.

KISA said it expects the effort to strengthen the global competitiveness of South Korean companies while helping ensure that physical AI-based services are safer and more reliable for the public.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260407010002121

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square has proposed a takeover of Universal Music Group in a $64bn deal, the latest twist in his nearly five-year quest for the music label giant.

Pershing Square proposed a cash-and-shares offer on Tuesday through its acquisition vehicle that values Universal Music at about 30.40 euros ($35) per share, a 78 percent premium to the last closing price of 17.10 euros ($20), making the deal worth 55.75 billion euros ($64.31bn).

Universal Music Group (UMG) – the company behind international superstars, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar – is expected to move its listing to New York from Amsterdam, paving the way for more investors, including index funds, to own the company and ultimately lead to more robust earnings and a higher valuation.

Universal Music declined a Reuters news agency request for comment.

For Ackman, one of the world’s most voluble investors, who cemented his fame and fortune as an activist investor, forcefully pushing corporate America to adopt changes, this is a far friendlier approach, investors and industry analysts said.

Even as the music industry is flourishing, UMG’s share price has lagged, something Ackman is pledging to fix with this proposed deal.

Ackman’s letter to Universal Music Group’s board carried a mixed tone, at times complimentary of current management, led by chairman and chief executive Lucian Grainge, and critical of the company’s “underutilized balance sheet” and handling of its 2.7 billion euro ($3.1bn) investment in Spotify Technology.

Fears of AI disrupting the music industry have played a role in UMG’s lacklustre performance. Its share of the music market has been sliding, and streaming growth is decelerating, Wells Fargo analysts noted. In March, UMG delayed its plans for a US listing.

Nonetheless, Ackman will need the support of UMG’s top shareholders – Bollore Group, which holds an 18.5 percent stake, and Vivendi, which owns 13.4 percent – to push through any transaction. China’s Tencent is a significant shareholder. French billionaire Vincent Bollore’s family controls 80 percent of UMG’s voting rights.

Old target

Ackman first flirted with Universal Music Group in 2021, when his Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, a shell corporation created to take a private company public, zeroed in on its target. But Ackman shelved the complex deal in the wake of heavy US regulatory scrutiny. Instead, Pershing Square became one of UMG’s biggest investors in 2021, and Ackman sat on its board until last year.

Post transaction, Ackman said Grainge should remain Universal Music’s chief executive.

Ackman said he and former Hollywood super-agent Michael Ovitz met with Grainge over dinner “a couple of weeks ago” to discuss the potential merger.

“Lucian encouraged us to send it in,” Ackman said.

Ackman proposed adding new directors, including Ovitz – who shepherded the careers of Madonna and Michael Jackson – who would become the board chair. Additionally, two representatives from Pershing Square would get seats, he said, not saying yet whether he would be one of the directors.

Shares of UMG, which is listed in Amsterdam, were up 13 percent on Tuesday, while Bollore Group climbed 5 percent. Shares in Vivendi were up more than 10 percent.

Pershing bought a 10 percent stake in UMG from Vivendi ahead of its 2021 Amsterdam IPO and has since repeatedly pressed for a New York listing, arguing it would boost UMG’s share price and liquidity.

Pershing currently has a 4.7 percent stake, making it UMG’s fourth-biggest shareholder.

UMG’s shares have lost almost a third of their value since its IPO.

Even as global music revenues grow year after year, UMG and other major labels, like Sony and Warner Music, are scrambling to stay competitive as streaming services from Spotify, Amazon, Apple and Deezer take an ever greater share.

They are now also contending with disruptions brought on by the expansion of AI – from copyright disputes to the advent of song-generating AI tools – that threaten to upend how music is created, consumed and monetised.

One survey last year found that a staggering 97 percent of listeners could distinguish between AI-generated and human-composed songs.

Under Tuesday’s proposal, Pershing’s SPARC Holdings would merge with UMG, and the new entity would become a Nevada corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.