2 Koreas before "G hour"; Russian warships conduct exercises near Syria

South Korea completes preparations for inter-Korean summit

The Peace House is where the inter-Korean summit will take place on April 27. Photo: Getty Images

South Korea said it has almost completed preparations for the summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 27.

The venue for the meeting is the Peace House, in the truce village of Panmunjom, located on the South Korean side and about 130 meters from the inter-Korean border. Built in 1989, it has been renovated.

The renovation work was carried out shortly after President Moon Jae-in's security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, returned from a two-day visit to Pyongyang in early March to arrange the inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits.

More than 300 rounds of talks between South and North Korea have been held at the truce village of Panmunjom, inside the heavily fortified demilitarized zone.

According to the Blue House, in addition to the renovation, the Peace House will also be equipped with completely new furniture to suit the two leaders.

An oval table is placed in the center of the conference room where the historic summit will take place. New artworks are strategically arranged on the walls of the meeting room.

Other preparations for the summit include sourcing and shipping ingredients for a dinner that South Korean President Moon Jae-in will host, including fish from Shinan - the hometown of late President Kim Dae-jung, who hosted the first summit with late leader Kim Jong-il.

US President praises North Korean leader

US President Donald Trump (right) and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in. Photo: AP.

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in are likely to hold a summit in mid-May, before the White House boss meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The US President on April 24 praised the North Korean leader as "very open and respectful". Mr. Trump, who is expected to meet Mr. Kim in late May or early June, expressed hope to reach an agreement on nuclear disarmament with North Korea.

Meanwhile, the South Korean president will meet with the North Korean leader on April 27 at the truce village of Panmunjom. The two sides may sign an agreement to end the 1953 war. After that, Mr. Moon will have a brief phone call with Mr. Trump.

North Korea's nuclear facility may have collapsed

Location of the nuclear test site at Punggye-ri. Graphic: Al Jazeera.

Two studies by Chinese experts said that a 4.1-magnitude aftershock that occurred 8.5 minutes after the earthquake caused rocks inside the mountain to collapse.

The landslide and earthquake that followed the explosion have led to speculation that the site suffered from “mountain fatigue syndrome,” meaning the mountain has lost much of its ability to support itself after being subjected to such intense internal forces. As a result, North Korea’s nuclear test site may have collapsed after the explosion.

In a research summary on its website, the University of Science and Technology of China said it needed to continue monitoring the risk of radioactive material leaks from the collapse.

A second study, involving scientists from the China Earthquake Administration, also suggested that aftershocks from September 2017 had caused the collapse. However, they did not conclude whether the site could still be used for nuclear testing.

Russian warship fleet conducts exercises near Syria

Missiles during the Black Sea Fleet exercise. Photo: Tass.

The Black Sea Fleet press office said that the destroyers Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen and the frigates Pytlivy and Smetlivy are conducting exercises in the Mediterranean.

This is an activity within a two-way training plan, in which a group of destroyers attacks frigates, and frigates carry out resistance measures, simulating combat operations at sea.

Afterwards, the servicemen at the combat positions practiced attacking coastal targets with missiles. The crews also trained in damage control to assist ships damaged in combat. At the end of the exercise, the warships will continue to carry out missions under the command of the Russian Navy in the distant combat zone.

Mexican presidential candidate proposes cutting off hands of corrupt officials

Mexican presidential candidate Jaime Rodriguez after the debate on April 22. Photo: Guardian

Jaime Rodriguez, an independent candidate running for president of Mexico, calls corrupt government officials "bandits" and calls for "cutting off hands" as punishment.

"We must cut off the hands of the robbers... That is what we must do to end the corruption that is ravaging Mexico like a cancer," Mexican presidential candidate Jaime Rodriguez said in a televised debate.

To the host's surprise, Mr. Rodriguez, also known by his nickname "El Bronco," twice confirmed the above proposal, even calling on lawmakers to enshrine the above form of punishment into law.

While the public ridiculed Mexican presidential candidate Rodriguez, former governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, for his “hand-cutting” idea, a criminal gang in the South American country responded with action. Hours after the debate ended, police discovered a headless and dismembered body on the outskirts of the coastal city of Acapulco, once a popular Pacific resort that has become a “bloody capital” for drug gangs.