US sends weapons to Syria, Princess Kate gives birth to a son

The two Koreas hold preparatory meetings

The historic summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place on April 27. Photo: AP

South Korean presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan announced that South Korea and North Korea will hold their third working-level talks to discuss security issues, diplomatic protocols and reporting formats ahead of the historic inter-Korean summit scheduled for April 27. The preparatory meeting will take place at Tongilgak, the North Korean administrative building in the truce village of Panmunjom.

This will be the third inter-Korean summit, and the first in 11 years. Details include the exact time the two leaders will meet, the vehicle the North Korean leader will use to travel to the other side of the truce village and whether the two sides will hold a joint press conference after the meeting.

The representative of the South Korean Presidential Office added that depending on the results of the preparatory meeting, the two sides will decide whether to hold high-level dialogue on the sidelines of the summit or not.

The two sides will also decide when the two leaders will have their first phone call via the hotline, which was established last week. In addition, the upcoming summit will also be broadcast live on domestic and foreign media outlets.

US sells fighter jets to Japan

F-22 (above) and F-35 stealth fighters developed by Lockheed Martin. Photo: USAF.

US defense giant Lockheed Martin is about to offer Japan a stealth fighter design that is a hybrid of the banned export F-22 and the cutting-edge F-35.

Lockheed Martin has discussed the idea with Japanese defense officials and plans to make a formal proposal after the US government authorizes the sale of sensitive military technology. Washington refused to sell F-22 fighters to Tokyo 10 years ago.

The decision appears to be aimed at helping Japan acquire a modern fighter jet to counter China, and is also a test of US President Donald Trump's commitment to reforming arms export policies.

In response to neighboring China's growing military investment, especially in the air force and navy, Japan has ordered 42 F-35A stealth fighters from the United States, most of which will be assembled domestically. The country plans to introduce its own air superiority fighter by 2030, to prevent Chinese and Russian fighters from entering its airspace.

British Royal Family welcomes new member

Prince William and Princess Kate's family. Photo: Telegraph.

Princess Kate, wife of Prince William, gave birth to her third child in London, a baby boy weighing 3.8 kg.

Kensington Palace said in a statement: "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news. The Duchess and the baby are doing well."

The baby was born at a London hospital and weighed 3.8kg. Prince William was also present at the hospital when his wife gave birth. This is Kate and William's third child, after Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The boy is Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild and fifth in line to the British throne, pushing Prince Harry down to sixth place.

Russian citizens face difficulties in applying for US visas

Tourists sunbathe on the beach in Los Angeles, USA. Photo: BuzzFeed

The diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Washington have begun to affect the lives of ordinary people simply wanting to travel. About a year ago, it took Russian citizens less than a week to get a tourist visa to the United States. Now, the wait is more than eight months.

Not only the people are affected, the Kremlin accused the US embassy of refusing visa interview appointments for crew members of the Russian national airline Areoflot, the only airline with direct flights to the US. The US State Department denied the accusation.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency responsible for overseeing visa issuance, does not comment on visa denials because of the privacy of applicants' personal information.

With the US consulate in St. Petersburg closed for nearly a month, the earliest visa interview appointments for Russian citizens at the US embassy are scheduled for the next 250 days, or more than eight months. To avoid the prospect of waiting more than 200 days, hundreds of Russians have flocked to neighboring former Soviet countries such as Latvia, hoping to have a chance to successfully apply for visas at US embassies in these countries. Travel agencies have quickly seized the business opportunity, offering tours that combine local experiences with US visa applications.

Türkiye accuses US of sending trucks carrying weapons to Syria

US forces escorted by YPG fighters bring armored vehicles to the village of Darbasiya in Syria in April 2017 (Photo: AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the US and its allies of refusing to sell weapons to Türkiye, yet arming Kurdish forces in Syria and threatening Ankara's security.

According to the Turkish leader, the US continues to send convoys of weapons to Syria. “The US has sent 5,000 trucks of weapons to northern Syria,” Mr. Erdogan said.

The US still considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to be its ally in Syria. The group forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are trained, equipped and protected by the US.