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For the first time, Russia admitted that there were North Korean military personnel fighting alongside its forces against Ukraine, proving Zelenskyy and South Korea’s claims.
“I would like to separately note the participation … of military personnel of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Valery Gerasimov, the Russian chief of general staff, informed Russian President Vladimir Putin during a report on Saturday.
Gerasimov noted that North Korean soldiers provided substantial support to Russian forces in defeating Ukrainian troops, operating under a comprehensive strategic alliance between the two nations, according to NBC news.
In a Kremlin statement on Saturday, Putin praised his military forces, stating that “the full defeat of the enemy in the Kursk border region creates conditions for further successful actions by our forces on other important parts of the front.”
Earlier this year, South Korean media outlets reported that over 11,000 North Korean soldiers were engaged in combat in western Russia’s Kursk region, information that neither Moscow nor Pyongyang had previously verified.
In March, South Korean officials indicated that North Korea deployed an additional 3,000 troops to Russia between January and February, following casualties of approximately 4,000 soldiers who were “believed to have been killed or injured” due to their lack of experience with drone warfare.
Few days ago, Zelenskyy said on X preliminary analysis had linked the Russian attack to a ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea. The president had harsh words for Pyongyang: “If the information that this missile was made in North Korea is confirmed, this will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang. They kill people and torment lives together.”
Meanwhile, The Russian leadership also announced that its military had successfully expelled Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region following prolonged intense combat.
According to Russian state media TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Valery Gerasimov, who heads the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, informed President Vladimir Putin on Saturday about the complete “liberation” of the Kursk Oblast.
Kyiv’s administration contested claims about Kursk’s recapture, stating that although Ukrainian forces faced challenging circumstances, they had successfully avoided being surrounded and had repelled multiple ground attacks by Russian forces.

“He proudly sacrificed his life by identifying himself as a Hindu and saved the lives of many people,” said Ashanya, the wife of Pahalgam terror attack victim Shubham Dwivedi, demanding the status of a ‘martyr’ for him.

“The first bullet hit my husband and the terrorists took time asking whether we were Hindu or Muslim… In such a situation, many people got time to run and save their lives,” Ashanya told reporters on Saturday.

Shubham, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur, married Ashanya on February 12. He was among the 26 people, mostly tourists, who were killed in the April 22 attack at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam.

He was cremated in his native village here on Thursday.

“I do not want anything else from the government except that Shubham should be given the status of a ‘martyr’. If the government accepts my wish, I will have a reason to live,” Ashanya said.

While she is still grieving her husband’s loss, Ashanya is also angry.

“Anyone who shoots by asking one’s name and religion should be eliminated,” she said.

Recounting the events of April 22, Ashanya said when the terrorists approached her and Shubham and asked them about their religion, she thought the men were trying to prank the couple.

“As soon as they came, one of them asked if we were Hindus or Muslims? I thought those people (terrorists) were playing a prank. I turned back, laughed and asked them what was going on. Then they repeated their question and as soon as I replied that we were Hindus, a shot was fired and everything was over for me. Shubham’s face was covered in blood. I could not understand what had happened,” she said.

She said she begged the terrorists to shoot her too but they refused, saying they were letting her live so that she could go and tell the government what they did.

Shubham’s father Sanjay Dwivedi rued the absence of security personnel in the area and claimed that the Army personnel took control of the area after about an hour. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Former Indian cricket team batter Manoj Tiwary said that he believes Punjab Kings will not win the IPL 2025 title and even levelled a major allegation against head coach Ricky Ponting. During the IPL 2025 match against Kolkata Knight Riders, PBKS decided to send Glenn Maxwell at No. 4 and Marco Jansen at No. 5 after a brilliant start courtesy Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. That meant that Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh were able to get any balls due to the change in batting order. Tiwary said that Ponting chose the foreign batters or Indian talents and the plan did not work out for them. He added that if he continues to show lack of confidence in Indian players, PBKS will not win the title this year.

“My gut feeling says that punjab team will not be able to win the #IPL trophy this season because what I saw today when they were batting was, the coach didn’t send Indian inform batters Nehal wadera and Shasank singh, instead he trusted his foreign players to deliver, but they cudnt and clearly showed lack of confidence in Indian players down the order. If he persist in this way then the title is far from them irrespective of there qualification in top two. #KKRvsPBKS,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

My gut feeling says that punjab team will not be able to win the #IPL trophy this season because what I saw today when they were batting was, the coach didn’t send Indian inform batters Nehal wadera and Shasank singh, instead he trusted his foreign players to deliver, but they…

— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) April 26, 2025

As for the match, rain played spoilsport as Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL match against Punjab Kings was called off after the visiting team posted 201 for 4 here on Saturday.

Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya slammed stellar half-centuries to lay a solid opening foundation, but KKR pulled things back at the death as Punjab Kings posted 201 for 4 after PBKS opted to bat.

In reply, KKR were seven for no loss in one over when a sudden thunderstorm struck around 9.35pm, sending debris flying across the ground and even blowing the covers into the stands.

The ground staff quickly covered the pitch, but relentless rain followed, leaving no scope for a resumption of play.

After nearly 90 minutes of waiting, with no let-up in the weather, the match was officially called off at 10.58pm.

As a result, both the teams shared one point each.

KKR now have seven points from nine matches to stay at seventh spot, while Punjab Kings moved to 11 points from nine games.

With PTI Inputs

Several photos appearing to show US President Donald Trump sleeping during Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome went viral on social media on Saturday, fuelling online debate and criticism.
Trump, 78, was seated in the front row alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the ceremony. Soon after proceedings began, social media users circulated images suggesting Trump had dozed off, showing him with his eyes closed.
“Trump sleeping at the Pope’s funeral. An embarrassment, as always,” one user posted on X. Another commented, “I don’t ever want to hear another word about ‘Sleepy Joe’ — not after this circus. 🤡 There are photos of Trump texting, laughing, taking phone calls, and sleeping at the Pope’s funeral,” attaching a compilation of images.
“Trump showed respect for the Pope by texting, sleeping and not following the dress code. He represents MAGA so well! Haha,” another user tweeted.
Seating arrangements placed Trump and Melania between Estonia’s President Alar Karis and Spain’s King Felipe VI, while other world leaders, such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, were seated further back. The Vatican had organised guests largely by country names listed alphabetically in French.
Despite the viral criticism, Trump also shared moments from the funeral on his Truth Social platform, posting images of himself standing solemnly before Pope Francis’ coffin. Earlier that day, Trump held a one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy — their first encounter since a tense exchange at the White House in February.
Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Trump posted, “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days.” He added, “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
Meanwhile, in response to the viral Trump images, several X users began sharing old compilations of former President Joe Biden appearing to fall asleep at various public events.

A massive explosion and fire at Shahid Rajaei port in southern Iran on Saturday killed 14 people and injured more than 750 others, authorities said, in an incident reportedly linked to a shipment of missile fuel chemicals.
Mehrdad Hasanzadeh, a provincial disaster management official, confirmed the updated casualty figures on state television, raising the initial toll from four dead and over 500 injured. The blast occurred near Bandar Abbas as Iranian and US officials held a third round of nuclear negotiations in Oman.
While Iranian officials did not immediately attribute the explosion to an attack, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, leading the nuclear talks, said on Wednesday that “our security services are on high alert given past instances of attempted sabotage and assassination operations designed to provoke a legitimate response.”
Authorities offered no clear cause for the blast but denied any link to the country’s oil industry. However, private security firm Ambrey reported that the port had received a shipment of “sodium perchlorate rocket fuel” from China in March, intended to replenish Iran’s missile stockpiles after its direct attacks on Israel during the Gaza conflict.
“The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles,” Ambrey said. Ship-tracking data analysed by the Associated Press supported Ambrey’s account, showing one of the vessels carrying the fuel in the area in March. Iran has not publicly acknowledged receiving the shipment, and its mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment.
Footage circulating on social media showed reddish smoke rising before the explosion, suggesting chemical involvement. In one video, a man shouted: “Get back get back! Tell the gas (truck) to go! Tell him to go, it’s going to blow up! Oh God, this is blowing up! Everybody evacuate! Get back! Get back!”
Later, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency cited the Customs Administration blaming a “stockpile of hazardous goods and chemical materials stored in the port area” for the explosion, without further elaboration.
Shahid Rajaei port, a major hub for Iranian cargo, has been targeted before, including a 2020 cyberattack attributed to Israel. Saturday’s explosion blew out windows miles away, caused building collapses, and left hospitals crowded with the injured, according to state media reports.
The Interior Ministry said it had launched an investigation into the incident. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offered his condolences to those affected.
Located in Hormozgan province, Shahid Rajaei port lies about 1,050 kilometers southeast of Tehran on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for 20% of the world’s traded oil.

PAHALGAM: Undeterred by the killing of 26 tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, holidayers were seen returning to the picturesque resort town on Saturday
The tiny hill station was completely shut down from April 22 till Thursday. TOI on Saturday found tourists taking pictures and clicking selfies at Pahalgam’s popular “selfie point” on the banks of the Lidder river.
Most tourists said since there was no ban or restriction on tourists visiting Pahalgam, they had decided to go ahead with their holiday plans. Hoteliers are also offering special discounts and some eating joints are offering a meal free with every meal ordered.
Baisaran meadow out of bounds for visitors, we visited other places in Pahalgam: Tourist
We came on Friday and found that everything was normal. Although most of the markets and shops were closed, local people and security personnel were very supportive. Except Baisaran meadow, which out of bounds for visitors, we visited other places,” said Joydeep Ghosh Dastidar of Kolkata.
Mrityunjay Pande, another tourist, said they had bookings from April 24-26 but had cancelled it after the terror attack. “However, when we were told that there are no restrictions on tourists visiting Pahalgam, we could not resist and came Saturday morning. We will return by evening,” said Mrityunjay, a teacher from Bihar.
TOI found one family from Kolkata who had come to Pahalgam on April 21, a day before the massacre of tourists, who had returned to Pahalgam on Saturday after visiting Sonmarg and Gulmarg.
“People here are helpful after that incident; we have not felt any fear. That was an unfortunate tragedy, but we cannot stop coming to such a place just because of that,” said Mohammad Safiq, a businessman from Kolkata who was visiting along with his family.
However, one tourist hotspot that usually sees around 3,000-5,000 tourists daily was deserted, with only security forces and local residents on the streets. Most shops, except those stocking essential commodities, remained closed on the fifth day after the attack.

NEW DELHI: Fifteen local Kashmiri overground workers (OGWs) and terror aides have been identified, based on electronic surveillance, as the key suspects who may have facilitated the Pakistani assailants behind the Pahalgam carnage. They are believed to have arranged logistics and, possibly, also received arms consignments from Pakistan.
Sources said the multi-agency probe has zeroed in on five prime suspects, of whom three have been “picked up”, and may eventually face arrest. Police are on the lookout for the two other OGWs. All five were in the vicinity on the day of the strike, and earlier: their phones were active in the area.
Electronic surveillance threw up a chat in which the three detained prime suspects are talking to each other about Pakistani terrorists in Pahalgam and how to “help” them.
Meanwhile, more than 200 OGWs have been detained for questioning to trace the likely events leading up to the attack, said sources.
Attackers may still be holed up in dense Pahalgam forests
Sources said there is enough circumstantial evidence pointing to the role of all five in the Pahalgam strike. Ten other OGWs are being questioned by a joint interrogation team comprising investigators from NIA, J&K Police, Intelligence Bureau and RAW, as they are known to have helped Pakistan terrorists in Kashmir in the past and happened to be in the vicinity of the attack site on April 22.
The 15 local terror aides – all from south Kashmir – are already ‘indexed’ by the J&K police as OGWs and are believed to have facilitated Pakistani terrorists involved in multiple attacks across south Kashmir over the past couple of years, helping with logistics, guiding them through the jungles and even receiving consignments of arms from Pakistan for use in terror strikes,” a source told TOI.
“There is enough circumstantial evidence pointing to their role as facilitators and in arranging logistics for the Pahalgam attack team, which comprised 4-5 terrorists, of whom at least two were Pakistanis and two local Kashmiris. We are trying to get more details out of the 15 detained OGWs to piece together the conspiracy, before taking a call on their likely arrest,” said an officer.
As of Saturday, more than 200 OGWs were detained and questioned to help uncover the sequence of events leading up to the Pahalgam attack.
“Around 20-25 OGWs are detained for questioning. These are OGWs known to be in touch with, shelter and act as ‘guides’ to Pakistani terrorists. We are sifting through OGW database, having questioned over 1,500 of them, and have now zeroed in on 15 likely suspects. At the same time, other OGWs active in south Kashmir are being questioned to fill us in on the identity of Pakistani terrorists seen in the area and their possible hideouts,” said an officer.
Sources said security personnel combing the forests encircling Baisaran for escaped terrorists, have further intensified the search. With the search in adjoining towns and districts throwing up no sign of attackers yet, there is suspicion that they may still be holed up in dense forests into which the meadow merges.

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