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- Italy and Ukraine strengthen defence cooperation on drone production
- US President Donald Trump shares AI-generated image portraying himself as Jesus
- Sweden thwarts pro-Russian cyberattack on thermal power plant
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin private tour of Australia after four years
- MEPs debate implications of Hungarian election outcome for Europe
- Turkey reports school shooting as 14-year-old kills eight classmates and a teacher
- Global Sumud Flotilla organisers confirm over 70 boats and 1,000 participants
- Russian families pay for AI-generated resurrection videos of slain soldiers
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Italy and Ukraine strengthen defence cooperation on drone production
4:00 am
Italy and Ukraine strengthen defence cooperation on drone production
Defence Cooperation
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Rome to enhance defence collaboration, focusing on joint drone production without unveiling specific details.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Rome to enhance defence collaboration, focusing on joint drone production without unveiling specific details.
Strategic Cooperation
Italy and Ukraine aim to enhance defence collaboration, particularly in drone production, reflecting Ukraine’s emerging expertise and fostering bilateral security ties amidst ongoing conflict.
Italy and Ukraine aim to enhance defence collaboration, particularly in drone production, reflecting Ukraine’s emerging expertise and fostering bilateral security ties amidst ongoing conflict.
Official Response
“Today we have discussed at length how to strengthen our cooperation in the field of defence,” stated Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following talks with President Zelenskyy.
“Today we have discussed at length how to strengthen our cooperation in the field of defence,” stated Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following talks with President Zelenskyy.
Key developments
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to enhance defence cooperation, particularly in drone production, during their recent discussions in Rome. Zelenskyy stated that teams will work on further details.
Zelenskyy, who recently completed talks in Germany and Norway, highlighted Ukraine’s advanced capabilities in drones and called air defence missiles Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority as Russian strikes continue to impact civilian areas.
Ukraine and Italy pledge to work together to boost defence and drone production
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that they would work together to boost defence cooperation, including on drone production, after talks in Rome.
No concrete details were announced however, with Zelenskyy saying teams from the two countries would work on the details.
“Today we have discussed at length how to strengthen our cooperation in the field of defence,” Meloni told reporters.
“Italy in particular is very interested in developing joint production, especially in the area of drones, a sector in which we know very well that Ukraine has in recent years become a leading nation.”
Zelenskyy had visited Berlin on Tuesday, where he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a strategic partnership centred on defence and drones.
The Iran war has given Kyiv a chance to showcase its drone expertise developed over more than four years of war with Russia, with Zelenskyy dispatching specialists and visiting countries targeted by attacks from Iran, a Russian ally.
“Ukraine has developed a special format of security agreement, which we call the Drone Deal format,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
“Our expertise, military experience and our defensive capabilities in the fields of drones, missiles, electronic warfare and data exchange – we are proposing to bring all of this together with the capabilities of our partners, so that we support each other,” he explained, through an Italian interpreter.
Earlier on Wednesday, he said that cooperating on air defence was Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority, the day after regional authorities said Russian strikes across Ukraine had killed seven people, including a child.
“We need air defence missiles every single day, every day the Russians continue their strikes on our cities,” he wrote in a post on X.
Zelenskyy also visited Norway on Tuesday and following talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, both sides agreed to boost defence and security cooperation.
The day after receiving a drubbing from US President Donald Trump over Italy’s unwillingness to join the Iran war, Meloni repeated the need for the US and Europe to work together on Ukraine.
“A divided West and a fractured Europe would be the only true gift we could give Moscow,” she said.
Meloni has been one of Washington’s closest allies in Europe and has pressed Kyiv’s case with Trump.
But a day after telling the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that “I’m shocked at her,” Trump continued his criticism on Wednesday, telling Fox News, “We no longer have the same relationship.”
Italy has denied authorisation for some US aircraft involved in combat missions to land at Sigonella in Sicily.
Zelenskyy is pressing European countries to join the PURL programme, launched last year, that allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.
Italy has sent weapons, including the French-Italian SAMP/T air defence system, but so far has not signed up to PURL.
Additional sources • AFP
US President Donald Trump shares AI-generated image portraying himself as Jesus
2:00 am
Get you up to speed: US President Donald Trump shares AI-generated image portraying himself as Jesus
Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting Jesus holding him in an embrace. The original image was captioned by a user named Irish for Trump, stating, “God might be playing his Trump card!”
Donald Trump faced backlash for an AI-generated image depicting him in a religious context, with critics labelling it as sacrilegious and even claiming he portrayed himself as a saviour. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, condemned Trump’s statements regarding Pope Leo and stated that disrespect towards Jesus is “not acceptable to any free person.”
Pope Leo plans to continue speaking out against war and promoting peace, emphasising that the message of the Gospel should not be abused. Meanwhile, hopes have risen for a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, with discussions anticipated to take place in Islamabad.
Donald Trump shares AI image of ‘his tender embrace with Jesus’ in front of American flag | News World
AI Jesus appears to have forgiven Donald Trump for his past indiscretions (Picture: Truth Social)
Donald Trump has hit back at his haters for portraying himself as Jesus, I mean a doctor, with yet another sacrilegious AI image.
The US President just couldn’t resist posting another AI slop photo despite the almighty furore over his last one.
His latest Truth Social post shows Jesus holding Trump from behind in a tender embrace as a star-spangled banner flaps in the wind.
Trump captioned the image: ‘The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT.’
The original post was from a X user called Irish for Trump, who captioned it: ‘I was never a very religious man .. but doesn’t it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed … that God might be playing his Trump card!’
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‘Your reckoning has come,’ Jesus says in the clip, as he floats down to Trump, surrounded by American bald eagles.
‘What is this? No!’ the AI Trump screams, as Jesus punches him in the face blood squirting out of his nose and he tumbles screaming into a fiery pit.
Trump defended the original image, telling reporters: ‘It wasn’t a depiction. It was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor. And had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one.
Jesus delivered a sucker punch to Trump in the video (Picture: Iran Embassy)
‘It was supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.’
The post suffered a huge backlash with Truth Social followers calling him ‘the AntiChrist’ and accusing him of blasphemy.
One replied to the now deleted image: ‘The book of Revelations speaks of this, are you literally depicting yourself as a saviour or messiah? Just asking, as the Book of Revelations tells us the Antichrist will claim he is.’
Trump has been under fire from Christians for the image, as well as his battle with Pope Leo, after he said he ‘wasn’t doing a good job’.
Even the President of Iran waded into a feud between Trump and Pope Leo to defend the Catholic leader.
Masoud Pezeshkian took to X and said he ‘condemned’ Trump’s claims that the Pope wasn’t doing a ‘good job’.
Trump flew into a fiery pit while screaming (Picture: Iran Embassy)
‘I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah,’ Pezeshkian wrote.
Earlier today, the Pope spoke out after Trump shared an image of himself as Jesus Christ. Trump first slammed Pope Leo on Truth Social, saying the first American pope should ‘stop catering to the Radical Left’.
Pope Leo rebutted the claims and said he plans to continue to speak out against the war, telling reporters: ‘I don’t want to get into a debate with him.
‘I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promote dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.’
Elsewhere, hopes have risen a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war as Pakistan’s army chief met in Tehran with Iran’s foreign minister.
The White House said any further talks would likely take place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, though no decision had been made on whether to resume negotiations.
The US naval blockade of Iranian ports continued for a third day. The Trump administration warned of new economic sanctions on countries doing business with Iran, saying the Islamic Republic would feel the ‘financial equivalent’ of a bombing campaign.
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Sweden thwarts pro-Russian cyberattack on thermal power plant
1:00 am
Sweden thwarts pro-Russian cyberattack on thermal power plant
Cyberattack thwarted
Sweden successfully countered a pro-Russian cyberattack on a thermal power plant in mid-2025, which was linked to Russian intelligence services.
Sweden successfully countered a pro-Russian cyberattack on a thermal power plant in mid-2025, which was linked to Russian intelligence services.
Increased Threat Level
Cyber threats targeting Swedish infrastructure have intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, indicating a shift towards more sophisticated and potentially disruptive tactics.
Cyber threats targeting Swedish infrastructure have intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, indicating a shift towards more sophisticated and potentially disruptive tactics.
Government Stance
“This points to a changed, more risk-prone and more reckless behaviour from Russia,” said Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, emphasising the seriousness of the situation.
“This points to a changed, more risk-prone and more reckless behaviour from Russia,” said Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, emphasising the seriousness of the situation.
Key developments
Sweden’s Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin confirmed that a pro-Russian cyberattack targeting a thermal power plant was thwarted in mid-2025, linked to Russian intelligence.
Bohlin indicated that cyber threats against Swedish interests have escalated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting a significant shift in Moscow’s approach towards more reckless operations.
Sweden foiled pro-Russian cyberattack on thermal power plant in 2025, minister says
Published on
Sweden thwarted a pro-Russian cyberattack on a thermal power plant in mid-2025, the government said on Wednesday, saying the group behind it was linked to Russian intelligence.
There were no serious consequences, Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said.
“The Swedish Security Service handled the case and was able to identify the actor behind it, which has ties to Russian intelligence and security services,” Bohlin told reporters.
Bohlin told the AFP news agency that the attack failed “because the security systems in place worked.”
Without going into detail, he said the aim of the operation was to disrupt the functioning of a facility that supplies heating.
The minister added that the attack “illustrates that we are dealing with an antagonist who does not hesitate to create physical disruptions that can be likened to sabotage of our physical infrastructure.”
The plant was located in western Sweden, he said.
Bohlin said cyber threats against Swedish interests had increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Moscow targeted countries supporting Ukraine.
“This points to a changed, more risk-prone and more reckless behaviour from Russia, which could lead to potentially very harmful effects on society,” he said, adding that the Swedish government was taking the development “very seriously.”
“Our support for Ukraine remains steadfast,” he stressed.
More sophisticated
Bohlin also said that attackers were no longer just relying on direct denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which overload systems by sending massive amounts of traffic, against IT systems, but were now also targeting so called operational technology (OT) that control the infrastructure.
“That is, control systems which often control physical functions in various operations and attempt to destroy, compromise, or disrupt them,” Bohlin told AFP.
Pontus Johnson, a professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, explained that while DDoS attacks were relatively simple attacks, attacking OT systems required a higher level of sophistication.
“You don’t just send traffic their way, but you are trying to find vulnerabilities to enter the systems to then be able to affect them,” Johnson said.
“It requires a much more competent attacker,” he said, and added that the rise of the use of AI had also made these types of attacks easier for hackers.
Johnson also said the targeting of OT systems was also more serious because unlike the targeting of for instance a website, these systems actually control things in the “physical world.”
This opens the door to potential disruptions of things like the power grid or railways, he explained.
Bohlin said it was important for Sweden to publicise the threats it was facing to send a signal “to threat-actors and let them know that we see what you are doing.”
“We are also doing it to continually raise awareness in society, in order to develop our cybersecurity and collective resilience, and so that we can act in solidarity with our allies and partners.”
Additional sources • AFP
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin private tour of Australia after four years
10:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin private tour of Australia after four years
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently in Australia for a four-day private tour, marking their first visit in eight years. The couple’s schedule includes charitable visits and commercial ventures, with Meghan reportedly aiming to expand her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s current tour in Australia has been confirmed as privately funded, with their office stating it will focus on ‘mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families.’ Additionally, a Change.com petition demanding that the couple receive no taxpayer funding for their visit attracted over 45,000 signatures.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will continue their tour in Australia by attending an Aboriginal walking tour in Melbourne and the InterEdge Summit, where Harry is scheduled to speak as a keynote. On their final day, April 17, they plan to sail around Sydney Harbour with Invictus Australia and attend a rugby match at Allianz Stadium.
Meghan Markle ditches royal title and suggests more ‘relaxed’ name during Australia visit | News World
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are currently touring Australia (Picture: Jonathan Brady/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently in Australia for the first time in eight years as the couple begin a four-day private tour.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were last Down Under in 2018, when they were still senior members of the royal family.
Almost a decade on, this trip is a lot different to their previous visit for many reasons — most notably that it hasn’t involved any royal ‘walkabouts,’ described as informal, planned strolls where British Royal Family members walk among crowds, shaking hands, chatting, and receiving gifts from the public.
Rather, the couple are combining visits to charitable causes with commercial ventures, while Meghan is reportedly also trying to expand the reach of her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
And, because Harry and Meghan’s visit is in a private capacity this time, it’s likely the reason they’ve relaxed on the title front, too.
The royal couple have opted for non-royal titles this trip (Picture: Getty Images)
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Yesterday, the Sussexes enjoyed a tour around Melbourne, Australia’s unofficial cultural capital, on the southeast coast.
While visiting the Royal Children’s Hospital in the city, they were asked how they would like to be addressed.
Harry’s response was a simple shrug of the shoulders, saying ‘However you like,’ while Meghan simply suggested: ‘Call me Meg?’
The couple’s aide also said that ‘Harry and Meghan is fine, they’re pretty relaxed’ when asked by hospital staff about their title preferences, The Telegraph reports.
The aide added that both the Duke and Duchess ‘love Australia, and are really excited to return,’ saying that the country is like a home for Harry, who has ‘spent a lot of time here and is really looking forward to meeting up with old friends.’
Meghan will also be speaking at her controversial £1,400 girls weekend (Picutre: Getty Images)
Ahead of the visit, a Change.com petition demanding that Harry and Meghan receive ‘no taxpayer funding or official support’ during their ‘private visit to Australia’ went viral, and attracted more than 45,000 signatures. It argued that ‘public funds should not be used for private visits.’
However, the couple’s office responded to the backlash, stating that the trip is indeed being privately funded.
A statement said it will concentrate on ‘mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families, alongside private meetings and special projects.’
After Melbourne, they moved on to the capital, Canberra, where Prince Harry visited the Australian War Memorial with Indigenous Veterans, followed by a reception for Invictus Australia.
Tomorrow, they’re heading back to Melbourne for an Aboriginal walking tour, before attending the InterEdge Summit, where Harry is booked as a keynote speaker.
Finally, on April 17 — their fourth and final day of the tour — the Duke and Duchess are set to sail around Sydney Harbour with Invictus Australia. They’ll also attend a rugby match at Allianz Stadium.
The couple have revealed that the tour has been privately funded (Picture: Getty Images)
Away from their ‘official’ engagements, let’s not forget about Meghan’s controversial ‘girls weekend,’ dubbed ‘Meg-stock.’
The former Suits actress will be a headline guest speaker of podcaster Gemma O’Neill’s ‘Her Best Life’ event, described as the ‘girls’ weekend like no other.’
The event will be held in Sydney at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel from April 17 to April 19, with tickets priced at an eye-watering £1,400.
For VIP access, which includes a group table photograph with Meghan, it’s a steeper £1,670.
The podcast says of the event: ‘Join us for an intimate luxury weekend by the ocean designed to bring women together for powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter and unforgettable experiences.
‘Set at the stunning InterContinental Coogee Beach, this exclusive retreat brings the ‘Her Best Life’ community to life through inspiring speakers, meaningful connections, and plenty of time to unwind and celebrate.’
It revealed that the ‘highlight of the weekend will be an in-person conversation with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.’
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MEPs debate implications of Hungarian election outcome for Europe
9:00 pm
MEPs debate implications of Hungarian election outcome for Europe
Debate in Brussels
MEPs Daniel Freund and Sander Smit discuss the outcome of the Hungarian election during a broadcast from the European Parliament.
MEPs Daniel Freund and Sander Smit discuss the outcome of the Hungarian election during a broadcast from the European Parliament.
Strategic Importance
MEPs from different parties engage in a critical discourse, reflecting the Hungarian election’s potential implications for broader European integration and political dynamics.
MEPs from different parties engage in a critical discourse, reflecting the Hungarian election’s potential implications for broader European integration and political dynamics.
Election Debate
“The outcome of the Hungarian election raises significant questions about the future of democracy in Europe,” stated MEP Daniel Freund.
“The outcome of the Hungarian election raises significant questions about the future of democracy in Europe,” stated MEP Daniel Freund.
Key developments
MEPs Daniel Freund and Sander Smit debated the implications of the recent Hungarian election during a broadcast of The Ring from the European Parliament in Brussels, highlighting significant concerns for the EU.
Freund emphasised the election’s potential impact on democratic values within Europe, while Smit argued for a more nuanced understanding of Hungary’s political landscape following the vote.
Péter Magyar's landslide victory in Hungary – what's the impact on Brussels?
In this new edition of The Ring, broadcast from the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs Daniel Freund (Greens) and Sander Smit (ECR) debate the outcome of the Hungarian election and what it means for Europe.
Turkey reports school shooting as 14-year-old kills eight classmates and a teacher
7:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Turkey reports school shooting as 14-year-old kills eight classmates and a teacher
A 14-year-old schoolboy shot eight classmates and one teacher at his middle school in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, using firearms believed to belong to his father, a former police officer. This incident is Turkey’s second school shooting within two days.
Turkey’s Interior Minister, Mustafa Ciftci, stated, “This was solely a personal attack carried out by one of our students, it is not a terror incident,” following a school shooting in Kahramanmaras where a 14-year-old student killed eight classmates and a teacher. According to Governor Mukerrem Unluer, the shooter carried five weapons and seven magazines that likely belonged to his father, a former police officer.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci indicated that the shooter had shot himself following the incident in Kahramanmaras. Additionally, six of the wounded remain in critical condition.
Boy, 14, kills nine people in Turkey’s second school shooting in two days | News World
A 14-year-old schoolboy shot eight classmates dead and killed a teacher in a ‘personal attack’ at his middle school in Turkey.
It is Turkey’s second school shooting in two days.
The student who carried out the shooting is believed to have used guns that belonged to his father, a former police officer.
The student concealed the weapons in a backpack, entered two classrooms and opened fire ‘randomly’.
Horrifying footage seen by WTX shows the boy firing a pistol at a girl already lying on the ground.
Eight students and one teacher died in the shooting in the province of Kahramanmaras, Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci told reporters, adding that six of the wounded were in critical condition.
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‘This was solely a personal attack carried out by one of our students, it is not a terror incident,’ Ciftci said.
Earlier, Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer had said the shooter had shot and killed himself in the commotion.
Students jumping from a classroom window to escape a deadly school shooting (Picture: Reuters)
‘An eighth-grade student came with 5 weapons and 7 magazines – which we believe belong to his former police officer father – in his bag, entered two classrooms with fifth grade students, causing deaths and injuries indiscriminately,’ Unluer said.
Fifth-grade students are usually aged 10 and 11 in Turkey.
It came the day after another 18-year-old gunman, who was recently expelled, wounded at least 16 people before killing himself.
Armed with a shotgun, he opened fire on anyone he could see at a vocational high school in Siverek in the province of Sanliurfa.
CCTV captured the moment his victims were shot. Trapped victims flee along a narrow corridor right past the shooter as he reloaded.
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