Countries in the west have pledged to send as many as 321 tanks to Ukraine, said Kyiv's ambassador to France. "As of today, numerous countries have officially confirmed their agreement to deliver 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine," Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine's ambassador to France, said in an interview with French TV station BFM on Friday.
"Delivery terms vary for each case and we need this help as soon as possible," he added.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic's rapid spread in nearby nations including South Korea and China, North Korea has called for stringent quarantine precautions, its state media reported on Monday. Due to the fast growth of omicron subvariants, viral cases spiked during the winter in South, China, and Japan, a report by the state-run Korean Central Television said. "The virus situations in those regions are the most serious in the world," it stated.
North Korea fired three ballistic missiles towards the eastern waters on Saturday morning, South Korea’s military said. It comes five days after Pyongyang flew five drones into the South’s airspace, stoking further tensions in the peninsula.
The missile landed in the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military said, but did not give further details as to what type of missile was fired, reports AFP news agency.
The latest missile launch comes after eight days as the military tensions between the two countries rose sharply this year.
According to Russian state media, North Korea has reportedly offered 100,000 "volunteer" troops to help bolster Russia’s chances of invading of Ukraine.
“There are reports that 100,000 North Korean volunteers are prepared to come and take part in the conflict,” Russian defence analyst Igor Korotchenko told Russian Channel One, reports New York Post.
Praising the North Korean military's "wealth of experience with counter-battery warfare," the expert said that Russia should wholeheartedly welcome the North Korean troops and their counter-battery expertise.
Unhappy with the fact that red 'Kimjongilia'- a flower named after Kim Jong-il did not bloom ahead of the dead dictator’s birthday, two North Korean gardeners were punished and sent to labour camp for six months.
North Korea celebrates Kim Jong-il’s birthday on February 16 also known as the Day of the Shining Star and it is promoted as the nation’s largest holiday.
Traditionally, the streets of North Korean cities are lined with red flowers ahead of Kim Jong-il’s birthday, who died aged 69 in 2011.