Russia fortifies swathes of Ukraine

The development could complicate a spring counteroffensive.

View in Browser Sign up for Reuters newsletters Daily Briefing Satellite images show vast Russian defenses in Ukraine, the US pushes for an extension of a ceasefire in Sudan, and a UK watchdog defends its decision to block a Microsoft deal.   Plus, a new picture reveals the violent events near a supermassive black hole.   By Edson Caldas Today's Top News A satellite image shows Novofedorivka with annotated trenching operations, in Zaporizhzhia region, April 11, 2023. Capella Space/Handout via REUTERS Russia digs in  When Ukraine's military paused to regroup towards the end of 2022, extensive Russian fortifications designed to slow any Ukrainian advances started to spring up along, behind and sometimes far removed from the front lines. Satellite images show Russia has been digging in at key strategic points in readiness for an offensive by a Ukrainian military rearmed with state-of-the-art weapons. Separately, Russian forces pounded the city of Bakhmut, the months-old focal point of their attempts to capture the eastern industrial region of Donbas. The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces, in a report on Facebook, said fighting gripped Bakhmut and nearby areas. At least a dozen localities came under Russian fire. Follow the latest on the war. On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the first time since Russia's invasion. Zelenskiy, describing the phone call as "long and meaningful", signaled the importance of the chance to open closer relations with Russia's most powerful friend, naming a former cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing. From around the world The United States and African nations were racing to secure an extension of a ceasefire in Sudan, with the Sudanese army saying it had given an initial nod to an African proposal calling for talks even as heavy fighting continued. Hundreds of people have been killed in nearly two weeks of conflict between the army and a rival paramilitary force. The United States granted South Korea a larger role in planning for a potential nuclear war with North Korea, but that will probably not ease doubts over US defense commitments that have fueled calls for a South Korean nuclear arsenal, experts said. Some in South Korea's government also worry that if there is a new administration in the US, Washington might provide less support. Pope Francis will allow women to vote for the first time at a global meeting of bishops in October. In the past, women were allowed to attend the synods, a papal advisory body, as auditors but with no right to vote. The new rules allow for five religious sisters with voting rights. Business & Markets The boss of Britain's antitrust regulator defended its decision to block Microsoft's acquisition of 'Call of Duty' maker Activision Blizzard after both companies said it sent the wrong message to the global tech industry. The Competition and Markets Authority blocked the deal saying it could hit competition in the nascent cloud gaming market. Deutsche Bank will cut 800 jobs in a new cost-saving drive after reporting a bigger than expected rise in profit for the first quarter. Germany's biggest bank produced solid earnings at a time when banks had to be rescued in the US and in Switzerland. The latest effort to trim its workforce reverses a staff buildup of recent quarters. Argentina will start to pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than dollars, the government announced, a measure that aims to relieve the country's dwindling dollar reserves. Analysis: China's yuan currency is slowly but surely being adopted for more international payments, which analysts say could lay foundations for a trade system running parallel to the dominant US dollar. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis brushed off a lawsuit against him by Disney, describing it as politically motivated. The company sued DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a court to overturn state efforts to control Disney World and intensifying a fight between a global entertainment giant and a likely White House contender. Today's Reuters World News podcast brings the latest on their battle. In Pictures Naomi Kahindi, who lost her sister and her children, mourns at the Malindi sub district hospital mortuary, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi Emaciated survivors, shallow graves, grieving families. The death toll among followers of a Kenyan cult called the Good News International Church, who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves, has risen to 89 and could rise further, Kenyan authorities said. This gallery shows the aftermath of the starvation cult. And Finally... This image shows the jet and shadow of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy together. R.-S. Lu (SHAO), E. Ros (MPIfR), S. Dagnello (NRAO/AUI/NSF), Handout via REUTERS Scientists unveiled the first picture showing the violent events unfolding around a black hole, including the launching point of a colossal jet of high-energy particles shooting outward into space. The new image was obtained using 16 telescopes at various locations on Earth that essentially created a planet-sized observational dish. Read more here: Image reveals violent events near a supermassive black hole Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. 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