North Korea had nearly 2 million “fever cases,” affecting 7.7% of the population, and 63 deaths in just a week since it reported the nation’s first confirmed Covid cases May 12, Caixin Global reports.

“In a sign of Russia’s urgent need to bolster its war effort in Ukraine, parliament said on Friday it would consider a bill to allow Russians over 40 and foreigners over 30 to sign up for the military,” Reuters reports.

“The White House is working to put advanced anti-ship missiles in the hands of Ukrainian fighters to help defeat Russia’s naval blockade, officials said, amid concerns more powerful weapons that could sink Russian warships would intensify the conflict,” Reuters reports.

North Korea is “preparing to conduct a nuclear test or a long-range ballistic missile test around the time of President Biden’s trip to the region this week, according to intelligence from Washington and Seoul,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Senate prepared to vote Thursday to deliver more than $40 billion in new military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, a move which would send the measure to President Biden after a week-long delay sparked by a lone senator’s objection,” the Washington Post reports.

Vladimir Putin is “weaponizing” global food supplies by stealing grain and destroying agricultural equipment as part of his war in Ukraine, the Telegraph reports.

“President Biden is scheduled to host the prime minister of Sweden and president of Finland at the White House on Thursday, determined to send a strong signal of support for the two nations in their push to join NATO,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“The Russian military has fired or replaced a number of field commanders in Ukraine in recent weeks, according to the British Defense Ministry, suggesting that the poor performance of Russian forces is taking a toll on the country’s senior officer corps,” the Washington Post reports.

“The purge, described in an intelligence update Thursday, included the sacking of commanders involved in two of Russia’s most humiliating defeats since it invaded Ukraine in February.”

“The Biden administration is developing plans to further choke Russia’s oil revenues with the long-term goal of destroying the country’s central role in the global energy economy, a major escalatory step that could put the United States in political conflict with China, India, Turkey and other nations that buy Russian oil,” the New York Times reports.

“The proposed measures include imposing a price cap on Russian oil, backed by so-called secondary sanctions, which would punish foreign buyers that do not comply with U.S. restrictions by blocking them from doing business with American companies and those of partner nations.”

“The Senate confirmed Bridget Brink late Wednesday as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, filling the post as officials plan to return American diplomats to Kyiv during the nation’s continuing battle against the Russian invasion,” the AP reports.

“The decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq. I mean of Ukraine.”

— Former President George W. Bush, in a speech.

“A 21-year-old Russian tank-unit officer pleaded guilty to shooting an unarmed civilian in Ukraine’s first war-crimes trial since Russia’s invasion of the country,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Washington Post: “As President Biden makes his first presidential trip to South Korea and Japan in the next week, he faces shifting dynamics in Northeast Asia that pose steep challenges to U.S. efforts to shore up alliances to counter China’s rise. A key challenge is North Korea’s thawing relationships with China and Russia, aimed at reducing U.S. influence in the region.”

“In particular, China’s strategic overture to North Korea since the collapse of U.S.-North Korea diplomatic talks in 2019 has drawn the two countries closer. With tensions rising over the U.S.-China competition and a new South Korean conservative government that vows to take a harder line on North Korea and China, Beijing has more incentive to keep Pyongyang close, experts say.”

“Finland and Sweden formally submitted their bids for NATO membership on Wednesday morning, casting aside decades of strategic neutrality to embrace the military alliance in a swift transformation prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the New York Times reports.

Politico: “Congress’ nearly $40 billion package of help for the war-torn nation is taking heat from a growing number of conservative lawmakers, candidates, activists and even former President Donald Trump. Their case against spending on Ukraine’s battle against Russia is all about redirecting taxpayer money to domestic problems — but it’s alarming fellow Republicans who see it as a flawed argument and part of a disturbing trend toward isolationism.”

“That tension is putting the sprawling aid package, which is set to clear the Senate later this week, at the center of the ongoing battle to define the modern GOP. Much of the party, from the rank and file all the way up to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is forcefully rejecting the MAGA wing’s opposition to the aid as misguided.”

“Yet the nationalist camp, determined to create a questionable either-or choice between foreign assistance and help for Americans in need, is growing ever larger and louder.”

In a rare moment of candor on Russian state TV, retired Russian colonel Mikhail Khodaryonok said the invasion of Ukraine “is not going the way Russia is portraying it, and that the global isolation facing the country is more daunting than Russian leaders are letting on,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Khodaryonok: “After all, the main deficiency of our military-political position is that, in a way, we are in full geopolitical isolation, and that, however much we would hate to admit this, virtually the entire world is against us. And it’s that situation that we need to get out of.”

“North Korea officially claimed zero Covid-19 cases until last Thursday. Now, Pyongyang says 1.2 million people have feverish, Covid-like symptoms, 50 people have died and the entire country is under lockdown,” Axios reports.

“North Korea has a 0% vaccination rate and meager health facilities, and it was already struggling to feed its population.”

Nikkei Asia: “After more than two years of insisting it was Covid-free, North Korea is now battling a massive surge of infections and is reaching out for help to its closest ally and main economic benefactor: China.”