SS: North Korea's vice minister for foreign affairs said South Korea's "true colours" as an enemy state would never change, tempering hopes in S. Korea for a reconciliation and improved ties. These remarks come after S. Korea's President apologised for a recent drone incursion into N. Korean airspace, and which some S. Korean officials claimed there was "meaningful progress."

Edit: Since Reuters is being difficult here is a KBS article about the same situation:

North Korea rejected South Korea's assessment that Pyongyang's positive response to President Lee Jae Myung's expressed regret over a civilian-led drone intrusion into the regime was a "meaningful progress" in inter-Korean relations.

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) Tuesday, the North's First Vice Foreign Minister Jang Kum-chol said the response from Kim Yo-jong, the regime leader's influential sister, was a clear warning for Seoul to acknowledge its wrongdoings.

Earlier in the week, the powerful sister of Kim Jong-un said her brother had called President Lee "frank" and "broad-minded" after he expressed regret to the North for the "irresponsible and reckless" behavior of those involved the civilian drone intrusion.

Jang said analysis from Seoul that viewed Kim's statement as an "unprecedented favorable response" was a part of "wishful interpretation," as carried a warning for Seoul to halt its reckless, provocative acts and to give up on contacting the regime.

The vice foreign minister also affirmed that South Korea's identity as the North's "most hostile state" has not changed and will not change regardless of any remark or action from Seoul.

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán offered to go to great lengths to help Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader “I am at your service” in an October call, it has emerged, prompting further scrutiny of Budapest’s ties to the Kremlin just as JD Vance arrived in the city.

Air Force Two landed in Budapest on Tuesday morning carrying the US vice-president and his wife, Usha Vance, as Hungary reaches the final, heated days of a hard-fought election campaign that has played out against a backdrop of scandals regarding the relationship between Budapest and Moscow.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg News said it had obtained a Hungarian government transcript of a call that took place between Orbán and Putin on 17 October, in which Orbán reportedly compared the relationship to that of a “mouse” standing ready to help the Russian “lion” as needed.

“Yesterday our friendship rose to such a high level that I can help in any way,” Orbán reportedly told Putin in the call. “In any matter where I can be of assistance, I am at your service.”

In an attempt to emphasise his point, Orbán was said to have made reference to one of Aesop’s fables in which a mouse who was earlier shown mercy by a lion goes on to free the same lion when it is netted by hunters. The remark drew a laugh from Putin, the transcript suggested.

Orbán, the rightwing populist who has sought to turn Hungary into what he calls an “illiberal democracy”, is the EU’s most Moscow-friendly leader, leading some critics to refer to him as Putin’s Trojan horse.

The most recent revelation heightens the questions that have swirled in recent weeks regarding the lengths that the US and Russia are going to in order to bolster Orbán as he trails in the polls.

Donald Trump has repeatedly endorsed Orbán, describing him as a “fantastic guy” and a “strong and powerful leader”, while his administration has dispatched Vance seemingly in an attempt to turn the tide on Orbán’s lagging campaign. Russian intelligence agencies, along with disinformation networks with links to Russia, are alleged to be working to sway the election.

As Hungarians prepare to vote at the weekend, most polls have suggested Orbán is facing an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former top member of Orbán’s Fidesz party, raising the prospect that Orbán could be ousted after 16 years in power.

The prospect has mobilised rightwing leaders around the world, catapulting the election in this central European country of about 9.5 million people on to the global stage.

The election is also being closely followed across the EU. Last week, several leaders expressed outrage over leaked audio that appeared to capture Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, telling his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that he would work to amend the EU sanctions list to its liking.

In the call revealed on Tuesday, Putin reportedly praised Hungary’s “independent and flexible” stance on his war against Ukraine. “It is incomprehensible to us that such a balanced, middle-ground position only generates counterarguments,” said the Russian president, according to the transcript.

The call ended with the two leaders inquiring about one another’s health. “I exercise, I also ski. I know you play football,” the Russian president said, according to the transcript. “I try,” Orbán replied, drawing laughter from both men.

Orbán then thanked Putin for the call, saying goodbye to him in Russian, it was reported.

Berlin – Update April 4, 2026: The Frankfurter Rundschau's report on the new conscription regulations has caused a major stir in Germany. Numerous other media outlets are now also reporting on the previously little-known change in the law, which requires men under 45 to notify the German Armed Forces in advance of any stays abroad exceeding three months. The topic is also being hotly debated on social media.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense has now told the German Press Agency (dpa) that they are aiming for a streamlined process for granting travel permits: "However, we will clarify through administrative regulations that the permit is considered granted as long as military service is voluntary."

These administrative regulations have not yet been issued. Therefore, the current rule, at least theoretically, still applies that "permission must be obtained from the responsible career center of the Bundeswehr" if one wishes to leave Germany for more than three months. The ministry spokesperson emphasized, however, that "since military service is based solely on voluntary participation under current law, such permits must generally be granted."

Initial report from April 3, 2026: Since Vladimir Putin launched his illegal war of aggression against Ukraine approximately four years ago, it has become clear that the era of supposed peace in Europe is over. Suddenly, security concerns have resurfaced, concerns that had not been seen since the end of the Cold War. Consequently, the suspension of conscription under Defense Minister zu Guttenberg has once again come under scrutiny.

At the beginning of the year, the Military Service Modernization Act came into force, marking a turning point in German defense policy. Military registration is being reintroduced, and young men will be subject to mandatory medical examinations. The German government's stated goal is to increase the Bundeswehr's troop strength from its current level of approximately 184,000 soldiers to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035.

New Conscription Rule Takes Effect Before Medical Examination

While medical examination is supposed to become mandatory again for all men born in 2008 or later, in practice this regulation will only take effect at a later date. However, another change has already come into force – and without anyone really noticing. The consequences of this amendment to the Conscription Act (WPflG) are enormous for men of numerous age groups.

Specifically, this concerns Section 3 of the Military Service Act. This section regulates the content and duration of compulsory military service in Germany. Paragraph 1 states: “Compulsory military service is fulfilled by military service or […] civilian service.” This regulation has been in place for approximately 70 years and applies to all men of conscription age, between 18 and 45 years old. Paragraph 2 is far less well-known:

“Male persons must obtain permission from the responsible career center of the German Armed Forces after reaching the age of 17 if they intend to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months [...]. The same applies if they intend to remain outside the Federal Republic of Germany beyond an approved period or extend a stay outside the Federal Republic of Germany that does not require permission beyond three months.”

Crisis rule suddenly applies always – men need permission to leave the country

This far-reaching infringement on self-determination only applied in two extreme cases before January 1, 2026. Paragraph 2 of the Compulsory Military Service Act (WPflG) simply stated that Paragraph 3 applied "in a state of tension or defense." According to the Basic Law, a state of tension refers to a situation of heightened external threat to the Federal Republic, as determined by the Bundestag or NATO – i.e., the situation when an attack by another country is highly probable. A state of defense, on the other hand, is a situation, determined by the Bundestag – with the approval of the Bundesrat – that the federal territory is under attack by armed force. Both cases thus refer to absolute exceptional situations.

However, with the revision of the Compulsory Military Service Act on January 1, 2026, Paragraph 2 was amended. It now additionally states: "Outside of a state of tension or defense, Sections 3 [...] apply." This simply means that the regulation of Paragraph 3 now applies in principle at all times.

This means that all men over 17 and under 45 who wish to leave Germany for more than three months must obtain permission from the German Armed Forces. It doesn't matter whether you're planning a semester abroad, a job overseas, or a backpacking trip around the world: A mandatory visit to the German Armed Forces' career center is required beforehand.

The Ministry of Defense has so far been unable to provide satisfactory answers to questions.

Paragraph 3 states: “The permit is to be granted for the period during which the male person is not subject to conscription.” A rejection of the application to leave the country is therefore not even provided for. However, submitting the application is still mandatory.

How exactly this is to be implemented in practice is unclear, especially since most men under 45 are likely unaware of the existence of this regulation. We therefore asked the Federal Ministry of Defense how this new conscription rule will be implemented in practice.

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed to IPPEN.MEDIA that "the authorization requirement stipulated in Section 3, Paragraph 2 of the Conscription Act (WPflG) generally applies even outside of times of tension or national defense." "The background and guiding principle of this regulation is to ensure a reliable and informative military register for emergencies. [...] In case of emergency, we need to know who might be staying abroad for an extended period," the spokesperson explained.

The Ministry of Defense has also recognized that the consequences of this regulation are "profound." Therefore, it intends to "currently develop more specific regulations for granting exceptions to the authorization requirement," "also to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy." However, the ministry spokesperson asks for “understanding that we cannot anticipate the ongoing review and development process. A final outline of the process to be integrated is therefore not yet possible.”

The ministry also confirmed that "corresponding permits [for departure] must generally be granted." However, the question of what consequences arise if such a permit is not obtained before departure remained unanswered.

For millions of men, therefore, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the specific consequences of the revised sections 2 and 3 of the Conscription Act. (cel)

(Translated by Google, mistakes are my own).