Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners of war, according to officials on both sides. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 193 prisoners, including soldiers and border guards, had been returned from Russia, some injured and facing criminal charges.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that the same number had been handed back by Ukraine. The exchange was mediated by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the country is in its “strongest” frontline position in the past year. He credited Kyiv’s drone warfare and air defences, claiming they can intercept up to 90% of Russian aerial attacks.
The Kremlin has suggested President Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Miami, U.S., later this year. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments after U.S. President Donald Trump said it would be “very helpful” for him to attend.
At least 13 people have been killed in Ukraine in overnight strikes, according to the State Emergency Service, including a married couple aged 75.
Ukraine also said it had killed 12 Russian officers and wounded 15 others in strikes in the Donetsk region, according to military drone commander Robert Brovdi.
European leaders are discussing a further round of sanctions on Russia. The 20th package is due to take effect on Saturday 25 April, banning EU firms from providing financial or brokering services to Russian-flagged icebreakers and LNG tankers.
Russia said on Friday that new European Union sanctions on its oil and gas sector would harm developing countries as well as the EU, and vowed to retaliate.
The EU is also expected to approve a €90 billion loan to support Ukraine during the war.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Saudi Arabia to strengthen co-operation on security and energy infrastructure, marking his second visit to the Kingdom in a month.
"Yesterday, at a meeting with European leaders, we secured financial guarantees for our resilience. Today, we are advancing our agreements with Saudi Arabia in the areas of security, energy, and infrastructure," he said on the social media platform X upon arrival.
FormeFormer Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in the United States, according to a senior Trump...
A major international conference on “The Role of Youth in Urban Development during Decolonisation Processes” has opened in Baku,...
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green ...
The red carpet had barely been rolled up after Donald Trump’s departure before Beijing was laying it out again. Vladimir Putin arrived in the...
Passenger rail services between Baku and Tbilisi are expected to resume in 2026, after being suspended in 2020 ...
The red carpet had barely been rolled up after Donald Trump’s departure before Beijing was laying it out again. Vladimir Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday for talks with Xi Jinping, just days after Trump’s own high-profile visit.
The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump left Beijing, has highlighted intensifying great-power signalling amid a rapidly fragmenting global order.
Kyrgyzstan has suspended 50 locally registered companies over what authorities described as “high sanctions risk” operations, in the clearest sign yet that Bishkek is responding to growing European scrutiny over alleged sanctions circumvention linked to Russia.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
FormeFormer Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in the United States, according to a senior Trump administration official. The move marks a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist leadership.
The red carpet had barely been rolled up after Donald Trump’s departure before Beijing was laying it out again. Vladimir Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday for talks with Xi Jinping, just days after Trump’s own high-profile visit.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed Türkiye-EU relations and rising Middle East tensions during a phone call on Tuesday.
The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump left Beijing, has highlighted intensifying great-power signalling amid a rapidly fragmenting global order.
The European Union has moved closer to implementing tariff cuts under last year’s U.S. trade agreement after negotiators agreed on a provisional legislative text.
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