Russia and Ukraine confirm another prisoner swap after Türkiye meeting
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Ukraine’s state-owned railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported that despite a cyberattack that knocked out its online ticketing system, rail traffic remained uninterrupted. The company quickly switched to backup systems, ensuring that trains continued operating without delay.
Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, the board chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia, stated on national TV, “Operational traffic did not stop for a single moment. The enemy attack was aimed to stop trains, but we quickly switched to backup systems.” While the company did not explicitly name the perpetrators, the reference to "the enemy" pointed to Russia, which has regularly targeted Ukraine’s railway infrastructure since its full-scale invasion in 2022.
A Ukrainian security official, speaking anonymously, suggested that Moscow's goal was to create psychological pressure on the Ukrainian population and destabilize the country’s social and political situation through cyberattacks.
The attack, first reported on Sunday, caused a failure in the company’s IT system. Passengers were advised to buy tickets on-site or aboard trains as work to restore the online system continued. The cyberattack was described by Ukrzaliznytsia as "systemic, non-trivial, and multi-level" in a post on Telegram.
At Kyiv's central station, long queues formed as people waited to purchase tickets for travel, with ticket offices offering tickets only for journeys until Tuesday.
Since the Russian invasion in 2022 and the closure of Ukraine’s airspace, trains have become the primary mode of transportation for both domestic and international travel. Railways are also vital for the transportation of weapons and military supplies. In 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia carried approximately 20 million passengers and 148 million tonnes of freight, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
In a televised address on Saturday night, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that American forces, in coordination with Israel, had conducted precision strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, aiming to dismantle Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
The UK government has eased its travel advice for Israel as the final evacuation flight for British nationals prepares to depart Tel Aviv on Sunday.
President Donald Trump said Friday he believes any potential conflict with North Korea can be resolved, pointing to his strong relationship with leader Kim Jong Un.
The U.S. Senate on Friday rejected a Democratic-led effort to block President Donald Trump from launching further military action against Iran without congressional approval.
President Donald Trump said Friday he believes a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas could be reached within a week, following fresh diplomatic efforts.
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