ISTANBUL -- U.S. and Russian delegations met in Istanbul on Thursday for a second round of talks aimed at restoring normal operations of diplomatic missions in each other's country.
The discussions are taking place at the Russian consulate in the Turkish city. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the talks are being led by Russia's newly appointed ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter. (U.S.-Russia-Talk)
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MOSCOW -- Russia and the United States on Thursday conducted a prisoner swap facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, said the Russian Federal Security Service.
"On April 10, at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, with UAE mediation, Russian citizen Artur Petrov was returned home," the security service said in a statement.
Detained by U.S. authorities in Cyprus in 2023, Petrov was extradited to the United States in 2024 on charges of violating export control laws. He was facing up to 20 years in prison in the United States.
He was exchanged for U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina, who was found guilty of treason and sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony. (Russia-U.S.-Prisoner Swap)
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SEOUL -- Lee Jae-myung, ex-leader of South Korea's main liberal opposition Democratic Party, announced his bid for a snap presidential election via a video message on Thursday.
Lee resigned as party leader on Wednesday amid widespread expectations for his presidential run.
A snap presidential election was set for June 3 following the constitutional court's removal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol from office on April 4 over Yoon's short-lived martial law imposition last December. (South Korea-Bid-Presidential Election)
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PANAMA CITY -- The death toll from the roof collapse at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, has risen to 184, Dominican authorities confirmed late Wednesday, as rescue efforts continue with no new survivors found since Tuesday afternoon.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, said no additional survivors have been rescued since 3:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) on April 8.
Nelsy Milagros Cruz, governor of Monte Cristi province, is among those killed, according to local authorities. (Dominican Republic-Night Club Collapse-Death Toll) ■
