Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war, but Moscow received no war dead, Russia says
FILE PHOTO: People in hazmat suits carry what is said to be remains of Ukrainian soldiers received from Russia in an unknown location in a screen grab from a Handout video released on June 13, 2025. Security Service Of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
(Reuters) -Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners-of-war (POWs) on Saturday, the Russian defence ministry said, and Russia handed over the bodies of 1,200 dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv.
The exchanges are part of agreements reached by the warring sides during talks in Istanbul earlier this month. Ukraine earlier on Saturday confirmed it had received the bodies of its soldiers killed in action.
However, Russian state media reported, citing sources, that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv, echoing a statement Russia made on Friday, when it said it had returned the bodies of 1,200 slain Ukrainian soldiers and received none of its own.
The Russian defence ministry did not say how many POWs were involved in the swap with Ukraine on Saturday, but it posted video showing its soldiers holding Russian flags and cheering before boarding a bus.
The Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are receiving medical treatment before transfer back to Russia, the defence ministry said.
(Reporting by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Toby Chopra and Louise Heavens)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
British lawmakers to vote on landmark assisted dying law
FILE PHOTO: A protestor holds a placard as they gather outside the parliament as British lawmakers debate the assisted dying law, in London, Britain, November 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) -British lawmakers will vote on Friday on whether to proceed with a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people, in what would be the biggest social reform in the country for a generation. Last November, lawmakers voted 330 to 275 in favour of the principle of allowing assisted dying, paving the way for Britain to follow Australia, Canada and other countries, as well as some U.S. states. Now, after months of scrutiny, amendment and emotional debate, the bill must clear another stage of voting to keep it on the road to legalisation, a process that could still take months. A vote against would stop it in its tracks. The Labour lawmaker who has proposed the new law, Kim Leadbeater, said there could be a reduction in the number of members of parliament who support the bill on Friday, but she was confident it would still be approved. One member of parliament who supports the legislation said there were about a dozen votes between those in favour and against, with a number yet to declare their position. Dozens of lawmakers earlier in June signed a letter to the leader of the House of Commons saying that there had not been enough time to debate the details of such a consequential law change. Leadbeater said her biggest fear was that if the legislation was voted down, then it could be another decade before the issue returns to parliament. The issue was last considered in 2015 when lawmakers voted against it. "It works and it is safe, and it provides dignity to terminally ill people," she told reporters before the vote. "This is not an either or when it comes to palliative care or assisted dying. It is about choice for people." PUBLIC SUPPORT Opinion polls show that a majority of Britons back assisted dying, and supporters say the law needs to catch up with public opinion. But, since the initial vote, some lawmakers say they are worried the bill's protections against the coercion of vulnerable people have been weakened. Under the proposed law, mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or fewer to live would be given the right to end their lives with medical help. In the original plan, an assisted death would have required court approval. That has been replaced by a requirement for a judgement by a panel including a social worker, a senior legal figure and a psychiatrist. Lawmakers have also raised questions about the impact of assisted dying on the finances and resources of Britain's state-run National Health Service and the need to improve palliative care. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is neutral on the bill, meaning politicians can vote according to their conscience rather than along party lines. Lawmakers will hold a final debate on the legislation on Friday morning before a likely vote in the afternoon. If it passes, the legislation will be sent to the House of Lords, parliament's upper chamber, for further scrutiny. (Reporting by Sarah Young and Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Russians on average spend 5.5 hours daily on smartphone: research
ST. PETERSBURG, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Each Russian spends an average of 5.5 hours daily on their smartphone, while young people spend almost 7 hours daily, said Alexey Goreslavsky, head of Russia's Institute for Internet Development, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday. "On average, a Russian spends 5.5 hours daily on a smartphone. Everyone is online every day. Young people spend almost 7 hours online daily," Goreslavsky said. "Of course, it's not just for communication... And certainly, it's not only educational or useful content. No matter how much we support quality content, trendy phenomena and so-called 'brainrot' still emerge." He noted that consuming such content seems harmless on the surface, but as a cultural phenomenon, it "strongly captivates minds." "Young people engage well with long-form content, they perceive adaptations of classics and just classics very well. In short form, and in long form, and in various other forms," Goreslavsky added. "We are in a reality that even a well-made cartoon won't influence public consciousness unless it goes viral," the head of the institute said, noting that mass communication should be positive and carry truly correct values.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Exclusive-US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day, sources say
(Reuters) -U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, according to three sources familiar with the matter, in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol's health effects. The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which could be released as early as this month, are expected to include a brief statement encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks, the sources said. The guidelines are still under development and subject to change, two of the sources and a fourth individual familiar with the process said. Currently, the recommendations advise limiting drinking to one serving or less per day for women and two or less for men, widely seen as a moderate level. Similar guidelines exist in countries such as the United Kingdom, which advises limiting drinking to 14 units per week, while Canada, however, has adopted a more cautious stance, warning that health risks begin to increase after just two drinks per week. Even moderate drinking is linked to some health risks, such as higher risk of breast cancer, though some studies have also found an association with possible health benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke. The fourth source said that the scientific basis for recommending specific daily limits is limited, and the goal is to ensure the guidelines reflect only the most robust evidence. The new guidelines, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are closely watched internationally and influence policies ranging from school lunch programs to medical advice. Neither department responded to requests for comment. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known teetotaler, has remained largely silent on alcohol but has emphasised a focus on whole foods in the upcoming guidelines. Some alcohol executives had feared a move towards tighter recommendations on alcohol intake as authorities like the World Health Organization upped their warnings about alcohol's health risks. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer and called for warning labels on alcoholic drinks. Major industry players, including Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev, have lobbied lawmakers throughout the review process. Senate records show each company spent millions on lobbying efforts related to the guidelines and a range of other issues such as tax and trade in 2024 and 2025. Both companies declined to comment. The new guidelines are set to move away from suggesting consumers limit alcohol consumption to a specific number of daily servings, according to the three sources, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely. One person said the new alcohol-related recommendation will probably be limited to a sentence or two. Another said the existing numbers tied to moderate drinking could still appear in a longer appendix. While industry representatives have lobbied lawmakers on the guidelines or how they should be decided, some officials and researchers advocated for tighter restrictions. Reports intended to inform the guidelines have meanwhile drawn different conclusions about alcohol's health effects and the science around this. 'UNHELPFUL' The guidelines, which are reviewed every five years, have advised drinking in moderation and defined that as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men since 1990. Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit focused on nutrition, health and food safety, said the more general language expected in the guidelines was "so vague as to be unhelpful". Under such a change, the message that even moderate drinking can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, would get lost, she continued. Two studies were produced to inform the development of the guidelines. The first found that moderate drinking was associated with increased risk of some cancers, but a decreased risk of dying from any cause and some cardiovascular problems like stroke. The evidence for some other health impacts was insufficient to draw conclusions, it found. The other report conversely found the risk of dying from alcohol use, including increased risk for seven cancers, begins at any or low levels of alcohol use and increases with higher consumption. (Reporting by Emma Rumney in London and Jessica Di'Napoli in New York; editing by Caroline Humer and Louise Heavens)
