Russia-Ukraine peace talks end after less than 2 hours with deal to swap POWs

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed the talks with President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. In a post on X from a European leadership meeting in Albania, he urged “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.” At the brief Istanbul talks, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in what would be their biggest such swap.

Thai construction magnate facing charge over Bangkok tower collapse surrenders to police

BANGKOK (AP) — A construction magnate and more than a dozen other people have surrendered to police on criminal negligence charges for the collapse of a Bangkok high-rise during a March 28 earthquake. Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Co, the main Thai contractor for the building project, and 16 other people were charged with the felony of professional negligence causing death. All have denied wrongdoing. Ninety-two people were confirmed dead in the rubble of the building that had been under construction. The building, which was to become a new State Audit Office, was the only one in Thailand to collapse in the earthquake that was centered in neighboring Myanmar.

Israel intensifies attacks in Gaza and strikes ports in Yemen

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has launched dozens of airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza — attacks that local health officials say killed 108 people, mostly women and children, and which Israeli officials described as a prelude to a larger campaign aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages. Israel also struck two ports in Yemen on Friday that it said were used by the Houthi militant group to transfer weapons. The strikes across the Gaza Strip followed days of attacks that the Gaza Health Ministry said killed more than 130 people, and came as U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up a visit to the region that included stops in three Gulf states but not Israel.

Trump says Iran has a proposal from the US on its rapidly advancing nuclear program

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has an American proposal over its rapidly advancing nuclear program as negotiations between the two countries go on. Trump made the comment aboard Air Force One as he ended his trip to the United Arab Emirates, the last stop on his three-nation tour of the Middle East. Trump did not elaborate on the substance of the proposal and Iran did not immediately acknowledge having it. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to journalists at the Tehran International Book Fair and said that Iran did not have any proposal from the Americans yet.