Ukraine and Russia exchanged aerial assaults overnight, just hours after the Kremlin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure targets, but stopped short of signing off on a broader ceasefire sought by the US.

President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Tuesday, with the Russian leader not agreeing to the 30-day truce that Trump has endorsed and Ukraine has agreed to. The White House said a narrower pause on attacking energy targets would go into effect followed by negotiations over a broader ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Putin of already breaking his pledge, saying that Russia attacked Ukraine with 150 drones overnight, including strikes on energy facilities.

The Kremlin also condemned an overnight attack on an oil facility in Russia, saying it showed Ukraine’s “lack of will” to reach a deal – although Kyiv was not part of the negotiation talks, and no formal agreement has been signed.

Zelensky said Tuesday that while Kyiv supported the pause in attacks on energy targets, he wanted to know the details behind the proposal that Trump and Putin discussed in their bilateral meeting.

“Putin essentially rejected the proposal of a comprehensive ceasefire. It would be right for the world to reject any attempts by Putin to draw out the war,” Zelensky said Tuesday night.

Zelensky and Trump spoke on the phone Wednesday, in a conversation that Trump described as “very good.” Trump said in a social media post that “much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs.”

US national security adviser Mike Waltz said the US and Russian technical teams would meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for further talks.

“I spoke today with my Russian counterpart Yuri Ushakov about President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine. We agreed our technical teams would meet in Riyadh in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia,” he wrote on X.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with 145 drones, 2 ballistic missiles, and 4 anti-aircraft missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said Wednesday morning. The attacks targeted the Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. 72 drones were shot down, the air force said.

Civilian infrastructure was struck, including a hospital in the eastern Sumy region and an electricity system powering the railways in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to officials and Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsya.

Parts of the railway have been left without power, but trains are running as scheduled, the company said.

Zelensky said Wednesday that “Putin’s words are at odds with reality” following the overnight strikes. “When Putin said that he was allegedly ordering a halt to strikes on Ukrainian energy, there were 150 drones overnight, including on energy facilities. There were strikes on transportation, unfortunately, two hospitals were hit, and on urban infrastructure,” Zelensky said during a news conference in Finland.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday it had shot down 57 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, with 35 of those intercepted and destroyed over the Kursk border region.

Authorities in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar said a Ukrainian drone had caused a fire at an oil depot near the village of Kavkazskaya, Reuters reported. As of Wednesday morning, more than 200 personnel were on the ground working to extinguish the blaze, Russian officials said.

“Unfortunately, we see that there is no reciprocity on the part of the Kyiv regime. There were attempts to strike our energy infrastructure facilities,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said following the overnight attacks.

Putin also said Wednesday that after a series of rapid operations, Russian forces are now “completing” the defeat of Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv launched its shock incursion last August.

Ukraine currently controls about 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) of Russia’s Kursk region at most, according to a Ukrainian commander who has been fighting in Kursk for six months.

Trump and Putin ‘trust each other,’ Kremlin says

Putin announced the halt on energy infrastructure attacks on Tuesday after his lengthy call with Trump. “Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order,” a Kremlin readout said.

As part of its demands for a broader ceasefire, the Kremlin readout laid out several tough conditions that Putin had previously insisted on – such as a halt to all foreign military aid and intelligence to Kyiv, and a halt to any Ukrainian mobilization or rearming during that period.

“I can say with a high degree of confidence that Presidents Putin and Trump understand each other well, trust each other, and intend to gradually move towards normalizing Russian-American relations,” Peskov told reporters Wednesday, following the phone conversation between the leaders.

Peskov added that significant damage was done to US-Russia relations under former President Joe Biden, and restoring them will take time and effort. He also noted that Putin and Trump see “enormous potential” for major economic cooperation projects.

An expected prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine took place Wednesday, with 175 servicemen exchanged on each side, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “Also, as a goodwill gesture, 22 seriously wounded prisoners of war in need of urgent medical assistance” were handed over, the ministry added.

The statement said mediation efforts were provided by the United Arab Emirates. The Kremlin first announced the prisoner swap on Tuesday during a readout of the call between Putin and Trump. Zelensky said this was “a pre-arranged exchange. But in any case, exchanges are great for Ukraine.”

France is preparing to distribute a “survival manual” to every household to help citizens prepare for “imminent threats” – including armed conflict on French soil.

“This includes natural disasters, technological and cyber incidents, health crises like Covid-19, and security crises like terrorist attacks and armed conflict,” she said.

If approved by Bayrou, the 20-page booklet will be delivered to households before the summer.

The French plan follows updates to similar booklets issued to millions of households in Sweden and Finland, which include instructions on how to prepare for the effects of military conflicts, communications outages and power cuts, as well as extreme weather events.

The new booklet will be similar in content to a French government website, launched in 2022, that provides advice on how to prepare for an emergency.

The manual will be divided into three sections, offering practical advice on how to protect yourself and loved ones in the face of immediate danger.

Among the recommendations will be having a list of emergency contacts (fire service, police and ambulance); knowing which radio channels to tune into; and ensuring that all doors are shut in the event of a nuclear accident.

The manual will also outline ways to contribute to the defense of the community, such as volunteering for reserve units or local fire-fighting groups.

The booklet will recommend all households have a “survival kit” including six liters (1.6 gallons) of bottled water, a dozen tins of food, batteries and a flashlight in case of power outages.

It will also advise citizens to buy medical supplies, such as paracetamol, compresses, and saline solution.

“I’m not worried about a war on French soil, but people need to know what to do, just in case,” he said.

“Basic things like medicine and food should be given to every household,” he added.

Carine Langlois, 56, remains sceptical about the likelihood of armed conflict in France.

“I don’t think there will be a war. It’s not President Emmanuel Macron’s role to intervene between Trump and Putin. There are other other matters that require urgent attention here in France,” Langlois said.

“We survived Covid, and we will manage if something else happens,” she added.

Laure Mourgue d’Algue, a 25-year-old primary school teacher, describes herself as “anti-war” but thinks the manual “makes sense from a standpoint of prevention.”

“Having a basic knowledge of what you need to survive – like knowing how to handle electricity – is important in terms of risk management,” she said.

However, she noted that a manual alone may not be enough.

“Psychological safety matters, and a piece of paper won’t provide that. We need training,” she said.

“Engagement can also mean joining associations, such as the reserve forces,” she said.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure citizens are ready to respond in the event of a crisis,” she added.

Earlier this month, Macron announced “a major overhaul” of France’s security forces, including plans to increase the number of operational reservists from 40,000 to 100,000 by 2035.

During a visit to a military base in eastern France on Tuesday, he said additional measures on military capabilities, investments, and equipment would be announced in the coming weeks.

“Our country and our continent must continue to defend themselves, equip themselves, and prepare if we want to avoid war,” Macron said.

“This is the choice we have made, and will continue to make. No one can say what will happen in the months and years to come.”

Turkish police have detained the strongest rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a move that experts say is aimed at removing all possible contenders ahead of the next presidential election and further stretching his rule.

The Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was detained as part of corruption and terror investigations in a move the opposition condemned as politically motivated. Some 100 others connected to the mayor were also detained, including elected Istanbul district mayors Resul Emrah Sahan and Murat Calik.

The wave of arrests comes after a months-long crackdown on the opposition in Turkey. In November, Human Rights Watch lambasted Erdogan for removing several elected opposition mayors and replacing them with government-appointed ones.

Murat Somer, politics professor at Ozyegin University in Istanbul, said the Istanbul mayor’s detention was part of a political transformation Turkey is undergoing.

Whether the opposition will be able to survive this effort is yet to be seen.

Imamoglu said that he would not back down.

“We are up against huge bullying,” the two-time mayor said in a video filmed from his walk-in closet shortly before his arrest. “But I will not back down. I love you all. I entrust myself to the people. I will be standing tall,” he said in the video that was posted Wednesday on X.

In a separate message, Imamoglu’s wife Dilek said that “those who do not want to lose in the next ballot box have made this move,” referring to Erdogan and his camp.

‘Too much of a threat’

Imamoglu, one of Turkey’s most popular political figures, was the major threat to Erdogan.

Erdogan extended his rule into a third decade after winning a knife-edge presidential election in 2023, securing a second term. His party did not, however, secure the key city of Istanbul, where he was mayor before becoming president, which remains in the hands of his rival Imamoglu and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

After winning a second term, Erdogan was bent on taking back the city in March 2024 municipal elections, which saw Imamoglu again emerge victorious by 51.14% of the vote, beating Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) candidate. He had been elected Istanbul mayor in 2019.

Both leaders hail from the Black Sea coast, and just as Erdogan used his Istanbul mayorship in the 1990s to convince voters that he can run Turkey well, “Imamoglu has created the same brand,” he said. “This was too much a threat for Erdogan and he decided to nip it in the bud.”

Imamoglu is on a trajectory to one day lead the country. Some polls had said that if he ran for president against Erdogan, Imamoglu would secure more votes.

“Imamoglu is extremely popular,” Somer said adding that Imamoglu has been particularly skilled at drawing support, even from traditionally pro-Erdogan camps.

“This is of course extremely threatening to Erdogan,” Somer said.

His arrest came just days before the CHP was scheduled to hold a primary election, where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen as its presidential candidate for the next round of presidential polls.

It also comes after Istanbul University said on Tuesday it had annulled Imamoglu’s degree over irregularities. Candidates must hold a university degree to run for president in Turkey.

In response to his arrest, the CHP called for protests by the party’s headquarters and provincial offices across the country. The CHP’s leader, Ozgur Ozel, called Imamoglu’s detention “a coup attempt against our next president.”

Meanwhile, Erdogan’s allies have defended the crackdown.

Erdogan’s ally and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, rejected calling Imamoglu’s detention a coup, adding that calling to the streets in protest of his arrest is “political corruption that has gone mad and lost its level of reason and morality.”

Bahceli also insisted that the Turkish judiciary is “independent, impartial and objective.”

A third presidential term?

Experts say that Erdogan is likely trying to extend his rule into a third term.

According to the constitution presidents are only allowed to run for two terms. To circumvent this rule, Erdogan will have to either amend the constitution or call early elections.

To change the constitution, Erdogan will need the support of the CHP, the second largest party in Turkey’s Grand National Assembly after Erdogan’s AK Party, boasting more than 130 members of parliament. The AK Party has more than 270 seats. A constitutional amendment requires a vote of two-thirds majority in parliament.

Erdogan previously amended the constitution in a 2017 referendum that transformed Turkey’s parliamentary system into a powerful executive presidency, granting Erdogan sweeping powers.

The president may also call early elections, which would grant him at least another five years of rule, as his second term would be incomplete. In order to actually run for president in early elections, parliament will have to make the call, according to Article 116 of the constitution.

But any election that includes the opposition with Imamoglu as its head risks seeing Erdogan’s defeated, experts say.

“If they allow the opposition to fully participate in the elections, they will lose. They realize that,” Somer said, adding that Erdogan is likely seeking to eliminate the opposition before calling early elections and changing the constitution, which Somer said Erdogan has been preparing for by co-opting politicians to back the idea.

Captagay said that Erdogan may, however, miscalculate, as “arresting your top opponent never works out well.”

Erdogan was himself arrested in 1999 by the then-secular regime. He later went on to win massive popularity.

“Imamoglu’s arrest might increase sympathies for him and can frame him as a nationally known political hero, just as Erdogan’s arrest did for him in 1999,” Captagay said, adding that Erdogan may have inadvertently bolstered his political nemesis.

Mexico City’s local congress on Tuesday passed a measure aiming to make bullfights much less harmful to bulls and matadors, a move applauded by animal rights activists but sharply criticized by fans of the centuries-old tradition.

The measure, among other things, will not allow bullfighters to use spades and swords to attack the animal, which in turn will have its horns covered to prevent injuries to humans.

The bill, introduced by Mayor Clara Brugada of the ruling Morena party, passed with 61 votes in favor and one against.

Outside of the local congress, dozens of bullfighting fans clashed with police. Some broke past a barrier and attempted to force their way inside of the building. Other demonstrators held up signs announcing their respect for the bull.

On March 1, bullfighter Emilio Macias was seriously injured in the neighboring state of Tlaxcala after being pierced in the behind by a bull’s horn.

“The aim is not to make bullfighting disappear, but evolve,” lawmaker Victor Hugo Romo de Vivar said.

Mayor Brugada celebrated the bill’s passing on X, saying it was a step into turning the capital into “a city which respects animal rights, and which will not tolerate them being subjected to abuse or violence.”

The bill will go into effect in 210 calendar days, giving the government time to issue new regulations on bullfighting.

Mexico City is home to the world’s largest bullring, even larger than those in Spain, which birthed the tradition. Bullfighting in Mexico dates back to 1529 – the time of conquistador Hernan Cortes – in what is now Mexico City.

In recent years, several other Latin American countries have banned bullfighting. Last year, Colombia passed a measure to phase out bullfights by 2027.

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa wants foreign armies to help crack down on gang violence in the country.

In an interview with the BBC published Tuesday night, Noboa said he wants US, European and Brazilian armies to join his “war” on gangs, telling the broadcaster that his country needs more armed forces to fight against criminal groups.

The Ecuadorean leader previously called for international forces to support the country’s effort to combat gangs. In a local radio interview earlier this month, Noboa said his government was “already in talks” to receive foreign military support for provinces like Guayas known for high crime, but did not specify which countries were involved in the talks.

“We have a plan in place with our law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, the Strategic Intelligence Center, and international assistance and support from special forces. That’s essential,” he told Guayaquil’s Radio City.

Ecuador has been hit by waves of gang violence – often linked to the drug trade – prompting the government to take a series of extraordinary measures, including a nationwide crackdown last year, preemptive pardons for law enforcement officers battling the gangs, and states of emergency.

According to figures from the government, the start to the year has seen an unprecedent level of violence with more than 1,000 homicides. Data from organized crime research center InSight Crime suggests Ecuador has the highest homicide rate in Latin America.

Earlier this month, Noboa took his controversial military operation a step further earlier by announcing a “strategic alliance” with Erik Prince, founder of the notorious private military contractor formerly known as Blackwater.

The move was met with skepticism within Ecuador, with former army commander Luis Altamirano calling the prospective partnership “deplorable.”

Blackwater gained notoriety in 2007 during the Iraq War, when its private contractors opened fire in Baghdad’s Nisour Square, killing 17 Iraqi civilians. The company then changed its name and Prince sold it in 2010. Four contractors were convicted and later pardoned by Trump.

Asked about Prince’s history, Noboa told the BBC Ecuador’s laws need to be respected.

Noboa’s escalating tactics against the gangs come as Ecuador prepares for a run-off presidential vote next month. Noboa fell short of winning an outright majority in the country’s general election last month, and has since doubled down on his tough-on-crime approach – an approach criticized by human rights groups and slammed by his political opponent Luisa Gonzalez – an ally of former leftist president Rafael Correa – who accuses him of being a leader that “represents fear.”

Noboa has labeled several gangs in the country as terror groups. Speaking to the BBC, Noboa called for US President Donald Trump to do the same.

The State Department has given Ecuador $81 million since 2018 to help the country with its fight against organized crime and narcotics. The two countries also have an agreement that allows US military and civilian personnel to be sent to Ecuador but remain under US control if needed.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early Thursday morning, the second to target Israel since the Gaza ceasefire ended on Tuesday.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for what the Iran-backed group said was a ballistic missile fired in support of Palestinians and in response to Israel’s renewed bombardment of Gaza.

The missile was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

No injuries were immediately reported, according to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA).

Sirens sounded in several areas across the country, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, authorities said.

The Houthis said the missile targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

The group also claimed it targeted the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and a number of United States warships in the Red Sea with an unspecified number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, in response to the recent wave of US airstrikes across Yemen.

The launch came after US strikes targeted Yemen on Wednesday and early into Thursday, including in the capital Sanaa, as President Donald Trump threatened the Houthis in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying the rebel group “will be completely annihilated.”

The Houthis earlier said they will continue their assaults on American and Israeli interests until the hostilities in Gaza cease.

Dozens of people have been reported killed after Trump ordered “decisive” military action against the Houthis in Yemen late last week, opening a new salvo against the group that has targeted vital Red Sea shipping routes.

US strikes over the weekend killed at least 53 people and wounded almost 100 others in Yemen, including women and children, the Houthi-run health ministry said according to the Associated Press.

On Wednesday, US strikes on Sanaa also injured seven women and two children in a residential neighborhood, the Houthi-run health ministry said.

US strikes also targeted the western province of Al-Jawf on Wednesday and Hodeidah and Saada early Thursday, the Houthis said.

Video from Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV shows Yemeni civil defense teams extinguishing blazing fires in the aftermath of the strikes, damaged buildings and vehicles, and two children with blood on their bodies and clothes.

The US Central Command did not clarify specific locations it targeted in Yemen but confirmed Wednesday that its forces “continue 24/7 operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Canada said on Wednesday that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drugs smuggling charges earlier this year, and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told reporters that all four had been dual citizens and said Ottawa would ask for leniency for other Canadians facing the same fate.

“There are four Canadians that have been executed and therefore we are strongly condemning what happened,” she said, adding that all four had been convicted on drugs charges.

Separately, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said that Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian man sentenced to death in 2019 for drug smuggling, had not been executed.

Canada-China ties have been icy since 2018 when Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, was detained in Vancouver at the Trump administration’s request. China arrested two Canadians shortly afterwards.

Meng and the Canadian duo were released in 2021.

Earlier this month Beijing announced tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa slapped on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products last year.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Ottawa said Canada was making irresponsible remarks.

“China always imposed severe penalties on drug-related crimes and maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude towards the drug problem,” it said, without confirming that any executions had taken place.

Indonesia’s parliament on Thursday passed contentious revisions to the country’s military law, which will allocate more civilian posts for military officers, and street protests against the changes are expected to take place.

The revisions have been criticized by civil society groups, who say it could take the world’s third-biggest democracy back to the draconian “New Order” era of former strongman president Suharto, when military officers dominated civilian affairs.

Speaker Puan Maharani led the unanimous vote in a plenary council and officially passed the law, saying that it was in accordance with the principle of democracy and human rights.

President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last October and was a special forces commander under Suharto, has been expanding the armed forces’ role into what were considered civilian areas, including his flagship program of free meals for children.

Rights groups have criticized the increased military involvement because they fear it may lead to abuses of power, human rights violations, and impunity from consequences for actions.

The government has said the bill requires officers to resign from the military before assuming civilian posts at departments such as the Attorney’s General Office and a lawmaker has said officers could not join state-owned companies, to counter concerns the military would be involved in business.

Protesters from several democracy groups and students have said they will stage rallies in front of the parliamentary building in Jakarta.

Some students had camped at the back gate of parliamentary building since Wednesday evening, protesting the law and demanding the government pull out all military personnel from civilian jobs.

Police officers forced them to leave the building but they refused, one protestor who declined to be named told Reuters. There were just a few dozen protesters at the time the bill was passed by parliament.

Military personnel were called in for security in the parliamentary building to assist police.

“The geopolitical changes and global military technology require the military to transform … to face conventional and non conventional conflicts,” Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told parliament, while defending the revised law.

“We will never disappoint the Indonesians in keeping our sovereignty,” he added, but did not specify what geopolitical challenges he was referring to.

Venezuela’s leader has described the deportation of more than 200 mostly Venezuelan migrants sent by the United States to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador as a “kidnapping,” and denied they are criminals while backing calls for their return.

“Nayib Bukele should not be an accomplice to this kidnapping, because our boys did not commit any crime in the United States, none,” Nicolas Maduro told supporters Wednesday, referencing El Salvador’s leader, who has struck a deal with US President Donald Trump.

“They were not brought to trial, they were not given the right to a defense, the right to due process, they were deceived, handcuffed, put on a plane, kidnapped, and sent to a concentration camp in El Salvador,” Maduro added.

The Venezuelan leader, who has ruled with an iron fist since 2013, said his government will deliver El Salvador an “official document” to request the return of the Venezuelan deportees, which will have the support of “millions” of signatures of Venezuelan citizens.

Over the weekend, Trump invoked an 18th-century wartime law to deport 238 Venezuelans it claims are part of the Tren de Aragua gang despite a court ruling halting the move, deepening tensions between the US and Venezuela. He defended the move arguing the US faced an “invasion” of migrants and described those deported as “a bad group of, as I say, hombres.”

The Venezuelans, along with 23 Salvadorans also deported, were sent to the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador, as part of an agreement between the US and El Salvador. The prison is notorious for the ruthless way it treats prisoners, which human rights organizations say is inhumane and violates human rights.

Venezuelans took to the streets of the capital Caracas Tuesday to rally against the deportations. Some claimed they identified their loved ones among the deported group in videos and photos shown on the news. Some relatives of men sent to El Salvador said their loved ones were not criminals and demanded they be returned home.

Maduro backed those calls.

“I celebrate that millions of men and women from Venezuela have come out to support the families of these young Venezuelans with their signatures, to officially demand that the Government of El Salvador free them from this kidnapping, not subject them to humiliation, and return them to us sooner rather than later,” he said.

The White House has not presented evidence that the deported Venezuelans belong to Tren de Aragua, a group linked to human trafficking, money laundering, drug smuggling and other crimes. In January, Trump designated Tren de Aragus and the Salvadoran MS-13 gang as foreign terrorist organizations.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said this week it conducted a thorough review of the profiles of the individuals in question to verify that they are part of criminal groups. The names of the deported individuals have not been released.

Some Venezuelans previously deported by the Trump administration have insisted they have nothing to do with the gang, such as Daniel Simancas Rodríguez, who spent 15 days in detention at Guantanamo Bay before being deported to Venezuela.

Maduro said Wednesday he ordered his government to increase the number of flights repatriating Venezuelan migrants detained in the US.

“We are going to return all migrants who have been detained to give them respect, dignity, support, and to return to their homeland and their families,” he said.