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Ukraine and Russia Conclude Talks With Agreement on Prisoner Exchange

Members of the US, Russian and Ukrainian delegations, including United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov and head of Russian military intelligence (GRU) and head of Russian’s team in security talk Admiral Igor Kostyukov, attend the second round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Ukraine and Russia ended their second day of peace negotiations with a notable breakthrough: an agreement to carry out a new prisoner swap. Delegations from both countries described the discussions as constructive, marking one of the few tangible steps forward in a conflict where diplomatic progress has been rare. The agreement centers on exchanging captured soldiers, a humanitarian measure both sides have intermittently supported despite ongoing hostilities. Officials involved in the talks suggested that the deal could help build momentum for future negotiations, though major political and ter...
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Market Turmoil: U.S. Stocks Plunge Amid Trump Tariff Fears

 

U.S. stocks experienced a significant decline on Friday as concerns over President Donald Trump's tariff policies spread among businesses and consumers. The S&P 500 fell by 1.7%, marking its worst day in two months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 748 points, or 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.2%.

The losses accelerated throughout the day following several weaker-than-expected economic reports. One report suggested that U.S. business activity is close to stalling, with growth slowing to a 17-month low. The preliminary report from S&P Global indicated that activity unexpectedly shrank for U.S. services businesses, with many in the survey reporting slumping optimism due to concerns about Washington.

Additionally, a separate report revealed that U.S. consumers are preparing for higher inflation, partly due to potential tariffs that could raise prices for various imports. The University of Michigan's survey showed that consumers broadly expect prices to be 4.3% higher 12 months from now, a significant jump from their forecast of 3.3% inflation last month.

The stock market's decline was widespread, with stocks of the smallest companies, whose profits are more closely tied to the strength of the U.S. economy, falling more than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 index of small stocks dropped by 2.9%. Within the S&P 500 index, three out of every four stocks fell, including Big Tech stocks, airlines, and metals companies.

Despite the recent downturn, the U.S. stock market remains up for the year so far and is not far from its all-time high set earlier this week. However, Friday's reports have raised concerns about the resilience of the economy, and the losses on Wall Street were widespread.


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