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In time for the end of the year, Moscow and Kyiv have conducted a major swap of prisoners of war.
In a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war on Monday with the Russian defense ministry saying 150 Russian troops returned home, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy said a total of 189 Ukrainians had been freed.
In what is the 59th prisoner exchange since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian prisoners included military personnel, national and border guards, along with two civilians who had been captured by Russian forces in 2022.
While Ukraine has not published the exact number of prisoners of war held captive by Russia BBC sources suggest that the number from the near three-year war is more than 8,000.
The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, published his annual New Year’s message on Monday, expressing his concerns over global warming, which he called a “climate breakdown”.
“Throughout 2024, hope has been hard to find. Wars are causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement. Inequalities and divisions are rife — fueling tensions and mistrust.”
“The top ten 10 hottest years on record have happened in the last 10 years, including 2024. This is climate breakdown — in real time.”
The UN Chief added that in 2025, “it is essential” for countries to put the world on a safer path by cutting emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future.
As we count down towards the new year, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, is preparing for the world’s largest New Year’s Eve celebration.
Rio’s iconic Copacabana beach, which is hosting the New Year’s Eve party, is expected to be attended by some 2.5 million people, including locals and visitors from around the globe.
Rio authorities were seen finalizing and inspecting the main stage in the middle of the beach on Monday while the city’s firefighters inspected the rafts that will be transporting over 15 tonnes of fireworks for the strike of the clock at midnight on the first of January.
Some impressive artworks went under the hammer in 2024.
‘L’empire des lumières’, Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte’s oil painting depicting a paradoxical combination of day and night, was sold at a Christie’s auction in New York for some 121 million U.S. dollars.
Other works such as British painter David Hockney’s ‘California’, which had not been seen in public for over 40 years, was sold at another Christie’s auction this year for some 24 million dollars while ‘Rest on the Flight into Egypt’ painted by 16th century Venetian artist Titian, fetched some 22 million dollars.
While the renowned pieces of art fetched impressive prices, subversive artist Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork ‘Comedian’, which is a banana duct taped on a wall, also made headlines when it was sold for 6.24 million dollars.
Kim Siyoung, Arirang News.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=279491
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