News
The war is beginning to take its toll on the Russian economy: the media have identified signs of decline
This year, the effects of sanctions and the high cost of the war have been particularly keenly felt in Russia.
Ukraine is set to review its immigration rules due to staff shortages and a lack of workers
Ukraine is preparing to revise its list of ‘migration risk’ countries in order to make it slightly easier to recruit foreign workers, against the backdrop of an acute labour shortage. Kirill Budanov made this announcement during a speech to the CEO Club, noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Security Service of Ukraine had already been instructed to urgently review the relevant proposals.
Iran has pulled out of the second round of talks with the US
Iran will not take part in the second round of talks with the United States. Meanwhile, Washington has stated that it is prepared to continue its diplomatic efforts.
International Labour Day on 1 May: the history of the holiday and whether Ukrainians celebrate it
For several years now, there has been a debate in Ukraine over whether 1 May should be celebrated. ThePublic has looked into what this holiday is really about, what the Bolsheviks have to do with it, and whether it will be a public holiday this year.
A city councillor was found shot dead in his car in Odessa: police have released a preliminary account
On the morning of 20 April, the body of a city councillor was found in a car in the Primorsky district of Odessa. The police have provisionally stated that the man may have committed suicide using a firearm.
The IMF will not insist on VAT for sole traders at this stage – Svyrydenko
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that, following consultations in Washington, the International Monetary Fund has agreed that introducing VAT for sole traders is not a constructive idea at this stage. At the same time, the matter does not appear to be definitively closed, as the current IMF programme documents previously envisaged an expansion of the VAT base from 2027, and there is already talk in parliament of possibly postponing this discussion until the summer.
The heaviest fighting has been reported in the Pokrovsk area
Over the past 24 hours, there have been 206 combat engagements on the front line. The heaviest fighting has been reported in the Pokrovsk sector.
Radev’s pro-Russian “Progressive Bulgaria” party is leading in the elections – exit polls
According to exit polls, the “Progressive Bulgaria” coalition led by former President Rumen Radev is comfortably in the lead in Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections on 19 April. Various exit polls have put the coalition’s share of the vote at between 37.5% and 39.2%.
In Louisiana, a man shot eight children and was shot dead by police following a chase
A shooting took place in Shreveport, resulting in the deaths of eight children. The suspect was shot dead by the police after fleeing the scene.
An oil refinery in Tuapse has caught fire again following a drone attack
On the night of 20 April, a drone attack on an oil refinery was reported in Tuapse, Russia. A major fire broke out at the site.
Magnetic storm on 20 April 2026: what will the geomagnetic activity be like?
On 20 April 2026, the geomagnetic conditions are expected to be free of extreme disturbances, but with noticeable fluctuations throughout the day. According to the current forecast from the NOAA SWPC, there will be no full-blown G1-level geomagnetic storm during the day, although weather-sensitive individuals may experience some discomfort at certain times.
Russian military casualties over the past 24 hours have exceeded 1,000
Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have lost 1,050 personnel in the war against Ukraine. Total losses since the start of the full-scale invasion have exceeded 1.3 million.