KYIV: Ukraine’s military on Friday destroyed a Russian A-50 surveillance aircraft, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said, the second time in a little more than a month that Ukraine has reported downing the sophisticated plane.
“The A-50 with the call sign ‘Bayan’ has flown its last!” Oleshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted military sources as saying the A-50 was downed over Russian territory, between the cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. The operation was carried out, it said, by the air force and the intelligence directorate.
Russian news agencies quoted emergency services in southern Krasnodar region as saying that fragments of an aircraft were found in marshland in Kanevskoy district and firefighters extinguished a blaze.
The report made no reference to the A-50.
Ukraine’s military in January said its air force destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 surveillance plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post in the Sea of Azov.
The A-50, which first came into service near the end of the Soviet era, is a large airborne early warning and control aircraft that can scan several hundred kilometers for enemy aircraft, ships and missiles.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, told the Financial Times a month ago that Russia had eight A-50s at that time.
Ukraine military destroys Russian surveillance plane — air force commander
https://arab.news/btd86
Ukraine military destroys Russian surveillance plane — air force commander
- The A-50 was downed over Russian territory, between the cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar
- The operation was carried out by the air force and the intelligence directorate
More warning signs emerge for US travel industry as summer nears
- Expedia Group report drop in travel demand and Bank of America said credit card transactions showed spending on flights and lodging kept falling
- The US Travel Association has said that economic uncertainty and anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs may explain the pullback
Expedia Group said Friday that reduced travel demand in the United States led to its weaker-than-expected revenue in the first quarter, and Bank of America said credit card transactions showed spending on flights and lodging kept falling last month.
The two reports add to growing indications that the US travel and tourism industry may see its first slowdown since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic fueled a period of “revenge travel” that turned into sustained interest in getting away.
Expedia, which owns the lodging reservation platforms Hotels.com and VRBO as well as an eponymous online travel agency, was the latest American company to report slowing business with both international visitors and domestic travelers.
Airbnb and Hilton noted the same trends last week in their quarterly earnings reports. Most major US airlines pulled their full-year financial guidance in April and said they planned to reduce scheduled flights, citing an ebb in economy passengers booking leisure trips.
The US Travel Association has said that economic uncertainty and anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs may explain the pullback. In April, Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for a fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic.
Bank of America said Friday that its credit card holders were willing to spend on “nice to have” services like eating at restaurants in March and April, but “bigger ticket discretionary outlays on airfare and lodging continued to decline, possibly due to declining consumer confidence and worries about the economic outlook.”
Abroad, anger about the tariffs as well as concern about tourist detentions at the US border have made citizens of some other countries less interested in traveling to the US, tourism industry experts say.
The US government said last month that 7.1 million visitors entered the US from overseas this year as of the end of March, 3.3 percent fewer than during the first three months of 2024.
The numbers did not include land crossings from Mexico or travel from Canada, where citizens have expressed indignation over Trump’s remarks about making their country the 51st state. Both US and Canadian government data have shown steep declines in border crossings from Canada.
Expedia Chief Financial Officer Scott Schenkel said the net value of the travel technology company’s bookings into the US fell 7 percent in the January-March period, but bookings to the US from Canada were down nearly 30 percent.
In a conference call with investors Friday, Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said US demand was even softer in April than March.
“We’re still continuing to see pressure on travel into the US, but we’ve also seen some rebalancing,” Gorin said. “Europeans are traveling less to the US, but more to Latin America.”
Seattle-based Expedia said its revenue rose 3 percent to $2.99 billion for the quarter. That was lower than the $3 billion Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Expedia shares were down than 7 percent in mid-day trading Friday.
Airbnb said last week that foreign travel to the US makes up only 2 percent to 3 percent of its business. But within that category, it’s seeing declining interest in the US as a destination.
“I think Canada is the most obvious example, where we see Canadians are traveling at a much lower rate to the US but they’re traveling more domestically, they are traveling to Mexico, they are going to Brazil, they’re going to France, they’re going to Japan,” Airbnb Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz said in a conference call with investors.
Meanwhile, Hilton lowered its full-year forecast for revenue per available room, a key industry metric. The company said in late April that it now expects growth of 0 percent to 2 percent for the year, down from 2 percent to 3 percent.
Hilton President and CEO Christopher Nassetta told stock analysts the company saw international travel to its US hotels fall throughout the first quarter, particularly from Canada and Mexico.
But Nassetta said he remained optimistic for the second half of this year.
“My own belief is you will see some of — if not a lot of — that uncertainty wane over the next couple of quarters, and that will allow the underlying strength of the economy to shine through again,” he said.
Trump to Putin and Zelensky: ‘Get this war ended’
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to “get this war ended” in Ukraine as he pushes for a 30-day ceasefire.
Trump, who departs on Monday on a trip to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, was asked what his message to Putin is in the wake of a warning from the US embassy in Kyiv about a “potentially significant” air attack in the coming days. “I have a message for both parties: Get this war ended,” Trump says of Ukraine and Russia. “Get this stupid war finished. That’s my message for both of them,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The embassy said on its website that it had received information about an air attack that may occur at any time over the next several days.
“The Embassy, as always, recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced,” it said.
The White House said Trump had a “very good and productive” call with Zelensky on Thursday and that Trump hopes both Ukraine and Russia will agree next week to a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, speaking to reporters at a briefing on Friday, also reiterated that a Trump meeting with Putin next week in the Middle East was not going to happen.
In Kyiv, Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said he spoke by telephone on Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials about the proposed ceasefire as part of moves toward a peace agreement.
“The main focus was the question of the ceasefire and prospects for a peace settlement,” Yermak wrote on Telegram, adding that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg had also taken part. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was also present.
“Also discussed was the importance of implementing the points on which our presidents agreed,” Yermak wrote.
European leaders head to Kyiv to show support after Putin’s parade
- Visitors will call on Russia to agree 30-day ceasefire
- Putin used Red Square parade to show he is not isolated
KYIV: The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland headed to Kyiv on Saturday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of unity a day after Russia’s Vladimir Putin hosted his allies in a Victory Day parade on Red Square.
The summit will discuss a US and European proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine that if refused by Moscow would see them jointly impose new sanctions, a French diplomatic source said, adding that the step had not yet been finalized.
The visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is the first time the leaders of the four countries have traveled together to Ukraine.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace,” the four European leaders said in a joint statement.
The visit comes at an unpredictable diplomatic moment in Russia’s more than three-year-long war against Ukraine. US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid peace after tearing up the policies of his predecessor since entering the White House in January.
After engaging directly with Russian officials, clashing publicly with Zelensky and briefly cutting vital military aid to Ukraine, the Trump administration has patched up ties with Kyiv and signed an arduously-negotiated minerals deal.
There has also been a palpable shift in tone from Trump, who has signalled growing frustration with Putin’s foot-dragging over a ceasefire and Russia’s restatement of its demands for a settlement.
Trump has threatened to step up sanctions against Russia but he has also said he could abandon the peace effort if there is no breakthrough. He called on Thursday for a 30-day ceasefire and Zelensky said he would be ready to implement it immediately.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday that Russia supports the implementation of a 30-day ceasefire in the conflict, but only with due consideration of “nuances.”
Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders at a Red Square military parade on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, sending a defiant message that he is not isolated.
On the same day, European ministers voiced support for a special tribunal to prosecute the Russian President and his officials for crimes of aggression, showing support for Zelensky who on Thursday poured scorn on Putin for planning a “parade of bile and lies.”
‘Ball in moscow’s court’
On the eve of the summit, the US embassy in Kyiv warned of a “potentially significant” air attack in the coming days and told its citizens to be ready to seek shelter in the event of air raid sirens.
The four foreign leaders will meet Zelensky on Saturday morning and are also expected to pay their respects at a memorial in central Kyiv to honor Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.
They are expected to host a virtual meeting with other leaders to update them on progress being made for a future coalition of an air, land, maritime and “regeneration” force that would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal, Britain’s Downing Street said.
The visit falls on the final day of a May 8-10 ceasefire declared by Putin that Ukraine did not accept, denouncing it as a sham. Both sides have accused each other of violating it.
Zelensky said on Thursday he told Trump in a telephone call that a 30-day ceasefire would be a “real indicator” of progress toward peace with Russia, and that Kyiv was ready to implement it immediately.
The French diplomatic source said work had not been completed on the proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, but that the US and European allies hoped they were “at a moment of convergence.”
“What could happen in the coming hours and days, there could be an announcement of a ceasefire either of 30 days or compartmentalized, which is still being discussed,” the source said.
Merz, who became Germany’s chancellor this week, said on Friday that the ball was now in Moscow’s court.
“It is solely there that the decision will be made as to whether there is a chance, starting this coming weekend — that is, at the beginning of next week — to enable a longer ceasefire in Ukraine,” he said.
Pakistan PM condemns Indian strikes on civilians, praises Saudi push for de-escalation
KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned India’s missile and drone strikes against Pakistan that killed civilians this week while appreciating Saudi diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions with its nuclear neighbor in a meeting with the Kingdom’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir.
The Saudi minister’s daylong visit follows India’s military strikes inside Pakistan in response to a gun attack in the disputed Kashmir region that left 26 tourists dead, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad for the incident, though Pakistani authorities have repeatedly denied any involvement.
With the two archrivals teetering on the edge of a full-scale war, the United States announced on Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had discussed regional de-escalation with Saudi officials.
The same day, Al-Jubeir made a surprise stop in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials before arriving in Pakistan on Friday.
“While discussing the prevailing situation in South Asia [with the visiting dignitary], the Prime Minister strongly condemned India’s missile and drone strikes against Pakistan that had resulted in the martyrdom of scores of innocent civilians, including women and children, as well as damage to civilian infrastructures,” said a statement issued by his office after the meeting.
“He said Pakistan was fully determined to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter,” it added. “He appreciated the Kingdom’s diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation and bring peace in the region.”
Sharif conveyed warm regards to Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Saudi relations.
He also maintained that India’s “unprovoked and unjustified acts of aggression” had violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and seriously endangered regional peace and stability.
The statement said Al-Jubeir offered condolences over the loss of civilian lives and said the Kingdom was “deeply concerned” about the current situation in South Asia.
He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s call for de-escalation and the peaceful resolution of disputes between Pakistan and India in accordance with international law.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share close diplomatic and strategic relations.
The Kingdom has extended significant support to Pakistan during prolonged economic challenges faced by Islamabad in recent years, including external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs.
Saudi Arabia has also contributed to global peacemaking efforts by hosting talks and mediating prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia backs 30-day ceasefire but with due account of nuances, Kremlin’s Peskov says
- “This theme was long put forward by the Ukrainian side...,” said Peskov
MOSCOW: Russia supports the implementation of a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, but only with due consideration of ‘nuances’ in the more than three-year-old war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Friday.
“This theme was long put forward by the Ukrainian side...,” TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
“And as soon as it was advanced by the (US administration of Donald Trump), it was supported by President (Vladimir) Putin with the reservation that it is very difficult to discuss this in detail if no answers are found to a large number of nuances around the notion of a ceasefire.”
Russia has repeatedly said that introducing a prolonged ceasefire depends on establishing mechanisms to monitor and uphold such a move.
