2 Explosive Devices Disarmed at a Market in Kiev, Mayor Says

A general view of Kiev, Ukraine. (AFP)
A general view of Kiev, Ukraine. (AFP)
TT
20

2 Explosive Devices Disarmed at a Market in Kiev, Mayor Says

A general view of Kiev, Ukraine. (AFP)
A general view of Kiev, Ukraine. (AFP)

Two explosive devices were disarmed at a Kiev market on Tuesday following an anonymous tip to the police, the Ukrainian capital's mayor said.

Local police received a call Tuesday saying bombs were planted under two mobile kiosks at the site in northern Kiev, Vitali Klitschko said on his Facebook page.

"Law enforcement officers and bomb specialists verified the information and found the dangerous objects. People were immediately evacuated. The perimeter around the kiosks was sealed by law enforcement and rescuers," Klitschko said, adding that the devices, placed between a car and the mobile kiosks, were disarmed.

Police in Kiev said they were also checking information about possible explosives planted on a square near the Minska metro station, which is in close proximity to the market.

Earlier on Tuesday an armed man seized a long-distance bus and took about 10 people hostage in the city of Lutsk 250 miles west of Kiev, prompting an hours-long standoff with the police.



Khamenei Says Iran-US Talks Going Well but May Lead Nowhere

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei addresses government officials in Tehran on April 15, 2025 - AFP
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei addresses government officials in Tehran on April 15, 2025 - AFP
TT
20

Khamenei Says Iran-US Talks Going Well but May Lead Nowhere

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei addresses government officials in Tehran on April 15, 2025 - AFP
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei addresses government officials in Tehran on April 15, 2025 - AFP

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday he was satisfied with talks with the United States but warned they could ultimately prove fruitless.

Tehran and Washington are due to meet again in Muscat on Saturday, a week after top officials held the highest-level talks since the landmark 2015 nuclear accord collapsed.

US President Donald Trump, who pulled out of the deal during his first term, revived his "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign after returning to office in January.

In March, he sent a letter to Khamenei urging talks and warning of possible military action if Iran refused.

Saturday's talks were "well carried out in the first steps", Khamenei said, quoted by state television, according to AFP.

"Of course, we are very pessimistic about the other side, but we are optimistic about our own capabilities."

But he added that "the negotiations may or may not yield results".

Despite having no diplomatic ties since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, both sides described the talks as "constructive".

Iran insists discussions remain "indirect" and mediated by Oman.

On Monday, Trump again threatened to strike Iran's nuclear facilities if no deal was reached, calling Iranian authorities "radicals" who should not possess nuclear weapons.

Tehran denies seeking an atomic bomb, saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, especially energy production.

Khamenei said Iran's "red lines are clear", without elaborating.

In his speech, Khamenei said Iran should not pin its hopes on progress in the negotiations.

"At the time (of the JCPOA), we made everything conditional on the progress of the negotiations," he said.

"This mistake... should not be repeated here."