According to the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Ukraine has donated a selection of books in Greek and English to Mariupol State University to replenish its library collection, reports a journalist from the “Culture” department of the Interfax-Ukraine agency from the scene.
“After relocating from Mariupol to Kyiv, the support of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cypriot Embassy has become even more important to us. Today, this is no longer just assistance, but a real contribution to preserving Mariupol State University as an important institution not only for the Donetsk region, but for all of Ukraine and Europe,” said Tetyana Marena, acting rector of Mariupol State University.
According to her, prior to the full-scale war, Mariupol State University housed the Konstantinos Levendis Library of Hellenistic Studies, which contained approximately 17,000 volumes and was one of the largest collections of Hellenistic literature in the former CIS.
Part of the library’s collection was destroyed as a result of Russian shelling of Mariupol, while a significant portion of the unique collection remained in the occupied territory and is currently under the control of the occupiers.
“We are proud to be a center for the preservation of the Greek language, culture, and history in Ukraine,” Marena emphasized.
Michalis Firillas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cyprus to Ukraine, noted that supporting Mariupol University became one of the first areas of cooperation after he became acquainted with the institution.
“We immediately felt that Mariupol University’s struggle was very close to our hearts. One of the first ideas was to donate Greek-language books to the library to restore what had been lost,” he said.
According to the ambassador, most of the donated publications are devoted to the history, culture, architecture, and literature of Cyprus and Greece and cover the period from antiquity to the present day.
The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine and former rector of Mariupol State University, Mykola Trofimenko.
“It was one of the largest Hellenistic libraries in the world. And it is very important that today we are continuing this story—a story of success,” noted Trofimenko.
“Mariupol University, located in the city of Mariupol, housed one of the largest collections of Hellenistic publications in the former CIS—about 20,000 books. It was the center of Hellenistic studies, the most prominent in Ukraine, and it remains so to this day. Unfortunately, due to the occupation, a significant portion of this collection is now in the hands of the occupiers. We hope that the collection has been preserved,” said the ambassador’s assistant, Iryna Chalova.
According to her, after Mariupol State University relocated to Kyiv, the university began building a new library of Hellenistic publications.
“A new collection is currently being formed at the university’s Kyiv library, and thanks to a donation from the Embassy of Cyprus, it has already been supplemented with new books. We hope that we will be able to restore the library to the scale that Mariupol University had before the war,” Chalova noted.
She also emphasized that Cyprus’s support has taken on special significance following the university’s relocation.
“After Mariupol University moved to Kyiv, the support from Cyprus and the Cypriot Embassy has become even more important. This is a tangible contribution to preserving the university as a vital institution not only for the Donetsk region but for all of Ukraine and Europe,” she added.
After the official part, participants were invited to mingle during a reception and were also offered a short tour of the campus and a visit to the newly established Museum of Greek Cultural Heritage, located on the first floor of the academic building.
Separately, Firillas, responding to students’ questions, noted that for future specialists in international relations, it is no longer enough today to be an expert in just one field.
“In international relations, language skills are obviously necessary. But, in addition to this, you need to develop expertise in other areas. A foundation in economics or finance, even if it is not a full-fledged program of study, is an important complement,” the ambassador said.
He also emphasized the importance of cultural understanding in diplomacy.
“I have always considered it very important to have a certain cultural connection—to understand history, the origins of language, and its roots. It is these things that shape the identity of modern people and modern humanity,” noted Firillas.
According to him, young Ukrainian graduates should be given more opportunities for internships and training within the European Union, particularly in Brussels, in legal or business institutions.
“There is a certain way of doing things, a certain language, and a certain ethos of approach to the common compromise known as the European Union. We all have national interests, but we all share a common goal, so we must make some concessions. For Ukrainians who want to work in international relations, such an experience would be a wonderful addition,” the ambassador said.
After the occupation of Mariupol, Mariupol State University was relocated to Kyiv and continues to operate as a Ukrainian institution of higher education.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1167746.html
Jiji, a Ukrainian IT company and spin-off of the Genesis holding group—which is the largest owner of classifieds platforms (similar to OLX) in Africa—has announced the acquisition of Bikroy, the largest such platform in Bangladesh.
“We are continuing our work—with the acquisition of the largest classifieds platform in Bangladesh, a country with a population of 175 million, we have every chance of becoming the largest classifieds platform in emerging markets,” said company co-founder Volodymyr Mnoholetniy on Facebook.
According to him, the company previously acquired the OLX and Cars45 businesses in Africa, as well as the company Tonaton.
The product-focused IT company Jiji was founded jointly with entrepreneur Anton Volyansky in 2014 as part of the Genesis ecosystem. By 2023, the marketplace had become profitable, and in 2025, the company paid out its first dividends.
“This shows that it is possible and necessary to invest in valuable long-term stories over a horizon of many years—and that’s normal,” the company’s co-founder emphasized.
According to him, Jiji is now the leader in markets with a combined population of over 500 million people. Among other things, it is Africa’s largest classifieds platform for cars, real estate, and electronics.
“Millions of people use Jiji every month. More than 50% of the population in the countries where we operate are familiar with the Jiji brand,” Mnozheletny noted.
The Bikroy marketplace was founded in 2012. The platform specializes in a wide range of classified ads—from cars, real estate, electronics, clothing, and home goods to job listings and services.
According to Serbian Economist, Jared Kushner’s company may demand up to EUR50 million in compensation from Serbia for failing to fulfill the terms of the contract regarding the construction of a hotel and residential complex on the site of the former General Staff building in central Belgrade, said Marinka Tepić, vice-chair of the opposition Freedom and Justice Party.
According to her, the contract between the Serbian government and Kushner’s company stipulated obligations on Serbia’s part regarding the preparation of the site for the project, but these were not fulfilled. Tepić claims that because of this, Kushner’s company may seek compensation of EUR50 million.
So far, this is merely a statement by an opposition politician, not a publicly confirmed lawsuit or an official claim by Kushner’s company.
The project involved the site of the former General Staff complex in Belgrade, which was damaged during the NATO bombings in 1999. The complex had long held cultural heritage status, but in 2024, the Serbian government removed its protected status, paving the way for the development project.
According to media reports, the Serbian side agreed to transfer the site to a company linked to Kushner under a long-term 99-year lease. The project called for the construction of a hotel, apartments, and office and commercial spaces in one of Belgrade’s most prominent locations.
The initiative sparked strong opposition from Serbian opposition groups, architects, and activists. For many Belgrade residents, the General Staff building remains not just a ruined structure in the city center, but a symbol of the 1999 NATO bombings and a reminder of Serbia’s modern history. Opponents of the project demanded that the complex retain its memorial and cultural status rather than be turned into commercial real estate.
The situation became more complicated following an investigation into the documents on the basis of which the complex was stripped of its cultural monument status. Serbian prosecutors had previously charged current and former officials in a case involving the possible forgery of documents used to remove the General Staff building’s protected status. Following this, Western media reported that Kushner had abandoned the project amid protests and legal issues surrounding the site.
Jared Kushner is an American entrepreneur, founder of the investment firm Affinity Partners, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and former senior advisor to the White House during Trump’s first presidential term.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić sharply criticized the project’s collapse and stated that the country had lost a major investment.
According to him, the project involved at least EUR750 million in investments and thousands of jobs. Vučić promised to personally file criminal complaints against those who, in his words, participated in a “campaign” to destroy the project.
For Serbia, a potential claim for compensation marks a new phase in a politically sensitive case. On the one hand, the authorities presented the project as a major investment that could revitalize one of the most prominent locations in central Belgrade. On the other hand, opponents of the project believe that the state should not have transferred a symbolically important site to a private foreign investor for a hotel and commercial development.
The key question now is whether Kushner’s company will file a formal claim against Serbia and on what grounds. No official announcement from Kushner’s company regarding the filing of a lawsuit or a claim for EUR50 million has been published in open sources at this time.
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, views the cloud business as a key area for future growth; it recently launched its own cloud business and is seeking opportunities to expand it both organically and through acquisitions
“We recently launched our own cloud business in Ukraine, our own data center, and began commercializing it at the end of 2025,” Kyivstar CEO and President Oleksandr Komarov said on Thursday during a conference call regarding the operator’s Q1 2026 earnings report.
According to him, the company aims to prepare for the post-war growth of the cloud services market in terms of both the range of services and market share and existing capabilities.
“So this is a fairly important part of our business development,” noted Kyivstar’s CEO.
He clarified that currently, the company’s main business in this area is reselling Microsoft services and, to a lesser extent, Amazon services.
In late May, during the “Business Breakfast with Volodymyr Fedorin,” Komarov declined to comment on a possible acquisition of GigaCloud but also noted the group’s interest in strengthening its position in the cloud business.
In June 2025, the mobile operator launched its own cloud service for Ukrainian users, Kyivstar Cloud, which is available to small, medium, and large businesses, as well as public sector organizations.
In the first quarter of 2026, Kyivstar increased its EBITDA by 28.5% to UAH 7.5 billion, while revenue grew by 31.3% to UAH 13.9 billion.
According to the financial statements, revenue from the cloud service of the subsidiary Kyivstar.Tech rose from UAH 105 million to UAH 192 million.
In April 2026, Ukrainian ports handled 35.8% more cargo than in April 2025—8.2 million tons, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported on Telegram on Friday.
“This occurred despite a significant increase in attacks on port infrastructure,” the statement noted.
According to USPA data, in total, from January to April 2026, Ukraine’s seaports handled 29.5 million tons of cargo, which is more than during the same period last year.
It is noted that grain accounted for the bulk of the cargo flow—16 million tons, which is 7% more than last year.
In April, over 500 UAV attacks on logistics infrastructure were recorded.
“Despite security risks and regular shelling, port workers ensured the continuity of the industry’s operations and the fulfillment of foreign trade contracts,” the USPA emphasized.
As reported by Oleksiy Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery of Ukraine and Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, Ukrainian ports reduced cargo handling volumes by 8.3% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, down to 21.1 million tons.
Kuleba noted at the time that since the beginning of 2026, 193 port infrastructure facilities and 25 civilian vessels had been damaged.
Cargo turnover at Ukraine’s seaports in 2025 decreased by 15.9% compared to 2024—to 81.7 million tons, Kuleba noted. According to him, agricultural products accounted for the bulk of cargo turnover—44.2 million tons, which is 26.3% less than in 2024; at the same time, container traffic increased by 66.1%—to 215,750 TEU.
Singer Leléka will perform her song ‘Ridnym’ as the seventh act in the final of the “Eurovision 2026” international song contest.
According to a statement from the organizers of “Eurovision 2026,” the order of the contestants’ performances in the grand final was determined on Friday morning following the conclusion of the second semifinal.
Thus, the representative from Denmark will open the final, Ukraine (Leléka with the song “Ridnym”) will perform seventh, and the representatives from Austria will close the competition.
As previously reported, the 70th anniversary edition of “Eurovision 2026” is taking place in Vienna (Austria). The Grand Final will be held on May 16 at the Wiener Stadthalle, Austria’s largest indoor arena.
Based on the results of the two semifinals, the following countries have advanced to the final: Ukraine, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Israel, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Norway, Australia, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark, and the Czech Republic. In addition, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Austria—as the winner of Eurovision 2025—automatically advance to the final.
