Ukrainian court denies bail to Russian journalist slated for prisoner exchange by President Zelensky

A Russian-Ukrainian journalist accused of state treason by Kiev has been denied bail by a Ukrainian court. Earlier Ukraine's president suggested exchanging the man for a Ukrainian activist convicted for terrorism in Russia.

A Kiev court on Friday ordered to keep journalist Kirill Vyshynsky, the head of RIA Novosti Ukraine, in jail until September 19. The journalist has remained in custody since May 2018, when he was arrested by Ukraine's national security service SBU and accused of state treason. Prosecutors allege that his work as head of the Russia-linked news agency amounted to waging "information warfare" against the country. The charge may result in a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Earlier on Friday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested exchanging Vyshynsky for Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian activist, who is serving a term in Russia for terrorism. The court is yet to rule on Vyshynsky's guilt or innocence, so the suggestion implies Zelensky may order that charges be dropped against him.

Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in 2015 for the role he played in a string of arsons in Sevastopol, Crimea, which were meant as acts of political resistance against the peninsula's secession from Crimea and rejoining Russia. The court ruled that the group's plan to bomb a memorial and a statue posed a serious threat to public safety, unlike the arsons that targeted empty buildings, and delivered a harsh sentence. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly demanded his release as a "political prisoner."

Vyshynsky's defense said it will appeal the latest ruling. Moscow views his prosecution as a "mockery of justice," saying he is being tried for being a Russian journalist. Concerns over his case were voiced by a number of international human rights organizations, who questioned Kiev's rationale.

British lawmakers have voted in favor of a bid to stop the future Tory prime minister - hotly tipped to be Boris Johnson - from suspending the UK Parliament to ram through a no-deal Brexit.

MPs in the House of Commons backed an amendment by a majority of 41 (315-274) which blocks the suspension of Parliament between October 9 and December 18 unless a Northern Ireland executive is formed.

The vote is a blow for Johnson, who is the frontrunner to become Britain's next prime minister, who has refused to take the 'proroguing' (suspension) of Parliament off the table as a backup measure to see the UK leave the EU by October 31. It now becomes increasingly difficult for such drastic action to take place.

Seventeen Tories rebelled against Theresa May's government, including Minister for Digital and Creative Industries Margot James, who resigned. Other notable rebels included Chancellor Philip Hammond, Justice Secretary David Gauke and former Tory leadership contender Rory Stewart, who all abstained.

The amendment to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill means that if Parliament is suspended when the UK government publishes reports on the situation in the Northern Irish assembly, MPs must be recalled to debate them.

One of the key signatories to the amendment, former Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt, claimed that MPs had spoken very loudly and clearly with this vote to insist that they should not be bypassed, adding that "Parliament must be sitting in the run up to October 31."

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