Russian court seizes assets from European banks UniCredit, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank (www.morningstar.com)
Archived link...
Taiwan's new president calls on China to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy (www.bbc.com)
- Beijing dislikes Taiwan’s new President William Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which they see as pro-independence. It has ramped up military incursions around Taiwan’s waters and airspace since his election win in January....
Prime Minister of Estonia: NATO troops training in Ukraine will not lead to an escalation of war (westobserver.com)
Archived link...
Taiwan's outgoing president says boosting her country's military was the only way to defy China's threat - and that 'democratic countries need to support Ukraine' (www.bbc.com)
When Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s President who soon leaves office after eight years and hands over to her successor William Lai, swept to power in 2016, she was dismissed as a dull bureaucrat. But she stood up to an increasingly authoritarian and aggressive China under Xi Jinping; she held on to a vital US alliance under Donald...
Chinese nationals are trying to get to Australia by boat over a weak economy and political oppression at home (www.abc.net.au)
As night fell over the Indian Ocean, Li thought he would die in his boat....
The crew of the Dali, that hit the Baltimore bridge in februari, have been confined to their ship for almost 2 months now while investigations continue. (edition.cnn.com)
Estonian parliament adopts law allowing use of Russian frozen assets (www.riigikogu.ee)
Estonian MPs passed a law that enables the use of Russian assets frozen under international sanctions to compensate Ukraine for war damages....
Slovakia: Suspect in court as Putin’s friends capitalise on shooting of prime minister Robert Fico (www.theguardian.com)
Media is barred from hearing as 71-year-old man appears in closed session over attempted assassination of prime minister....
Ukrainian Christian groups face violent crackdown from Russian forces (www.pbs.org)
"Weaponising threat of mass migration": Putin aims to "make life really impossible in Ukraine so that there would be migration pressure to Europe", Estonian PM says (www.theguardian.com)
‘Adversaries know migration is our vulnerability,’ says Kaja Kallas, spelling out negative consequences to Europe of Ukrainian defeat...
Estonia ‘seriously’ discussing sending troops to ‘rear’ jobs in Ukraine, official says (breakingdefense.com)
Archived link...
China-Russia relations: Putin and Xi no longer have a partnership of equals (www.bbc.com)
TLDR:****- China’s president Xi wants to maintain an alliance with Putin’s Russia, while also knowing that close ties with a pariah puts at risk his stable ties with the West which he needs to help his ailing economy....
The Israeli Defense Establishment Revolts Against Netanyahu (www.theatlantic.com)
cross-posted from: beehaw.org/post/13856220...
Syrians Facing Expulsions at Home and Abroad (unicornriot.ninja)
France declares state of emergency, bans TikTok in New Caledonia amid deadly riots (www.scmp.com)
Reports on China’s Bad Lending Data Disappear on Chinese Social Media (www.bloomberg.com)
- Total credit demand in China fell in April for first time since 2005*- China has increasingly hidden negative data in recent years*...
Spain denies port of call to ship carrying arms to Israel (www.theguardian.com)
'A big mess is brewing’: Thousands of Russian fighters are flooding into Libya, raising concerns over what the Kremlin might be planning (meduza.io)
Archived link...
Arab League calls for UN peacekeepers in occupied Palestinian territory (www.aljazeera.com)
Research and espionage: an institute staffed by Russian intelligence officers is recruiting students and scientists abroad (theins.ru)
Archived link...
How is China supporting Russia after it was sanctioned for Ukraine war? (www.bbc.com)
Note: There are diagrams I can’t post here, it may be worth clicking the link....
How the Kremlin launders disinformation around the globe, attempting to sow division and undermine democracy (www.info-res.org)
Archived link...
Which German websites help disseminate pro-Russian narratives (insightnews.media)
Alternative link...
Austrian weapons continue to flow to Russia despite EU sanctions and Austria's stance of neutrality, which Vienna uses to justify its refusal to officially supply weapons to Ukraine (theins.ru)
Archived link...