"by drawing attention to the unusual presence of African workers on Russian assembly lines, they also raise troubling questions for African governments. Why are their citizens toiling at the heart of Vladimir Putin’s arms empire?" www.economist.com/middle-east-...

When each side no longer sees the other as people, they stop seeing a reason to stop killing each other. That's where we are in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With @biannagolodryga.bsky.social & Zain Asher @cnnipr.bsky.social youtu.be/8ooNblpkBDk

US ‘silence’ encouraging Putin, says Zelensky, after Russia launches record air assault #news #worldnews

As Trump aims to expand presidential authority, can anyone stop him? | Analysis: cnn.it/43LA0PZ

Trump administration finally responds to large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine #news #worldnews

"X is racist. The only thing up for debate is whether this is a feature or a bug for those in charge," writes Charlie Warzel.

Delighted that The CIA Book Club has been chosen as an NPR pick of the summer. "The book's allure is intrigue, danger, and suspense in the service of meaning. I'm in." Thanks @npr.org. #theciabookclub www.npr.org/2025/05/21/n...

You gotta love the Czechs. 📷 @nezvany_host

China, Iran steadily coming closer as nuclear talks with US continue. On energy, mil, trade, cooperation strengthening despite sanctions. Deal or no deal, naive to think Iran will abandon China. Fazli can only improve those ties. Sign-up to our NL here: www.linkedin.com/newsletters/...

Under Trump’s second term, the figures Media Matters has long scrutinized have been elevated into positions of real power. The fringe is now the establishment. And they’re now attempting to muzzle the watchdogs in plain sight. www.status.news/p/ftc-invest...

"The slaughter Wednesday night of two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington was an act of terrorism apparently motivated by virulent antisemitism," the Editorial Board writes. wapo.st/4keK6im

This isn’t getting nearly enough attention. Estonian navy is stopped at intercepting a shadow fleet vessel because a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 violated Estonian air space. This reduces even the implausible deniability to 0, which Russia has been relying on with the shadow fleet.

@glandsbergis.bsky.social and I presented this morning our report commissioned by the CBSS to the organisation's foreign ministers, who agreed with our conclusions. The report is now public and free to read. (/2) icds.ee/en/independe...

According to Reporters Without Borders ( @rsf.org ) my beloved Estonia 🇪🇪 ranks second in the the world in media freedom. Media freedom is one of a principal foundations of democracy. rsf.org/en/index

Cables from US embassies reveal how the silencing of VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, MBN and Radio/TV Marti are harming US interests abroad

Most of the applications were sent using encrypted messaging, the university’s president, Eric Berton, wrote. “And with them came worrying, sometimes chilling, accounts from American researchers about the fate reserved for them by the Trump administration.” www.theguardian.com/education/20...

“As the administration talks itself into refusing to comply with judicial orders, federal judges are moving closer to deploying the most powerful tool they have: contempt of court,” Quinta Jurecic writs. “Even that tool might not be powerful enough”:

New from 404 Media: we've obtained a leak from inside Palantir describing Palantir's plan to help ICE find people to deport. Includes peoples' location. Palantir is expecting a backlash, preparing comments for employees to tell their family. Says ICE "mature partner" www.404media.co/leaked-palan...

This appears to be correct: British Indian Ocean Territory is on the tariff list. The only residents there are at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military installation, according to a CIA Factbook. www.cia.gov/the-world-fa...

Moscow has downgraded its relationship with Pyongyang before and could do so again after the Russo-Ukrainian War ends. Washington and Seoul should act accordingly.

Very significant: China is launching a major exercise near Taiwan that looks like a dress rehearsal for a blockade against the island

Not the brand boost one would hope for.

The role of the United States is changing, how are countries around the world responding? Our latest report analyses how 🇨🇳 🇷🇺 🇮🇷 🇮🇳 🇧🇷 🇸🇦 🇮🇩 🇹🇷 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇯🇵 are reacting to the changing international order. Read in full 🔽

We cannot let the accountability disappear along with the messages. My latest on ⁦‪@BulwarkOnline‬⁩ on the Signal chat. www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-admi...

Hi, BlueSky. It's Hillary. I've joined up here to help get the word out about an important election in Wisconsin tomorrow, and other ways to defend our democracy against those who think votes can be bought.

Discussions between Italy's far-right government and Elon Musk's Space X over a secure communications system for defense and diplomatic purposes have been suspended, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.

Trump revokes security clearances for Biden, Harris and other political enemies

Plastic Meals Leave Seabirds with Brain Damage - bioGraphic www.biographic.com/plastic-meal...

Destruction of Ukraine dam caused ‘toxic timebomb’ of heavy metals, study finds

Greenland PM blasts Trump talk of U.S. annexation: 'Enough is enough' #news #worldnews

A reminder that Trump is de-documenting legal immigrants in order to *create* more "illegal aliens." These people are then easier to find (& deport) than actual criminals or public safety threats—because by virtue of the fact that they've been here legally, govt knows exactly who and where they are

BREAKING NEWS: China's foreign minister says the country will retaliate against the United States' "arbitrary tariffs." - AP

French military forces saved a US SOF team in a very bad spot in Africa several years ago. Trump’s mocking of the French- and NATO’s - overall commitment to US Security, is just deplorable. US national security officials (including the silent cowards in the admin ) know.

REPORTER: Are you gonna make it US policy that the US wouldn't defend NATO countries that don't pay their fair share? TRUMP: Well, I think it's common sense. If they don't pay I'm not gonna defend them. No, I'm not gonna defend them.

‘New Zealand dismissed its most senior diplomat to Britain after he questioned President Donald Trump’s understanding of history at an event in London — remarks that New Zealand’s prime minister said made the envoy’s position “untenable.”’ www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

A quick update on the US’s global standing, via tomorrow’s UK front pages:

Targeting Canada captures the depth of Trump's stupidity. No country strikes Americans as less deserving of a trade war, let alone threats to its sovereignty, than Canada. So dumb.

"Economy is slowing. Inflation is up. Markets are spooked. Now we’re going to have this play out in the agricultural sector, which is largely in GOP districts, putting pressure on Republicans who are starting to get weak-kneed." Good @simonwdc.bsky.social points here newrepublic.com/article/1922...

Trump admin announces probe of federal government’s contracts with Columbia University citing the academic institution’s “ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students.” jewishinsider.com/2025/03/colu...

Oh, he meant the 20k troops offered by Liechtenstein and Switzerland, my bad! (This is obvious BS but even if he didn’t talk about the actual countries actually talking about sending troops: hard to find Europeans who weren’t in Afghanistan or Iraq to support the US)

France and the UK, “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 20 or 30 years.” The UK lost 457 soldiers in Afghanistan, fighting alongside the US, and 179 soldiers in Iraq. Hard to overstate what an insult this is to the Brits. (Also wrong on FR obviously)

“Europeans understand, as the Trump administration appears not to, that Ukraine wants a peace deal — it just doesn’t want to end up destroyed by the peace terms.” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/o...

Truly. Normally you’d have to bomb your own infrastructure to get results like this.

🧵In January 2025, the RUSI Maritime Sanctions Taskforce met for the second time to assess the threats posed by Russia’s circumvention of maritime sanctions and provide operational recommendations to enhance collective enforcement efforts.

🧵 A few words on US military aid to Ukraine. This comes in two flavours. Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) takes things from existing US stockpiles. Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) procures new things from US companies. (Chart: www.csis.org/analysis/ukr...)