I’ve already printed out my copy. Watch the show he co-hosted this week with China Writers’ Group member Billy Bob (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003511545399),

Blowback: Exposing Imperial Decline

https://www.youtube.com/@BlowbackExposingImperial-hh8ig

Outline

TOPICAL

HUGE KHARKOV MOVEMENT – I won’t call it an offensive, but it has effects – Blinken arriving to reassure the panicking Kievans.

RUSSIA RESHUFFLES – Shoigu has been moved up, incorruptible economist is now MOD, corruption crackdown.
EUROCRATS WORRIED – All European leaders worry, even Taiwan colony had to chime in, because writing is on the wall.

MORE SCHEMES – Europeans talking about F-16s, and German MPs about no-fly zone enforced by Pol-Rom ( then backtrack )

WEIRD PEACE PLANS – Trump’s leaked’ one or the Swiss Summit not worth talking about. Unrealistic, non-starters for Russia.

GEORGIA PASSES FARA – All readings concluded ( 84 : 30 ) The Bitchvili can veto it, but parliament can override the veto.

THE BIG PICTURE – 2024 Democracy Perception index shows Russia China popularity up, US down ( even in Western Europe )

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BATTLEGROUND RUSSIA

THE BATTLEFRONTS

┝ Russia launches offensive in Northern Ukraine Kharkov and Sumy regions – Sat, 11 May

┝ The frontline expands from ~1,000 km to about ~1,500 km in a day – Sun, 12 May

┝ Ukraine strikes a Belgorod residential building, collapsing a whole segment – tries to blame Russia – Sun, 12 May

┝ Russia captured around 160 km² territory in three days, more than 2023 ‘counteroffensive’ – Mon, 13 May

┝ The ‘leadership’ replaced Kharkov operational commander Yuri Galushkin – Mon, 13 May

┝ Russia captured around 260 km² territory in four days, by Mon, 13 May

┝ Ukraine sent reserves to Kharkov zone, announced StratCom for some reason  – Mon, 13 May

┝ The BBC spoke to troops and commanders who claimed Russians ‘just walked in’ – Mon, 13 May

┕ In the same interviews, soldiers claimed the first line of defense ‘simply didn’t exist’ – Mon, 13 May

– 404: Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine is more lethal than ever – Ukraine shooting down far fewer missiles than earlier ( WSJ )

– 404: How Putin’s offensive on Kharkov leaves Ukraine with few good options – draw away troops from Donbass ( Times UK )

– 404: Where are the fortifications? Kharkov OVA paid millions to fictitious companies – anti-corruption center ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Ukraine was a magnet for foreign fighters – After 2 ‘bruising years’ many are disillusioned or dead ( Business Insider )

– 404: The Russians simply walked in, Ukrainian troops in Kharkov tell BBC – there was no defense, no mines ( BBC UK )

– 404: Facing Russian advance, a top Ukrainian general paints a bleak picture – Budanov ‘there are no reserves’ ( NYT )

– 404: Russian glide bombs shatter ‘peace and quiet‘ in northern Ukraine – Vovchansk under offensive ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: Russian forces push deeper into Northern Ukraine – troops outnumbered, exhausted and now in retreat ( NYT )

– 404: ‘It was silent – then it was hell‘ – Kharkov – the ‘biggest ground assault on the region for two years’ ( Times UK )

– 404: Russia bombarding Vovchansk threatens Ukraine‘s ‘defensive lines and energy infrastructure’ ( Euronews )

– 404: General Staff: Battle for Vovchansk ongoing, Russia achieving ‘tactical success‘ ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )

– 404: Kiev sacks Kharkov commander as it faces fierce battles with Putin’s forces ( Independent UK )

——————————————————

– RUC: London refuses to engage with Moscow on Skripals – over 60 enquiries since March 2015 – Foreign Ministry ( Tass RU )

– RUC: Putin picks Mishustin to remain as Prime Minister – preservation of population, support families with children ( Ria RU )

– RUC: Ukrainians actively using British weapons to strike Russian regions – Sergey Belyaev, Foreign Ministry ( Tass RU )

– RUC: Seven killed in Ukrainian missile strike on Russian apartment block – Belgorod – Czech MLRS ‘Vampire’ ( Reuters )

– RUC: High-ranking Russian Defense Ministry official arrested – Yuri Kuznetsov took bribes on ‘large scale’ ( RT RU )

– RUC: Putin’s new war weapon: An economist managing the military – Andrei Belousov makes first speech ( NYT )  

– RUC: Multiple deaths, at least 20 wounded in Ukraine’s shelling of Belgorod – building collapse ( Tass RU )

THE HOMEFRONT

– 404: Tough times – Ukrainians urged to conserve electricity, brace for harsh winter – escalating Russian attacks ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: War upends Ukraine‘s economy in a shift that may be permanent – companies move west, heavy industry gone ( Reuters )

– 404: Poroshenko called on Germany not to finance men from Ukraine – send money + Taurus to Ukraine ( DW DE interview )

– 404: €3b assets package ‘almost nothing‘ Ukraine Justice minister says – need hundreds of billions – G7, Venice ( Politico EU )

– 404: Elensky fires bodyguard chief over failed assassination plot – head of department fired, 2 officers detained ( France24 )

– 404: Ukraine orders nationwide electricity rationing after Russian airstrikes – strikes in six regions over three hours ( WaPo )

– 404: ‘Quiet life is over‘ for young men of Ukraine ahead of tougher conscription law MoD warned – 18 May ( Telegraph UK )

– 404: Russia‘s biggest airstrike in weeks piles pressure on Ukraine power grid – three soviet-era TPPs disabled  ( Reuters )

– 404: Ukraine moves to send convicts to the front line – minus the rapists and killers – Touché! – Ben ( Politico EU )

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– EUK: Ukraine demands its men back Switzerland – 11,000 conscripts can’t renew passport – no choice but Ukraine ( NZZ SW )

– EUK: Scholz urges Ukrainian refugees in Germany to take up work – won’t send them back but <2 of 10 employed ( Euractiv )

THE COPIUM & HOPIUM

– 404: Kharkov authorities acknowledge advance of Russian troops – US arms delivery delays to blame for failures ( Tass RU )

– 404: Russian forces attack Ukraine‘s Kharkov region, opening new front – Elensky says Ukraine meets assault ( Reuters )

– 404: Elensky urges Blinken for US help to defend Ukraine by air – everybody is under Russian missiles ( Times UK )

– 404: Kuleba visits Serbia for first time since beginning of full-scale war – day after Zelenskaya ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )

– 404: Ukraine is not guilty – Russian missile causes collapse of Belgorod building – OSINT analysts ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Russia loses over 8,000 troops and nearly 80 tanks in a week – Ukraine Military source says ( Newsweek )

——————————————————

– USC: US announces $400m military aid package for Ukraine to try to hold off Russians – Patriot, Javelin, Bradley, Stinger ( AP )

– USC: US F-16s could play vital role isolating Crimea, humiliating Putin – ‘defense analyst’ Frederik Mertens ( Business Insider )

– USC: Blinken arrives – unannounced – in Ukraine in show of US solidarity amid Russian attacks – ‘reassure officials‘, Reuters )

– USC: US sanctions have significantly slowed down Russia – Gina Raimondo – ‘using chips from breast pumps‘ ( NVo Ukraine )

– USC: US about to build a whole wot more ATACMS – ‘a lot’ / ‘a significant number’ officials said – no numbers ( Newsweek )

– USC: Putin launched Kharkov offensive with ‘risky‘ manpower shortages – Institute for the Study of War ( Newsweek )

– USC: US bolstering Ukraine – ‘working around the clock‘ as Russia sets sights on Kharkov – John Kirby ( Reuters )

——————————————————

– EUK: Elensky and Sánchez will sign a bilateral security agreement between Spain and Ukraine in Madrid soon ( El País ES )

– EUK: First F-16 fighter jets from the West will arrive in Ukraine in weeks, top military source says – unnamed ( Standard UK )

– EUK: Germany will buy three Himars systems from US supply to Ukraine – Pistorious in Washington ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )

– EUK: EU to agree 14th package of anti-Russia sanctions by July – EUObserver cites draft document it has seen ( Tass RU )

– EUK: In May, Ukraine will receive a new IRIS-T a/d system from Germany – German ambassador Martin Yeger ( RBC UA )

– EUK: Brussels agrees to send €3b from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine – ‘diplomats agree’ ‘in principle‘ ( Euronews )

– EUK: Putin reshuffle ‘points to serious instability‘ as fighting erupts in Kharkov region – former MI6 says ( Independent UK )

– EUK: EU agrees on security ‘commitments’ to Kiev – draft document to be presented in July – soldiers ruled out ( Welt DE )

– EUK: Germany‘s Scholz joins with Nordic countries to urge Europe to boost Ukraine A/D – sent one Patriot ( France 24 )

THE ULTIMATE COPIUM

– 404: Ukraine’s summit in Switzerland to pave path for future peace, expert say – ‘shoring up Ukraine‘ ( Euromaidan Press )

——————————————————

– USC: Canada confirms participation in Switzerland peace summit – PM Trudeau said on Saturday ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )

——————————————————

– ASO: Japan’s PM Kishida plans to attend Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland in June ( Japan Today )

——————————————————

– EUK: Ukraine peace summit pushes neutral Swiss toward Western embrace – supporters and opposition share view ( Reuters )

– EUK: Switzerland ‘reasserts‘ its neutrality ahead of Ukraine summit – by Foreign Ministry ‘insisting’ it is unchanged ( Rt RU )

– EUK: Why Switzerland’s Ukraine peace summit might struggle with no-shows concerns – Global South, China ( Euractiv )

——————————————————

– RUC: Switzerland is no longer suitable for negotiations on Ukraine – Sergei Lavrov – lost neutrality ( Ria Novosti RU )

– RUC: Switzerland conference on Ukraine aims to issue ultimatum to Russia – Sergei Lavrov ( TASS )

THE WAR MAD

– USC: Putin‘s next target may be the ‘NATO lake‘ – we need to ‘neutralize Kaliningrad‘ – James Stavridis ( Bloomberg Opinion )

– USC: ‘Germany will be the biggest loser’ – don’t be afraid of helping Ukraine defeat Russia – Ben Hodges intv ( T-Online DE )

– USC: To please Putin, universities purge liberals and embrace patriots – also ‘whitewash totalitarian Soviet past‘ ( WaPo )

– USC: Russia could lose this war – and should, for the sake of Russians themselves – Timothy Snyder ( CNN Opinion )

——————————————————

– EUK: German lawmakers suggest allies ( Ro–Po ) could protect sky over western Ukraine from NATO soil ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )

– EUK: Germany’s Pistorius on US pushes for more defense spending at home – govt bickers over how to pay ( Politico EU )

– EUK: What if Macron sends soldiers? – Berlin : no – Poland and Romania shoot down Russian jets instead ( FAZ DE )

– EUK: Germany ‘considers conscripting all 18-year-olds‘ amid fears of all-out NATO war with Russia ( Mail Online UK )

——————————————————

– EUK: Cameron – West not learned lesson of Ukraine – spend more, fight Iran ‘proxies‘, and for ‘women’s rights‘ ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Is Moscow hiring gangsters to sabotage Western factories supplying Ukraine – latest Putin tactic? ( Mail UK Exclusive )

– EUK: British summer boot camps to give teenagers a taste of army life – part of a drive to encourage recruitment ( Times UK )

– EUK: The UK should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine – despite Putin’s nuclear threats – Keir Giles ( Independent UK )

– EUK: Britain to expel Russian defense attaché – Cleverly says ‘undeclared military intelligence officer‘ ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: Jumping into the sky over Estonia, British paratroopers train for a confrontation with Russia ( Independent UK )

– EUK: Why Macron’s theatrics fall flat on the world stage – he thinks France ‘destined’ to lead Europe ( Times UK )

– EUK: Biggest threat from ‘axis of authoritarian states‘ since Cold War – Sunak warms – Ru–Cn–Ir–Nk ( Times UK )

– EUK: British public ‘should be ready to fight Putin‘ – UK Army chief General Patrick Sanders ( Politico EU )  

——————————————————

– EUK: Lithuania is considering sending soldiers to Ukraine for training – PM Ingrida Šimonytė parliament permission ( FT UK )

– EUK: Poland‘s Tusk to revive comm. to investigate Russian influence – judge Tomasz Szmydt > heightened alert ( Reuters )

– EUK: Petr Pavel – ‘Russia is not satisfied with a part of Ukraine‘ – Europe ‘lacks strategic thinking‘ ( Die Presse AU )

– EUK: ‘The only way to peace leads across the battlefield‘ – Alexander Stubb interview ( Frankfurt Allegemeina DE )

– EUK: Estonia ‘seriously‘ discussing sending troops to ‘rear‘ jobs in Ukraine – NatSec Advisor ( Breaking Defense )

– EUK: Putin wants to see empires, autocracies back in Europe, warns von der Leyen in Poland ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Europe must stop Russia if it goes ‘too far‘ in Ukraine war: Emanuel Macron ( Al Mayadeen LB )

THE LIKELY FEARFUL?

– USC: A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency – It concluded NATO would collapse – even w/o leaving ( Business Insider )

– USC: Russia‘s jamming of US weapons in Ukraine showing what the US needs to be ready for a future fight ( Business Insider )

– USC: NATO risks World War III in Ukraine – while lining the defense industry’s pockets – Douglas McKinnon ( The Hill Opinion )

– USC: Russia‘s pro-Putin elites – ‘dictator’ recruited them to anti-western agenda – traitor Tatiana Stanovaya ( Foreign Affairs )

– USC: Putin‘s NATO message is landing with Americans – most ( 54% ) believe US is becoming weaker in world ( Newsweek )

– USC: US SpecOps leaders are having to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine – 5,000 less in 5 years ( AP )

– RUC: Rich Russians stuck in limbo as war creates succession conundrum – flying back home banned in West ( Bloomberg )

– USC: American military would be wiped out in Ukraine – eroded in ‘endless guerilla wars‘ – fmr. US Army officer ( Rt RU )

– USC: US popularity shrinks worldwide, in favor of Russia and China – DPI 2024 – even Western Europe ( Politico US )

– USC: Russia files hundreds of drone patents as ‘global arms race’ ramps up – fmr. US DoD analyst ( Independent UK )

– USC: Russia remembers, the United States forgets – 79th Victory Day celebrations – Larry C Johnson ( Sonar21 )

– USC: Ukraine is now a World War – and Putin is gaining friends – Hal Brands – Cold War II ( Bloomberg Opinion )

– USC: She was at the top of the State Department. Now she’s ready to talk – Nuland exit interview ( Politico US )

– USC: Russians are coming to terms with Putin’s war in Ukraine – no pressure to end war ( Bloomberg )

——————————————————

– EUK: The liberal international order is slowly coming apart – its’ collapse may be sudden and irreversible ( Economist UK cover )

– EUK: Is Russia still using the Crimean Bridge to shore up its military? – Satellite images ‘suggest alternate routes‘ ( Euronews )

– EUK: NATO‘s plan: how to protect Ukraine from Trump – prepares ‘three-step’ plan, presented in July ( Corriere della Sera IT )

– EUK: German Budeswehr is threatened with dangerous tank blockade – Lindner vs Pistorius 2025 budget issues ( Bild DE )

– EUK: Elensky is a pumpkin and Ukraine is corrupt – ‘getting f*cked‘ by supporting them – Dominic Cummings ( Politico EU )

– EUK: For Putin, Gaza is an endless gift – For Biden, Israel‘s war on Hamas is a serious drain – Edward Luce ( FT Opinion )

– EUK: EPP leader Manfred Weber supports Macron’s call for EU nuclear deterrent – fearing NATO credibility ( Euronews )  

– EUK: Putin accuses ‘arrogant’ west of risking global conflict and says his forces are at ‘combat readiness’ ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Russia targets British soldiers’ mobile phones – during NATO exercises in Estonia – warned by govt ( Times UK )

– EUK: Putin has a new defense minister – extremely worrying for Ukraine, but also for the West ( Berliner Zeitung DE )

– EUK: Marine Le Pen rejects sharing French nuclear deterrence command with the European Union ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Andrey Belousov will bring economic rigor to Russian defense spending – a ‘plant technocrat’ ( FT UK )

– EUK: Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson says open to hosting US nuclear weapons in wartime ( Barron’s / WSJ )

– EUK: Sending troops to Ukraine? – Salvini ( Italian VP ) tells Macron to go ‘get treatment‘ ( LeParisien FR )

– EUK: Putin defense minister shake-up a sign of plans for ‘long confrontation‘ with the West ( France24 )

——————————————————

– ASO: Helping Ukraine will bolster Western democracies – against Russia–China – Taiwan‘s FM ‘Joseph‘ Wu ( NVo Ukraine )

– ASO: Defending Taiwan by defending Ukraine – interconnected fates of world’s democracies – Joseph‘ Wu ( Foreign Affairs )

– ASO: Taiwan’s top diplomat says US aid to Ukraine is critical for deterring China –  Joseph‘ Wu interview ( NYT )

THE GEORGIA FRONT

– 404: We cannot allow Georgia to return to Russian orbit again – Khatia Dekanoidze – former Ukraine police ( RBC UA )

——————————————————

– USC: US ‘deeply alarmed‘ by Georgia‘s Foreign Agent bill – Sullivan – ‘democratic backsliding’ ( Reuters )

– USC: 29 US house members threaten sanctions if foreign agents law is not dropped ( Civil Georgia )

——————————————————

– EUK: Georgia parliament approves ‘foreign agent‘ bill amid ongoing protests – 84:30 – Pr can veto, Pa override ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Georgian government defiant as protests against ‘foreign agent’ bill continue – 67 sec – passes 3rd reading ( RFE / CIA )

– EUK: President of Georgia proposes to postpone entry into force of law on ‘foreign agents’ – November elections ( Ukrinform )

– EUK: Georgia opposition leaders urge UK to oppose foreign influence bill – show united international community ( BBC UK )

– EUK: Georgia ‘swells with protests under the boot of a billionaire‘ – Bidzina Ivanishvili ‘owns’ a third of GDP ( Times UK )

– EUK: Georgia‘s next election will be referendum for or against Europe: President Salome  Zourabichvili ( France 24 )

– EUK: Foreign Ministers of 12 EU countries – the Georgian government threatens European integration ( RFE / CIA )

– EUK: ‘Tens of thousands’ rally in Tbilisi ahead of final reading of ‘foreign influence’ bill – on Monday ( Euractiv )

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BATTLEGROUND CHYNA

THE EUROPEAN TOUR

– 404: While Xi tours Europe, China feeds Russia‘s war machine – Martin Fornusek, Senior Editor – Czech ( Kyiv ‘Independent’ )

——————————————————

– USC: Xi ‘bristles’ at criticism of China re Ukraine war – shift responsibility onto third countries and tarnish their reputation ( NYT )

– USC: On a visit to Serbia, Xi Jinping, China’s leader, underlined close ties with an ally that shares a wariness of the US ( NYT )

– USC: The Squad squares up to China’s might in Pacific – new ‘catchiest’ name for US-AU-PH-JP – ‘new Cold War’ ( Times UK )

– USC: How Xi’s Europe trip is reviving the continent’s cold war divide – seeks to ‘pit Europe’s east against west‘ ( Bloomberg )

– USC: China wants to ‘divide and conquer’ Europe – by visiting France, Serbia, Hungry – Ravi Agrawal, editor in chief ( FP )

– USC: Gaza Is China’s new wedge issue to split US from global south – US sending weapons criticized ( Bloomberg )

– USC: China’s Xi wades into Europe’s political divides – revealing much about the global state of play ( WaPo )

——————————————————

– EUK: Xi gets warm welcome from Orbán as Hungary tilts towards China – prioritizes CN investment vs Brussels ( Times UK )

– EUK: Why is the Chinese president visiting Serbia and Hungary? SRB ‘has pollution‘ – HUN ‘gateway to Europe‘ ( Euronews )

– EUK: Cameron’s ‘golden era’ China policy was pathetic and demeaning – last HK governor – Chris Patten ( Independent UK )

– EUK: Xi Jinping’s unproductive European tour – ‘gave few concessions‘ + ‘authoritarian worldview’ – Editorial Board ( FT UK )

– EUK: China is an enemy of the UK. Why not admit it? – UK ‘cowardice’ – face threat – Con Coughlin ( Telegraph UK Opinion )

– EUK: Xi stirs up old grievances against NATO in Serbia – Vucic ‘repeatedly challenged EU and NATO strategy’ ( Times UK )

– EUK: China makes Hungary a model for diplomatic ties in Europe – ‘rewarding loyalty‘ with investment and trade ( FT UK )

– EUK: China’s Xi to woo close ally Hungary with more investment – BYD EV investment and ‘peace camp‘ ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Xi Jinping shows he will dictate any thawing of western relations – in ‘renegade‘ Hungary ( Times UK )

– EUK: There’s another Chinese electric vehicle threat – Buses – a third of EU‘s e-busk market ( Politico EU )

– EUK: UK suspects China behind cyber attack – Grant Shapps stops short of mentioning China ( FT UK )

– EUK: China implements new trade agreement with Serbia as it expands influence in Europe ( Euronews )

——————————————————

– ASO: Philippines calls for expelling Chinese diplomats as South China Sea row escalates – alleged wiretapping ( Reuters )

– ASO: Sleepy far-flung towns in the Philippines will host US forces returning to counter China threats – Santa Ana ( AP )

——————————————————

– RUC: May the light of our ironclad friendship shine on the path of China-Serbia cooperation – Xi‘s letter to Serbia ( Politika RS )

– RUC: China and Hungary enter the ‘golden waterway together‘ – Xi‘s letter to Hungary ( Magyar Nemzet HU )

——————————————————

– RUC: China, Serbia decide to build community with shared future – upgrade to comprehensive partnership ( Xinhua CN )

– RUC: Xi says China will ‘never forget‘ the US bombing of its Belgrade embassy – on 25th anniversary ( Bloomberg )

– RUC: China, Hungary elevate ties to all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership ( Xinhua CN )

THE ECONOMIC WAR

– USC: Biden’s plan to hit China with more tariffs is mostly symbolic – green energy core of growth, little sold to US ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Support for Biden’s economic policies wanes amid inflation fears, FT poll finds – 80% are concerned with prices ( FT UK )

– USC: Inside the great 21st century gold rush – war / debt worries > countries rush for bars, coins, jewelry and nuggets ( WSJ )

– USC: Suddenly there aren’t enough babies. The whole world is alarmed – ‘demographic winter is coming‘ ( WSJ main story )

– USC: Uncle Sam wants You to join the mining industry – major ‘talent squeeze’ hinders mineral ambitions ( Foreign Policy )

– USC: Not enough power for America’s high-tech ambitions – demands are clashing with ‘green’ goals ( WSJ main feature )

– USC: US set to impose 100% tariff on Chinese EV imports – ‘protect domestic industry from cheap competition‘ ( FT UK )

– USC: China is way ahead in Green Energy – here’s why that’s risky for the US – economic and security concerns ( NYT )

– USC: Probe launched after Boeing cargo plane lands in Istanbul without front landing gear – glides on belly ( Reuters )

– USC: B-2 that crashed in 2022 won’t be fixed, US Air Force confirms – ‘uneconomical’ – leaving 19 ( Defense One )

– USC: Biden looks to thwart surge of Chinese imports – proposed new barriers for EVs, steel, other goods ( NYT )

– USC: Trump pledges across-the-board tax cuts if he returns to office – New Jersey rally speech ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Biden administration revoked export licenses of Intel, Qualcomm semiconductors to Huawei ( FT UK )

– USC: 54% of young Americans say food costs are the biggest strain on their finances – new survey ( CNBC )

– USC: Intel lowers sales outlook after China chip licenses revoked ( Bloomberg )

——————————————————

– EUK: EU must close productivity gap with US to lift growth – Riksbank chief – more ambitious, hard-working, risk-taking ( FT UK )

– EUK: How China’s taste for coffee is driving up the cost of a cuppa – 1.4b people’s preferences have ‘ripple effect’ ( Times UK )

– EUK: Can Europe’s economy ever hope to rival the US again? – chronic underperformance worrying policymakers ( FT UK )

– EUK: Volkswagen warns Brussels against raising tariffs on Chinese electric cars – risks ‘retaliation’ on them ( FT UK )

– EUK: Hungary plans 16-18 new agreements with China during Xi visit – rail, road, energy, EVs, nuclear ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: EIB announces changes to its policy not to invest in military products, waiving ‘dual-use’ restrictions ( Euractiv )

– EUK: US-style borrowing raises alarm in Belgium – ‘spending beyond means‘ – ‘ever-increasing debt‘ ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Hungary deepens Huawei ties during Xi visit, shunning ‘western warnings‘ over ‘security risks‘ ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: ‘The era of cheap food is over‘ says Waitrose ( kind of upscale supermarket in UK ) chief ( Telegraph UK )

——————————————————

– WEA: Wish you were here! Taliban woo China with tilt at tourism – hope to rival Pakistan for infrastructure ( Times UK )

– WEA: Qatar places $6b order for LNG carriers from China – 18 huge tanker ships ( Bloomberg )

– WEA: Chinese companies win more bids to explore for Iraq oil and gas ( Reuters )

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– ASO: South Korea prepares support package worth over $7 billion for chip industry – sights on winning chip ‘war‘ ( Reuters )

– ASO: Toyota forecasts 20% decline in annual profit – seeks to invest in ‘gamechanger’ in EV and AI ( FT UK )

– ASO: China overtakes US to become India’s top trading partner in FY24 ( Economic Times IN )

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– LAT: Sky-high inflation forces Argentina to circulate first 10,000-peso notes – worth $11- avoid carrying bricks of cash ( FT UK )

– LAT: Venezuela‘s kids are dying – are we responsible – ‘well-meaning sanctions’ inflict pain – Nicholas Kristoff ( NYT Opinion )

– LAT: Argentina‘s president pledged fiscal ‘shock therapy’ – So far, he’s delivering economic pain ( WSJ )

– LAT: Argentina will get next installment of bailout as IMF praises Milei’s austerity policies ( AP )

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– RUC: Small, well-built Chinese EV – Seagull – poses a big threat to the US auto industry – costs $12,000, ⅓ of US-made ( AP )  

– RUC: China‘s patent figures – closing the gap on US quantum dominance – ‘cooperation needs to be deepened’ ( SCMP CN )

– RUC: Huawei breaks free from Google ecosystem with homegrown OS – HarmonyOS Next targets IOT ( Nikkei JP )

– RUC: BYD targets overtaking Tesla as top EV seller in Europe by 2030 – multibillion-euro investments ( FT UK )

– RUC: TikTok sues US government over law forcing sale or ban – violates users’ First Amendment rights ( NYT )

– RUC: China‘s consumer prices rise for a third month, signaling demand recovery ( Reuters )

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– RUC: Russia starts developing nuclear power unit for joint lunar station with China – Yuri Borisov, Roscosmos ( Ria, Reuters )

– RUC: Russia‘s budget is getting twice as much oil money as a year ago – higher Urals, price caps unenforceable ( Bloomberg )

– RUC: Oil and gas revenues of the Russian budget in January-April increased by 82% year on year ( Kommersant  RU )

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BATTLEGROUND WEST ASIA

THE RELUCTANT SPONSORS

– USC: Congress plans all-out brawl with Biden over pausing Israel arms transfers – up to, and including impeachment ( Axios )

– USC: US finds Israel’s use of weapons in Gaza ‘inconsistent’ with human rights law, but will not cut flow of arms ( Guardian )

– USC: Why campus protests are so troubling – not ‘antisemitic’ but endanger ‘just’ solution – Thom Friedman ( NYT Opinion )

– USC: Joe Biden risks falling foul of impeachment law that snared Trump – over halting weapons to Israel ( Telegraph UK )

– USC: White House officials make it clear: Biden’s Israel remarks were no ‘senior moment‘ – Kirby defends ( Politico US )

– USC: Biden’s weapons sales to Israel breach legal limits, former officials say – White house expressed ‘alarm‘ ( WaPo )

– USC: The West will soon pay for Biden’s betrayal – barbarism will be rewarded – John Bolton ( Telegraph UK Opinion )

– USC: US paused shipment of thousands of bombs to Israel amid Rafah rift – ‘shot across bow‘ – senior official ( WaPo )

– USC: Johnson slams Biden’s ‘senior moment‘ on Israel aid – ‘I hope – I believe he’s off-script‘ ( Politico US Exclusive )

– USC: Mike Johnson survives attempt to oust him as US house speaker – with democrats joining the ‘rescue’ ( FT UK )

– USC: US envoy denies ties with Israel have changed –  Only ‘one set of munitions‘ held back – Jack Lew ( TO Israel )

– USC: US paused bomb shipment to Israel, over Rafah concerns – senior official said – confirmed by Austin ( AP )

– USC: Just how many of Gaza’s civilians are entirely ‘innocent‘ – Alan Dershowitz, Andrew Stein ( NYP Opinion )

– USC: Blinken says more civilians in Gaza have been killed than terrorists – Face the Nation, CBS ( The Hill )

– USC: US says Israel’s use of US arms likely violated international law, but ‘evidence is incomplete‘ ( AP )

– USC: Israel will not defeat Hamas in Gaza by ‘smashing into Rafah‘ – White House warns ( Times UK )

– USC: Gaza cease-fire should end with Hamas in exile – Marc Champion ( Bloomberg Opinion )

– USC: Why Israel must take Rafah – ‘last sanctuary’ of Hamas – Editorial Board ( WSJ Opinion )

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– EUK: What would you ask an October 7 survivor? The AI interviews that let you talk to those who were there ( Telegraph UK )

– EUK: UK foreign secretary says major Rafah offensive would be wrong ‘without a plan to protect people‘ ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Israel qualifies for Eurovision song contest final despite protests – thousands marched in Malmö ( Guardian UK )

– EUK: Biden’s sudden betrayal of Israel is a terrible miscalculation – Duglas Murray ( Telegraph UK Opinion )

– EUK: Lord David Cameron says UK does not echo US threat over arms to Israel over Rafah ( FT UK )

– EUK: Taking Rafah crossing is all part of Netanyahu’s balancing act – only a ‘narrow strip‘ ( Times UK )

– EUK: Israel ‘on notice‘ over British-made weapons supply, Cameron warns ( a day later, Times UK )

– EUK: On stage protests and anti-Israel rallies overshadow Eurovision 2024 ( Euronews )

THE BRAZEN COLONY

– ISR: Israel downplays US hold on arms delivery, but some see new strain in ties – ‘deep relationship to outlast tensions‘ ( NYT )

– ISR: Isolated and defiant, Israel vows to ‘stand alone‘ in war on Hamas – countries turn their backs – turning into pariah ( NYT )

– ISR: IDF says ‘precise operation‘ in Rafah continues – pease head to ‘expanded humanitarian zone’ in al-Mawasi ( Euronews )

– ISR: Sinister Hamas deal would let it keep most hostages, win the war, inflame the West Bank – David Horovitz ( TO Israel )

– ISR: IDF orders evacuation of central Rafah as it prepares to expand its offensive – dropping more leaflets ( Guardian UK )

– ISR: ‘We will fight with our fingernails‘ says Netanyahu after US threat to curb arms – we can ‘stand alone’ ( Guardian UK )

– ISR: With a Gaza cease-fire in the balance, Netanyahu maneuvers to keep power – ‘reassure many critics‘ ( NYT )

– ISR: Israel will not end war and leave Hamas in power – David Mercer, govt spokesperson – video ( Sky UK )

– ISR: Israel defies international censure and orders more Palestinians to evacuate Rafah ( FT UK )

LEGAL ISSUES

– UN: China urges ‘relevant countries’ to end opposition to Palestine’s UN membership – FM Spox Wang Wenbin ( PressTV IR )

– UN: Libya files declaration of intervention in ICJ genocide case against Israel – Presidential Council announced ( PressTV IR )

– UN: Israeli envoy denounces UN backing of resolution granting Palestine new rights, shreds copy of UN Charter ( AP )

– UN: Egypt says it will join South Africa‘s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ ( Al Jazeera QT, Guardian UK )

– UN: Israel says Biden threat to stop arms is ‘difficult’ – ‘very disappointing’ – Gilad Erdan at UN ( Guardian UK )

– UN: UNRWA relief agency closes East Jerusalem HQ after arson attack by ‘Israeli extremists‘ ( Guardian UK )

– UN: UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership – 143 yay 9 nay 25 abstain ( Euractiv )

– UN: US House GOP drafts ICC sanctions as ‘precaution’ against potential Israel arrest warrants ( Axios )

– UN: South Africa calls on ICJ to issue an urgent order for Palestinian protection ( Al Mayadeen LB )

– UN: Israel orders new evacuations in Rafah as UN says more than 150,000 have fled ( WaPo )

– UN: WHO says health services in south Gaza will run out of fuel in three days ( WaPo )

THE GENOCIDE

– PAL: Israeli operations in north and south Gaza force displaced to flee again – no place safe, aid had run out ( WaPo )

– PAL: ‘People are going to continue to die’ – Israel’s operation in Rafah has left doctors scrambling ( NYT )

– PAL: As Israel steps up attacks, 300,000 Gazans are ‘on the move’ – nowhere to go ( NYT )

– PAL: Rafah once was a refuge from the war – now Gazans don’t know where to go ( WSJ )

– PAL: UN says roads ‘jammed’ as over 110,000 flee Rafah; cease-fire talks stall ( WaPo )

– PAL: Hamas says Israeli proposal fails to meet demands, but is under review ( Reuters )

– PAL: Israeli tanks enter Jabaliya refugee camp as Gazans seek shelter ( Times UK )

– PAL: Israeli closure of Rafah crossing cuts off Gaza’s most vital aid lifeline ( WaPo )

REGIONAL EVENTS

– WEA: Iran to change nuclear doctrine if existence threatened, adviser to supreme leader says ( Reuters )

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– AFR: US loses soft power edge in Africa – China’s popularity grows, while United States‘ wanes ( Gallup )

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX : Videoclips

– KJP is insane ( apparently deepfake ) : https://twitter.com/Zlatti_71/status/1788275952478236835

– Rishi Putin cut off the gas : https://twitter.com/DagnyTaggart963/status/1789995753579876442

– Rob Bauer Putin cut off gas : https://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1790058175539847498

– Ukraine scareporn is great : https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1789915288059691419

– Harari Big mad : https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1788929290030940411

– Gilad is insane : https://twitter.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1788977236470555114

– Lindsey insane : https://twitter.com/UniqueMongolia/status/1789797576482370002

APPENDIX : Legend

USC = United States + Canada

RUC = Russia + China

EUK = Europe + United Kingdom | 404 = Ukraine

WEA = West Asia, formerly Middle East | ISR = Israel | PAL = Palestine

ASO = Australia + Oceania

AFR = Africa

LAT = Latin America