BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 24 -- SMEunited (formerly the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) posted the following news: * * * "Think Small First": unlocking the potential of SMEs for Ukraine's reconstruction * "Think Small First should guide every discussion on regulatory design. This means designing policies that support entrepreneurship rather than slow it down", said Veronique Willems, Secretary General of SMEunited, speaking at a panel on business environment more PR

NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands, April 24 -- Radboud University posted the following news: * * * 'More than ever, we should cherish and strengthen the safeguards of democracy' * What happens when a minister labels political opponents as a 'threat to national security'? Or deploys the secret services to keep an eye on critics? Could it happen in the Netherlands, and what can be done to stop it? These are the questions behind Democratie onder druk. The new (Dutch) book, written by researchers Bart J more PR

NEW YORK, April 24 -- The United Nations posted the following news release: * * * Activities of the Secretary-General in the Netherlands, 16-17 April * United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in The Hague, the Netherlands, early on Thursday morning, 16 April, to participate in the commemoration of the International Court of Justice's eightieth anniversary. On Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the Mayor of The Hague, Jan Van Zanen. Dur more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12495) on April 23, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's M-1E3 Abrams Tank Modernization Program Background The M-1 Abrams Tank is designed to maneuver under fire and destroy enemy armored forces on the battlefield. The M-1 is named for General Creighton Abrams, a World War II armored bat more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- British Ambassador Neil Holland, United Kingdom's permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, delivered a statement in Vienna, Austria, denouncing the Russian Federation's pattern of threats and its ongoing war against Ukraine. Holland rejected Russian attempts to characterize international military aid as an escalation and reaffirmed the UK's commitment to providing Ukraine with necessary assistance. The ambassador further dema more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- British Deputy Ambassador James Ford addressed the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna, Austria, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster. Ford honored the victims and first responders while emphasizing the lasting environmental impacts of the 1986 catastrophe. During the remarks, he cautioned that Russia's war in Ukraine has revived threats to nuclear safety by damaging facilities and disrupting established security norms. Ford  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Jennifer Chapman, British minister of state for international development and Africa, addressed the launch of the 10th Global Report on Food Crises. She identified protracted conflict as the primary driver of severe hunger, noting that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exacerbated the situation by increasing fuel and fertilizer costs for the world's poorest nations. Chapman called for a shift toward early intervention and long-term resilience investments to break  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis posted the following commentary on April 24, 2026, by political analyst Mykyta Vorobiov: * * * No Adult in the Room: The Crisis in Ukraine's Parliament The dismissal of President Volodymyr Zelensky's right-hand man after a corruption scandal has led to a parliamentary crisis in Ukraine. * Andriy Yermak, as Head of the President's Office, wielded unprecedented influence, which he channeled into ensuring the government functioned more PR

BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 25 -- The European Policy Centre posted the following commentary on April 23, 2026, by Jannik Hartmann, non-resident associate fellow at NATO Defence College, Rafael Loss, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and policy analyst Mihai Chihaia: * * * The low-hanging fruits towards a Military Schengen Military mobility - once overlooked and underfunded - has become a cornerstone of the EU's defence ambitions. This shift reflects a stark reality: Ru more PR

CARLISLE, Pennsylvania, April 24 -- Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law posted the following news: * * * Groome speaks at Georgetown Law during Sexual Assault Awareness Month * CARLISLE, PA-On April 15 and 16, 2026, Professor Dermot Groome participated in two panel discussions at Georgetown Law focused on conflict-related sexual violence. Sexual Assault Awareness Month calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and has broad impacts on not only victims more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following commentary on April 24, 2026, by nonresident senior fellow Liselotte Odgaard to RealClearDefense: * * * How We Turn the Northern Sea Route Into an Advantage As the Northern Sea Route gains global significance, Russia's tightening control threatens to turn it into a geopolitical chokepoint. Yet the NSR could become an advantage rather more PR

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 24 [Category: Media] -- The International Media Support, an organisation that says it works to strengthen the capacity of media to reduce conflict and facilitate dialogue, issued the following news: * * * IMS convenes media and experts in Copenhagen to develop joint responses to FIMI * Participants used the Charette to share knowledge of successful models that are currently being used to counter disinformation operations. Experts have co-created four results that c more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on April 23, 2026, by Paul Goble, former special advisor to the Secretary of State and a specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Putin Rapidly Expands FSB Powers as His Public Support Declines Executive Summary: * Russian President Vladimir Putin has built and maintained his position for most of his 25 years in power by acting as the final arbiter more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on April 24, 2026, by Eurasia and terrorism associate Sam Jones in the foundation's Militant Leadership Monitor: * * * Davor Savicic: Bosnian Serb Recruiter for the Wagner Group Executive Summary: * Davor Savicic--a Bosnian Serb with a deep paramilitary background--has become one of the most prominent foreign members of the Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner, and actively recruits ethnic Serbs and oth more PR

OTTAWA, Ontario, April 24 -- Global Affairs Canada, an arm of the Canadian government, posted the following news release: * * * Minister Anand announces contribution for repairs to Chornobyl confinement structure * The Chornobyl disaster in Ukraine demonstrated to the world that nuclear safety is a shared responsibility. Nearly forty years after the world's worst nuclear disaster, Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine continues to pose serious risks to nucle more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Ambassador Monique de Ruijter, permanent representative of the Netherlands to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, delivered a joint statement to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, demanding increased protections for media professionals. Speaking for the Informal Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists, de Ruijter condemned the targeting of media workers during the war in Ukraine and the imprisonment of journalists across Belarus, Ru more PR

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, April 24 -- The University of Pennsylvania posted the following news: * * * One School's push for hosting and spearheading international fieldwork * International scholarship, an essential cornerstone of research, looks different today than in the past-given new and renewed global tensions, hurdles posed by visa requirements, and dwindling opportunities to study or conduct research abroad. Those changes have affected higher education at every level, from undergrad more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Marshall: Our Bipartisan Credit Card Bill Will Drive Down the Cost of Gas Senator Marshall Joins KCMO Radio, Pete Mundo U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined KCMO Radio's Pete Mundoto discuss his top priorities, including two of his key cost-lowering proposals, the Credit Card Competition Act and fertilizer legislative package aimed at reducing input costs for farmers. On more PR

NEW YORK, April 24 [Category: Political] -- The Hispanic Federation, an organization that supports and strengthens Latino institutions through education, health, immigration, civic engagement, economic empowerment and the environment, issued the following news release: * * * Star-Studded Hispanic Federation Gala Honors Trailblazers and Raises More Than $3 Million For Vital Community Work * Chaired by award-winning artist Lin-Manuel Miranda, HF gala honor ed Chef Jose Andres, actor Esai Moral more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following readout by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau's meeting on April 23, 2026, with German State Secretary Geza von Geyr: * * * Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met today with his German counterpart, State Secretary Geza von Geyr. he two leaders discussed a broad range of global issues, including the Persian Gulf, the EU, Ukraine, China, and the Western Balkans. Bot more PR

BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 24 -- NATO issued the following news: * * * The Chair of the NATO Military Committee visits Ukraine and attends the Kyiv Security Forum * On 21-24 April 2026, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone visited Ukraine with the Chair of the EU Military Committee, and attended the 18th annual Kyiv Security Forum (KFS). The joint visit to Ukraine of the Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, with the Cha more PR

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, April 25 -- The University of Michigan issued the following news: * * * Consumer confidence is back to mid-2022 lows, with wars, gas and durable high prices Consumer sentiment fell back for the second consecutive month, reaching a low comparable to its mid-2022 trough, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Declines in sentiment were seen across political party, income, age and education, reflecting the broad-based nature of this month's results. E more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- Four co-authors - Nigel Driffield, Saul Estrin, Chris Jones and Ha-Phuong Luong published a study examining why certain multinational enterprises continue to invest in countries subject to international sanctions. The research, posted by the University of Warwick Business School, found that companies with stronger resources and extensive international experience are more likely to operate in these high-risk environments, using their capabilities to navigate complex regula more PR

GENEVA, Switzerland, April 24 [Category: Religion] -- The World Council of Churches posted the following news: * * * WCC welcomes partners as "Working Together" meeting about to begin * As more than 40 representatives from the World Council of Churches' (WCC) partners in specialized ministries arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, for the "Working Together" meeting, some are taking the opportunity to visit the WCC headquarters at the Ecumenical Centre. Rev. Vy Nguyen, executive director of Week o more PR