PARIS, France, May 20 [Category: Media] -- Reporters Without Borders issued the following news: * * * "When it comes to China, we're not dealing with classic disinformation campaigns": How Albania's information space is primed for Chinese propaganda * In recent years, Balkan and European Union (EU) experts in foreign interference have been increasingly concerned about China's influence in Albania's information space. As part of The Propaganda Monitor project, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) spoke about Beijing's impact on Albania's public d more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia posted the following news release: * * * Belarusian Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegally Exporting U.S.-Sourced Aviation Components to Russia * WASHINGTON -Yana Leonova, 33, a Belarusian citizen most recently residing in Russia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with procuring and illicitly exporting numerous avionics and other aircraft equipment from the United States to Russia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Leonova, aka more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- British Ambassador James Kariuki, charge d'affaires at the United Nations, urged all conflicting parties to uphold their international legal obligations to protect civilians and minimize harm during a Security Council meeting in New York. Kariuki highlighted the alarming toll of 37,000 civilian deaths in 2025, noting that Gaza and Sudan suffered the highest losses alongside a rise in attacks on medical personnel. Pointing out how modern technologies like artificial intelligence and weaponized drones change warfare, he con more PR

LONDON, England, May 20 -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued the following news release: * * * PM call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 20 May 2026 * The Prime Minister spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine this evening. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the UK's steadfast support for Ukraine and set out our ongoing commitment to do everything possible to debilitate and degrade Putin's war machine. He outlined how the UK was ramping up measures to crack down on Russia's economy including through the new package of more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: * * * Capito Questions Army Leaders on Soldier-Inspired Innovation and Training in West Virginia WASHINGTON, D.C. -Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, participated in a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing with Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Acting Chief of Staff of the Army General Christopher C. LaNeve to consider President Trump's Fiscal Year 2027 bu more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on May 20, 2026, by Luka Ignac, nonresident fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program: * * * A Defense Production Plan for Europe More than a trillion dollars has been committed to allied defense spending by 2035. That must be used to boost industrial capacity, with transatlantic cooperation at its heart. * Without a strategy to build out the allied industrial base, the financial pledges made at the 2025 Hague Summit will deepen d more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on May 20, 2026, by non-resident senior fellow Alexander Kolyandr: * * * Russia Settles for Stagnation The Kremlin's own forecasters now admit what they long denied: the war economy has run out of steam. * For three years, Russia's Ministry of Economic Development has been the Kremlin's in-house optimist, with growth forecasts that sounded more like lullabies than cold analysis. That has now changed. The ministry's updated macroeconomic projecti more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, issued the following news release: * * * Chairman Wicker Commends Pentagon for Accelerating Counter Drone Production with New Contract U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today applauded Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) and Pentagon leadership for moving forward on a counter-drone contract with Perennial Autonomy, an American company working closely with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Chairman Wicker released the following stat more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is set to modify an existing contract with Sierra Nevada Company (SNC) to provide critical support for the VAMPIRE counter-unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS) sustainment effort for the Ukraine Navy. This procurement is essential for maintaining operational readiness and effectiveness of NATO-deployed systems in Eastern Europe, ensuring that the Ukraine Navy has the necessary resources to counter aerial threats. The scope of work includes repairs, materials, maintenance, more CTR

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 21 -- The European Union issued the following news release: * * * Eurojust coordinated investigation shuts down criminal VPN network A joint investigation by the French and Dutch authorities, supported by Eurojust and Europol, has shut down a large-scale criminal virtual private network (VPN) service. The criminal service, known as First VPN, targeted cybercriminals by offering their services and promising a secure environment to carry out illegal activities such as hacking and ransomware attacks. Thanks to a joint act more PR

LONDON, England, May 20 [Category: BizConsulting] -- EY, a global organization involved with advisory services, assurance, consulting, tax, transactions and technology, which includes the member firms of Ernst and Young Global Limited, posted the following news: * * * Europe's investment landscape shifts as short-term global headwinds test FDI, but long-term confidence endures * * France remains top investment destination, along with United Kingdom and Germany * Foreign direct investment (FDI) surges in artificial intelligence (AI) and  more PR

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, May 20 -- The University of Tennessee posted the following news: * * * Haslam Leadership Scholars To Welcome 16 First-Year Students * This fall, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will welcome 16 first-year students as the 2026 class of Haslam Leadership Scholars. Established in 2008 with a gift from Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Jim and Natalie Haslam, the scholarship program honors the Haslam family's legacy of developing community-minded and intellectually gifted young leaders. The program's mission is to attract, c more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following excerpts of a commentary on May 20, 2026, by distinguished fellow Tom Tugendhat to the Wall Street Journal: * * * The Economics of Victory in Ukraine and Defeat in Iran The U.S. uses $4 million Patriot interceptors to destroy drones that cost $20,000 to $50,000. * The war in Iran teaches an old lesson about military spending. Six hundred years ago, on a muddy field near Agincourt i more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following commentary on May 20, 2026, by nonresident senior fellow Can Kasapoglu: * * * Ukraine Military Situation Report | May 20 Executive Summary * The Russia-Ukraine War continued at a high operational tempo, with intense combat operations and mounting drone and missile strikes. * Ukraine intensified its long-range robotic salvos targeting Russia's energy and defense-industrial infrastruc more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The International Monetary Fund issued the following news release: * * * IMF Staff Reaches Staff-Level Agreement with Moldova on a New 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument * The Moldovan authorities and IMF staff have reached staff-level agreement on a new non-financing Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) to support Moldova's policies and reforms. The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF's Executive Board. * Moldova's economy rebounded in 2025 but ongoing energy shocks--including from the war in the Middle E more PR

LONDON, England, May 21 -- The Royal United Services Institute issued the following news: * * * David Miliband Speaks at RUSI on the Humanitarian Impact of the Iran War David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told an audience at RUSI that supply constraints resulting from the Iran war, a sharp drop in international aid budgets, and the fragmentation of the global order were severely degrading the security and stability of fragile states. The former UK Foreign Secretary said the impact of price rises an more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on May 20, 2026, by Alex Horobets, a PhD candidate at the Institute of History of Ukraine National Academy of Sciences, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Chaiko Appointed New Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces Executive Summary: * Colonel General Alexander Chaiko has been appointed the new commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, replacing Viktor Afzalov. Chaiko is a ground forces commander with no experience in aviation or air defense, p more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on May 20, 2026, by Nicholas Chkhaidze, national security and strategic communications expert, research fellow at the Topchubashov Center and an international political consultant in Tbilisi, Georgia, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Georgia's Black Sea Coast Catches U.S. Attention as PRC Port Pact Stalls Executive Summary: * U.S. State Department Official Peter Andreoli visited Georgia and its Anaklia Deep Sea Port on March 27, three days before  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on May 20, 2026, by cybersecurity researcher and expert Luke Rodeheffer in its Eurasia Daily Monitor: * * * Russia's Push for Digital Sovereignty Yielding Mixed Results Executive Summary: * Russia's digital sovereignty push is multi-pronged, encompassing software, operating systems, hardware, and telecommunications. Kremlin directives have mandated that all critical infrastructure organizations (CIOs) replace foreign software and hardware with domestic alternativ more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 [Category: International] -- Refugees International, a humanitarian organization that says it advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights and protection for displaced people, issued the following statement: * * * New Campaign During NBA Playoffs Urges NBA to Suspend UAE Partnership Over Role in Sudan Atrocities * WASHINGTON, D.C. -As millions tune into the NBA playoffs, a coalition of human rights organizations and Sudanese activists today launched a campaign urging the National Basketball Association to suspend its more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The Reactors at Risk Act, originally introduced by Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-MA, on May 12, 2026, has been analyzed by the Congressional Research Service. The proposed legislation seeks to assess the dangers posed by nuclear reactors located in regions susceptible to armed conflict and to outline measures to mitigate these risks. The act mandates that within 120 days of enactment, a comprehensive report be prepared by the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security. This report will evaluate more ST

GALLOWAY, New Jersey, May 20 -- Stockton University posted the following news: * * * Roth Family Honors Parents with Holocaust Studies Scholarship * Galloway, N.J. -More than anything, the Roth family fears their parents' story will be forgotten. It's a story of World War II, deportation, concentration camps and death marches, but also of liberation, love, resilience, a journey to America, the starting of a family and the building of a highly successful business in southern New Jersey. With the establishment of the Sam and Elizabeth Rot more PR

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 20 -- NATO issued the following news: * * * Secretary General highlights how Allies are stepping up ahead of Foreign Ministers meeting in Sweden * NATO Foreign Ministers will meet in Helsingborg on Thursday and Friday (21-22 May) to finalise preparations for the Ankara Summit. Speaking ahead of the meeting in Brussels on Wednesday (20 May), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted the need to deliver on the commitments made at the Summit in The Hague last year, where Allies committed to increase defence spending  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12519) on May 18, 2026, by international trade and finance analyst Kyla H. Kitamura and senior research librarian Keigh E. Hammond. Here are excerpts: * * * Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum In 2025, President Trump expanded and increased existing steel and aluminum tariffs, imposed since 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. Sec.1862). Section 232 authorizes the President to impose trade  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. State Department has published a series of congressional notifications concerning proposed commercial export licenses involving defense articles, military equipment, technical data and defense services under the Arms Export Control Act. The notice details ten separate notifications submitted to Congress between November and December 2025 involving proposed exports to multiple foreign governments and defense partners, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Ukraine, Iraq, Poland, Canada, Australia, Malaysia more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- TARAS SHEVCHENKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF KYIV, Kyiv, Ukraine, won a federal contract award for $19,650 from the Department of State for language schools. Contract Award Number: 19UP3026D0003; ueiSAM: TSN9SYC1W7C9; NAICS Code: 611630; Product Service Code (PSC): U009; Solicitation Number: 19UP3026D0003; NONE - No Set aside used more CTR

LONDON, England, May 20 [Category: Energy] -- Offshore Energies UK issued the following news release: * * * UK energy industry leaders respond to worsening energy crisis * Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) the North Sea energy trade body, today held emergency talks with industry leaders to call for a new co-ordinated response to the escalating global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran. The meeting comes as the UK government moves to relax sanctions on Russia imposed since the invasion of Ukraine, allowing the import of jet fuel and diesel  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release: * * * USA Today Network New Jersey Editorial Board: "Rep. Kean Owes Voters Answers" * Statewide newspaper calls out Kean Jr. for "troubling lack of transparency" and handling the situation "about as poorly as possible" "Where in the world is Tom Kean Jr.?" That's the opening line from a blistering new editorial in NorthJersey.com and the New Jersey USA Today Network that calls out Kean Jr. for a "troubling lack of transparency." Kea more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on May 20, 2026: * * * Wyden-Schumer-Bennet Bill Would Increase Tax on Stock Buybacks for Oil and Gas Companies Proposal Would Increase Tax on Buybacks from 1 percent to 25 percent as Major Oil and Gas Companies Profit off Trump's War in Iran * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced legislation today to more PR