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The Administration of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Russian Federation reported that the politician Alexei Navalny died in prison. He was 47 years old. The cause of his death is under investigation. Navalny had been sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment. During his time in detention, from February 2021, Alexei Navalny was placed in disciplinary isolation 27 times. According to the politician's close associates, he spent a total of 308 days in disciplinary isolation. 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In Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen must vacate the office","_key":"5d9ee00a45ef0"},{"text":" due to term limits in place","_key":"7f6cf9f1e185","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", and her successor will inherit a nation with a deeply ","_key":"9e5b993a45c6"},{"_type":"span","marks":["64f283f494e9"],"text":"uncertain","_key":"5d9ee00a45ef1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" future ahead of it.","_key":"5d9ee00a45ef2"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"3e09e7ed15e30","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What are the big issues?"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c31d6fb9193b"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"244c76ffdc14","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Lai Ching-te, the deputy to the current president, represents the status quo and hopes to keep Taiwan ","_key":"6bf13f2387280"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"under the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party","_key":"6d97696f1c86"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". He’s being challenged by Ko Wen-je, the founder of the Taiwan People’s Party, and Hou Yo-ih, who represents the Kuomintang, an opposition party that was in control throughout the nation’s long period of authoritarian rule.","_key":"27b8dc99dbb9"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"358ddf277daa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"And while each candidate represents a different vision for the future of Taiwan, there’s one topic that looms large over the entire race: China’s ongoing threat to annex the country. Of course, this is nothing new. Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China, after all.","_key":"e4dcaa7999400","_type":"span"}]},{"_key":"37ee0bf5a338","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But China has become","_key":"f5bd008ab5e30"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" increasingly outspoken about its intentions","_key":"b3de531e4a2e","_type":"span"},{"text":", so concern is palpable far and wide.","_key":"92e9aaa5c16a","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And then there’s the issue that is at the center of political debates in almost every nation: the economy. Taiwan has been mired in inflation and, without wage increases to keep up with costs, now many of its cities hold the unenviable distinction of being among the least affordable in the world.","_key":"f8610dd60a990"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cc520316e68e"},{"style":"normal","_key":"cbf6e9b07659","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"What’s going to happen?","_key":"0bfb08eb5efa0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"0c43353fc791","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"2b2160253aff0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The three candidates have all promised to help bring down the cost of necessities, but there’s a lot of daylight between what they say and what Taiwanese citizens believe they’ll actually do."}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"41184b344958","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For members of an indigenous village called Smangus, Lai seems to be the best bet. 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For starters, the region is the smaller of two Palestinian territories within Israel (the other is the West Bank).","_key":"199a08f72795"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It has been under Israeli control since 1967, but its history long predates that occupation.","_key":"b3df9de599bf0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"de7bf50305b0"},{"_key":"9abdb3dba3d3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Prior to the establishment of the nation of Israel in the ‘40s, Gaza had been part of a much larger Palestinian region under the control of the Ottoman Empire and, more recently, Britain. When Israel was established, the U.K. allowed the United Nations to decide its fate.","_key":"b304ec7b33010","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d17bb8459900","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The result was to create ","_key":"12ced1c7362b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a Jewish and an Arabic state","_key":"10be494a1337"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"8e34b12b1281"}]},{"_key":"b77128ae0973","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Israel began expanding its footprint, forcing Palestinians to flee either to the Gaza Strip or to neighboring nations, which resulted in a war against Israel that left Jordan in control of the West Bank and Egypt in control of much of Gaza.","_key":"bb2aa94c33420","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The creation of Hamas","_key":"b281108207500"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ca0aca2f52e4","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Following a war in 1967, Israel began an occupation of Gaza that is still in effect. Palestinians became known as “non-citizens” and their movement was seriously limited, which fueled an uprising — “the first intifada” — in the ‘80s.","_key":"92bf9a95752f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"585b0430f8aa","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although the ","_key":"0a66f90727e90"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Oslo Peace Accords","_key":"d57d1b0c2e26"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in 1993 marked the end of the intifada, a charitable group in Gaza began to morph into a much more militant organization: Hamas.","_key":"e902c0ea9909"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5bfc8498dac3"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"65640f2f4253","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"ea41b09e01ec0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Its members held the belief that Israel was not a legitimate nation and as attacks against occupying forces increased, so did restrictions on the movement of Palestinians."}]}],"id":"JqinR8gQ","_updatedAt":"2023-11-03T23:17:14Z","visibility":"true","category":"world-politics","publishDate":"2023-11-04","_id":"f38db160-6dc0-4bf3-ae7a-fdf909c9474f","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","_createdAt":"2023-11-03T23:11:14Z","image":{"attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"extension":"jpg","metadata":{"palette":{"vibrant":{"background":"#ad8251","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"dominant":{"background":"#40301e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":15.25},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":14.35,"background":"#634e35"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":10.8,"background":"#748498","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.72,"background":"#d5b89e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#40301e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":15.25},"lightMuted":{"population":0,"background":"#acc4d4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQHBv/EACAQAAIBBQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEERIhBRMxMkH/xAAXAQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQID/8QAGxEBAAEFAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACBBQhURH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AC2njZVzImT+ZpxmTH3XvB2p7d3JDYt19WkQYkHOxpOG8uZVDNM3wTisy/8AdBLbMHbN9J5C2VyrTICOHtFSgX82W2wTse0U815DFp7P/9k=","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":6000,"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":4000},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VTDcahs:V@s:aeyZR*WBWVjsNGoes:fRj[jEbHa}fkfk","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"_id":"image-1bf81c6d616fdececd5e038ba9d129ce3a21761e-6000x4000-jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-11-03T23:12:53Z","uploadId":"CiE8vnE4dEhsRFoCkPmM9WLcq4zqKfvn","_rev":"b28Q1Zd9IX35ClbiuaqZy6","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/1bf81c6d616fdececd5e038ba9d129ce3a21761e-6000x4000.jpg","creditLine":"ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock","assetId":"1bf81c6d616fdececd5e038ba9d129ce3a21761e","mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"1bf81c6d616fdececd5e038ba9d129ce3a21761e","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/1bf81c6d616fdececd5e038ba9d129ce3a21761e-6000x4000.jpg","_createdAt":"2023-11-03T23:12:53Z","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","description":"A flare over the northern part of the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, 01 November 2023. Overnight, combined IDF troops struck several targets throughout the Gaza Strip as part of its 'ground operations' in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on 01 November, adding that since 07 October the IDF struck over 11,000 targets in the Palestinian enclave. 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The voices were supposedly from candidate Michal Simecka and journalist Monika Todova and the topic of discussion involved paying members of the nation’s Roma community to vote a certain way.","_key":"77a4e1e13e502"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4779af5b4b5e","markDefs":[{"_key":"04d4faf0aff8","_type":"link","href":"https://www.wired.com/story/slovakias-election-deepfakes-show-ai-is-a-danger-to-democracy/"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although Simecka and Todova ","_key":"f66a553bb7010"},{"text":"asserted","_key":"f66a553bb7011","_type":"span","marks":["04d4faf0aff8"]},{"_key":"f66a553bb7012","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that the audio was fake, there was a clear limit to their ability to get the word out or stop the spread of the deepfake on Facebook."}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Here’s how it played out:","_key":"9fedadb300650"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7c4a1d971822"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fda46a7a382c","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The audio surfaced during a ","_key":"672eed288bb60","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"two-day moratorium","_key":"672eed288bb61"},{"_key":"672eed288bb62","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on election-related speech by politicians and news outlets."}]},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Since it was just audio, the post ","_key":"edd3e9649b850","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"didn’t violate Meta’s policy","_key":"edd3e9649b851","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" against sharing manipulated video clips.","_key":"edd3e9649b852"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c739e334d44b"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"dbc55a4435250","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"After the election, news surfaced that Simecka’s party "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"lost the election","_key":"dbc55a4435251"},{"_key":"dbc55a4435252","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to a rival party that wants to pull out of Ukraine."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"411a29626d21"},{"_key":"a3769bd0e37e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"This election was already seen as an example of how European elections might be impacted by rapid technological advancements, and it appears to have highlighted a serious vulnerability.","_key":"0c3dda5e38ac0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Action required","_key":"b08fe441a8990"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"243678f88110"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Veronika Hincova Frankovska of the fact-checking group Demagog explained that this incident proves democracies are “","_key":"b10bbf4f9ef20"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"not as ready for it as we should be","_key":"b10bbf4f9ef21"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"b10bbf4f9ef22"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ff948f32b4f4"},{"_key":"8d76ed39687b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Part of the problem lies with the ability for AI-generated misinformation to spread across social media, but Meta spokesperson Ben Walter defended the company’s policy of labeling and down-ranking fact-checked content.","_key":"4a526eb5683c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0c019d12fd30","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As recent developments in Slovakia demonstrate, however, that policy no longer seems to be sufficient.","_key":"31d7833f34760"}]}],"id":"NUVpD5wn","category":"world-politics","_updatedAt":"2023-10-03T22:49:17Z","visibility":"true","slug":"/story/2023/10/how-a-deepfake-might-have-cost-this-candidate-an-election","title":"How A Deepfake Might Have Cost This Candidate An Election"},{"_updatedAt":"2023-09-07T23:09:28Z","id":"77kSJRxg","_id":"53009773-7da9-46e5-b1f8-b4c4d7a1593c","_createdAt":"2023-09-07T23:09:28Z","slug":"/story/2023/09/the-worlds-most-populous-nation-might-be-getting-a-name-change","summary":"It's already been changed on a pretty important invitation. ","category":"world-politics","body":[{"_key":"dcb3462c42be","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://apnews.com/article/india-sanskrit-name-bharat-modi-g20-72782ba81aa67dcf7e197a98fec9b5f5","_key":"2e515d25111d"}],"children":[{"text":"More than 1.4 billion people call India home, but if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has anything to say about it, these citizens might soon be using a ","_key":"428342ed7a420","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["2e515d25111d"],"text":"different","_key":"428342ed7a421"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" word to refer to their homeland.","_key":"428342ed7a422"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"G20 invitations","_key":"da94da786df60","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d5746ae7deda","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_key":"9a70a670565a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"World leaders will be converging on India’s capital city this week for the annual Group of 20 — or G20 — summit. But those who received an invitation from President Droupadi Murmu might notice that he referred to himself as the leader of “Bharat” instead of “India.”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"542388dbe47b","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"510477503cd6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So what’s behind the shift? Well, although most people around the world and within the nation’s borders call it India, there’s a growing effort to","_key":"624f787309c00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" officially use the alternate name","_key":"624f787309c01"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Bharat is a Sanskrit word, and those who favor using that name say it would help move past a name that is rooted in colonialism.","_key":"624f787309c02"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"3a365a27ad55","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Modi’s party is a proponent of the name change and Murmu made a major statement in support of the shift with his G20 invitations.","_key":"434c57d2e8600","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Will it happen?","_key":"417d4892815e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c8b19b507fd1","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"5e20c7528c45","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As with any political effort, there are those within India who oppose ditching the widely used name.","_key":"a038469718340"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ff1d969c79a2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, for example, recently acknowledged that while “there is no constitutional objection” to using the name Bharat, he hopes that “the government will not be so foolish as to completely dispense with ‘India.’”","_key":"c8705158ee340","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Meanwhile, ","_key":"52a3f85252cb0"},{"_key":"52a3f85252cb1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"there’s a groundswell of support"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for an opposition party that wants to unseat Modi.","_key":"52a3f85252cb2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"40c0b58161a5","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"a2c21f7685eb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c62046534edf0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But the prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata Party remains adamant that the change needs to happen. Supporters say that Britain, which ruled India for 200 years, introduced the name, which has now become a “symbol of slavery.”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"928a26814b8d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So as for whether Bharat takes over as the official name of the country, it likely depends on which side is able to gain the most political power.","_key":"f951b8a7bc010"}]}],"title":"The World’s Most Populous Nation Might Be Getting A Name Change","_rev":"5EREfUnl2YiP5agQOEqlrF","image":{"hotspot":{"x":0.5205479452054792,"y":0.5077131926446995,"height":0.907441688263606,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.6712328767123289},"_type":"image","attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"_rev":"5EREfUnl2YiP5agQOEqkb7","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/33709c46eeb3b107b92ef367e7b0e9cfb671ca72-5760x3840.jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-09-07T23:08:49Z","metadata":{"palette":{"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.03,"background":"#a7835d"},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":3.34,"background":"#dbbb83","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.51,"background":"#5a3f29"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":7.74,"background":"#c7d2bf","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.04,"background":"#e45628","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":7.74,"background":"#c7d2bf","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#2c543c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":3840,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":5760},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VBF=dPu4~npd4:-.yCTJ%L?a0O^%EN-n?Z%NxDV@e=IA","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"description":"Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister following their meeting in Athens, Greece, 25 August 2023. 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How the European Union could undermine his efforts.","_rev":"G5tlNFGA2uX0YSIWc61GSR","body":[{"_key":"7a8e89dc1cd6","markDefs":[{"_key":"cb8c75ac778e","_type":"link","href":"https://www.newsweek.com/how-europe-undermine-vladimir-putin-plan-energy-gas-hostage-1741858"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"European leaders are looking to undermine Vladimir Putin. ","_key":"cc680a078bb10"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Earlier this month, the non-democratically elected President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and his government issued an ","_key":"cc680a078bb11"},{"marks":["cb8c75ac778e"],"text":"ultimatum","_key":"cc680a078bb12","_type":"span"},{"_key":"cc680a078bb13","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to the European Union (EU). Russia says the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will not resume until sanctions against Russia are lifted."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"","_key":"fb64f47803430","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"85279a1892b6","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"58e7dbb23d65","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Current sanctions are in place due to the war Putin launched against Ukraine earlier this year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not back down when addressing the situation several days ago, claiming Russia is \"actively manipulating the gas market\" and insisted Europe would \"diversify away from Russian fossil fuels.\"","_key":"135f686d4c520"}]},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"04b50ce28f750","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2a2ad18ebbe3","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"e55082b272ba","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In March, United States President Joe Biden and von der Leyen announced a joint Task Force to reduce European dependence on Russian fossil fuels, hoping to secure the continents' energy freedom.","_key":"1e49052397040"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"f987b8fea2410"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ea92a7d127d3","markDefs":[]},{"style":"h4","_key":"f4ab483c9f4e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"60f344d0cb5b0","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"How Europe can avoid an energy crisis"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ded6e085f6ce","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"4d7fec5654fc0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Last year, the EU","_key":"49f49e4bc2580"},{"_type":"span","marks":["f857eb5c3f16"],"text":" imported","_key":"49f49e4bc2581"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" about 155bn cubic meters of Russian gas, approximately 40% of its supply; this year, that number has dropped to 9%, leading to a suspected crisis over the winter months.","_key":"49f49e4bc2582"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6b8e396a6c54","markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.ft.com/content/572f7581-c209-4449-b1d3-019525c8cbdc","_key":"f857eb5c3f16","_type":"link"}]},{"_key":"cc52b9d08379","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"a1813cd3a5850","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"3aab8d1afb52","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Recently, the European Commission put forward proposals that included a suggestion to skim off the profits of energy companies and recycle the proceeds to households and businesses, an effort to ease those hit by extremely high energy bills.","_key":"a18709c855a60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"320bd9bfbab80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"af8cbf6b5f15"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c2ed103ee55f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Other proposals are price caps, which would stop the prices of fossil fuels from rising past a certain amount. However, several countries' representatives fear such a move would cause Putin to cut off all supplies to Europe."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"26a09a9b1229"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"15cda6a6215e0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b91079c2f9fe"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Arguments over which plan is the best course of action continue to be debated as Europe looks to find a way to undermine Putin's threat.","_key":"f38fa06e4f520","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8a5341054ac1","markDefs":[]}],"publishDate":"2022-09-12","id":"VlZ08t","_type":"story","slug":"/story/2022/09/will-europe-undermine-putins-energy-efforts","_createdAt":"2022-09-12T00:22:40Z"},{"_type":"story","publishDate":"2022-09-01","visibility":"true","id":"BeDc2I","image":{"alt":"","attribution":"Michael Gruber via Getty Images","asset":{"description":"VIENNA, AUSTRIA - MAY 24: The flag of Iran is seen in front of the building of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters ahead of a press conference by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, about the agency's monitoring of Iran's nuclear energy program on May 24, 2021 in Vienna, Austria. 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(Photo by Michael Gruber/Getty Images)","size":3849222,"_id":"image-cb8838b905936bcd0603920679570dd0fdcddd24-3824x2728-jpg","_rev":"1K8pT3qofyahtESQAVeMfD","assetId":"cb8838b905936bcd0603920679570dd0fdcddd24","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:48:21Z"},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"height":0.7288616874169642,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.701230228471003,"x":0.5421792618629171,"y":0.48767553124622565},"_type":"image"},"title":"The Road To Reimplementing The Iran Nuclear Deal Is Filled With Hurdles","_id":"987da918-f48a-4ede-bae6-3bd2ff6b551d","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"summary":"The International Atomic Energy Agency’s ongoing probe is causing a delay.","category":"world-politics","body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.axios.com/2022/08/31/iran-nuclear-deal-us-response-iaea-un-investigations","_key":"6fd1782ce066","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When former President Donald Trump moved to remove the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, American politicians have been looking for ways to reimplement the deal. According to recent ","_key":"3bc0d47133c10"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6fd1782ce066"],"text":"reports","_key":"3bc0d47133c11"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", however, ","_key":"3bc0d47133c12"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"there are some serious roadblocks","_key":"56ad68f09522"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the way to achieving that goal.","_key":"27004afff09b"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"42e610a500cc"},{"style":"normal","_key":"2b2d561a8b97","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For starters, insiders say that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s probe into Iran’s use of nuclear material is causing a delay since Iran wants any such investigation to conclude a short time after all interested parties reach a new deal.","_key":"4424a872d0aa0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Even after the issues standing in the way of a renewed agreement are settled, any reimplementation of the deal must be implemented strategically. The final stage is appropriately known as “reimplementation day” and would come roughly four months after the deal is signed.","_key":"9a20713455400","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"26477732550b"},{"_key":"b1511a3477fc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This will theoretically give Iran enough time to meet its obligations while allowing the IAEA to wrap up its investigation. Of course, there is still plenty of skepticism on the part of U.S. regulators that Iran can be trusted to uphold its end of the bargain.","_key":"d1b21cc450f30"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since America will only remove existing sanctions against Iran if it complies after reimplementation day.","_key":"718e47f82f190"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"90a61cce05a7","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"ac84293c6fe9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"As one U.S. official explained: “We told the Iranians that ","_key":"d07b1f4ddfce0","_type":"span"},{"_key":"0a07ffd5b5fd","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it is up to them to solve it with the IAEA"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and there is no reason to link it to reimplementation day. If Iran does that, it risks delaying the lifting of sanctions.”","_key":"ca2c1e549b8b"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"slug":"/story/2022/09/the-road-to-reimplementing-the-iran-nuclear-deal-is-filled-with-hurdles","_createdAt":"2022-09-01T01:25:33Z","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5c3fE","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:59Z"},{"_type":"story","title":"February Morning Is Fighting An Information War Against Putin","publishDate":"2022-08-30","slug":"/story/2022/08/february-morning-is-fighting-an-information-war-against-putin","category":"world-politics","_createdAt":"2022-08-30T10:02:12Z","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:51:11Z","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"What Is February Morning?","_key":"ca499d94514d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"h4","_key":"2eaeab527f21"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.wired.com/story/february-morning-russia-ukraine-war/","_key":"34ace0a9d5ef"}],"children":[{"text":"February Morning is an online ","_key":"7bf3d74e722b0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["34ace0a9d5ef"],"text":"media outlet","_key":"7bf3d74e722b1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" using Youtube and Telegram to fight an information war against non-democratically elected Russian President Vladimir Putin. The outlet was founded by exiled former Russian Member of Parliament and dissident Ilya Ponomarev.","_key":"7bf3d74e722b2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"82faa4608959"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"February Morning (Utro Fevralya in Russian) was one of the first outlets to report on the assassination of Darya Dugina, who was killed in a car bomb on the outskirts of Moscow on August 20th.","_key":"07556f6535f40","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3c963c0155e7"},{"style":"h4","_key":"f80296bfee65","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"The Goal Of February Morning","_key":"05d8ea552d220"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"4ea91586c3a0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"February Morning was created shortly after Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24th this year. The war sparked the key figures of February Morning into action, countering the Russian state media controlled by Putin with counter-programming concerning the war.","_key":"5d52a03415a50","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"82185e50f1b6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"February Morning covers Russian resistance throughout the country, which most outlets tend to ignore -- painting all Russians as behind Putin, despite many taking part in protests, being arrested, and facing harsh punishment for anti-war sentiment.","_key":"5b604f8f3df40","_type":"span"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When times are dark, those fighting to get the truth to the masses are deserving of respect and a tip of the hat.","_key":"07792152e6f50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cd554919119c"}],"id":"nXEZWS","image":{"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"height":0.8594962942147604,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.6213425129087812,"x":0.315834767641998,"y":0.44866210750154706},"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"Adam Berry/Getty Images","asset":{"_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:18Z","uploadId":"3JfdFf5OrX48wgu6qbRj0Y1mpq7uqoBW","mimeType":"image/jpeg","_id":"image-e8ba853d7a4a5ae65f099b2570ecffd69d5fcccd-3000x1911-jpg","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:17Z","extension":"jpg","creditLine":"BERLIN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 19:  Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting to discuss the Ukrainian peace process at the German federal Chancellery on October 19, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. 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The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, known as the Normandy Four, met in Berlin to discuss implementation of the peace plan known as the Minsk Protocol, a roadmap for resolving the conflict in Ukraine after Russian forces invaded in 2014 and annexed the peninsula of Crimea. The United States has threatened renewed sanctions on Russia if the country did not either implement the plan in the coming months or arrive at a plan on how to do so.  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On August 24, Ukraine celebrates its 1991 declaration of independence from the USSR. Wednesday also marks six months since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Scores of burnt-out Russian military vehicles were left around Kyiv after its failed attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital in the first month of the war. (Photo by Alexey Furman/Getty Images)","_id":"image-abe5863f5f11aea6068263dc895b9efb001d3dc6-4000x2670-jpg","_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8K1Zy","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/abe5863f5f11aea6068263dc895b9efb001d3dc6-4000x2670.jpg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","description":"KYIV, UKRAINE - AUGUST 21: People walk by burnt Russian military vehicles displayed in the downtown area on August 21, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. On August 24, Ukraine celebrates its 1991 declaration of independence from the USSR. Wednesday also marks six months since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Scores of burnt-out Russian military vehicles were left around Kyiv after its failed attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital in the first month of the war. (Photo by Alexey Furman/Getty Images)","sha1hash":"abe5863f5f11aea6068263dc895b9efb001d3dc6","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/abe5863f5f11aea6068263dc895b9efb001d3dc6-4000x2670.jpg","size":3487222,"assetId":"abe5863f5f11aea6068263dc895b9efb001d3dc6"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.46575342465753267,"x":0.5034246575342465,"y":0.48716395227044,"height":0.6919348544905606,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"},"_type":"image","alt":""},"slug":"/story/2022/08/ukrainians-mock-putin-with-a-parade-was-he-invited","visibility":"true","_createdAt":"2022-08-22T00:26:33Z","body":[{"_key":"43d550a87cfc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0368908ef0300","_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"This Might Bruise The Ego"}],"_type":"block","style":"h4"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ff76d2105fb7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"People in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv took to the streets over the weekend to mock the words of the undemocratically elected Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who infamously said he expected to take Kyiv in three days after launching the 'special operation (war)' against Ukraine.","_key":"0d11bc496bbc0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Well...that didn't happen, did it? In fact, as Early Chirp reported extensively, the Ukrainian defense has surpassed that of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens in its ability to hold off Putin's army and launch effective counteroffensives.","_key":"edc751fb30860"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9524d8dd6409"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-trolls-putin-with-kyiv-victory-parade-of-captured-russian-tanks-2022-8","_key":"1a01c7cb5a38"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Oh right. How did Ukrainian citizens mock Putin? They posed with destroyed Russian armor, including a tank. Right, not just one tank, but ","_key":"4c58a99998e50"},{"text":"dozens","_key":"4c58a99998e51","_type":"span","marks":["1a01c7cb5a38"]},{"text":" of them.","_key":"4c58a99998e52","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b4cdce5e63af"},{"_type":"block","style":"h4","_key":"7923db668e8a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"What Brought This On?","_key":"bdface0d6afc0"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"0501becaa9f4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Other than the war Vladimir Putin and his inner circle insist on continuing the plight of Ukrainian and Russian citizens (the latter get arrested for publicly saying anything against his invasion), Russian military officials planned on throwing a military parade in Kyiv after it quickly fell.","_key":"11abf85aa9820","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"f39d76d07d0f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I must ask one more time, that didn't happen...did it?","_key":"81897bfb7ab00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"471b554dad14","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"961055dcb1300","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A lesson learned here is that hubris can lead to one underestimating the resolve of those they attempt to conquer."}]}],"title":"Ukrainians Mock Putin With A Parade, Was He Invited?","_id":"cf91f1d8-1101-4daa-b3ea-2f7589afffd7","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:51:05Z","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"summary":"Well, this is one way to mock Putin.","publishDate":"2022-08-22","_rev":"G5tlNFGA2uX0YSIWc61GSR","_type":"story"},{"id":"PjNG3l","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FkCK","visibility":"true","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_key":"7dbab7bfb028","_type":"link","href":"https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-713567"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"On Sunday, sirens came as ","_key":"590e7595e8a80"},{"_type":"span","marks":["7dbab7bfb028"],"text":"officials prepared","_key":"590e7595e8a81"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to require Serbians visiting Kosovo, the state recognized by 97 member nations of the United Nations, to replace their Serbian passports with a temporary ID while in the country. The new measures would also require Serbian license plates in the country to be replaced with Kosovar license plates. The rules are similar to those Kosovar's face when entering Serbia.","_key":"590e7595e8a82"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"97935ce8cc22"},{"style":"normal","_key":"c781552c7832","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"81866414aa61","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"h4","_key":"8bbe574d8e46","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong","em"],"text":"These tensions go back a bit before Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008.","_key":"6688c7ecf1f70"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"2aa80a6e3a0a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"95dea080993d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"From reports, Serbs in Kosovo put up roadblocks to protest the measures, and shots were alleged to be fired toward officers without injury during the day.","_key":"fb4b700a6e9a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"19dca22b5b36"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"55cccc4f027e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9c521057e58d"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\"The law and order and security bodies of our state are gathering information, monitoring the situation and will act in defense of the law and citizens, our sovereignty and territorial integrity,\" said Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti.\n","_key":"a00605f5b2ee0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4d1a66a8cdbe"},{"_key":"c8165a3290c4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"After asking both sides to keep peace and claiming Serbia was in a 'complex and difficult situation' Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated, \"If they don't want to keep the peace, I'm telling you - Serbia will win.\"","_key":"18bc7b0017cd0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"87a9dd7bae100","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ee0a8a12014d","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"847d78cd313e","markDefs":[{"href":"https://mobile.twitter.com/adv_djukanovic/status/1553675476123762690","_key":"e50f5ba9e289","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Vladimir Đukanović, a member of the National Assembly of Serbia stoked similar claims Putin has used since he orchestrated the Russian invasion of Ukraine writing on ","_key":"ce8309652b3b0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["e50f5ba9e289"],"text":"Twitter","_key":"ce8309652b3b1"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em","strong"],"text":", ","_key":"ce8309652b3b2"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\"Everything seems to me that Serbia will be forced to begin the denazification of the Balkans. I'd like to be wrong.\"","_key":"0f8c7d808961"},{"_type":"span","marks":["em","strong"],"text":"\n","_key":"3825b31acc13"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"h4","_key":"bac9d3be55fd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong","em"],"text":"As you can imagine, Đukanović has been taking a beating on social media since that remark.","_key":"89ce5ce246020","_type":"span"}]}],"title":"Tension Rises Between Kosovo And Serbia","summary":"Kosovo and Serbia are nearing hostilities as action and rhetoric point toward aggression.","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"Serbian Neighborhood in Mitrovica, Kosovo (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)","asset":{"assetId":"7e8700fb9a0c1aac4e15f10c97d55269fbac1630","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:52Z","_id":"image-7e8700fb9a0c1aac4e15f10c97d55269fbac1630-4202x2801-jpg","uploadId":"BH6936T8K5r8sxSlG4nBou4wsNjg5i8K","_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8K8ma","mimeType":"image/jpeg","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/7e8700fb9a0c1aac4e15f10c97d55269fbac1630-4202x2801.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/7e8700fb9a0c1aac4e15f10c97d55269fbac1630-4202x2801.jpg","extension":"jpg","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQDBQYH/8QAIRAAAgEEAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMCAAQRIQUSIjEyQXH/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBP/EABkRAQEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhESIf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A5lKQt1bzmegJjcfymbOScEOA7GQ+VUtutnIGEXXDBFZ8QPqn7rilhkS1zm+OdyxVW6ZfaLleMQ2+ZMOYQfXU6orN3JiHzEBMDPruTRQORJ0X/9k=","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":4202,"aspectRatio":1.50017850767583,"height":2801},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"V47xOLR:ia-=Mx?dWBoes:MwM^o#IUR*RiD%%Ns:RjtR","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":6.57,"background":"#57708a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.62,"background":"#293a4a"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.57,"background":"#57708a"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#9dc1db","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#543421","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.56,"background":"#7d95b2"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.22,"background":"#295371"}},"hasAlpha":false},"creditLine":"MITROVICA, KOSOVO - MAY 05: People walk past an apartment building in the majority ethnic-Serb northern part of the city on May 5, 2019 in Mitrovica, Kosovo. A recent EU-backed summit failed to restart negotiations between leaders from Kosovo and Serbia over a final resolution of Kosovo’s sovereignty. In previous talks, the countries’ presidents have signaled an openness to land swaps, which could see the majority-Serb areas north of the Ibar River annexed into Serbia. In the northern city of Mitrovica, the Ibar River divides the city, with Serbs dominating the north and ethnic Albanians to the south. In exchange for ceding areas above the Ibar, Kosovo would take the predominantly ethnic Albanian area of the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia. Many political leaders in Kosovo and across Europe are vehemently opposed to ethnic partition and land swaps, fearing that a change in borders could reignite a conflict that resulted in thousands of deaths from 1998 to 1999. During the conflict, Serbian forces started an ethnic cleansing campaign which pushed approximately one million predominantly muslim Kosovar Albanians from their homes. After diplomatic solutions failed, NATO intervened with a 78-day, United-States led bombing campaign to force Serbian troops to withdraw. After nine years under United Nations control, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Since the declaration, Kosovo has been recognized by 111 of the United Nation’s 193 member states. Serbia, Russia, China and five EU countries still do not recognize it, keeping the country into a state of limbo. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)","originalFilename":"getty-1147543298.jpg","description":"MITROVICA, KOSOVO - MAY 05: People walk past an apartment building in the majority ethnic-Serb northern part of the city on May 5, 2019 in Mitrovica, Kosovo. A recent EU-backed summit failed to restart negotiations between leaders from Kosovo and Serbia over a final resolution of Kosovo’s sovereignty. In previous talks, the countries’ presidents have signaled an openness to land swaps, which could see the majority-Serb areas north of the Ibar River annexed into Serbia. In the northern city of Mitrovica, the Ibar River divides the city, with Serbs dominating the north and ethnic Albanians to the south. In exchange for ceding areas above the Ibar, Kosovo would take the predominantly ethnic Albanian area of the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia. Many political leaders in Kosovo and across Europe are vehemently opposed to ethnic partition and land swaps, fearing that a change in borders could reignite a conflict that resulted in thousands of deaths from 1998 to 1999. During the conflict, Serbian forces started an ethnic cleansing campaign which pushed approximately one million predominantly muslim Kosovar Albanians from their homes. After diplomatic solutions failed, NATO intervened with a 78-day, United-States led bombing campaign to force Serbian troops to withdraw. After nine years under United Nations control, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Since the declaration, Kosovo has been recognized by 111 of the United Nation’s 193 member states. Serbia, Russia, China and five EU countries still do not recognize it, keeping the country into a state of limbo. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)","sha1hash":"7e8700fb9a0c1aac4e15f10c97d55269fbac1630","size":4405071,"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:52Z"}},"author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"slug":"/story/2022/08/tension-rises-between-kosovo-and-serbia","publishDate":"2022-08-01","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:50Z","_id":"67039ae0-6e09-43bd-b5f5-34a26e7e3345","category":"world-politics","_createdAt":"2022-08-01T10:32:16Z","_type":"story"},{"body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"ce3f18d01d14","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"President Joe Biden received backlash from across the political aisle ahead of his trip to Saudi Arabia this week where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. U.S. intelligence officials determined that the prince was instrumental in orchestrating the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who had been an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime.","_key":"854946b92cc70","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"f1ab30c06690","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Despite Biden’s obvious motivation to convince the nation to increase oil production amid stubbornly high fuel prices, critics were outraged that the U.S. president would grant bin Salman a meeting that could legitimize him on the world stage.","_key":"280823b669a50"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"f6ecfec474c3","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-raised-khashoggi-murder-saudi-crown-orince/story?id=86884105","_key":"d1cb4fe352b5"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Nevertheless, Biden ","_key":"fd3869d16fb50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["d1cb4fe352b5"],"text":"assured","_key":"fd3869d16fb51"},{"marks":[],"text":" the American people that he was firm with the prince when it came to the subject of Khashoggi’s death.","_key":"fd3869d16fb52","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time, and what I think of it now,” he said.","_key":"f3f46221d4890"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"436c809d8817","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"43b71f9e549c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although bin Salman claimed that he didn’t personally order Khashoggi’s murder, Biden said: “I indicated I thought he was.”","_key":"d4249ff333a30"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"5cf2629ad824","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While plenty of Americans expressed disappointment that the president would agree to visit Saudi Arabia, Khashoggi’s fiancee offered perhaps the most compelling criticism. In a tweet on Friday, Hatice Cengiz reacted to what appeared to be a warm greeting between Biden and bin Salman by imagining how Khashoggi would respond.","_key":"c5eabdfe1f080"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Hey [Biden], is this the accountability you promised for my murder?” she wrote. “The blood of MBS’s next victim is on your hands.”","_key":"2a34d18fdb970"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"545a3d806847","markDefs":[]}],"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"publishDate":"2022-07-16","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FnsS","slug":"/story/2022/07/biden-says-he-confronted-saudi-prince-over-death-of-usbased-columnist","_createdAt":"2022-07-16T03:02:57Z","id":"gLVxsD","category":"world-politics","image":{"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.49143835616438336,"x":0.48715753424657515,"y":0.434246575342466,"height":0.8301369863013703},"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"Olivier Douliery - Pool/Getty Images","asset":{"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","description":"WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 13: Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia looks on in the Oval Office at the White House May 13, 2015 in Washington, DC. 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In fact, several of his top ministers have resigned and/or urged him to step down in recent days."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In addition to backlash over his parties during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Johnson is under fire for the way he has handled allegations that his former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher inappropriately touched two men. 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Gove had reportedly been leading the chorus of critics calling on Johnson to resign.","_key":"72687bcf8e0c2"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"79945c711e42","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"62daa4293bb90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Exiting Health Secretary Sajid Javid kicked off the string of resignations with a tough assessment of the prime minister. He explained: “At some point, we have to conclude that enough is enough. I have concluded that the problem starts at the top. 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The change comes after both Nordic nations decided to compromise with Erdogan.","_key":"f4d8da2edd3a4"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"d7bb66f8e5550"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a82a7948e71d"},{"_key":"21974acdfd96","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Of course...","_key":"666e8afc86950"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bd7a1dd4991b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"3920b5e2cdfa0"}]},{"children":[{"_key":"f36ae2622da80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to reports, Sweden agreed to step up its work on Turkish extradition requests of suspected Kurdish militants (Erdogan wishes to wipe up the Kurds in a culture cleansing fashion). Both nations agreed to list their restrictions on selling weapons to Turkey (what bad could happen with an autocrat having more weapons?)"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6203fe6ee633","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"ddf4bfbba395","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"1a0be17c7ca40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Finland, Sweden, and Turkey signed a joint memorandum \"to extend their full support against threats to each other's security.\"","_key":"2063d906e9bc0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5b6b8040ece4","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"ef446af9ad53","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"11d03ddd96ae0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_key":"600d18c6d9a20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Erdogan's office said it \"got what it wanted\" from Finland and Sweden, who used a catastrophic event by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to push his agenda against Kurdish individuals further into the forefront."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0c7fe446575c","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_key":"939e89c62b1c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"28328eb517c8","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While it's unlikely Erdogan would make a fool's error and pick up discrimination policies against the Kurds while the world is dealing with the disaster in Ukraine, it's highly likely he will move as soon as he knows push-back will be minimal.","_key":"4538ac8c0ae70"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"82cebb7e3603"}],"_id":"61cf27ef-9260-4ee6-8471-8bb16af2e00a","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:50Z"},{"_id":"2d863b42-d3dc-4447-8ce5-6fa962d6956e","slug":"/story/2022/06/chairman-xi-jinping-accuses-western-sanctions-of-weaponizing-world-economy","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"pJZaLfih5","_type":"reference"},"summary":"Economic strains are being felt across the globe, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed the rising concern this week.","_type":"story","title":"Chairman Xi Jinping accuses Western sanctions of ‘weaponizing’ world economy","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:42Z","category":"world-politics","_createdAt":"2022-06-23T20:43:07Z","publishDate":"2022-06-24","id":"5nNht0","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5buYG","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-22/xi-slams-sanctions-for-weaponizing-world-economy-at-brics-open#xj4y7vzkg","_key":"cd851daa1cfb"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a sharp speech delivered Wednesday night, Chinese leader Xi Jinping set the tone for a virtual summit with leaders of significant emerging nations. He ","_key":"e1bcabbdbce00"},{"marks":["cd851daa1cfb"],"text":"denounced penalties","_key":"e1bcabbdbce01","_type":"span"},{"text":" for \"weaponizing\" the global economy and advocated cooperation in the face of economic difficulties. Xi described the world as being at a critical crossroads ,as it struggles to recover from the global pandemic. Amid what he called new \"security challenges\", Xi was speaking at a business forum ahead of the virtual summit with leaders from the BRICS economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa on Thursday.","_key":"e1bcabbdbce02","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e345fde51e12"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5d4ae1202f20","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"He urged nations to \"embrace solidarity and coordination,\" praising China's new security and development programs as models. The remarks shed light on China's priorities as it prepares to host the BRICS summit this year, which takes place virtually in Beijing. This is Russian President Vladimir Putin's first forum meeting with the heads of the world's major economies since his country invaded Ukraine earlier this year. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sanctions have been a crucial instrument used by Western countries. However, the crisis and the array of Western sanctions may also give rise to some topics that the group has been debating for years. Such topics include establishing trade agreements other than the US-dollar system, from which Russian institutions are now severely constrained. In his remarks on Wednesday, Putin mentioned the prospect of a BRICS-based worldwide reserve currency.","_key":"d60f039c15f40","_type":"span","marks":[]}]}],"image":{"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0.33770403587443987,"left":0,"bottom":0.3452645739910307},"hotspot":{"y":0.5000000000000006,"height":0.22882511210762363,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.6860986547085196,"x":0.47757847533632286},"_type":"image","alt":"","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/eb3c0b92da40dbc869693fa47c903e80e8bd8263-288x512.jpg","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:21Z","_rev":"YsND8fzVq1l7vIZQKndd9U","sha1hash":"eb3c0b92da40dbc869693fa47c903e80e8bd8263","size":15290,"assetId":"eb3c0b92da40dbc869693fa47c903e80e8bd8263","originalFilename":"TEC6.24 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finally paying a political price for 'party gate' in the United Kingdom.","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","asset":{"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_id":"image-05d8bd2ec8a5cb5ccbe8f8c2319c3f92ee1d1959-4144x5179-jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:47Z","extension":"jpg","uploadId":"ryPiF52vMrKgMqj18ry9stGGDY88a00F","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/05d8bd2ec8a5cb5ccbe8f8c2319c3f92ee1d1959-4144x5179.jpg","size":8855449,"metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":6.29,"background":"#bfc3ce","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.88,"background":"#eec312","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"dominant":{"population":7.15,"background":"#3c4453","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#3c4453","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.15},"muted":{"background":"#977d62","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.12},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.44,"background":"#d3be9f"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.23,"background":"#041752"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"width":4144,"aspectRatio":0.8001544699748986,"height":5179,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions"},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"dDC%27^*DNZ}~qNGI9M|%Js:?HxZR2V=?Ht89HIrx]bb"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/05d8bd2ec8a5cb5ccbe8f8c2319c3f92ee1d1959-4144x5179.jpg","sha1hash":"05d8bd2ec8a5cb5ccbe8f8c2319c3f92ee1d1959","originalFilename":"Boris.jpeg","_rev":"1K8pT3qofyahtESQAVaSXF","mimeType":"image/jpeg","assetId":"05d8bd2ec8a5cb5ccbe8f8c2319c3f92ee1d1959","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:47Z"}},"_rev":"G5tlNFGA2uX0YSIWc61BOb","slug":"/story/2022/06/boris-johnson-faces-noconfidence-vote-today","id":"EY8mKJ","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"942aaae430e1","markDefs":[{"_key":"46ce4c93b443","_type":"link","href":"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uk-partygate-boris-johnson-coronavirus-lockdown-parties-sue-gray-report/"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/boris-johnsons-lockdown-partygate","_key":"5b1eab34c72a"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/08/allegra-stratton-leaves-cop26-role-after-no-10-christmas-party-video","_key":"9b287c2db841"}],"children":[{"_key":"b61008576d090","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has long received public criticism in the United Kingdom due to his administration breaking its government regulations during COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom. According to numerous reports that Boris Johnson (Conservative Party), 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister resides) held "},{"_type":"span","marks":["46ce4c93b443"],"text":"several gatherings","_key":"b61008576d091"},{"marks":[],"text":" (parties) which broke ","_key":"b61008576d092","_type":"span"},{"text":"lockdown regulations","_key":"b61008576d093","_type":"span","marks":["5b1eab34c72a"]},{"marks":[],"text":", with some at the events ","_key":"b61008576d094","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["9b287c2db841"],"text":"mocking","_key":"b61008576d095"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the regulations entirely (bad look).\n","_key":"b61008576d096"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Later today, Johnson will face a ","_key":"23fd0ebdcc460"},{"_key":"23fd0ebdcc461","_type":"span","marks":["8e014ea57d99"],"text":"vote of no confidence"},{"marks":[],"text":" after the threshold of 54 Conservative Members of Parliament submitting letters seeking his removal was finally reached. The 1922 Committee, which represents backbench Tories (Conservatives in the United Kingdom), released the following statement after the news:","_key":"23fd0ebdcc462","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f764d60cec24","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vote%20of%20no%20confidence","_key":"8e014ea57d99"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"108df0c2faf40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dd2c42533244","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"b14d5e0ed666","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0fdf1e3ab8ea0","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 today, Monday 6 June. The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today."}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"767e2784e214","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"4b774405442a0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Johnson needs to win 180 votes, 50% plus one of the Conservative Members of Parliament, to stay in office as Prime Minister.","_key":"5389e9cf60ac0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f1439c33572e"}],"title":"Boris Johnson Faces No-Confidence Vote Today","_createdAt":"2022-06-06T10:10:09Z","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:51:03Z","visibility":"true"},{"_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:37Z","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","attribution":"European Union","asset":{"_rev":"YsND8fzVq1l7vIZQKndfUk","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/ce73c5058f80b11824ce4d246eaa51067bdf13d8-4744x3162.jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:23Z","originalFilename":"EU_Union.jpeg","uploadId":"vIKB1OZfGvym4jkd7M9OL0GPT3j6aLnu","mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"ce73c5058f80b11824ce4d246eaa51067bdf13d8","size":463274,"_id":"image-ce73c5058f80b11824ce4d246eaa51067bdf13d8-4744x3162-jpg","extension":"jpg","assetId":"ce73c5058f80b11824ce4d246eaa51067bdf13d8","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:22Z","metadata":{"blurHash":"V26R?Go$0ZbeEAtAfRWXfRa#EAazRoWX^ro%fRWFa}ob","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"background":"#945404","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightMuted":{"population":0.38,"background":"#bcb299","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"background":"#efec13","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.03},"dominant":{"background":"#313f59","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.47},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.47,"background":"#313f59","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#88a752","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.32,"background":"#d4cf5d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDB//EABwQAAIDAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAMREjFRgf/EABcBAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDBQb/xAAYEQADAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIRIf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ay2hVZmLdKNz2OvC4MvAKQNBElW5rbR9HsdrgFIRAu9kTY1NN8JKawjCEI0E//9k=","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.5003162555344718,"height":3162,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":4744},"isOpaque":true},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/ce73c5058f80b11824ce4d246eaa51067bdf13d8-4744x3162.jpg"}},"summary":"Because going all the way is a bit too inconvenient. ","visibility":"true","_rev":"G5tlNFGA2uX0YSIWc60Zpp","_id":"001705f1-b978-4603-8cae-e5c33874ce8c","id":"dcuRLs","_type":"story","publishDate":"2022-05-31","category":"world-politics","title":"EU Agrees On 'Partial' Ban On Russian Oil Imports","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/1531391899218608133?cxt=HHwWioCwzbK0zMAqAAAA","_key":"afdf43d4a7c3"}],"children":[{"text":"This morning in Europe saw the European Union (EU) agree on the partial ban on Russian oil imports. European Council chief Charles Michael announced in a ","_key":"f49667b748650","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["afdf43d4a7c3"],"text":"tweet","_key":"f49667b748651"},{"_key":"f49667b748652","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".\n"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9756e06a8be0"},{"children":[{"text":"Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine.","_key":"aab2e4746ba00","_type":"span","marks":["em"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"496963bcb423","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"6936e126c2d80"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cfd7f4b89553","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/30/energy/eu-russian-oil/index.html","_key":"eafd2fc46f6c"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The announcement comes after ","_key":"7bd622007ede0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["eafd2fc46f6c"],"text":"meetings","_key":"7bd622007ede1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on Monday that discussed the sixth package of EU sanctions against the undemocratically elected regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, those sanctions included de-Swifting the largest Russian bank Sberbank, banning three more Russian state-owned broadcasters, and sanctioning those responsible for war crimes -- none of which will cause Putin to rethink his war.\n","_key":"7bd622007ede2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c1f03f6ec560"},{"style":"normal","_key":"51b0809ec816","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/27/russia-doubles-fossil-fuel-revenues-since-invasion-of-ukraine-began","_key":"388c3ab40149"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The oil agreement says the EU will agree to ban 90 percent of Russian oil imports by the end of the year, meaning Putin will have access to large quantities of ","_key":"bcc219204d760","_type":"span"},{"text":"oil revenue","_key":"bcc219204d761","_type":"span","marks":["388c3ab40149"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for several more months and will continue to do so into 2023 (10% is substantial) if the war continues.\n","_key":"bcc219204d762"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"dbea54307aea","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Will the sanctions accomplish anything, or are they more for public relations purposes? Well...they are unlikely to dampen Putin's war effort and are currently a minor inconvenience at best.","_key":"df40512248ca0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"slug":"/story/2022/05/eu-agrees-on-partial-ban-on-russian-oil-imports","_createdAt":"2022-05-31T07:55:58Z"},{"_type":"story","publishDate":"2022-05-27","_id":"2c4268c4-35a4-4cf4-a0b6-8d9fd523b563","slug":"/story/2022/05/moldova-fear-they-could-be-attacked-in-putins-war","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5buYG","_createdAt":"2022-05-27T11:58:39Z","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:42Z","summary":"Moldova fears they could face an attack from Putin's armies.","category":"world-politics","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","asset":{"originalFilename":"index.png","extension":"png","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/6f7e8a0daa1515a072491d4a6198176d8d296fe1-318x159.png","size":5842,"_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:25Z","_rev":"cAWu7qvPfyNGMEttw8JVRO","sha1hash":"6f7e8a0daa1515a072491d4a6198176d8d296fe1","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/6f7e8a0daa1515a072491d4a6198176d8d296fe1-318x159.png","mimeType":"image/png","assetId":"6f7e8a0daa1515a072491d4a6198176d8d296fe1","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:47:25Z","metadata":{"palette":{"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":31.08,"background":"#0444ac"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.59,"background":"#99aeaf","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"population":24.31,"background":"#fad306","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"background":"#0444ac","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":31.08},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.12,"background":"#3a7164","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#ac766b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.59},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.1,"background":"#cca959"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":318,"aspectRatio":2,"height":159},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MZLC0S3G0GjJ-|s.W;WXfQj?${j@Iuazxo","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"uploadId":"kiFcEb1nOyf5fEuilV57iUxxpoFp0ixt","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_id":"image-6f7e8a0daa1515a072491d4a6198176d8d296fe1-318x159-png"}},"visibility":"true","body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/27/paradigm-shift-in-moldovas-security-policy","_key":"54c2991b8068","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Moldova's interior minister, Ana Revenco, told Al Jazeera this ","_key":"2887b30baca90","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["54c2991b8068"],"text":"morning","_key":"2887b30baca91"},{"text":" that Europe needs a 'paradigm shift' when dealing with matters of security. Moldova isn't a member of the European Union nor the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Moldova has concerns as Putin has troops within the separatist region of Transnistria.","_key":"2887b30baca92","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dfeed03cbac8"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"b5121a18d9fb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a3ac95292c94"},{"style":"normal","_key":"e4d5d0ddc190","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/4/eu-to-significantly-increase-moldova-military-aid","_key":"022a2909a617"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"On May 8th, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Moldovan President Maia Sandu that the United Nations would not abandon Moldova, days before the European Union said it would ","_key":"c2b6ce7669660"},{"_type":"span","marks":["022a2909a617"],"text":"increase","_key":"c2b6ce7669661"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" military aid to Moldova.","_key":"c2b6ce7669662"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"a1cfd5b810c20"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0e23a415e3fb","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Russian's military presence in Transnistria causes concern for Moldova, and Ukrainian representatives feel Putin wishes to use Moldova to launch further attacks in his stalled military operation. Numerous claims state the Russian-speaking population is facing oppresion. Also, a massive supply of Soviet-era weapons along with ammunition is a part of aoppression trafficking and smuggling operation in occupied Transnistria.","_key":"0bcb42e280a10"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e2496492483b"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"925e9e57826f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6e87dbb47059","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"41ccada7df22","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Moldova has taken 100,000 refugees from Ukraine and is at the center of ongoing concerns due to Putin's stubborn insistence to continue his attack on Ukraine. 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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan enjoys diving headfirst into ","_key":"296e8541be190"},{"_key":"296e8541be191","_type":"span","marks":["cdd6e82bf951"],"text":"authoritarianism"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", ironic since relations between him and the ","_key":"296e8541be192"},{"_type":"span","marks":["f1300023ad81"],"text":"non democratically","_key":"296e8541be193"},{"_key":"296e8541be194","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" "},{"_type":"span","marks":["b5818c70bb4d"],"text":"elected","_key":"296e8541be195"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Vladimir Putin of Russia are pretty good despite some ","_key":"296e8541be196"},{"_type":"span","marks":["fd4468d04619"],"text":"complications","_key":"296e8541be197"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"296e8541be198","_type":"span"}]},{"children":[{"text":"","_key":"193ebe6483260","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"93e4e9b8b04d","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"8709e33c9e22","markDefs":[{"_key":"6be9693abf07","_type":"link","href":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/17/turkey-confirms-opposition-to-nato-membership-for-sweden-finland"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Erdogan, whose Turkey is a huge trading partner with Russia, is now using the unanimous consent rule of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to possibly block Finland and Sweden from joining the alliance, which would appease Putin greatly. At a Monday news conference, Erdogan ","_key":"afe4bf134eff0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6be9693abf07"],"text":"said","_key":"afe4bf134eff1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the following regarding the Scandinavian countries' applications to join NATO. \"We [Turkey] will not say ‘yes’ to those [countries] who apply sanctions to Turkey to join security organisation NATO.\"","_key":"afe4bf134eff2"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"96848d1f0685","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"3c609375563f0"}]},{"_key":"8fb953e8ac21","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/world/europe/Turkey-Kurds-Erdogan.html","_key":"2904d586e00e"},{"href":"https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/looming-genocide-against-kurds-history-should-not-repeat-itself/","_key":"c9b807a6ed36","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Erdogan is a bit mad that Sweden decided to suspend arms sales to Turkey in 2019 because he was busy leading forces into Syria and making that entire situation worse and more complicated. Erodgan also claims Finland and Sweden harbor the terrorist group Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Ironic enough, Erdogan has faced the condemnation of the global leaders due to his ","_key":"6d27b4d127aa0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["2904d586e00e"],"text":"brutal treatment","_key":"6d27b4d127aa1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of the Kurdish. Yeah, it's ","_key":"6d27b4d127aa2"},{"_type":"span","marks":["c9b807a6ed36"],"text":"quite bad","_key":"6d27b4d127aa3"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"6d27b4d127aa4"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"28581a0c833f0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"78cb3ccb8c81","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"66acb537ffa40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It's going to be a messy situation. If Turkey follows through and blocks Finland and Sweden from joining NATO, which would grant them protection in the event Putin attempts to invade the nations."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6298a9db6d43"}],"id":"bWbzX1","_rev":"l28MLa9EqJWOqXPxf5c91A","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"_id":"e01eacbb-aed9-435a-9bac-ed5441d49339","visibility":"true","category":"world-politics"},{"_type":"story","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2022-05-16","image":{"alt":"","attribution":"Stephen Boisvert","asset":{"extension":"jpg","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/bc5729e3e6c6bea46933cf259e757349feb7e61a-987x696.jpg","size":91795,"_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:37Z","originalFilename":"Supreme court.jpg","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"V?E:f4t6x]ofog?woft7j[aex^j]RPa#Rjo#a#M{azWB","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightVibrant":{"background":"#c0dafb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":7.92},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#142f4c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"population":0.12,"background":"#c3b2a3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.09,"background":"#a75f46","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"background":"#28354f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.73},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#28354f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.73},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":1.07,"background":"#6a88ac","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":987,"aspectRatio":1.418103448275862,"height":696}},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"bc5729e3e6c6bea46933cf259e757349feb7e61a","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/bc5729e3e6c6bea46933cf259e757349feb7e61a-987x696.jpg","uploadId":"0puDW8gzhckyKIz9vIUCtz34oZd0uhHP","_rev":"YsND8fzVq1l7vIZQKncu2o","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:36Z","mimeType":"image/jpeg","assetId":"bc5729e3e6c6bea46933cf259e757349feb7e61a","_id":"image-bc5729e3e6c6bea46933cf259e757349feb7e61a-987x696-jpg"},"_type":"image"},"author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"_id":"1c693b1f-5d96-453a-a792-c5b860cb9c27","title":"Canada Supreme Court Literally Says 'Blame Alcohol'","slug":"/story/2022/05/canada-supreme-court-literally-says-blame-alcohol","id":"12Hvoq","category":"world-politics","summary":"In an unbelievably sad twist, Canada says you can blame it on the alcohol.","_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:39Z","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-supreme-court-rules-extreme-intoxication-can-be-defense-violent-crime-2022-05-13/","_key":"9c6119634aab"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-12.html","_key":"99c04a1bbf9d"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada literally ","_key":"d8eba29fcfc80"},{"_type":"span","marks":["9c6119634aab"],"text":"ruled","_key":"d8eba29fcfc81"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" defendants accused of violent crimes, including homicide and sexual assault, can use what is called 'self-induced extreme intoxication' as an actual defense in court. The decision strikes down a 1995 federal law, calling it unconstitutional and violating Canada's","_key":"d8eba29fcfc82"},{"_type":"span","marks":["99c04a1bbf9d"],"text":" Charter of Rights and Freedoms","_key":"d8eba29fcfc83"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"d8eba29fcfc84"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8342936286f2"},{"_key":"1ae679e12dff","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"a2487044c5de0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"eae66884adb4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Even worse, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on the matter with Justice Nicholas Kasirer stating, \"Its impact on the principles of fundamental justice is disproportionate to its overarching public benefits. It should therefore be declared unconstitutional.\"","_key":"7b68b4d911aa0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"0a69caab8ca8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n","_key":"3300471b7fde0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"b05f708b2f9c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The extreme intoxication defense is officially known as \"non-mental disorder automatism,\" meaning defendants can claim their actions were involuntary as a result of being intoxicated due to taking drugs or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, therefore making them legally not responsible for their actions.","_key":"e97b363439d50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"","_key":"52f241f5cecb0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b7a6a1f1c7fe"},{"_key":"21eae5356e5d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The decision seems to ignore that individuals using this defense will almost always make the conscious decision to become extremely intoxicated. While the Federal Justice Minister (David Lametti) says the decision won't apply to most cases where someone commits a criminal offense while intoxicated. I doubt that will make anyone feel better about the situation; proving someone didn't suffer from extreme intoxication at the time of a violent crime sounds a bit difficult.","_key":"8b129ebc591f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"_createdAt":"2022-05-16T11:07:16Z","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FeJw"},{"category":"world-politics","summary":"Ukraine offers prisoner swaps for members of its most...controversial regiment.","author":{"_ref":"pYanAoHWh","_type":"reference"},"_createdAt":"2022-05-12T08:26:46Z","visibility":"true","title":"Ukraine Offers Prisoner Swap For Mariupol Fighters","image":{"_type":"image","alt":"","asset":{"metadata":{"palette":{"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#671e1d"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#afaba9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.38},"vibrant":{"background":"#7c2523","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.56},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":12,"background":"#848484","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":0.13,"background":"#6e4a3a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"background":"#848484","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":12},"lightVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#e19997","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"width":720,"aspectRatio":0.75,"height":960,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions"},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"d3E.@Opw4o=|=z?^s:IAo~s.kCj[PADONGyCTxm,ozXl","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","assetId":"6491115b870d291e9a624bc43102361827ef8b37","_createdAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:35Z","_rev":"YsND8fzVq1l7vIZQKnct2I","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/6491115b870d291e9a624bc43102361827ef8b37-720x960.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/6491115b870d291e9a624bc43102361827ef8b37-720x960.jpg","size":456314,"_id":"image-6491115b870d291e9a624bc43102361827ef8b37-720x960-jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-02-28T20:46:36Z","originalFilename":"person-girl-play-wave-balloon-number-1043421-pxhere.com.jpg","extension":"jpg","uploadId":"rhpFpmZ1aZhF0WTzbOUSbC3MkJTJAQY6","mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"6491115b870d291e9a624bc43102361827ef8b37"}},"_updatedAt":"2023-03-01T15:50:52Z","slug":"/story/2022/05/ukraine-offers-prisoner-swap-for-mariupol-fighters","_rev":"BPyZGvs0pJRGqz7s02FljI","publishDate":"2022-05-12","id":"jsOXie","_type":"story","body":[{"_key":"67088983f4d6","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-election-fraud-shpilkin/31472787.html","_key":"568372972077"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58614227","_key":"8045e4ea9670"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/25/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-barred-from-running-for-president","_key":"1fa6180aed90"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ukraine-offers-swap-prisoners-hurt-mariupol-fighters-84661451","_key":"f530e2d414de"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As the very not ","_key":"f3e834d534870"},{"_type":"span","marks":["568372972077"],"text":"democratically","_key":"f3e834d534871"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" ","_key":"f3e834d534872"},{"text":"elected","_key":"f3e834d534873","_type":"span","marks":["8045e4ea9670"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" President of Russia (hello ","_key":"f3e834d534874"},{"_type":"span","marks":["1fa6180aed90"],"text":"Navalny","_key":"f3e834d534875"},{"text":"), Vladimir Putin continues his regime's war in Ukraine; the aerial bombardment of the city of Mariupol continues as Ukraine offers a prisoner exchange for the ","_key":"f3e834d534876","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["f530e2d414de"],"text":"remaining soldiers","_key":"f3e834d534877"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" trapped in a steel mill.","_key":"f3e834d534878"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"6837438859cf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"","_key":"bbd9484be8480","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"4330499e6ccf","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/1/who-are-the-azov-regiment","_key":"3938c7595910"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The Ukrainian soldiers trapped in Mariupol aren't from a normal regiment but are of the white supremacist, neo-Nazi ","_key":"d5b5ed1483e50","_type":"span"},{"_key":"d5b5ed1483e51","_type":"span","marks":["3938c7595910"],"text":"Azov Special Forces Regiment "},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"of the Ukrainian National Guard. After its formation in 2014, the Ukrainian government backed the unit during battles with pro-Russian separatists as its military was too weak to deal with fighting.","_key":"d5b5ed1483e52"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"4eebd4bb75dc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"a71c9833d2160"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ee8b67d4030b","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/neo-nazis-far-right-ukraine/","_key":"1adfa757e042"}],"children":[{"text":"In 2015, Andriy Diachenko, the spokesperson for the regiment admitted anywhere between 10-20 percent of the unit's recruits were Nazis. Despite denying the unit adheres to Nazi ideology, Nazi symbols appear on the uniforms, rifles, and bodies of Zaov members. According to the ","_key":"f87d106730a20","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["1adfa757e042"],"text":"Nation","_key":"f87d106730a21"},{"_key":"f87d106730a22","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in 2019, the Azov unit is the only neo-Nazi formation in a modern nation's armed forces."}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"516781b598ee","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"","_key":"56b96f70ddc30"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"2a18ca2978a9","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://news.yahoo.com/azov-regiment-releases-photos-wounded-142458945.html","_key":"81a8042363de"},{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/wives-azov-fighters-appeal-pope-help-get-husbands-out-2022-05-11/","_key":"d1871bef6e5c"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The Azov Regiment recently ","_key":"317541b5fb920","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["81a8042363de"],"text":"released photos","_key":"317541b5fb921"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of wounded soldiers in Mariupol, asking for help from the United Nations and Red Cross. The wives of two soldiers trapped in the Azovstal steel mill recently spoke with ","_key":"317541b5fb922"},{"text":"Pope Francis","_key":"317541b5fb923","_type":"span","marks":["d1871bef6e5c"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to get the soldiers to safety and not allow them to fall into Russian captivity.","_key":"317541b5fb924"}],"_type":"block"}],"_id":"6f03cc2f-c4ab-4bf1-ab5d-4fc0b0a5e939"}]