(2022-05-18). Potential Exchange Of Azov As Path To Russia's Defeat. southfront.org 
Surrender of wounded Azov members | On May 11, 2022, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced upcoming negotiations on the exchange of severely wounded members of the Azov national battalion blocked in Mariupol for Russian prisoners of war. This decision caused widespread criticism from citizens of both Russia and other countries of the world that support the "denazification" of Ukraine. This is not surprising, since it is the Azov battalion that is the main unit that professes the ideology of…
(2022-05-18). What You Need to Know About ACLU Artist Ambassadors, Including Amber Heard. aclu.org For over 100 years, the ACLU has fought to protect the constitutional rights and freedoms of all people. We do this through litigation, advocacy, and public education, which is what the ACLU Artist Ambassador Program is all about — working with artists of all disciplines who want to use their platforms for good to put a spotlight on pressing civil liberties and civil rights issues. | During the current defamation lawsuit between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, some have claimed that the ACLU made Ms. Heard an ambassador for gender justice and wrote an op-ed on her behalf in exchange for her pledge to donate…
(2022-05-18). US-Taliban deal biggest factor in collapse of Afghan forces, watchdog says. tribune.com.pk 
The biggest factor that led to the collapse of the Afghan military in August last year was the U.S. decision to withdraw forces and contractors from Afghanistan through an agreement with the Taliban signed by the Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, a U.S. watchdog report concluded. | The withdrawal "destroyed" the morale of the Afghan military as it was dependent on U.S. military support, according to an assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which was made public late Tuesday. | "SIGAR found that the single most important factor in the…
(2022-05-18). China Eastern crash probe eyes intentional action – sources. tribune.com.pk 
Investigators looking into the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet are examining whether it was due to intentional action on the flight deck, with no evidence found of a technical malfunction, two people briefed on the matter said. | The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that flight data from one of the Boeing 737-800's black boxes indicated that someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane, citing people familiar with the preliminary assessment of U.S. officials. | Boeing Co, the maker of the jet, and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) declined to comment and referred quest…
(2022-05-18). Sri Lanka to default on debt, no money for fuel, minister says. tribune.com.pk Sri Lanka is expected to be placed into default by rating agencies on Wednesday after the non-payment of coupons on two of its sovereign bonds, while the energy minister said the country had run out of money to pay for fuel. | An economic crisis unprecedented in the country's history since independence in 1948 has led to a critical shortage of foreign exchange, that saw it miss two coupon payments on sovereign bonds on April 18. | Sri Lanka has already said it is unable to make the coupon payments, and a 30-day grace period ends on Wednesday. | S&P has said the ratings on the bonds, maturing in 2023 and 2028,…