Estonia seized one of Russia’s “shadow fleet” vessels on Friday (April 11), just two days after approving a new law that allows it to use force to sink such ships if they pose a national security threat. RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan condemned the first as “state-sponsored piracy”, while Russian President Vladmir Putin’s senior aide Nikolai Patrushev speculated that Britain might be behind the […]
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Anime / Barefoot Gen / Cuteness / Doraemon / Grave of the Fireflies / Hayao Miyazaki / Hello Kitty / Manga / News / Pikachu / Pokemon / Studio Ghibli / The Conversation / World
Pikachu, Studio Ghibli memes and the subversive power of cuteness
In Antalya, Turkey, in the early hours of March 27, 2025, Pikachu was spotted fleeing the police, making a getaway as fast as his short yellow legs could waddle. The person dressed as the popular Pokémon character had been objecting to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, whose political party later posted on X, […]
Block 3 / Canada / Chinese diaspora / News / South Asian diaspora / The Conversation / World
Why many 2nd-generation Asian Canadians plan to vote Conservative
After months of political decline, the Liberal Party of Canada is showing signs of recovery, buoyed, some suggest, by a surge of national pride in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff war and threats to Canadian sovereignty. But this apparent rebound obscures a more surprising political shift: the growing appeal of the Conservative Party of […]
Block 3 / Estonia / Estonian Nationalism / Europe / NATO / News / Russia / Russia-Europe War / Ukraine war / World
Estonia cribbing Ukraine’s script for provoking Russia
On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princeps, a Bosnian-Serb radical, shot and killed Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. Princeps did not act alone. He was one of at least six principals in an organization called Young Bosnia, and his group and others were seeking independence from the Austro-Hungarian empire. He […]
Home Improvement / Running An Organized Office / Society
Everything You Need To Know About Running An Organized Office
Whether managing a bustling corporate headquarters or a small home office, keeping your workspace organized is key to maintaining productivity and efficiency. An organized office looks more professional and helps reduce stress, streamline workflows, and improve overall morale. Here’s everything you need to know about running an organized office, from decluttering techniques to investing in […]
Block 2 / Books / Cable wars / Eurasia / News / Russian shadow fleet / Subsea internet cables / US-China / World
Cable wars: what to do about deepening conflict beneath the seas
On the day before Christmas in 2024, a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker dragged its anchor a hundred miles across the Baltic seabed, damaging internet cables and the Finland-to-Estonia Estlink-2 power line. The month before, the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 did virtually the same thing, rupturing Baltic Sea internet cables. In January 2025, this […]
Block 2 / Donald Trump / MAGA / News / The Conversation / United States / US Immigration Crackdown / US Tourism / US-Canada Trade War / US-Mexico Trade War
Detained on arrival: Why US is no longer safe for tourists
The United States is one of the top three most visited countries in the world. The big draw cards – cities such as San Francisco, New York and Chicago and national parks such as Yosemite – have attracted international tourists for decades. This combined with its role as a global business powerhouse meant it had […]
Arctic Competition / Block 3 / China in Arctic / Donald Trump / Greenland / Greenland Annexation / NATO / News / Norway / Svalbard / The Arctic / The Conversation / US-Russia rivalry / World
Thawing Arctic heats up US-Russia imperialist instincts
“You cannot annex another country.” This was the clear message given by the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, at a recent press conference with the outgoing and incoming prime ministers of Greenland. It did not appear aimed at Russian president Vladimir Putin, but at Donald Trump, the president of one of her country’s closest allies, […]
Agriculture / Block 3 / Consumer Confidence / Housing / News / Trump Tariffs / Unemployment / United States / US recession
Recession talk is in the air
The Wall Street Journal’s Spencer Jakab pointed out something interesting the other day: There’s been a spike in Google searches on the word “recession.” It’s easy to understand why. Worries that tariffs will spur inflation have sent consumer confidence tumbling. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Expectations fell 18% in March from April and […]
Baltics / Block 3 / Germany / Lithuania / Military Schengen / NATO / NATO-Russia Founding Act / News / Russia / Suwalki Corridor / Ukraine war / World
Germany’s Lithuanian base complicates grand US-Russia deal
Germany just opened its first permanent military base abroad since World War II amidst the competition for leadership of post-conflict Europe between itself, France and Poland. Located in southeastern Lithuania near the Belarusian border and in proximity to Russia’s Kaliningrad Region, it’s strategically positioned to give Germany outsized influence in shaping Europe’s future security architecture. That’s because Germany is now a […]