Europe

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Ukraine’s ambassador to neighboring Poland says his nation is grateful for the welcome that Poles have given to millions of Ukrainian refugees, but he hopes the European Union will soon release billions of euros to Poland so that the assistance does not come “at the cost of the Polish people.”

Ambassador Andrii Deshchytsia said that while there have been no real social tensions in the three months since Ukrainians began crossing into Poland seeking safety, he worries they could appear in the future given the large extent of Polish help.

20 May 2022; MEMO: The assassination of Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, is "a disaster that shook the world", Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has said, adding that only a few people heard the news of her death "without being deeply affected".

20 May 2022; MEMO: The UK has lifted all restrictions on arms exports to Turkiye, the head of the Turkish Defense Industries Presidency said today.

"Important details on technical issues were discussed, and at the same time, steps were taken in principle to bring bilateral ties to a higher level in the field of defense," Ismail Demir said during his visit to London.

Thus, all of the products have been removed from the list of export restrictions which was created by British authorities in December 2021.

21 May 2022; MEMO: Qatar and Germany have signed an energy partnership agreement on Friday focusing on hydrogen trade and liquefied natural gas.

21 May 2022; MEMO: A French appeals court confirms a charge of complicity in crimes against humanity against the cement group, Lafarge, over alleged payoffs to the Daesh terror group during Syria's civil war, France 24 reports.

According to the report, a court in Paris has indicted the French company, Lafarge, for their "complicity in crimes against humanity" in Syria.

21 May 2022; MEMO: British Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said the non-violent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign to end Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territories was "racist" and "anti-Semitic".

POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) — In what would be its biggest victory yet in the war with Ukraine, Russia claimed to have captured Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege that reduced much of the strategic port city to a smoking ruin, with over 20,000 civilians feared dead.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin the “complete liberation” of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol — the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance — and the city as a whole, spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Friday.

There was no immediate confirmation from Ukraine.

Moscow, May 20 (AFP/APP): Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Moscow would create new military bases in western Russia in response to the expansion of NATO.

“By the end of the year, 12 military units and divisions will be established in the Western Military District,” Shoigu said at a meeting in televised remarks.

The army expects to receive more than two thousand units of military equipment and weapons, Shoigu added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to pro-Western Ukraine on February 24, sending shockwaves across the world.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: The Normandy Format was created to implement the Minsk agreements, after the termination of the Minsk deal, the question arises as to why the Normandy Quartet is needed at all, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, commenting on statements made by Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Andrey Melnik about the expediency of reviving the so-called Normandy Format to establish peace in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/: Nearly all web applications (98%) can be subject to cyberattacks, with data leaks revealed in 91% of apps, according to a Positive Technologies study released at the Positive Hack Days practical cybersecurity forum on Friday.

"According to a Positive Technologies study, criminals had a possibility to stage attacks on users in 98% of web apps under study. And unauthorized access and data leaks have been exposed in 84 and 91% of apps," it said.