International Glance
In a historic first for Germany, nearly 700 students at the University of Leipzig voted almost unanimously on 19 May to demand that their university sever all ties with Israeli academic institutions over the genocide in Gaza.
The location is significant.
For decades, Leipzig has been regarded as one of Germany’s strongest centers of the "Antideutsche" current, a tendency within the radical left defined by militant anti-nationalism and vocal support for Israel under the banner of combating antisemitism. Antideutsche activists also frequently clash with pro-Palestinian activists at demonstrations and events.
The adopted list of demands calls on the university to recognise and condemn the genocidal nature of Israel’s war on Gaza, including the scholasticide taking place there, a term used to describe the systematic destruction of educational institutions, students and staff.
Students demand an end to all cooperation with Israeli universities and institutions, and insist that the University of Leipzig neither participate in, promote, nor publicise collaborations or activities organised or hosted by Israeli universities.
In German first, Leipzig students vote for academic boycott of Israel
Ukraine Condemns Russian Threats Against Foreign Diplomats as ‘Shameless Blackmail’
Russian threats against the foreign diplomatic corps in Ukraine, calling the Kremlin’s statements “shameless blackmail” aimed at intimidating the international community.
The ministry said the security situation in Kyiv remains consistent with the level of threat the capital has faced in recent months amid repeated Russian missile and drone attacks.
In its statement, the MFA expressed gratitude to foreign diplomatic missions and personnel who continue to work in Ukraine despite the ongoing risks.
Ukrainian officials thanked foreign diplomats for continuing their work in Ukraine despite Moscow’s attempts at intimidation. The ministry said it remains ready to assist and coordinate with foreign missions to strengthen their security.
US temporarily bans green-card holders from entering country from African nations
US authorities have temporarily banned green-card holders from entering the country if they have traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days.
The order issued on Friday is part of an expanding attempt to prevent Ebola from entering US borders. A previously announced travel restriction blocked only people without US passports who had visited those countries from entering but exempted US citizens and lawful permanent residents.
“HHS [the Department of Health and Human Services] and CDC [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] have determined that permitting the director of CDC or other secretarial delegate the discretion to prohibit entry of certain lawful permanent residents is reasonably required in the interest of public health,” the order reads.
The order added that green-card holders may maintain stronger ties to families and communities outside the US than US citizens and nationals, “such that prohibiting their entry is comparatively less burdensome”.
US citizens returning from the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan now have a second point of entry to the US, the CDC said, in addition to Washington’s Dulles airport. The agency said on Saturday it is expanding its enhanced Ebola screening to include the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport.
People Feared Trapped Under Debris After Russia Strikes Konotop High-Rise
A massive overnight Russian drone strike partially destroyed a multi-story residential building in Konotop, Sumy Oblast, injuring at least six people and prompting an urgent search-and-rescue operation for residents feared trapped beneath the debris, local officials said.
Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin said Russian forces targeted civilian infrastructure in the city, with the strike causing part of the high-rise to collapse.
“Behind me is a multi-story building. Part of it is gone. And there are people there,” Semenikhin said in a video address posted on social media.
Due to a lack of ambulances, the injured are being transferred to the hospital in civilian vehicles, Semenikhin added.
According to the mayor, there were “many” people injured in the attack. Emergency teams were working at the scene to clear rubble and search for possible survivors.
MEE: ICC prosecutor's office seeks arrest warrant for Israel's Smotrich
The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court last month filed a secret arrest warrant application for Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, sources briefed on the matter told Middle East Eye.
Israeli media reports over the weekend claiming the prosecutor’s office had filed five applications for Israeli officials are inaccurate, MEE understands.
An evidence review took place on Wednesday last week to examine the possibility of two more warrant applications, including one for national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, but they have yet to be filed.
MEE understands that the charges against Smotrich include forced displacement as a crime against humanity and war crime, the transfer of Israel’s own population as a war crime, and persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity.
If approved by the ICC’s pre-trial chamber the warrant for Smotrich would be the first ever issued by an international court for the crime of apartheid.
Ukraine, Russia Agree on 1,000 POW Exchange and Ceasefire
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to carry out a large‑scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees on each side, marking a major humanitarian step amid the ongoing war.
The agreement was reached through US‑mediated negotiations, with preparations for the exchange already underway, Zelensky said on Friday in a post on Telegram.
“Ukraine is consistently working to return its people from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that humanitarian considerations remain central to Ukraine’s position.
The exchange is expected to coincide with a temporary ceasefire from May 9 to May 11, days that align with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.
Zelensky said Ukraine’s decisions regarding security and military posture are guided by a principle of reciprocity, but that the return of prisoners takes precedence.
Russia Declares Victory Day Truce, Signals Pause in Fighting
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a unilateral truce for Victory Day, declaring a pause in fighting from May 8 to May 9, while warning it would carry out a “massive missile strike” on Kyiv if Ukraine attempts to disrupt celebrations in Moscow.
According to the BBC’s Russian service, the truce was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, marked annually on May 9, Ukrinform reported on Monday.
At the same time, Russian officials warned of retaliation if Moscow’s military parade is threatened.
The Defense Ministry said that if Ukraine tries to “implement its criminal plans to disrupt the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War,” Russian forces would respond with a missile strike on central Kyiv.
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