China's maneuvers near Taiwan test tensions as global crises unfold

It happened while you were sleeping. Here's what global agencies reported on the night from Thursday to Friday.

• The goal of the two-day maneuvers around Taiwan is to test "the ability to seize power, conduct attacks, and control key areas on the island", according to a statement released on Friday by the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese army. In response, Taiwan scrambled jets and put its armed forces on alert. The maneuvers, which started just three days after the inauguration of Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te, are - as stated by Beijing - "a serious warning to the separatists on the island," who could "lead to bloodshed". Reuters notes that China, which views democratically-ruled Taiwan as its breakaway province, does not hide that the maneuvers of unprecedented size and intensity are "punishment" for Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing considers a "separatist".

• At least four people were killed and 27 injured as a result of the collapse of a building near the beach in Majorca, reported the emergency services on Thursday. The two-story Medusa Beach Club building collapsed in Palma de Mallorca. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon around 2:30 PM Eastern Time. People are trapped under the rubble. Firefighters and police are working at the scene.

• The Kremlin announced that on Thursday and on Friday Vladimir Putin will be in Belarus. For two days, the dictator will debate with the self-proclaimed president of the state, Alexander Lukashenko. The information about the meeting appeared at the last minute. According to Reuters, Russia and Belarus - allied states operating in a military union - are to conduct exercises this month simulating preparations to launch tactical nuclear weapons. This is another strengthening of the ties between the two eastern dictatorships.

• Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti warned that Serbia is intensifying cooperation with Russia, China, and Iran, assessing that there is a real danger of a new war breaking out in the region, reported the Balkan branch of Radio Free Europe on Thursday. According to a report by the investigative portal BIRN, "Kosovo is exposed to disinformation and hostile narratives coming from Russia and China, aimed at inciting ethnic and religious war in the country, criminalizing NATO, and reducing public trust in Euro-Atlantic integration."

• A series of explosions shook several cities in Russian-occupied Crimea on Thursday evening, reported the Ukrainska Pravda portal, citing local sources. According to these sources, two people were killed in Simferopol, the administrative center of the peninsula.