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El Comercio

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El Comercio, founded in May 1839, stands as Peru’s oldest newspaper and one of the oldest Spanish-language publications worldwide. The Lima-based daily was established by José Manuel Amunátegui y Muñoz and Alejandro Villota, but ownership passed to the influential Miró Quesada family in 1876 following the War of the Pacific. The newspaper survived a four-year closure during Chilean occupation (1879-1883) and later endured six years of military expropriation under Juan Velasco Alvarado’s regime (1974-1980). El Comercio maintains a circulation exceeding 100,000 and is characterized as conservative in its editorial outlook and oriented toward business interests. Elisabeth Dulanto Baquerizo de Miró Quesada, a family member who owns El Comercio Group, signed the Madrid Charter and has helped organize events for the anti-leftist Madrid Forum, established by Spain’s far-right Vox party.

Yanolja

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Founded in 2005, Yanolja is a global travel technology company that provides cloud-based software and operates a distribution platform connecting hotels, airlines, and car rentals with sales channels worldwide. The company says that it uses artificial intelligence and data-driven solutions to help travelers with their booking plans.

TASS

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TASS is Russia’s state-owned news agency, established in 1904 and wholly controlled by the Russian government as a Federal State Unitary Enterprise. The agency “claims” to publish “nearly 3,000 news items daily in six languages” and operate 70 offices in Russia and 59 branches globally. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, TASS was suspended from the European Alliance of News Agencies for “not being able to provide unbiased news,” and Getty Images terminated its partnership for editorial policy violations. TASS has been identified as a source of disinformation in Russian influence operations, spreading false claims about Ukrainian President Zelenskyy fleeing Kyiv and unsubstantiated allegations about Ukraine developing a nuclear “dirty bomb.” The agency frequently acts as a propaganda instrument for the Kremlin.

Government of the Russian Federation

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The Government of the Russian Federation serves as Russia’s federal executive body, comprising the prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and federal ministers. Established in its current form on December 12, 1993, it operates within a political system where power is largely concentrated in President Vladimir Putin’s hands. While constitutionally the government exercises executive authority separate from the presidency, in practice it functions within an authoritarian framework characterized by subservient courts, controlled media, and a compliant legislature. The government’s formal responsibilities include drafting the federal budget, implementing policies, managing federal property, and ensuring national security. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, authorities have intensified restrictions on civil liberties to suppress dissent. The most recent governmental reorganization occurred on May 14, 2024, when President Putin established Mikhail Mishustin’s Second Cabinet.

Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata

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Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) was founded on January 15, 1945, as Italy’s leading news agency and a not-for-profit cooperative owned by leading Italian news organizations. Headquartered in Rome at Via della Dataria 94, ANSA maintains offices across Italy and internationally in 78 other countries. The organization claims to transmit “more than 3,500 news items and 1,500 photos daily” to Italian media, national institutions, and international organizations. ANSA emerged from Italy’s anti-fascist resistance movement, replacing the fascist Agenzia Stefani after World War II. The agency provides news services in seven languages, including Italian, English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Arabic, and since 2003 has operated ANSAMed, covering Mediterranean basin countries. ANSA is currently led by President Giulio Anselmi, CEO Stefano De Alessandri, and Editor-in-Chief Luigi Contu.

China International Communication Center

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The China International Communication Center, established in November 1993 and operational by April 1994, functions as a key external propaganda institution now under the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. Originally subordinate to the State Council Information Office, with the Ministry of Finance (财政部) exercising ownership rights, the center evolved into a comprehensive international communications organization operating 26 overseas branches across 14 countries. Its multifaceted operations include publishing books and periodicals in over 40 languages, producing multimedia content, maintaining government websites including China Human Rights Network (中国人权网) and China Xinjiang Network (中国新疆网), organizing cultural exchanges, and publishing multilingual urban lifestyle magazines like “That’s China” (城市漫步). Following organizational restructuring, CICC has become instrumental in advancing Beijing’s global messaging strategy, with President Xi Jinping, according to state media reports from the organization’s 70th anniversary in 2019, setting expectations for its development into “a world-class, comprehensive international communication institution” (世界一流的综合性国际传播机构) to shape international perceptions of China through carefully coordinated narrative management across traditional and digital platforms.

ChinaTown

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ChinaTown, established in Mauritius on July 23, 2005, is a Chinese-language daily newspaper that describes itself as “a patriotic newspaper that loves the motherland—the People’s Republic of China” with a mission to “promote Chinese culture and report on modern China’s development.” The paper publishes eight A3-format pages daily, with its first page covering China’s major policies and “anti-independence, pro-unification” content. Pages 4-5 feature English and French content, while page 8 covers local news, including China-Mauritius relations and Chinese embassy activities. The outlet maintains close relationships with the Chinese Embassy and PRC government contacts, consistently mirroring Chinese Communist Party positions.

Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

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The Republic of the Union of Myanmar operates under military rule following a coup d’état on February 1, 2021, when the Tatmadaw, or armed services of Myanmar, seized power from the civilian government. The military junta, officially called the State Administration Council [view in Open Sanctions], displaced the democratically elected National League for Democracy government that had won a resounding victory in the 2020 general election. Myanmar gained independence from Britain on January 4, 1948, but has experienced prolonged military control interrupted only by brief periods of civilian governance, including 2015-2021 when democratic elections temporarily restored civilian leadership before the latest military takeover reversed democratic progress.

Government of Vietnam

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The Government of Vietnam functions as a unitary one-party socialist republic established in its current form in 1976. Led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, the executive branch consists of a prime minister, four deputies, and 14 ministries. The government has undergone several name changes since 1945, evolving from the Council of Government (1959-1980) to the Council of Ministers (1980-1992) before adopting its current designation. All government officials are appointed by the president on the prime minister’s advice and approved by the National Assembly. The government claims to be accountable to the National Assembly, though critics note the Communist Party maintains strict control over all state functions, with the party’s general secretary considered Vietnam’s highest political authority.