₦airaland Forum

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🇷🇺 Russia and 🇺🇦 Ukraine exchanged the remains of 952 fallen soldiers, officials from both countries said Friday.

Vladimir Rogov, a pro-Kremlin activist in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, said Russia received the bodies of 43 soldiers. Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliyev confirmed the exchange and the figure to the RBC news website.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said it received 909 bodies, adding that the soldiers had died in combat in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

“Law enforcement investigators, together with expert institutions of the Interior Ministry, will establish the identity of the victims as soon as possible,” the Ukrainian agency said.

The discrepancy in exchange numbers reflected Ukraine’s “colossal losses” on the battlefield.

Friday’s exchange marks the seventh swap since last October involving at least 500 Ukrainian soldiers.

Despite the ongoing war, prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers’ remains remain among the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.

The Moscow Times || RBC UA

Skooltynz:
Na Russia hand work,NATO must leave all countries bordering Russia

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Four 🇺🇸 US Army soldiers have reportedly been found dead the day after they were reported missing during a training exercise in Lithuania.

The four servicemen, who have not been identified by authorities, were with the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

Early reports indicate that the soldiers may have been traveling in an M88 recovery vehicle, one of the largest armored vehicles used by the US military, which may have fallen into a body of water.

The soldiers had been reported missing at around 4:45pm Tuesday following a training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania, sparking a widespread search conducted by the US Army and Lithuanian authorities.

The soldiers were reportedly carrying out a tactical training routine at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, which is less than six miles from the border with Belarus.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces said Wednesday that they had identified a 'possible location' of the missing soldiers and their vehicle.

The military said in a statement that 'a search and rescue operation is underway, led by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, with additional capabilities from the Fire Protection and Rescue Department and other institutions.'

Officials have not offered any details regarding how the soldiers or their vehicle went missing nor the manner of their reported deaths.

The US military was performing joint-training exercises with Lithuanian forces amid rising tensions between Baltic nations and Russia.

Lithuania, along with neighbors Latvia and Estonia, have often had tense ties with Russia since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. All are members of NATO.

In a press release issued before the soldiers were reportedly found, Lt. Gen Charles Costanza said he 'would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations.'

'It’s this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders,' Costanza added.

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A group of 🇿🇦 South African scientists has pleaded for help, saying they are trapped in an isolated base on a cliff edge in Antarctica with a team member who has become violent.

One of the team has been accused of assault and threatening violence against his colleagues, according to the South African newspaper The Sunday Times. South Africa's environment minister confirmed that an assault had taken place.

One of the researchers reportedly sent a pleading email last week claiming a member of the team had attacked them and was issuing further threats.

The email, seen by The Sunday Times, said: “Regrettably, [his] behaviour has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing. Specifically, he physically assaulted [X].”

“Furthermore, he threatened to kill [X], creating an environment of fear and intimidation. I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim,” the unnamed researcher added.

The author was concerned about the colleague's "increasingly egregious behaviour" and demanded that they take urgent action to protect both themselves and the team.

The email continued: "I am having a lot of trouble feeling safe in his presence."

Dion George, South Africa’s environment minister said he will personally speak with the team to assess the situation.

He told The Sunday Times: “There was a verbal altercation between the team leader and this person. Then it escalated and then that person did physically assault the leader. You can imagine what it’s like, it is close quarters and people do get cabin fever. It can be very disorientating.”

Mr George likened the conditions for the team in Antarctica to astronauts in space.

The scientists based at Sanae IV include experts in oceanography, biology, geology and geomorphology.

Newsweek || Independent UK

Botragelad:
Ukraine never invited Russia to invade and annex it's land. Beginning to see the hypocrisy of Putin fanboys yet? 😂

They’ve been whining and wailing about Trump’s absurd ramblings and his “obsession” with Greenland, fearing he might storm in and annex the place. Yet, when Russia marched into Ukraine, those same people cheered them on. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Trump’s fantasy of invading Greenland for no reason should absolutely stay a fantasy, because unless the majority people want you to come in, there’s no point forcing your way in like some of unwanted guest, which is exactly what Russia did.

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🇬🇱 Greenland did not invite an 🇺🇸 American delegation to come visit this week, the self-ruling island’s government said Monday, flatly denying a claim made by President Donald Trump.

Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, will land in the Danish territory on Thursday, alongside National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The planned visit has been met with anger in Greenland, with outgoing Prime Minister Múte B. Egede calling it part of the U.S.’ “very aggressive” bid to seize the Arctic island.

“We are now at a level where this cannot in any way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife. … The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us,” he said.

Trump told reporters Monday that Greenlandic “officials” requested Washington send a team to the island. “People from Greenland are asking us to go there,” he said.

But Greenland’s government said that was false.

“Just for the record, Naalakkersuisut, the government of Greenland, has not extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official,” the government said in a post on Facebook.

Pipaluk Lynge, a senior Greenlandic member of parliament who chairs the island’s foreign and security policy committee, told POLITICO that Trump’s claims that Greenland had invited the delegation were “not true.”

She added that a protest was planned for Vance’s arrival in the town of Sisimiut, following two other demonstrations in recent weeks against Trump’s stated desire to take control of Greenland.

“We are protesting politically [as] the people of Greenland,” she said.

Trump floated the prospect of the U.S. acquiring Greenland in his first term but has raised the stakes since reentering the White House, calling it an “absolute necessity” and refusing to rule out taking the world’s largest island using military force or economic coercion.

In January, the then-president-elect sent his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to visit the island to build support for a U.S. takeover in a trip that was panned by local lawmakers as a “staged” political stunt.

Trump’s overtures have been met with fierce resistance in both Greenland — where all elected parties have rejected his annexation threats and polls show the vast majority of people oppose joining the U.S., instead favoring independence — as well as Denmark, which retains some authority over the island’s affairs.

With its strategic spot in the Arctic and vast, largely untapped caches of mineral resources, including rare earths, Greenland occupies an increasingly important position in global politics.

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Four 🍁 Canadians were executed in China on drug-related charges earlier this year, Canadian authorities have confirmed.

All of them were dual citizens and their identities have been withheld, Canada's foreign minister Mélanie Joly said.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada reportedly urged Ottawa to "stop making irresponsible remarks", as pundits feared a further downturn in relations between the countries after years of strain.

The Chinese embassy insisted there was "solid and sufficient" evidence for their crimes, adding that Beijing had "fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned" and urged Canada to respect "China's judicial sovereignty".

China does not recognise dual citizenship and takes a tough stance on drug crimes.

Joly said she had been following the cases "very closely" for months and had tried with other officials, including former prime minister Justin Trudeau, to stop the executions.

In a statement to Canadian media, Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod said Canada had "repeatedly called for clemency for these individuals at the senior-most levels and remains steadfast in its opposition to the use of the death penalty in all cases, everywhere".

China imposes the death penalty on serious crimes including those related to drugs, corruption and espionage. While the number of executions are kept secret, human rights groups believe China has one of the highest execution rates in the world.

However, it's rare for the death penalty to be carried out on foreigners.

The executions revealed this week have sparked criticisms from campaigners.

"These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada," said Ketty Nivyabandi from Amnesty International Canada.

"We are devastated for the families of the victims, and we hold them in our hearts as they try to process the unimaginable."

"Our thoughts also go to the loved ones of Canadian citizens whom China is holding on death row or whose whereabouts in the Chinese prison system are unknown."

In 2019, Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling - in a high-profile case that drew condemnation from Canadian government. He was not among the Canadians that were executed.

"We'll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations," Joly said on Wednesday.

BBC News || NPR