World

Prepping for War With Russia on the Ice and Snow

Published

7 months ago

April 12, 2025

Prepping for War With Russia on the Ice and Snow

The Finnish Defense Forces sent out an urgent message: We are being invaded. We need help.

Hundreds of American troops — part of a new Arctic division — boarded planes in Fairbanks, Alaska. Their flight curved over the North Pole and landed at Rovaniemi Airport, in northern Finland. The soldiers quickly unpacked their M-4 assault rifles, rocket tubes and belt-fed machine guns and deployed to the quiet snowbound forests, dressed in Arctic whites and vaporproof boots.

This was all just a drill, launched in mid-February. But the scenario is believed to be increasingly possible. As climate change melts ice across the Arctic, this part of the world, once so remote and forgotten, is becoming more accessible and more contested. The world’s major militaries — American, Russian, Chinese and European — are all training for a winter war.

“It’s really only been the past five or six years that everybody’s moved on from the global war on terror,” said Robert McBride, a Canadian brigadier general helping oversee the war game.

“Arctic nations are starting to understand the strategic importance,” he said. “The Arctic now has come to pre-eminence.”

The recent drill played out at a strange time in global affairs. President Trump has been leaning away from NATO and getting friendly with Russia, and European leaders are seriously discussing how to create their own defense industry should America abandon them, something unthinkable just a few months ago.

But on this frozen ground, at least, American military cooperation and the perception of Russia as a widening threat appeared unchanged.

In Finland, which fought the Soviet Union during World War II, Russia remains the once and future enemy. “There’s an old Finnish saying,” explained Janne Kuusela, a Finnish defense official, “Russia will take what’s not nailed to the wall.”

America’s relationship with Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, seems solid. President Trump recently played golf with its president, Alexander Stubb. Afterward he praised Mr. Stubb’s golf skills and said, “I look forward to strengthening the partnership.”

The two sides worked well together during the battle in the snow. The Finns were nimble attackers, zigzagging through the woods on long, narrow skis. The Americans set up machine guns on small round hilltops and dug foxholes in the snow. Both sides said Arctic warfare was different.

“It’s kind of like operating in space,” said Christopher Brawley, an American colonel.

“No one’s coming to help you,” he said. “And the environment will kill you.”

The cardinal rule is staying dry. Jackson Crites Videman, a Finnish soldier, recounted a grueling test that Finnish soldiers must pass. With all their gear on, including skis, they plunge through an ice hole cut into a river and have to scamper out — without freezing or drowning.

The day he did it was minus 36 degrees Celsius (roughly minus 33 Fahrenheit). He had about two minutes to strip off drenched clothes and change into new ones before frostbite set in. And his hands stopped working.

“Your friends have to help you with the zippers,” he explained.

Mr. Crites Videman, who is half-Finnish, half-American, was drafted into the Finnish military a few months ago. Finland is one of the few Western democracies with mandatory conscription. It’s a country with a small population, 5.6 million, and NATO’s longest border with Russia — 830 miles — and it recently raised defense spending.

Finnish defense experts say that tens of thousands of Russian troops used to be based near that border but were decimated in the Ukraine war. The Finns believe it will take five to 10 years before they become a threat again. Before the Ukraine war, the Finns say, Russia was investing in its Arctic forces, modifying tanks to operate better in the cold and designing new troop transporters.

The United States has been doing the same. In 2022, it designated the 11th Airborne, based in Alaska, as its first and only Arctic division. The division is experimenting with new uniforms and different combat skis.

During the exercise, the Americans showed off a new tracked vehicle that chewed its way up icy slopes, some quite steep. The soldiers lived off special cold weather rations, higher in calories, because of all the energy drained from trying to stay warm.

Warfare during the Arctic summer isn’t much easier. First, there is the issue of the sun. It never sets. So the advantage that night-vision equipment gives Western militaries is eliminated.

When the ice melts, the land turns incredibly mushy. Upper Finland, for example, is covered in thick forests, small mountains, marshes, rivers, lakes and bogs, making it very difficult to navigate. In many ways, it’s easier to move in winter.

During the war game, the attackers exploited the frozen rivers like highways. Soldiers dashed across them, guns strapped to their backs. The commanders seemed pleased with the exercise and especially happy not to talk about politics.

When asked if he were worried about Mr. Trump’s friendliness with Russia, Sami-Antti Takamaa, a Finnish general, said, “It doesn’t worry me at all.”

“The U.S. airborne division just came from Alaska,” he said. “That’s what matters to me.”

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World

Britain to make refugee status temporary under asylum overhaul

Published

2 hours ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Britain to make refugee status temporary under asylum overhaul

LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) – Britain said it would make refugee status temporary and the wait for permanent settlement would be quadrupled to 20 years under the country’s most sweeping overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times.

The Labour government has been hardening its immigration policies, above all on illegal small-boat crossings from France, in efforts to stem the soaring popularity of the populist Reform UK party, which has driven the immigration agenda.

The government said it would take inspiration from Denmark’s approach, one of the toughest in Europe – where growing anti-immigrant sentiment has led to increased restrictions in many countries – and widely criticised by rights groups.

TEMPORARY STATUS SUBJECT TO REVIEW

As part of the changes, the statutory duty to provide support to certain asylum seekers, including housing and weekly allowances, will be revoked, the Home Office (interior ministry) said in a statement issued late on Saturday.

The department, led by Shabana Mahmood, said the measures would apply to asylum seekers who can work but choose not to, and to those who break the law. It said that taxpayer-funded support would be prioritised for those contributing to the economy and local communities.

The Home Office also said that protection for refugees would “now be temporary, regularly reviewed and revoked” if the home country was deemed safe.

“Our system is particularly generous compared to other countries in Europe, where, after five years, you’re effectively automatically settled in this country. We will change that,” Mahmood told Sky News on Sunday.

She added that under the changes, a refugee’s status would be reviewed every two-and-a-half years, during “a much longer path to permanent settlement in this country of 20 years”.

Mahmood said she would provide further details of the changes on Monday, including an announcement on Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

The government has said it wants to stay in the ECHR but change how the Article 8 provision, covering the right to a family life, is interpreted.

Migrants walk along the beach before trying to board an inflatable dinghy leaving the coast of northern France in an attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain, from the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe in Gravelines, near Calais, France, September 27, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Mahmood said it was being “applied in a way that is designed to frustrate the removal of those that, under our immigration rules, would not have the right to be in this country.”

The government’s tougher approach has drawn criticism. More than 100 British charities wrote to Mahmood urging her to “end the scapegoating of migrants and performative policies that only cause harm”, saying such steps are fuelling racism and violence.

Polls suggest immigration has overtaken the economy as British voters’ top concern. Over the summer, protests took place outside hotels housing asylum seekers at public expense.

A total of 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending March 2025, a 17% rise on the previous year and 6% above the 2002 peak of 103,081.

Mahmood said the government would look to open more “safe and legal” routes for asylum seekers, as she believed Britain should play its part in helping those fleeing danger.

UK GOVERNMENT INSPIRED BY DENMARK, OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The Home Office said its reforms would look to “match and in some areas exceed” the standards of Denmark and other European countries, where refugee status is temporary, support is conditional and integration in society is expected.

Asylum seekers are granted temporary residence permits under Denmark’s approach, usually for two years, and they must reapply when these expire. They can be repatriated if their home country is deemed safe, and the path to citizenship has also been lengthened.

The Home Office said Denmark’s more restrictive immigration policies had reduced asylum claims to a 40-year low and resulted in the deportation of 95% of rejected applicants.

Denmark’s reforms, implemented while it remains a signatory to the ECHR, have drawn sharp criticism. Rights groups say the measures foster a hostile climate for migrants, undermine protection and leave asylum seekers in prolonged limbo.

Britain’s Refugee Council said on X that refugees do not compare asylum systems while fleeing danger, and that they come to the UK because of family ties, some knowledge of English, or existing connections that help them start anew safely.

Reporting by Catarina Demony and Alistair Smout; editing by Mark Heinrich

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Catarina is a UK-based breaking news correspondent. She previously worked as a multimedia journalist in Portugal and Spain, where she covered everything from elections to natural disasters. Catarina has previous experience in TV and local journalism, co-founded a project telling the stories of Portuguese-speakers living in London, edited a youth-led news site and worked for several NGOs. She recently produced a documentary about transatlantic slavery and its legacies in today’s society.

World

Britain announces sweeping asylum policy shift to cut protections for refugees

Published

4 hours ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Britain announces sweeping asylum policy shift to cut protections for refugees

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Drastic changes are coming to Great Britain’s asylum policy, including longer wait times for permanent residency and a forced return to the person’s home country once it is deemed safe.

The shift represents the largest overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times. It was inspired by Denmark, which has one of the toughest policies in Europe and has been widely scrutinized by rights groups.

Britain’s Labor government has been toughening its stance on immigration, as it seeks to address the surging popularity of the populist Reform U.K. party, which has taken a strict approach to immigration.

The new changes include revoking the statutory duty to provide housing and financial support to certain asylum seekers, the Home Office said in a statement.

REFORM UK PROPOSES DEPORTING 600,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS IN SWEEPING NEW IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

Migrants on the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe in Gravelines, near Calais, France, before attempting to cross the English Channel in an inflatable dinghy to reach Britain, Sept. 27, 2025. (Reuters)

It also said refugees would have to wait 20 years to apply for permanent residency instead of the current five years, the period of initial refugee status would be cut from five years to two and a half, rules around family reunions would be stricter, and refugees would be encouraged or forced to return to their home country once it is considered safe.

The department said the measures would apply to asylum seekers who can work but choose not to, as well as those who break the law. Taxpayer-funded support would be prioritized for people contributing to the economy and local communities.

TRUMP PRAISES STARMER ON TURNING AROUND MIGRANT BOATS: ‘FANTASTIC THING’

Migrants hoping to cross the English Channel to Britain gather on the beach in northern France, Aug. 25, 2025. (Reuters)

The Home Office said the changes aim to make the U.K. less attractive to illegal migrants and make it easier to remove people whose claims are denied.

“This country has a proud tradition of welcoming those fleeing danger, but our generosity is drawing illegal migrants across the Channel,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. “The pace and scale of migration is placing immense pressure on communities.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes aim to make the U.K. less attractive to illegal migrants and make it easier to remove people whose claims are denied. (Getty Images)

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More than 100 British charities called on Mahmood to “end the scapegoating of migrants and performative policies that only cause harm,” arguing that the measures are fueling racism and violence.

Britain’s Refugee Council said on X that refugees do not compare asylum systems when attempting to flee danger. It said they aim for the U.K. because of family ties, some knowledge of English or connections that can help them start over safely.

Reuters contributed to this report.

World

Photos: Thousands march in Brazil town hosting COP30 for climate justice

Published

6 hours ago

November 16, 2025

Press Room

Photos: Thousands march in Brazil town hosting COP30 for climate justice

Published On 16 Nov 2025

Tens of thousands of people have thronged the streets of an Amazonian city hosting the COP30 talks, dancing to pounding speakers in the first large-scale protest at a United Nations climate summit in years.

As the first week of climate negotiations limped to a close with nations deadlocked, Indigenous people and activists sang, chanted, and rolled a giant beach ball of Earth through Belem under a searing sun.

Others held a mock funeral procession for fossil fuels, dressed in black and posing as grieving widows as they carried three coffins marked with the words “coal”, “oil” and “gas”.

It was the first major protest outside the annual climate talks since COP26 four years ago in Glasgow, as the last three gatherings had been held in locations with little tolerance for demonstrations – Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan.

Called the “Great People’s March” by the organisers, the Belem rally came at the halfway point of difficult negotiations and followed two Indigenous-led protests that disrupted proceedings earlier in the week.

“Today we are witnessing a massacre as our forest is being destroyed,” said Benedito Huni Kuin, a 50-year-old member of the Huni Kuin Indigenous group from western Brazil.

“We want to make our voices heard from the Amazon and demand results,” he added. “We need more Indigenous representatives at COP to defend our rights.”

Their demands include “reparations” for damages caused by corporations and governments, particularly to marginalised communities.

After a 4.5km (2.8-mile) march through the city, the demonstration halted a few blocks from the COP30 venue, where authorities deployed soldiers to protect the site.

Inside the venue, COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago admitted that the first exhaustive week of negotiations had failed to yield a breakthrough and urged diplomats not to run down the clock with time-wasting manoeuvres.

Countries remained at odds over trade measures and weak climate targets, while a showdown looms over demands that wealthy nations triple the finance they provide to poorer states to adapt to a warming world.