Scotty

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4384896

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A Russian rocket attack on Thursday on northern Ukraine killed two people from the Danish Refugee Council who were clearing mines in an area previously occupied by Moscow’s forces, the local Ukrainian governor said.

Experts say Ukraine is the most heavily mined country in the world, with teams of deminers across the north, south, and east, where Ukraine retook land captured by Russia at the start of its 2022 invasion.

“The Russians deliberately targeted workers from the Danish Refugee Council’s humanitarian demining mission… two people are known to have been killed,” Chernihiv regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus posted on social media.

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The strike hit near the outskirts of the regional capital of Chernihiv, 125 kilometres (80 miles) north of Kyiv.

“First, the Russians littered the area with explosives and mines. Now they are killing people, civilians who are risking their lives to clear our land,” Chaus added.

Three more people were wounded in the attack, he said.

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Archived link

A Russian rocket attack on Thursday on northern Ukraine killed two people from the Danish Refugee Council who were clearing mines in an area previously occupied by Moscow’s forces, the local Ukrainian governor said.

Experts say Ukraine is the most heavily mined country in the world, with teams of deminers across the north, south, and east, where Ukraine retook land captured by Russia at the start of its 2022 invasion.

“The Russians deliberately targeted workers from the Danish Refugee Council’s humanitarian demining mission… two people are known to have been killed,” Chernihiv regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus posted on social media.

...

The strike hit near the outskirts of the regional capital of Chernihiv, 125 kilometres (80 miles) north of Kyiv.

“First, the Russians littered the area with explosives and mines. Now they are killing people, civilians who are risking their lives to clear our land,” Chaus added.

Three more people were wounded in the attack, he said.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4370265

Archived

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"Europe, and Germany in particular, has outstanding scientists, institutions and innovation systems. The support for research in Germany is enviable, and the path from lab to market is historically strong," says Mona Nemer, Canada's chief science advisor.

"But advice to government is fragmented; during the pandemic, countries without a science advisor were absent from critical international coordination calls. A national science advisor integrates advice from diverse stakeholders into coherent, impartial recommendations for the government, not on behalf of a single institution, but for the benefit of the country."

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"Europe, and Germany in particular, has outstanding scientists, institutions and innovation systems. The support for research in Germany is enviable, and the path from lab to market is historically strong," says Mona Nemer, Canada's chief science advisor.

"But advice to government is fragmented; during the pandemic, countries without a science advisor were absent from critical international coordination calls. A national science advisor integrates advice from diverse stakeholders into coherent, impartial recommendations for the government, not on behalf of a single institution, but for the benefit of the country."

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4370059

• 68% of EU citizens want the EU to play a greater role in protecting citizens against international crises and security risks
• Nine out of ten Europeans citizens call on Member States to tackle current global challenges together (90%) and most believe the EU needs greater means (77%) to prevail in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape
• Defence and security (37%) as well as competitiveness, economy and industry (32%) should be the EU’s focus, to reinforce its position in the world
• To invest in what matters, 78% of EU citizens believe that more projects should be funded by the EU as a whole and 91% say the European Parliament should be properly informed and equipped to control EU spending

[Edit typo.]

• 68% of EU citizens want the EU to play a greater role in protecting citizens against international crises and security risks
• Nine out of ten Europeans citizens call on Member States to tackle current global challenges together (90%) and most believe the EU needs greater means (77%) to prevail in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape
• Defence and security (37%) as well as competitiveness, economy and industry (32%) should be the EU’s focus, to reinforce its position in the world
• To invest in what matters, 78% of EU citizens believe that more projects should be funded by the EU as a whole and 91% say the European Parliament should be properly informed and equipped to control EU spending

[Edit typo']

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4352168

Archived version

On September 1, nearly 20 Russian regions, along with Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions, officially launched a preschool version of the state-sponsored “patriotic” lesson series Important Conversations. According to the independent outlet Agentstvo, kindergartens have already received teaching manuals for the extracurricular program.

Agentstvo reviewed reports from the first sessions held in kindergartens in the Ivanovo and Chelyabinsk regions. Photos from the lessons showed a textbook titled “Important Conversations for Preschoolers.”

According to Agentstvo, the book was published in 2025 with a print run of 3,000 copies as part of a series for elementary schools called “My History.” The cover features a label indicating that the textbook “complies with the federal educational program for preschool education.” The subtitle reads, “The World We Live In,” and the cover lists topics such as “Family Day,” and “What Can the Kremlin Tell Us?” The book covers 30 “important topics” in total.

The volume was co-authored by Natalia Vinogardova, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, and Irina Khomyakova, a Pedagogical Sciences PhD candidate. Both work at the Center for Primary General Education within the Russian Education Academy’s Institute for Education Development Strategy. The institute is also responsible for designing materials used in the Important Conversations curriculum for older students, Agentstvo notes.

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Archived version

On September 1, nearly 20 Russian regions, along with Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions, officially launched a preschool version of the state-sponsored “patriotic” lesson series Important Conversations. According to the independent outlet Agentstvo, kindergartens have already received teaching manuals for the extracurricular program.

Agentstvo reviewed reports from the first sessions held in kindergartens in the Ivanovo and Chelyabinsk regions. Photos from the lessons showed a textbook titled “Important Conversations for Preschoolers.”

According to Agentstvo, the book was published in 2025 with a print run of 3,000 copies as part of a series for elementary schools called “My History.” The cover features a label indicating that the textbook “complies with the federal educational program for preschool education.” The subtitle reads, “The World We Live In,” and the cover lists topics such as “Family Day,” and “What Can the Kremlin Tell Us?” The book covers 30 “important topics” in total.

The volume was co-authored by Natalia Vinogardova, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, and Irina Khomyakova, a Pedagogical Sciences PhD candidate. Both work at the Center for Primary General Education within the Russian Education Academy’s Institute for Education Development Strategy. The institute is also responsible for designing materials used in the Important Conversations curriculum for older students, Agentstvo notes.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4247298

Archived link

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German officials are describing the newly formed body as the “new nucleus of Germany’s security architecture”. It merges two previous bodies: Germany's Federal Security Council, responsible for arms exports and defence policy, and the Security Cabinet, convened for crisis decisions.

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Threats to European security from Russia and elsewhere required more nimble decision-making and responses, [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz argued: "We must become faster, more creative, and more decisive by hardening our infrastructure, improving our coordination, and making our society more resilient overall."

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Archived link

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German officials are describing the newly formed body as the “new nucleus of Germany’s security architecture”. It merges two previous bodies: Germany's Federal Security Council, responsible for arms exports and defence policy, and the Security Cabinet, convened for crisis decisions.

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Threats to European security from Russia and elsewhere required more nimble decision-making and responses, [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz argued: "We must become faster, more creative, and more decisive by hardening our infrastructure, improving our coordination, and making our society more resilient overall."

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4239513

Archived link

Download The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (pdf)

• The partnership focuses on Greenland’s mineral deposits and Canada’s processing capabilities to create a more resilient supply chain.
• Success depends on: Community approvals; processing scale; establishing transparent, traceable mineral contracts

A recent analysis by Geo Capitalist highlights a “silent deal” between Canada and Denmark that could mark a turning point in global rare earth supply chains. The story is compelling: Canada’s vast but underdeveloped mineral base, married to Denmark’s control of Greenland’s enormous rare earth deposits. Together, the two mid-sized players could mount the most credible Western challenge yet to China’s stranglehold on these critical resources. But does the hype match reality?

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The story is not about whether Canada and Denmark will magically dethrone China. It’s about incremental leverage. Every ton of concentrate refined in Saskatchewan, every Greenland project permitted under environmental safeguards, chips away at Beijing’s incumbency. The payoff isn’t sudden—it’s an unpredictable supply, transparent standards, and long-term offtake contracts that allow automakers and electronics giants to plan with confidence.

Three markers will separate talk from substance:

• Permitting milestones in Greenland – whether local communities approve key sites.
• Processing buildout in Canada – pilot lines moving to commercial scale, with magnet makers in tow.
• Policy glue – contracts linking North American and European buyers to supply under common ESG and traceability standards.

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The Canada–Denmark narrative is exciting, but today it remains more blueprint than building. Still, the strategic logic is undeniable. Canada brings scale and processing ambition, Denmark holds the keys to Greenland’s geology, and both operate within trusted jurisdictions. For investors, the alliance’s potential lies not in a dramatic overnight shift but in quiet, reliable progress that makes supply chains more resilient.

China won’t be displaced soon, but each Western alternative reduces dependency and improves negotiating power. That’s the true value of this emerging partnership.

In other related news, Canadian Foreign Anita Minister Anand concludes successful visit to Finland to strengthen partnerships between Canada and Nordic countries

• Canada and the 'Nordic Five' - Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland - share strong democratic values and a commitment to the rules-based international order. Together, Canada and the Nordic Five advance shared priorities in transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and economic cooperation.

• Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy promotes sovereignty, stability and prosperity in the region.

• Canada and Denmark are enhancing Arctic cooperation, including through Greenland’s role in the Arctic Council and shared Inuit heritage.

• Canada and Finland collaborate on Arctic governance, sustainable development and Indigenous inclusion.

• Canada and Norway have partnered since 1942 on multilateralism, human rights, climate issues, energy and Arctic security.

• Canada and Iceland have maintained strong ties through recent high-level visits and joint work on trade, defence, climate issues, gender equality and youth mobility.

• Canada and Sweden are deepening cooperation on security, innovation, climate issues and Arctic issues.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/4239513

Archived link

Download The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (pdf)

• The partnership focuses on Greenland’s mineral deposits and Canada’s processing capabilities to create a more resilient supply chain.
• Success depends on: Community approvals; processing scale; establishing transparent, traceable mineral contracts

A recent analysis by Geo Capitalist highlights a “silent deal” between Canada and Denmark that could mark a turning point in global rare earth supply chains. The story is compelling: Canada’s vast but underdeveloped mineral base, married to Denmark’s control of Greenland’s enormous rare earth deposits. Together, the two mid-sized players could mount the most credible Western challenge yet to China’s stranglehold on these critical resources. But does the hype match reality?

...

The story is not about whether Canada and Denmark will magically dethrone China. It’s about incremental leverage. Every ton of concentrate refined in Saskatchewan, every Greenland project permitted under environmental safeguards, chips away at Beijing’s incumbency. The payoff isn’t sudden—it’s an unpredictable supply, transparent standards, and long-term offtake contracts that allow automakers and electronics giants to plan with confidence.

Three markers will separate talk from substance:

• Permitting milestones in Greenland – whether local communities approve key sites.
• Processing buildout in Canada – pilot lines moving to commercial scale, with magnet makers in tow.
• Policy glue – contracts linking North American and European buyers to supply under common ESG and traceability standards.

...

The Canada–Denmark narrative is exciting, but today it remains more blueprint than building. Still, the strategic logic is undeniable. Canada brings scale and processing ambition, Denmark holds the keys to Greenland’s geology, and both operate within trusted jurisdictions. For investors, the alliance’s potential lies not in a dramatic overnight shift but in quiet, reliable progress that makes supply chains more resilient.

China won’t be displaced soon, but each Western alternative reduces dependency and improves negotiating power. That’s the true value of this emerging partnership.

In other related news, Canadian Foreign Anita Minister Anand concludes successful visit to Finland to strengthen partnerships between Canada and Nordic countries

• Canada and the 'Nordic Five' - Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland - share strong democratic values and a commitment to the rules-based international order. Together, Canada and the Nordic Five advance shared priorities in transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and economic cooperation.

• Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy promotes sovereignty, stability and prosperity in the region.

• Canada and Denmark are enhancing Arctic cooperation, including through Greenland’s role in the Arctic Council and shared Inuit heritage.

• Canada and Finland collaborate on Arctic governance, sustainable development and Indigenous inclusion.

• Canada and Norway have partnered since 1942 on multilateralism, human rights, climate issues, energy and Arctic security.

• Canada and Iceland have maintained strong ties through recent high-level visits and joint work on trade, defence, climate issues, gender equality and youth mobility.

• Canada and Sweden are deepening cooperation on security, innovation, climate issues and Arctic issues.