Free Republic

The new US President wants to take over the mineral-rich island as its rapidly melting ice sheets open it up to mining. Trump declared over the weekend “I think we’re going to have it” following what sources described as a “fiery phone call” with the prime minister of its current owner Denmark. But should Denmark decide to flog it off the UK should get first chance to snap it up, political chiefs said. Britain has a 108-year-old “right-to-buy” clause that puts it in poll position to acquire the island. According to the last Danish minister for the Arctic island Tom...

Desperate Vladimir Putin is recruiting a Dad’s Army of old folks to prop up his creaking Ukraine invasion. The Russian army has put out an SOS for volunteers aged up to 60 after sustaining heavy losses during the disastrous six-week campaign. The military wants ex-soldiers nearing retirement age to rejoin in the Siberian cities of Chelyabinsk and Tyumen, according to Russian media. Moscow desperately wants old tank commanders, snipers and engineers. They would join up to 60,000 reservists recently called to active service along with 134,500 new conscripts forced into action. The conscripts - men aged 18 to 27 -...