Wang Guanjung and Zhang Renbo tell reporters in Ukraine they were ‘fed lies’ while fighting for Moscow

Two Chinese citizens captured fighting against Ukraine said they were “fed lies” by Russia and that Vladimir Putin’s forces were not as strong as they claimed.

Wang Guanjung and Zhang Renbo were captured fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine earlier this month.

Handcuffed and wearing military fatigues at a briefing organised by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian national news agency, the pair said: “All Russia fed us are lies. They’re fake. Russia isn’t as strong as they claim, and Ukraine isn’t as backwards as they say.”

MALE, Maldives — The Maldives announces it is banning the entry of Israelis to the luxury tourist archipelago in “resolute solidarity” with the Palestinian people.

President Mohamed Muizzu ratifies the legislation shortly after it is approved by parliament today.

“The ratification reflects the government’s firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people,” his office says in a statement.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/61330470

Didn't they US used to send special forces out to rescue people like that in the past?

In a chilling development, the Trump administration has unleashed a full-scale witch hunt targeting nearly 900 faculty members within the University of California system. Their “crime” is signing open letters on the Israeli assault on Gaza and calling for the protection of Jewish and Palestinian students alike.

https://archive.ph/jxqKq

While Tesla’s global sales have taken a significant hit during the first quarter of 2025, the electric vehicle (EV) brand has seen a boost in sales in Ukraine.

Increased competition from lower-cost Chinese EV manufacturers have made Tesla prices more affordable for some Ukrainian consumers.

According to Ukraine's Association of Car Manufacturers, the demand for electric vehicles was on the rise in February and March, with Tesla leading in sales of used electric cars.

Acts of piracy on the world's seas have surged this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). It pointed to the waters between Singapore and Indonesia in particular.

Pirates have posed a growing problem for global shipping this year, with 45 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships recorded in the first quarter, according to the London-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

The increase represents an almost 35% rise compared to the same period in 2024, the IMB said.

From January to March of last year, 33 incidents were reported, and 27 in the first quarter of 2023.

Hamas says it has "lost contact" with the group of fighters holding an Israeli-American hostage captive in Gaza following an Israeli strike on their location.

The 21-year-old soldier, Edan Alexander, has appeared in videos released by the group in recent days.

Israel had asked for him to be released on day one of a new 45-day ceasefire proposal put forward last week which has been rejected by Hamas.

The paramedics and rescue workers killed in an Israeli shooting in Gaza last month died mainly from gunshots to the head or chest, while others had shrapnel injuries or other wounds, according to autopsy reports obtained by The New York Times.

The 14 men were wearing either their Red Crescent or Civil Defense uniforms, in part or in whole, at the time of death, the autopsy reports said. Video of part of the attack shows that when Israeli troops began shooting at them, a few of the paramedics had exited their vehicles and were clearly visible in their uniforms, with reflective bands across the back, arms and legs that shone brightly in the lights of the ambulances.

The autopsy reports said 11 of the men had gunshot wounds, including at least six who were shot in their chests or backs and four who were shot in the head. Most had been shot multiple times.

A hairdresser from St Petersburg has been given a jail term of five years and two months on a charge of spreading fake news about the Russian army.