Three Americans imprisoned in China for years have been released and are coming home to the United States. The White House announced on Wednesday, Nov. 27, the agreement between Washington, D.C., and Beijing in the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s presidency.

The exchange is reportedly part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. releasing unidentified Chinese nationals, although the White House would not confirm those details.

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The United States says the freed Americans were wrongfully detained and one had been facing a death sentence on drug charges. The other two U.S. citizens were imprisoned for alleged espionage and one faced a life sentence.

The U.S. said the White House had brought up the release of the three Americans over the past several years, including earlier this month when Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Summit in Peru.

The release of the three Americans comes just months after Beijing released a pastor from California who spent nearly two decades in prison after being convicted of contract fraud.

Relations between Beijing and Washington have been tense with China’s increasingly cozy relationship with Moscow, the ongoing dispute over Taiwan’s sovereignty, and back-and-forth accusations of spying.

NASA scientists have rediscovered Camp Century, a Cold War-era U.S. military base buried under Greenland’s ice. Initially designed for Arctic research, the base served as a secret launch site for nuclear weapons and now poses a contamination risk as melting ice threatens to expose toxic waste.  

Camp Century, constructed in 1959, was a state-of-the-art facility powered by a nuclear reactor and hidden within two miles of tunnels carved deep into the ice sheet.

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While its official purpose was to study Arctic construction techniques, it also housed “Project Iceworm,” a covert U.S. plan to station and potentially launch nuclear missiles toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War.  

The base was abandoned in 1967 after shifting ice rendered it unusable, leaving behind diesel fuel, radioactive materials and biological waste. At the time, it was believed these materials would remain entombed forever, but climate change is rapidly melting Greenland’s ice sheet, threatening to release the waste into the environment.  

NASA’s April 2024 radar survey revealed the base in unprecedented detail, including remnants of the tunnels and waste deposits. Scientists warn that contamination from Camp Century could seep into aquatic ecosystems and potentially reach the sea, raising environmental and health concerns.  

Further research is being planned to monitor the site and predict how rapidly its hazardous materials may be exposed. For now, Camp Century serves as both a reminder of Cold War ambitions and a warning about the long-term impact of climate change. 

Two U.S. B-52 bombers conducted a training mission over Finland, simulating weapons drops alongside Finnish and Swedish fighter jets. The operation aligns with NATO’s collective defense initiatives as Finland bolsters its military capabilities following its recent NATO membership.

The bombers departed from Fairford Air Base in England, flying over the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea before entering Finnish airspace. According to the Finnish Air Force, the exercises included simulated air-to-ground drops and demonstrated coordination in fire-use missions. Finnish officials emphasized that such drills enhance defense readiness and contribute to NATO’s presence in the region.

The bilateral cooperation between Finland and the United States strengthens Finland's defence capability.

🇫🇮 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets and 🇺🇸 B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew a training mission in Finnish airspace on 25 November 2024.#ilmavoimat #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/NAMKgPLqZl

— Ilmavoimat (@FinnishAirForce) November 25, 2024

The mission follows Russia’s announcement of deploying a hypersonic missile in Ukraine, which reportedly has the capability to reach European capitals within minutes. During the training, Russian fighter jets reportedly intercepted the U.S. bombers near Kaliningrad. U.S. officials described the encounter as safe and professional, with the bombers continuing on their planned route.

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The B-52H Stratofortress, a long-range bomber, was configured for conventional weapons during the mission. The aircraft can carry up to 70,000 pounds of armaments, including nuclear and precision-guided conventional weapons. Of the 76 bombers in the U.S. fleet, 46 are nuclear-capable.

This mission follows similar NATO exercises conducted earlier this year, highlighting Finland’s increasing role in alliance activities. Both the U.S. Air Force and the Russian Defense Ministry have declined to comment further.

Israel has agreed to a cease-fire with Lebanon on Tuesday, Nov. 26. This deal puts a temporary end to a fight against Hezbollah that has killed thousands of people since the conflict was sparked by the war in Gaza in 2023.

President Joe Biden announced the cease-fire at the White House Rose Garden in response to the deal.

“I directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to forge a cease-fire to bring a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a close,” Biden said.

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The president added the development is “good news” and is hopeful the deal will lead to a permanent end to the conflict.

The 60-day truce is slated to take effect on Wednesday, Nov. 27. It follows a meeting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, which met Tuesday, Nov. 26 to discuss the cease-fire deal.

The agreement requires Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy to the region. Hezbollah would have to end its military presence from north of the Litani River.

Lebanon said it’s ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed to the southern part of the country. Lebanese officials added the United States could help rebuild infrastructure destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.

Netanyahu demanded proper United Nations enforcement and oversight of the cease-fire and warns that it will show “zero tolerance” toward any violation of the cease-fire by Hezbollah.

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Just hours before the announcement, Israel bombarded Beirut’s southern suburbs with strikes against 20 targets Israeli Defense Forces said were Hezbollah strongholds.

The military operations reportedly killed at least seven people and injured 37 other individuals. The strikes come as Hezbollah continued rocket fire into Israel.