The Daily Populous

Thursday December 26th, 2019 day edition

image for Anti-Putin activist Ruslan Shaveddinov 'forcibly conscripted' and sent to Arctic

Anti-Putin activist Ruslan Shaveddinov 'forcibly conscripted' and sent to Arctic.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has said that one of his allies had been forcibly conscripted and sent to serve at a remote Arctic base, in a move his supporters said amounted to kidnapping.

Ruslan Shaveddinov, a project manager at Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, went missing Monday after police broke into his Moscow flat and his phone’s SIM card was disabled.

He resurfaced Tuesday at a secret air defence base on the remote Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, Navalny said.

Separating the Barents and Kara seas, the Novaya Zemlya islands were used by the Soviet Union to conduct nuclear tests.

“Ruslan Shaveddinov has been kidnapped by the FSB (security service) and exiled to Novaya Zemlya,” said the sign, according to photographs released by Navalny’s allies.

Navalny said Shaveddinov has a medical condition that disqualifies him for military service but that he was forcibly drafted and sent to the Arctic base without basic training. »

GM requests green light to ditch steering wheel in its self-driving cars

Authored by digitaltrends.com

But General Motors’ (GM) autonomous-car unit — Cruise — wants to start testing its self-driving cars sans steering wheel.

Waymo, another leader in the field of autonomous cars, has also asked the NHTSA to remove requirements for steering wheels.

Ditching the steering wheel and pedals would create additional space and allow for more creatively designed interiors. »

Buttigieg campaign introduces contest for lowest donation

Authored by thehill.com
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Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign announced a new contest to drum up fundraising: who can give the Democratic candidate the lowest contribution.

In a email to supporters Tuesday evening, Buttigieg's campaign wrote that the donor who contributes the lowest amount in the hours ahead - provided that no other donor matches the contribution amount - will win a prize from the campaign.

Some Twitter users pointed out that the effect of the contest would be to lower the South Bend, Ind., mayor's average donation amount. »

Prince Andrew, Disgraced by His Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein, is Left Out in The Christmas Cold

Authored by thedailybeast.com

The exclusion of Andrew was surprising as the palace had allowed a narrative to develop that he would be included; instead, he was obliged to attend a 9am service.

Harry and Meghan were also not present as they are taking a sabbatical from royal duties.

This year marked Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s first time at the traditional Christmas Day service, arriving with their mother and father the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. »

PSG : Julian Draxler courtisé par le Hertha Berlin

Authored by leparisien.fr
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Depuis son arrivée au Hertha Berlin, il y a maintenant un mois, Jürgen Klinsmann prépare sa révolution.

Cet hiver, il entend ainsi enrôler plusieurs joueurs d'envergure afin de permettre aux Berlinois de mettre les actes en harmonie avec leurs ambitions.

Tout en haut de sa liste des recrues souhaitées, il a coché le nom de Julian Draxler, 26 ans. »