The Daily Populous

Thursday September 28th, 2023 night edition

image for Russia wanted to conquer Ukraine in just 2 days — it now says the war will last at least 3 years

This is a far cry from Putin's reported goal of capturing Kyiv within days of the invasion.

Sergei Shoigu said Russia is continuing to "build up the combat power" of its armed forces.

At the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, US intelligence assessed that Russia could conquer Kyiv in just three days.

Now 18 months into the war, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu seemingly admitted Russia's offensives in Ukraine could last until at least 2025.

Shoigu added that Russia could achieve its military goals with "consistent implementation of the measures in the action until 2025.".

But, 18 months into the conflict, Russia only occupies parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

On Tuesday, the ISW said that Russian defenses appeared to lack strength in depth on a key part of the front line where Ukraine has made recent gains. »

Texas church defies government crackdown by blessing drag queens

Authored by lgbtqnation.com

The church recently held a service where they blessed drag queens and pledged to “stand for justice, proclaim love, and protect the rights of all people.”.

Lawyers from the Texas Attorney General’s office argued that because the law didn’t specifically mention drag, it wasn’t discriminatory to drag performances.

“I don’t have the right to choose to bring my kid to church when there are drag queens? »

Russian Officials Explain 'Photoshopping' Dead Soldier Into Awards Photo

Authored by newsweek.com
image for

Russian officials offered an explanation on Tuesday for photoshopping a soldier who was killed in the war in Ukraine in a photo that shows him receiving an award.

A soldier of the Dostavalov battalion, Artur Sultangaliev (left), receiving a medal from a military commissar for participating in the war.

A Russian soldier killed in Ukraine was photoshopped in a photo published by local officials. »

If Canada is to be believed, India has gone rogue

Authored by politico.eu

And if Canada is to be believed, India has gone rogue.

Sikh separatists have sought shelter in Canada since the mid-1980s, after the Indian government cracked down on the movement and its leadership.

The United States expressed concern but calibrated, calling on both Canada and India to uncover the full truth without condemning New Delhi. »

Todd Howard says Starfield's planetary survival systems were originally 'very punitive' but 'we just nerfed the hell out of it'

Authored by pcgamer.com
image for

Turns out what we're playing with in Starfield are the remnants of a more complex and challenging planetary survival system that Bethesda heavily scaled back before the game launched.

To protect players against these harsh environments, Howard said, all those spacesuits you collect while playing were originally meant to serve a bigger role.

These systems "might be something we address going forward," Howard said, and after all both Skyrim and Fallout 4 eventually got official survival modes. »