The Daily Populous

Thursday October 30th, 2025 evening edition

image for Russian army chiefs torturing and executing soldiers who refuse to fight in Ukraine, report says

Russian commanders are executing or deliberately sending to their deaths soldiers who refuse to fight in Ukraine, according to a new investigation by the independent outlet Verstka, which paints a bleak picture of internal violence within the Russian army.

The outlet said it had verified at least 150 deaths, though they said they believed the true tally to be far higher.

The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected allegations of indiscipline among Russian troops, insisting that such problems are instead rife within the Ukrainian army.

But Verstka’s report appears to be the most comprehensive to date, documenting a detailed catalogue of methods used to enforce obedience and terror within the ranks.

Other accounts describe commanders using drones and explosives to “finish off” wounded or retreating soldiers.

In several cases, officers allegedly ordered drone operators to drop grenades on their own men, disguising the killings as battlefield strikes.

“They say: ‘If we open this, it could harm operations.’ That means these officers have total impunity,” he said. »

Top Trump Officials Are Moving Onto Military Bases

Authored by theatlantic.com
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These civilian officials can now depend on the U.S. military to augment their personal security.

Although most Cabinet-level officials live in private houses, there is precedent for senior national-security officials, including the defense secretary, to rent homes on bases for security or convenience.

Base living—in the unofficial Trump Green Zone—has also become something of a double-edged status symbol among Trump officials. »

JD Vance says only ‘really terrible’ people mistreat dogs – apparently forgetting his cabinet colleague shot hers dead

Authored by independent.co.uk
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Vice President JD Vance has declared that only a “really terrible person” would mistreat a dog, apparently forgetting that his cabinet colleague Kristi Noem bragged about executing a puppy in her memoir just last year.

open image in gallery Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has never been able to live down her puppy-killing scandal ( AP ).

The scandal may also have cost Noem her shot at being Trump’s running mate, ultimately to Vance’s advantage. »

Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi in South Korea

Authored by apnews.com
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Trump said that he would go to China in April and Xi would come to the U.S. “some time after that.”

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met face-to-face on Thursday in South Korea.

Despite Trump’s optimism after a 100-minute meeting with Xi in South Korea, there continues to be the potential for major tensions between the world’s two largest economies. »

Democratic contender for Congress indicted over Chicago ICE protests

Authored by theguardian.com
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Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive candidate for Congress, has been indicted on federal charges related to her participation in protests outside an ICE processing facility near Chicago in September.

This case is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up.

Abughazaleh added: “As I and others exercised our first amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and teargassed hundreds of protesters, myself included. »