International
Putin orders third increase in Russian troops after Ukraine invasion
Putin orders third increase in Russian troops after Ukraine invasion
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s military to increase its troop numbers by 180,000 to a total of 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make Russia’s army the second largest in the world after China.
The decree, published on the official government website, will take effect on December 1. It says the overall size of the armed forces is to be increased to 2.38 million people.
According to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a leading military think tank, such an increase would leave Russia with more active combat soldiers than the United States and India and make its army second only to China in size. Beijing has just more than 2 million active duty service personnel, according to IISS.
The decree marks the third time Putin has expanded the army’s ranks since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and comes as Russian forces inch forward in eastern Ukraine and try to push Ukrainian forces out of Russia’s Kursk region.
In June, Putin put the number of troops involved in the fighting in Ukraine at nearly 700,000.
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After calling up 300,000 reservists in the face of Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the latter part of 2022, Russia has relied on recruiting volunteer soldiers, lured by relatively high wages.
Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, questioned whether Moscow was ready to foot the bill for the increase in active servicemen.
“There are ways to staff a standing 1.5 million force but the Kremlin will not like them if they are truly grappling with what that requires,” Massicot wrote on social media platform X.
“Are they really able to boost the defense budget to sustain procurement AND this requirement?”
Massicot, who has released a report on Russia’s drive to regenerate its army, said Moscow could take the unpopular and difficult decision of expanding the draft size or change the law to allow more women to work in the military to reach such a goal.
“Look for signs that this is a real initiative to recruit and expand, and not a kind of show to intimidate others. The current volunteer method is working but has strains. This [expansion] means more expense/strain,” she said.
Many commentators have noted that the Kremlin has been reluctant to call up more reservists, fearing a repeat of 2022 when hundreds of thousands of people fled the country to avoid being sent to combat.
Although Russia’s population is more than three times the size of Ukraine’s, it has – like Kyiv’s forces – been sustaining heavy battlefield losses.
The exact scale is a state secret.
Putin orders third increase in Russian troops after Ukraine invasion
International
American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel
American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel
A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.
The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda Síochána’ announced that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.
Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.
The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.
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Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.
He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.
“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”
The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.
Furthermore, a family liaison officer will be designated to assist the family of the deceased.
International
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.
Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.
Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.
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It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.
“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York. “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”
It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
International
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.
The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.
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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.
He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.
Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
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