World

Russia’s new commander in Ukraine is a Harvard-educated war vet

Published

6 months ago

October 9, 2022

Russia has appointed a new commander to lead all of its forces in Ukraine as the Kremlin’s war marches into its eighth month. Sergei Surovikin, an Army general who also oversees Russia’s air force, previously led Russian forces in Syria.

His new role will involve galvanizing Russian troops after a slew of setbacks, including heavy losses of troops and equipment, and the forfeiture of thousands of square miles of occupied territory.

Surovikin’s appointment comes on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans to conscript hundreds of thousands of Russian men for the war.

Putin’s order for approximately 300,000 Russians to join the fight in Ukraine is the first time since World War II that Moscow has drafted civilians into the military.

Who Is Sergei Surovikin?

Sergei Surovikin is a Harvard-educated war veteran who has been tapped by the Kremlin to lead Russian forces in Ukraine. A former paratrooper, Surovikin fought in Russia’s wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya before being appointed commander of all Russian forces in Syria in 2016.

In his new role, Surovikin will be responsible for leading Russian troops after a series of setbacks, including heavy losses of troops and equipment, and the forfeiture of thousands of square miles of territory.

A Wisconsin native, Surovikin graduated from Harvard University with a degree in international relations before joining the Russian Army.

He served as a paratrooper in the Soviet Army during the 1980s and took part in Russia’s wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. In 2016, he was appointed commander of all Russian forces in Syria.

Under Surovikin’s leadership, Russian troops have suffered heavy losses of personnel and equipment. In addition, the Kremlin has lost control of thousands of square miles of territory. Despite these setbacks, Surovikin remains confident in his ability to lead Russian troops to victory.

“I am convinced that we will win,” he said during a recent speech at the Kremlin. “The only question is how long it will take.”

World

TikTok CEO testifies as U.S. considers nationwide ban

Published

2 days ago

March 24, 2023

Veronica Dudo

FBI says TikTok threatens U.S. national security

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

The hours-long fiery hearing on Capitol Hill was incredibly tense as Chew was grilled by both Republicans and Democrats.

With bipartisan support, both parties are pushing for a nationwide ban on the app which the FBI has said threatens the national security of the United States.

TikTok says it has 150 million America users – almost half the country.

The CEO gave testimony to try and reassure lawmakers and Americans that TikTok is not an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, but critics aren’t convinced.

Chew was bombarded with questions from representatives from both sides of the aisle about the company’s ties to the CCP, security, data storage, well-being, and mental health.

Many lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of answers from the company.

Congress is now weighing a nationwide ban on the popular social media platform amid concerns that it is used to harvest Americans’ information and harm children online.

World

Protests continue across France over pension reforms

Published

2 days ago

March 24, 2023

ticker NEWS

Protestors blocked a terminal at an airport and sat on train tracks

The ongoing nationwide protests in France over plans by the government to raise the retirement age by two years saw another day of disruption – events which President Emmanuel Macron has recently compared to the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters two years ago.

Protestors blocked a terminal at Paris’s Charles De Gaulle airport.

Protesters also sat on train tracks, and reportedly triggered a brief fire in the yard of a police station in once city.

Protests have been mostly peaceful, but tear gas has been used against them on occasions.

The plan is to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

For comparison, the U.S. is slowly raising its retirement age to 67 and the UK plans to go to 68.

Polls have long shown that a majority of voters in France oppose the move.

Macron earlier in the week said he was standing firm on the law and that it would come into effect by the end of the year.

The government says the change is needed to keep pension budgets from running a deficit – failure would create an annual deficit of about $14 billion by 2030.

World

Prosecutors allege Donald Trump misled people on potential arrest

Published

2 days ago

March 24, 2023

ticker NEWS

The move prompted Republicans in Congress to interfere with the course of justice

Manhattan prosecutors say Donald Trump has misled people to expect he would be arrested, prompting Republicans in Congress to interfere with the course of justice.

A probe is currently under way into his alleged hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

On Saturday, the former President said he would be arrested on Tuesday.

This saw three Republicans launching an offensive against the District Attorney, who is a Democrat.

They accused him of abusing authority, while also seeking communications, documents and testimony.

A grand jury hearing evidence in the Stormy Daniels case is yet to issue an arrest warrant for Trump.

The attorney’s office has since sent the committee chairmen a letter.

It says the lawmakers’ accusations “only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation he would be arrested”.

It also confirms the attorney’s office is “investigating allegations that Donald Trump engaged in violations of New York State penal law.”

If indicted, Trump would be the first U.S. President to face criminal charges.