livus

livus, 10 months ago

From the article:

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has moved to reassure allies in Africa that thousands of Wagner group fighters deployed to the continent will not be withdrawn after the mutiny led by their commander Yevgeny Prigozhin over the weekend.

In an interview with Russia Today, Lavrov pledged that “instructors” and “private military contractors” would remain in Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, the two countries in sub-Saharan Africa where Wagner has the biggest presence. Both are considered strategic prizes by the Kremlin, which sees them as a springboard to greater influence on the continent and a source of lucrative natural resources.

“At their request, several hundred servicemen are working in the CAR as instructors – this work, of course, will continue … Both the CAR and Mali appealed to the Wagner PMCs with a request to ensure the safety of their leadership,” Lavrov said. “Regarding the reports about who is panicking and about what, I did not see any panic. I did not see any changes in the relations of the relevant African countries with the Russian Federation.”

Wagner troops arrived in CAR in 2018 to bolster the regime of Faustin-Archange Touadéra, which was struggling to fight off a rebel offensive. Since, the mercenaries have become a powerful military, political and economic force in the unstable state.
Three Russian mercenaries and a Malian soldier on patrol in northern Mali last year
Russian mercenaries behind slaughter of 500 in Mali village, UN report finds
Read more

Wagner deployed about a thousand personnel to Mali in December 2021 after a military coup and have been deployed against Islamist and other insurgents. The group has been accused of widespread atrocities in both countries. Should the group’s commitment to either regime weaken, both could fall, analysts have said.

livus, 10 months ago

The plot thickens. The US is about to roll out new sanctions against Wagner in CAR as well.

livus, 10 months ago

International interest in oil in the Sahel and mineral wealth in Central Africa are the overarching destabilizing factors.

My view is that a vacuum in "enforcers" wouldn't stabilize in the short term.

That said, Wagner's human rights attrocities have been pretty egregious in CAR and it's hard to see it as anything other than a net gain if that were to end. Probably a long tail of groups who were rolling with them/trained by them though.

livus, 10 months ago

When Touadera invited them in it was very much a guesture of alliance with Russia and they were basically there to protect/violently enforce the mining interests of Lobaye Invest etc.

They have been a human rights nightmare.

Interestingly, Lavrov is now reassuring CAR that the attempted coup does not mean any change of business for Wagner in CAR.

livus, 10 months ago

Nautical themed pashmina afghan.

livus, 10 months ago

Okay and can we let people rent/charter them in exchange for money?

livus, 10 months ago

This, it's just a teething problem.

livus, 10 months ago

Humans’ unquenchable thirst for groundwater has sucked so much liquid from subsurface reserves that it’s affecting Earth’s tilt, according to a new study.

Groundwater provides drinking water for people and livestock, and it helps with crop irrigation when rain is scarce. However, the new research shows that persistent groundwater extraction over more than a decade shifted the axis on which our planet rotates, tipping it over to the east at a rate of about 1.7 inches (4.3 centimeters) per year.

That shift is even observable on Earth’s surface, as it contributes to global sea level rise, researchers reported in the study published June 15 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

“Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot,” said lead study author Ki-Weon Seo, a professor in the department of Earth science education at Seoul National University in South Korea, in a news release. “Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.” ...

The researchers then evaluated sea level variations “using the groundwater mass change from the model,” to pinpoint how much of the axis shift was caused by groundwater pumping alone, Seo said.

The redistribution of groundwater tilted Earth’s rotational axis east by more than 31 inches (78.7 centimeters) in just under two decades, according to the models. The most notable driver of long-term variations in the rotational axis was already known to be mantle flow — the movement of molten rock in the layer between Earth’s crust and outer core. The new modeling reveals that groundwater extraction is the second most significant factor, Seo said.

livus, 10 months ago

From the article:

During the debate, Tamale South legislator Haruna Iddrisu sought to justify why the government should regulate artificial Intelligence. He said he wanted the country to set up an artificial intelligence council to supervise the use of AI. 

"Who bears criminal liability to machine error when you take advantage of artificial intelligence?" Iddrisu posed. There needs to be more scrutiny on the use of AI, particularly in educational institutions, according to the former minister of communications...

According to recent statistics, Ghana has an average internet penetration of 72%, creating a conducive growing digital environment, especially for young people. IT experts like Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari in Tamale told DW that he disagrees with the fear of mistakes when using AI.

livus, 10 months ago

From the article:

The three-day fair, inaugurated by Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tipu Minshu, has attracted considerable attention
from both the business community and the general public.

With a total of 25 participating companies from Bhutan, the fair showcases a diverse array of products that highlight the unique craftsmanship and rich cultural heritage of the Land of the Thunder Dragon. This event, organized under the auspices of the Preferential Trade Agreement signed between Bhutan and Bangladesh in 2020, aims to promote mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities for the people of both nations.

livus, 10 months ago

From the article:

Speaking at the grand opening of the company’s sixth branch located along the Western Main Road in Cocorite yesterday, Ameerah Mohammed... said that the store will seek to cater to customers with learning and physical disabilities.

Mohammed said: “Education is not a one size fits all...Why should we restrict persons who see the world differently from the accepted norm from a place where they may feel comfortable?”

She added, “Inclusive in this context means creating a space where persons who belong to certain minority groups, such as persons with learning disabilities, neurological disorders, and even Venezuelan migrants, can feel a sense of community.”

She noted that the store will feature signs in Braille for persons who are visually impaired, and sensory walks for persons with autism, as well a

livus, 10 months ago

Saying "this" is lazy, but sending a bot to chide people for you is lazy and clogs up threads too.

livus, 10 months ago

Yes! I agree! I feel like we are people talking to each other, not just performing or bloviating.

livus, 10 months ago

Seems cool!

livus, 10 months ago

They are needed in society, sure, but is he saying these men are needed to lead women in matters of gender equality?

Because that's the thing about this that's raising eyebrows.

livus, 10 months ago

My point is, if he's not meaning that, then he's not addressing the issue of him doing that.

And if he does mean that then yikes.

livus, 10 months ago

I'm struggling to understand why you think these specific women (and man) who are leaders on social empowerment are also going to be military logistics experts who are being pulled away from that field.

livus, 10 months ago

The disagreement/"battle" was between the Navajo nation and the Federal Government.

The Navajo Nation had argued that the federal government is legally obligated to address the tribe’s water needs from the drought-stricken Colorado River

The Supreme Court was the body that was was making a judgement about which of the two sides was right.

So, "Biden administration" in this context refers to the Federal Government, not to the Supreme Court.

livus, 10 months ago

But imagine how much more they can do if they don't have to hide it.

If it does get off the ground it will be interesting to see if it attracts any top athletes.

livus, 10 months ago

Yeah I haven't seen any IQ quizzes, chain reposts that imply you're not a "real" friend if you don't repost, antivax memes about 5G, etc.