Ukraine confirmed on Wednesday its troops had withdrawn from Soledar in eastern Ukraine, almost two weeks after Russian troops said they had captured the small salt-mining town.
Education in the spotlight as watchdog warns of sexist ‘backlash’ sweeping France
France’s equality watchdog has called for an “emergency plan” to combat widespread sexism that is affecting youths in particular, amid concern that the country’s education system is failing to foster gender equality from a young and vulnerable age. While online exposure to pornography is cause for particular alarm, experts say the sexist “backlash” is also evidence that feminist themes have made important inroads, stirring vibrant – if often acrimonious – debates.
Hundreds protest incessant power cuts in South Africa
State-owned energy firm Eskom has failed to keep pace with demand in recent decades, leading to outages.
Gov’t mismanagement, external pressures as Arab currencies crash
Several Arab countries outside the Gulf have seen currency devaluation and rising inflation.
‘Cope with your own debt’, China tells US over Zambia debt relief
Washington and Beijing are vying for influence in Africa, where Chinese banks are major lenders.
Why are the intelligentsia so stupid about vaccine injuries?
EDUCATED stupidity is what failed us. Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, now admits that his previous stance of promoting the Covid-19 vaccine was wrong, and that the ‘anti-vaxxers’ have been proved right. In his latest video, Adams opines that the decision on whether to take the shot was best made by ignoring doctors and experts.
Adams sees an inverse correlation between intelligence and an objective understanding of Covid-19 and climate change. Truth is found not at Davos, scene of the World Economic Forum’s annual conferences attended by the high and mighty, but in Walmart. Indeed, an alternative ‘Dumb Davos’ (by which he meant a gathering of people with no letters before or after their names) would be more enlightening than listening to the arrogant, self-serving class who regard themselves as the ‘elite’.
What to follow – rules or reality? One meaning of ‘observe’ is to adhere to ritualistic practice, as demonstrated by the religiously devout, and also by followers of political ideology. There is no need to think but act dutifully. The other meaning of the verb is to watch what is happening, in a focused rather than passing manner. This is the endeavour of scientists, artists, satirists and (at least in principle) journalists. It is what you would expect of intelligent people, but the Covid-19 regime has shown an incredible observational deficit.
The last three years have shown that a large grey mammal with tusks and trunk can stand incongruously in the room, and intellectual eyes and ears cannot see it. The authorities’ radical response to a purported coronavirus pandemic should have raised questions about the inevitable harm and dubious rational of lockdown, about the dehumanising and ecological damaging mask mandates, and about the experimental injections administered to most of the global populace. But the intelligentsia saw no problem with the draconian regime; indeed, many wanted harsher restrictions. The medical profession uncritically accepted the official narrative, denigrating any practitioner who spoke out.
Read more: Why are the intelligentsia so stupid about vaccine injuries?
Russian saboteurs seek to hamper Putin’s war machine
Anti-Putin activists try to slow down Russia’s war in Ukraine and say they are willing to step up their violence.
Rwanda shoots at DR Congo army jet, says violated its airspace
Kinshasa denies Kigali’s claim calling the incident a ‘deliberate act of aggression that amounts to an act of war’.
Six takeaways from the 2023 Oscar nominations
Here is a look at the key controversies and surprises in the nominations for the Academy Awards.
Germany to send battle tanks to Ukraine, angering Russia
Berlin says it will send Leopard 2s and allows re-exports from other nations, prompting fury in the Kremlin.