cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/7819673

It has a strong ML community, including those that like (and are from) Vietnam and China.

Even the liberals or milquetoast left-wing people from other countries give better answers; they're not like the ones from Reddit, probably because non-English options are widely present.

And the answers are comprehensive. Now, are they always correct? No, not always. But keep in mind that neither are the answers from Reddit or Internet forums.

I find myself missing that place, but I was laughed at for using it a couple of times and so stopped after a while. I might re-use my old account again and maybe try to make another ML place.

Your thoughts?

Idk, I just prefer Quora sometimes; I'm always guaranteed an answer.

https://archive.ph/6wb79

Microsoft has closed its IoT & AI Insider Lab in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang hi-tech zone, marking the latest sign of the US tech giant’s retreat from China amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The Shanghai lab, meant to help with domestic development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, closed earlier this year, according to people who work in the Zhangjiang AI Island area.

The lab was dark and unoccupied during a recent visit by the South China Morning Post, with the logo removed and office equipment cleared out.

The area houses the offices of several Big Tech firms, including German chipmaker Infineon Technologies and Chinese internet search giant Baidu.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27675348

Generated Summary:

Main Topic: The potential for a large-scale war between the United States and Iran, and the perspectives of Scott Ritter and Larry Johnson on the situation.

Key Points:

• Imminent War Threat: Reports suggest an imminent, large-scale US attack on Iran, potentially involving tactical nuclear weapons. This is driven by Iran's possession of 60% enriched uranium, which could be quickly converted into nuclear weapons.
• Iran's Actions: Iran's accumulation of 60% enriched uranium and statements by Iranian officials suggesting a near-term nuclear weapons capability are seen as provoking the US.
• US Justification: The US government views Iran's potential nuclear weapons program as an existential threat to Israel, justifying a preemptive strike.
• Consequences of War: Both Ritter and Johnson warn of catastrophic regional consequences, including potential escalation to a wider conflict involving Russia and China. They also predict devastating consequences for the Iranian people and regime.
• Alternative Perspectives: Johnson argues that Iran has a right to nuclear weapons and that the US has a history of aggression and false justifications for war. He also questions the US's assumptions about the fragility of the Iranian regime and the likelihood of a successful regime change.
• Role of Sanctions: Ritter highlights the weakening effect of long-term sanctions on the Iranian government, potentially making it more vulnerable to internal unrest.
• US Intentions: Both analysts believe the US is not genuinely interested in negotiation and is pursuing a regime-change operation in Iran.
• Russia's Role: Russia has warned against a US attack on Iran, but is unlikely to intervene militarily. The analysts discuss the strategic relationship between Iran and Russia, and how this could influence the situation.
• Unforeseen Consequences: Both analysts warn of unpredictable and potentially disastrous consequences for the entire Middle East if the US attacks Iran, including the potential for regional instability and the collapse of the Iranian regime.

Highlights:

• The passionate and sometimes heated debate between Ritter and Johnson, highlighting their differing perspectives on the situation.
• Ritter's strong warnings about the potential for a catastrophic war and his belief that Iran's actions have made a war more likely.
• Johnson's counterarguments emphasizing the US's history of aggression and the potential for unintended consequences.
• The discussion of the complex geopolitical dynamics involving the US, Iran, Russia, China, and Israel.
• The analysts' shared concern about the potential for massive loss of life and regional instability.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave an interview with Megyn Kelly on 30 January 2025 which could signal the beginning of the end of America’s hegemonic security strategy. Rubio recognised that unipolarity, having one centre of power in the world, was a temporary phenomenon that has now passed:

“it’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power. That was not – that was an anomaly. It was a product of the end of the Cold War, but eventually you were going to reach back to a point where you had a multipolar world, multi-great powers in different parts of the planet”.

Rubio suggested that the hegemonic position of the US resulted in a weakening of the Westphalian system based on sovereign states, and replaced it with a globalist system where the US claimed the role of a world policeman:

“And I think that was lost at the end of the Cold War, because we were the only power in the world, and so we assumed this responsibility of sort of becoming the global government in many cases, trying to solve every problem”.

Rubio is referring to the end of the unipolar world order that emerged after the Cold War, and the need for the US to adjust to multipolar realities.

Arguably it was G. H. W. Bush who declared the start of the “new world order,” after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Something to keep an eye upon.

• Halford Mackinder, 1861–1947
• Nicholas Spykman, 1893–1943
• George Kennan, 1904–2005
• Henry Kissinger, 1923–2023
• Zbigniew Brzeziński, 1928–2017

Probably the first nation to do so.

5 eyes, hard at work.

Russia told everyone about America designs on Bangladesh. No one cared.

cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/21905961

By Matthias Williams and John Irish March 19, 20244:34 AM GMT+5:30Updated 17 hours ago

Putin wins 87% of vote in weekend election, says Kremlin Western governments say election was rigged, undemocratic Condemn holding of election in occupied Ukraine regions China, North Korea, India, Iran congratulate Putin

LONDON, March 18 (Reuters) - Western governments lined up on Monday to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's landslide reelection as unfair and undemocratic, but China, India and North Korea congratulated the veteran leader on extending his rule by a further six years.

The contrasting reactions underscored the geopolitical fault lines that have gaped wider since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, triggering the deepest crisis in relations with the West since the end of the Cold War.

Arriving in Brussels on Monday, EU foreign ministers roundly dismissed the election result as a sham ahead of agreeing sanctions on individuals linked to the mistreatment and death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

"Russia's election was an election without choice," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at the start of the meeting.

Playing on Moscow's reference to its war in Ukraine as a "special military operation", French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Paris had taken note of the "special election operation". Advertisement · Scroll to continue "The conditions for a free, pluralistic and democratic election were not met," his ministry said.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the election outcome highlighted the "depth of repression" in Russia.

"Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy," Cameron said. France, Britain and others condemned the fact that Russia had also held its election in occupied regions of Ukraine that it claims to have annexed during the war.

The Kremlin dismissed such criticism, saying the 87% of the vote won by Putin during the three-day election showed the Russian people were consolidating around him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia's election had no legitimacy. President Vladimir Putin speaks after polling stations closed in Moscow. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab "It is clear to everyone in the world that this figure (Putin)... is simply sick for power and is doing everything to rule forever," Zelenskiy said. U.S. President Joe Biden has not yet commented but a White House spokesperson on Sunday said Russia's election was "obviously not free nor fair".

OUTSIDE WEST, PUTIN CONGRATULATED In sharp contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Putin, and said Beijing would maintain close communication with Moscow to promote the "no limits" partnership they agreed in 2022, just before Russia invaded Ukraine. "I believe that under your leadership, Russia will certainly be able to achieve greater achievements in national development and construction," Xi told Putin in his message, according to Xinhua News. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered his congratulations on Putin's "decisive" victory and the Kremlin said the two men expressed readiness on the telephone to pursue their "effective coordination" in the OPEC+ oil producers group. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed that message, saying he looked forward to strengthening New Delhi's "time-tested special and privileged strategic partnership" with Moscow. India and China, along with Russia, are members of the BRICS group of emerging economies that aims to challenge U.S. domination of the global economy. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, accused by the West of supplying weapons to Russia, also extended congratulations to Putin, stressing their desire for further expansion of bilateral relations with Moscow. In Africa, where the West has been struggling to win support for its efforts to isolate Moscow over the Ukraine war, some newspapers saw Putin's re-election as reinforcing the stance of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Those three states in the Sahel region have strengthened ties with Russia following coups in recent years at the expense of their traditional French and U.S. allies. "In Africa, this re-election could sound like a non-event, but given the context in the Sahel it takes on a particular meaning, because Putin embodies the new geopolitical balance of power on the continent with a growing (Russian) presence and influence," said Burkina Faso daily Aujourd'hui au Faso". The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Matthias Williams in London and John Irish in Paris Editing by Gareth Jones and David Gregorio.

For more than half a century, governments all over the world trusted a single company to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret.

For more than half a century, governments all over the world trusted a single company to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret.

The arctic sea route, versus the Suez Canal, shortens time to deliver by 1 week.