Non-IT News Thread
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US troops in Afghanistan: Republicans alarmed by withdrawal plans
Senior Republicans have voiced their alarm at US plans to withdraw some of its forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The US is to cut its number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq by 2,500, the US Department of Defense confirmed. President Donald Trump has long called for troops to come home and has criticised US interventions abroad. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - usually a staunch defender of Mr Trump - called the plan "a mistake". He also warned the president against taking "any earthshaking changes in regards to defence and foreign policy" before leaving office. Mr Trump is yet to concede to Democrat Joe Biden, and the cuts are scheduled to take place five days before Mr Biden takes office on 20 January 2021. -
US election: Trump campaign seeks partial recount in Wisconsin
President Donald Trump is to seek a partial recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin which his rival Joe Biden is projected to win by 20,000 votes.
Hours before a Wednesday deadline, the Trump campaign said it wanted a recount in the counties of Milwaukee and Dane, alleging irregularities. Mr Trump has been making unsubstantiated claims of fraud and refused to authorise a handover. Mr Biden says delaying the transition will damage the US pandemic response. The Trump campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits contesting the results in key states, although election officials say there is no evidence of widespread irregularities. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, is projected to have won the popular vote by more than 5.6 million ballots - 3.6 percentage points. In the US electoral college system that decides the presidency, he has 306 votes to Mr Trump's 232. -
US election 2020: Biden says Trump denial 'sending horrible message'
US President-elect Joe Biden has condemned Donald Trump's refusal to accept defeat in the presidential election, saying it sent "a horrible message about who we are as a country".
Mr Biden said he was confident Mr Trump knew he was not going to win and had shown "incredible irresponsibility". Mr Trump has launched lawsuits alleging unsubstantiated election fraud. He has now also invited state lawmakers to the White House, hinting at a possible change in tactics. Michigan's Republican lawmakers have been asked to meet him there on Friday. All but one of Mr Trump's challenges has failed to make any real headway. Mr Biden's victory margin in the public vote overall stands at more than 5.9 million. The victory in the US Electoral College system, which decides who becomes president, is projected to be 306 to 232. -
Covid-19: Oxford University vaccine is highly effective
The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is highly effective at stopping people developing Covid-19 symptoms, a large trial shows.
Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose. The results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 95% protection. However, the Oxford jab is far cheaper, and is easier to store and get to every corner of the world than the other two. So the vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the pandemic, if it is approved for use by regulators. "The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [the virus]," said the vaccine's architect, Prof Sarah Gilbert. The UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and AstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year. -
Trump accepts US presidency transition to Biden must begin
Donald Trump has accepted a formal US transition should begin for President-elect Joe Biden to take office.
The president said the federal agency overseeing the handover must "do what needs to be done", even as he vowed to keep contesting his election defeat. The General Services Administration (GSA) said it was acknowledging Mr Biden as the "apparent winner". It came as Mr Biden's victory in the state of Michigan was officially certified, a major blow to Mr Trump. The GSA announcement means the president-elect now has access to top security briefings, office space and government officials as he prepares to take office on 20 January. -
Metal monolith found by helicopter crew in Utah desert
A strange metal monolith has been discovered in the Utah desert by a helicopter crew, leaving local authorities baffled.
Wildlife officials spotted the "unusual" object while counting sheep during a flyover in a remote south-eastern area of the US state. They said the structure had been planted in the ground between red rock. There was no indication who installed the monolith, which was about 10 to 12ft (3.6m) tall. In an interview with local news channel KSLTV, the helicopter pilot, Bret Hutchings, said: "That's been about the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all my years of flying." -
Coronavirus and gender: More chores for women set back gains in equality
The coronavirus pandemic could wipe out 25 years of increasing gender equality, new global data from UN Women suggests.
Women are doing significantly more domestic chores and family care, because of the impact of the pandemic. "Everything we worked for, that has taken 25 years, could be lost in a year," says UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia. Employment and education opportunities could be lost, and women may suffer from poorer mental and physical health. The care burden poses a "real risk of reverting to 1950s gender stereotypes", Ms Bhatia says. Even before the pandemic, it was estimated women were doing about three quarters of the 16 billion hours of unpaid work that are done each day around the world. -
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
Coronavirus and gender: More chores for women set back gains in equality
The coronavirus pandemic could wipe out 25 years of increasing gender equality, new global data from UN Women suggests.
Women are doing significantly more domestic chores and family care, because of the impact of the pandemic. "Everything we worked for, that has taken 25 years, could be lost in a year," says UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia. Employment and education opportunities could be lost, and women may suffer from poorer mental and physical health. The care burden poses a "real risk of reverting to 1950s gender stereotypes", Ms Bhatia says. Even before the pandemic, it was estimated women were doing about three quarters of the 16 billion hours of unpaid work that are done each day around the world.Seems like it just exposes existing inequality. If the equality existed, it wouldn't be making more chores for women, but for "people". But it's not, it's making chores just for women (according to the article.) So it's not setting anything back, it's just making it more obvious that inequality exists already (assuming that the article is correct.) Given that they use the data to make a false premise, though, the entire article has to be suspect.
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@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
Metal monolith found by helicopter crew in Utah desert
A strange metal monolith has been discovered in the Utah desert by a helicopter crew, leaving local authorities baffled.
Wildlife officials spotted the "unusual" object while counting sheep during a flyover in a remote south-eastern area of the US state. They said the structure had been planted in the ground between red rock. There was no indication who installed the monolith, which was about 10 to 12ft (3.6m) tall. In an interview with local news channel KSLTV, the helicopter pilot, Bret Hutchings, said: "That's been about the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all my years of flying."Saw this, very cool stuff.
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Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh assassinated near Tehran
Iran's most senior nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated near the capital Tehran, the country's defence ministry has confirmed.
Fakhrizadeh died in hospital after an attack in Absard, in Damavand county. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, has condemned the killing "as an act of state terror". Western intelligence agencies view Fakhrizadeh as being behind Iran's secret nuclear weapons programme. He was reportedly described as the "father of the Iranian bomb" by diplomats. News of the killing comes amid fresh concern about the increased amount of enriched uranium that Iran is producing. Enriched uranium is a vital component for both civil nuclear power generation and military nuclear weapons. -
Maradona: Funeral worker apologises over coffin photos
A funeral worker who took a photo next to the open coffin of Argentine football icon Diego Maradona has asked fans for forgiveness.
Claudio Fernández was pictured standing next to Maradona's body, alongside his son, who made a thumbs-up gesture. A third man appeared in his own photo. Maradona died at his home in Tigre, near Buenos Aires, on Wednesday. The images surfaced online as Maradona's body lay in repose at the presidential palace, provoking outrage. The footballer's lawyer, Matías Morla, has vowed to take action against "the scoundrel" responsible for the photos. Mr Fernandez told Radio 10 on Friday that the decision to take the photo was "something instantaneous". -
Utah monolith: Has the mysterious metal object disappeared?
A mysterious metal monolith discovered last week in the desert in the US state of Utah has disappeared, officials say.
Utah's Bureau of Land Management said it had seen credible reports the object had been removed "by an unknown party". Social media images apparently from the site show a pile of rocks and a small piece of metal left behind. The discovery of the 12ft (3.7m) high object sparked a national guessing game as to how it got there, and saw dozens of people pay a visit in recent days. The strange metal object was first spotted on 18 November by a helicopter crew counting big horn sheep from the air, in a remote south-eastern area of Utah. News of its discovery and speculation over its origins quickly went viral on social media, with many observers presuming it was an art installation left by a sculptor. -
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Mysterious monolith found in Romania - days after a similar one vanished in Utah
People have speculated whether the monoliths are linked as they bear a close resemblance to each other.
The 4m (13ft) monolith has been spotted on Batca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamt, according to reports from local media. The appearance of the hollow structure, which has a triangular shape and is covered in a looping scrawl, has sparked speculation about its origin. It bears a resemblance to the Utah monolith which was spotted in a remote cove two weeks ago, leading people to wonder if the monuments are linked. -
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
Mysterious monolith found in Romania - days after a similar one vanished in Utah
People have speculated whether the monoliths are linked as they bear a close resemblance to each other.
The 4m (13ft) monolith has been spotted on Batca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamt, according to reports from local media. The appearance of the hollow structure, which has a triangular shape and is covered in a looping scrawl, has sparked speculation about its origin. It bears a resemblance to the Utah monolith which was spotted in a remote cove two weeks ago, leading people to wonder if the monuments are linked.3.75 hours due east from my old place.
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@mlnews It's not particularly difficult to weld or rivet some sheet metal into this shape, ffs its people having a laugh.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@DustinB3403 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Saw that, pretty interesting.
I'm curious if Wyze is prepping themselves to be purchased by someone.
