Martin Ruskov @mapto@qoto.org

Zambia suffers an environmental disaster from an acid leak, linked to a Chinese copper mine
https://apnews.com/article/mining-pollution-china-zambia-environment-93ee91d1156471aaf9a7ebd6f51333c1

An introduction to the project BogoSlov (Biblical OriGins in slavOnic texts - Systems for Language-modelled Observation and Verification) has been published in the proceedings of the #IRCDL25 (Information and Research science Connecting to Digital and Library science) conference.

In it we describe what approaches towards quotation and allusion identification are we taking. In particular, we work on identifying references to the #Bible in #OldChurchSlavonic texts.

The paper is titled "Quotes at the Fingertips" and is freely downloadable from here:
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3937/#short8

This publication comes exactly in the days when we held a project meeting in Heidelberg, experimenting with different approaches and shaping our way ahead. It is only out third month into the project and we already have some interesting findings to share.

"Aix Marseille University in France has said that 40 U.S. scientists have “answered the call” it put out earlier this month offering safe harbor to fleeing Americans. Scientists in the U.S. under the Trump regime are facing a sudden loss of funding and stricter regulations on speech and areas of research. According to Aix Marseille University President Eric Berton, some of them will find a home in France."
https://gizmodo.com/we-are-witnessing-a-new-brain-drain-as-scientists-flee-america-for-france-2000575654

Price of a sales event at the White House: one presidential campaign
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/donald-trumps-tesla-sales-script-150620563.html

I know this is not the topic of this article, but could someone explain to me whether these are the jobs David Graeber called #bullshitJobs . Because to me it seems as just another case of someone ignorant talking of things they don't understand.

“What they tell me is it’s just cutting out the waste, the excess spending — that your job’s not that important. I’m not saying it’s the most important job in the world but it’s my job. It’s important to me.”

https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-federal-layoffs-c41ae32800a7f170484de79572543da2

...and this is one very good reason to sign:
https://feddit.bg/post/54388

AI needs to be regulated!
If you agree, sign this petition in support of the EU effort, which is being challenged by big tech.
https://caiml.org/dighum/open-letter-on-the-urgent-need-to-regulate-digital-technologies/

Tesla sales got smashed by BYD in China and worldwide. Tesla stock largely keeps its price. Toyota beats BYD by delivering a cheaper EV in their home and biggest market. Toyota stock largely keeps its price.

Now tell me global capital markets do not need an adjustment.

Only 30 hours left to support the Pixelfed and Loops.video kickstarter and become part of the movement to reclaim social networks.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixelfed/pixelfed-foundation-2024-real-ethical-social-networks

Zelensky is the first one to officially bring up demilitarization of the Black Sea

"The new proposal announced by Zelenskiy comes two days after French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that he was negotiating with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to offer a partial ceasefire similar to the one detailed by the Ukrainian leader, although only for one month. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added that the intention of “a truce in the sky, at sea and in the energy infrastructure is to test whether Vladimir Putin has good intentions to seal a truce.”"

https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-03-04/zelenskiy-offers-putin-partial-truce-for-first-time-to-stop-air-and-sea-attacks.html
@blacksea

How Russia "solved to Abkhazian crisis"

"According to two Meduza sources close to the Russian presidential administration (AP), Kirienko himself volunteered to solve the Abkhazian crisis. He supervised Gunba's campaign together with his close associate - head of the Russian Department for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes Alexander Kharichev, as well as Kharichev's deputy, Boris Rapoport. "Two headquarters worked: one in Sukhum, the other in Sochi. Kharichev came regularly, Boris supervised directly on the spot," Meduza's source close to the AP specifies.

Kiriyenko assigned a group of Kremlin political strategists headed by the former vice-governor of the annexed territory of Zaporizhia Oblast, Sergei Tolmachev, to develop Gunba’s campaign. “[In Moscow, they initially understood that] it would not be possible to completely falsify the elections — due to the presence of representatives of opposition candidates [Adgur Ardzinba and Oleg Bartsits] in the election commissions, as well as observers associated with local clans, a significant portion of which support Ardzinba. The first round was the maximum program,” a source close to the Presidential Administration’s political bloc and familiar with the progress of the campaign explained to Meduza.

Since Tolmachev is known in political technology circles as a specialist in black PR, it made half of Gunba’s campaign. Kremlin-loyal Abkhazian media, as well as Russian publications and Telegram channels, accused opposition candidate Adgur Ardzinba of pro-Turkish views and ties to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The second vector of Gunba’s campaign was guarantees of support from Russia: the pro-Kremlin candidate demonstratively emphasized ties with the Russian leadership, met with officials from Moscow and negotiated with them on financial assistance to the republic."
https://meduza.io/feature/2025/03/05/kreml-dobilsya-pobedy-svoego-kandidata-na-vyborah-v-abhazii-radi-etogo-prishlos-dazhe-zapugivat-lyudey-lisheniem-grazhdanstva-rf
@nepravda

Thanks to BridgyFed, our project at Italy ELT Archive's presence on BlueSky is now accessible also from Mastodon, etc.

Tune in for research and discussions about the past and future of English Language Teaching in Italy and related topics.

https://italy-elt-archive.unimi.it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HHcdxF74Kc

A movie that was called "Tomorrow's land" 15 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pI2IXKtlew