mwalimu

The development of generative AI may mean that only excellence in a language is useful — there may no longer be much point in just having a few words and phrases, the kind of level to which apps such as Duolingo take most learners. Mundane interactions can now be handled by automatic speech translation. Similarly, executives no longer need to write English as well, since machine translation systems such as DeepL can do that for them (although translators suggest having a native-speaking human to check AI’s output when there is a legal or reputational risk). Translation technology reduces a historic advantage of English-speakers in international settings: they were often chosen to write reports or corporate statements, giving them power to shape the content. I’ve observed a rise in the level of English spoken by people in international workplaces: Globish, the simplified, nuance-free version of English, has been superseded by colloquial English. For instance, fewer EU gatherings now open with a speaker saying, in franglais: “I wish you good work!” One non-native English-speaker employed in banking in the US reports: “To collaborate with colleagues globally, the simplest business English is best, no ambiguities or misunderstandings. However, at senior level, being native and succinct and ‘funny with words’ is seen as an asset. My boss (native) is a literature major from an Ivy League school. His expressions easily switch from highbrow to swear words, and always draw laughs.” Accents in English matter, too. Sociolinguists believe western European “non-native English accents”, such as German, are more valued “than accents from other, economically less developed, regions”, write academics Martyna Śliwa and Marjana Johansson.
The upshot is a two-tier labour market in which top jobs with international contact are reserved for a fluent English-speaking elite. A specialist at an international insurer observes: “People who can’t communicate well in English drift off into local activities. They become less relevant.”

In the past decade, more than 63,000 deaths of migrants have been recorded by MMP. Notably, more than one in three of those identified come from countries in conflict, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Ethiopia. With that said, more than two-thirds of those whose deaths are documented in the MMP dataset in the last decade have little to no information on their identities, meaning that each one of these tens of thousands of individuals are unidentified.

Archived link: https://web.archive.org/save/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41586-024-07208-3

DOI for the highseas: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07208-3

Adaptive foraging along dry-season waterholes would have transformed seasonal rivers into ‘blue highway’ corridors, potentially facilitating an out-of-Africa dispersal and suggesting that the event was not restricted to times of humid climates. The behavioural flexibility required to survive seasonally arid conditions in general, and the apparent short-term effects of the Toba supereruption in particular were probably key to the most recent dispersal and subsequent worldwide expansion of modern humans.

To halt the carnage, the sun god resorted to trickery. One version of the story recounts that Ra flooded a field of barley and allowed it to ferment, while another claims he simply poured out 7,000 jars of beer. In either case, Ra cleverly dyed the beer crimson using red ochre, a type of edible clay rich in iron oxide.

“When Hathor arrived, she started drinking what she thought was blood,” Goldsmith says. After guzzling the better part of a field of beer, the goddess became too drunk to continue her murder spree and took a nap, thus saving humanity.

It’s important, though, to distinguish the position of the African Union from the position of individual member states. So, while the union itself has been consistent and has always held the line that Palestinian independence was an integral part of the African Union’s foundational documents and foundational position in international relations, various African nations — because there is no impetus from the African Union for there to be always a single position within each country, various African nations do have different relationships with both Israel and Palestine. So, for example, while every single country in Africa except one recognizes the state of Palestine, the recognition of the state of Israel has varied. There was a time after that 1972 war where African nations wholesale declared that they would not recognize the state of Israel, but that has changed considerably.

“I used to believe in the reform agenda of Abiy, I really wanted to be part of the transition,” the judge said. “At first I justified the behaviour of the security forces and thought it was linked to a particular moment, but at some point I realised the problem was systemic. Everyone who disagreed with the Koree Nageenyaa would be removed."

The statement issued by the U.S. Department of State on 17 February 2024 fundamentally distorts these realities, and stands in puzzling contradiction with the substance and tone of the confidence-building process initiated by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence in November 2023, which created a productive framework for de-escalation. Rwanda will seek clarification from the U.S. Government to ascertain whether its statement represents an abrupt shift in policy, or simply a lack of internal coordination.

An Abbey spokesperson tells The Art Newspaper: “The Dean [David Hoyle] and Chapter has decided in principle that it would be appropriate to return the Ethiopian tabot to the Ethiopian Church. We are currently considering the best way to achieve this, and we are in ongoing discussions with representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. This is a complex matter, and it may take some time.”

cross-posted from: https://baraza.africa/post/1144422

The first commit was on Feb 14 2019. Amazing what @dessalines@lemmy.ml and the team have managed to build, attracting a great community along.

The first commit was on Feb 14 2019. Amazing what @dessalines@lemmy.ml and the team have managed to build, attracting a great community along.