( MENAFN - UkrinForm) Since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion, the world has gained a clearer understanding of Ukraine, as the country emerges from the shadow of Russian disinformation and years of international obscurity. This is stated in an article published by the Atlantic Council think tank, Ukrinform reports. "The war unleashed by Russia almost three years ago in Ukraine is rightly recognized as one of the great crimes of the twenty-first century. Understandably, little attention has been paid so far to the impact the conflict is having on Ukraine's international image. And yet amid the trauma and horror of Russia's invasion, there are growing signs that the unprecedented media spotlight on Ukraine since 2022 is gradually helping to transform global perceptions of the country. As a result, Ukraine is now finally emerging from a prolonged period of international obscurity that has hindered the country's progress for centuries," the article reads. The author notes that since the collapse of the Soviet Union, little has been done to address the lack of global Following the Soviet collapse, little was done to address this lack of outside awareness or strengthen Ukraine's national brand in the global arena. This low profile helped set the stage for Russia's disinformation efforts, with foreign audiences often prepared to believe all manner of outlandish lies about a country that was otherwise unknown to them. Thanks to the recent media focus on Ukraine, Kremlin propagandists are now finding that their distortions are not so readily accepted. The Atlantic Council has identified five facts about Ukraine that "have taken root in the international consciousness since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion." The first is that "Ukraine is not Russia." For generations, Russia was able to impose its imperial propaganda on international audiences, with Ukrainians silenced and Ukraine misleadingly portrayed as "an intrinsic part of Russia's own historical heartlands." "It was therefore understandable that when an independent Ukraine appeared on the map in 1991, many had trouble distinguishing it from Russia. This created much confusion and went some way to legitimizing subsequent Russian attempts to reassert its authority over Ukraine. The full-scale invasion has changed all that," the article said. The author notes that since February 2022, international perceptions of the relationship between Russia and Ukraine have undergone a radical transformation as global audiences have witnessed the ferocity of the Russian attack and the determination of Ukraine's national defense. The second fact, according to the Atlantic Council, is that Ukraine is a huge country in terms of area. "Prewar Ukraine's low international profile encouraged many to imagine the country as an obscure and irrelevant statelet whose fate mattered little to the wider world. Meanwhile, very few people seemed to appreciate that Ukraine was in fact the largest country wholly in Europe. That is no longer the case," the author said. According to him, throughout the past three years, the map of Ukraine has featured relentlessly in the international press. While Ukraine may still appear small when compared to Russia, it is a huge country by European standards. Growing awareness of this fact is helping to shape perceptions of Ukraine's geopolitical significance. The third fact is that Ukraine is an agricultural superpower. the country's real claim to fame is as the breadbasket of Europe. Ukraine's fabled black soil is among the most fertile land in the entire world, making much of the country a giant garden of agrarian abundance. Since 2022, Russia's invasion has helped educate international audiences about Ukraine's crucial role in global food security. "Extensive media coverage of Russia's Black Sea naval blockade has underlined the importance of Ukrainian agricultural exports, with disruption caused by Moscow's interference leading to famine fears in Africa and price hikes on basic foodstuffs throughout the West. Growing awareness of Ukraine's status as an agricultural superpower has undermined Kremlin efforts to portray the invasion as a strictly local affair, and has mobilized international opposition to the war," the article reads. The fourth fact is that Ukraine is an innovation hub. Since 2022, Ukraine has demonstrated that it is a sophisticated high tech nation capable of more than holding its own in the most technologically advanced war the world has ever seen. "Ukraine's ability to develop, deploy, and update its own domestically-produced weapons systems on an almost daily basis has done much to debunk the negative stereotypes of old and establish the country's reputation as a leading innovation hub," the author said, recalling Ukraine's development of naval drones that changed the situation in the Black Sea and long-range drones that hit targets in Russia. The fifth fact is that Ukraine is united. The full-scale invasion has seriously undermined longstanding Russian efforts to portray Ukraine as a country irrevocably split along geographical and ideological lines. The narrative of a "divided Ukraine" has been a mainstay of Kremlin propaganda since the Soviet era, and has been central to the disinformation that has accompanied the escalating Russian aggression of the past two decades. Ukrainians across the country have overwhelmingly rallied in opposition to the invading Russians. "The Russian invasion has shattered the myth of a terminally divided Ukraine and proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the vast majority of Ukrainians bitterly oppose the idea of a Russian reunion," the Atlantic Council said. MENAFN20122024000193011044ID1109018428 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
However, some state workers failed to return to their jobs and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt”. Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Mr Assad’s brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant, who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali for the first time. Mr Jalali stayed in Syria when Mr Assad fled and has sought to project normalcy since. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Mr Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a UN official said some government services had been paralysed as worried state employees stayed at home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonised by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Mr Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. “I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” In a video shared on a rebel messaging channel, Mr al-Sharaa said: “You will see there are skills” among the rebels. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Mr Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets.Luke's Extra Points: Rahmir Johnson's clutch run, and Dylan Raiola pushes right buttons
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Sharpsville schools policy addresses use of artificial intellegenceMarxist-inspired black nationalists and virtue-signaling white liberals celebrate a phony holiday invented by a violent felon. Moreover, that felon originally created Kwanzaa as a religious alternative to Christmas, not a corresponding secular celebration. Nonetheless, prominent Democrat politicians do not seem to care about such details, as evidenced by their embarrassing eagerness to flock to various social media platforms and wish everyone a Happy Kwanzaa, whatever that means. “When I was growing up, Kwanzaa was a special time of reflection with family and friends,” Vice President wrote Thursday on Facebook. “Let us carry the wisdom of the seven principles with us as we work to build a brighter future. Happy Kwanzaa,” she added. Thursday on X, Democratic Gov. of California and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, posted an equally nauseating “Happy Kwanzaa” video, which, for all its humiliating phoniness, at least identified those much-ballyhooed “seven principles”: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. As families across California and around the world light the Kinara over the next seven days, we celebrate the rich traditions, unity, and resilience that binds us together. Wishing a joyful and meaningful first night of Kwanzaa to all Californians. — Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) Likewise, Democratic Gov. of New York took time away from securing New York City’s to wish “Happy Kwanzaa.” Happy Kwanzaa, New York! Wishing all those celebrating a week filled with peace, community, and joy. — Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) Fortunately, another X user replied to Hochul with a correct assessment of the “holiday” and its sinister purpose. “Kwanzaa is a new, Marxist, European invention meant to separate black Americans from Christianity. You are probably older than Kwanzaa, Governor. The original African faith, among those practiced in the world today, is Christianity. So Merry Christmas, dummy,” the user wrote. Kwanzaa is a new, Marxist, European invention meant to separate black Americans from Christianity. You are probably older than Kwanzaa, Governor. The original African faith, among those practiced in the world today, is Christianity. So Merry Christmas, dummy. — Pacheco the Ghost (@PMtalking) Of course, “collective work and responsibility,” “cooperative economics” and “faith” together do not exactly conceal Kwanzaa’s Marxist-inspired assault on . Moreover, in addition to its sinister purposes, Kwanzaa has violent and shameful origins. In fact, as she admitted in a 2018 opinion piece, black journalist Chanté Griffin’s discovery of Kwanzaa’s back story “felt like a personal loss and a loss for black culture.” As Griffin put it, black nationalist Maulana Karenga “unveiled Kwanzaa in 1966 to fill the gaps where the U.S. had failed African Americans.” “Unveiled,” of course, amounts to a clever euphemism for “invented.” Four years after “unveiling” , Karenga unveiled his dark and sadistic side. “Though he denied the allegations, in 1970 he and three other members of the US Organization, a black nationalist group based in Los Angeles, imprisoned and assaulted two female members,” Griffin wrote. “Trial testimony revealed that the women had been whipped with cords, beaten with batons, and seared with irons — while naked — in an effort to elicit confessions that they were conspiring against him.” Karenga subsequently spent several years in prison. Meanwhile, Griffin agonized over the discovery. “My stomach lurched as I read about the trial and his conviction. Karenga was found guilty of violence against black women. How could Kwanzaa’s inventor be that person?” she wrote. Would violence against white, Hispanic or Asian women have made the holiday’s founder less odious? Perhaps it would have. After all, Griffin concluded that Kwanzaa “beckons us to the heights of our humanity, petitioning us to imagine ourselves and our communities in ways white American culture cannot and will not,” in which case Karenga’s history “shouldn’t tarnish the value and beauty of the holiday that promotes collective action for the collective good.” Collective action for the collective good: the never even bother to vary their rhetoric. Meanwhile, the 83-year-old still serves as Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. As for Karenga’s deliberate assault on Christmas, historian Keith Mayes, author of “Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition,” explained. “Since Christmas dominated the calendar at year’s end, engulfing black America in its crass consumerism and its images of a white Christ, Karenga believed Christmas stood in the way of black cultural advancement,” Mayes wrote, per . [graf 6] In short, a violent felon who tortured black women made war on and the “white Christ.” And Democrat politicians insist on celebrating the holiday he “unveiled.” Do not fall for it. Well-meaning Americans of every color should reject identity politics and Marxism in all forms. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .
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Outbreaks of rain will affect northern and western areas this morning A stock image of windy weather. (Brian Lawless/PA) The weather will gradually become more unsettled moving into the New Year, Met Éireann has said. Outbreaks of rain will affect northern and western areas this morning. But the rain will become patchier as it slowly moves southeastwards throughout the day, bringing only minimal amounts over Munster and Leinster. The highest temperatures today are set to range between 8 and 11C. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. It will be dry tonight, with clear spells, but there might be some odd showers possible across western and northern counties. However, it will be colder than recent nights as temperatures are set to drop to 2 and 6C. Sunday will be a breezy day but it will stay mostly dry. Sunny spells and scattered showers might affect the north and west. Temperatures will range between 8 and 11C before dropping to 5 and 9C overnight. Sunday night will remain breezy, with rain in the northwest and well-scattered showers across the Atlantic counties. It will continue breezy early next week, with outbreaks of rain across Ulster and Connacht, which might turn heavier through Monday. It will be mostly dry elsewhere, with sunny spells and temperatures of 9 and 12C. Monday night will turn mostly cloudy, with outbreaks of rain becoming more widespread, while parts of the south and southeast might stay dry. Temperatures are expected to range between 8 and 11C. It will be wet and windy on New Year's Eve but the outbreaks of rain will become lighter and patchier through the day. Temperatures will range between 10 and 12C on Tuesday Met Éireann said there is some uncertainty with the current forecast for New Year's Day but it will likely turn very windy - with strong winds and widespread outbreaks of rain on Wednesday.
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Software development is a dynamic field where programming languages, frameworks, and technologies may live and die within a few years, and job market needs constantly change. However, developers remain among the most in-demand tech professionals, and learning the right programming languages and other skills can help you find a high-paying job in the field. A report from Pluralsight identified the most popular software development technologies of the past year, along with those with the most growth. The most popular software development technologies in 2025 Here are the top 10 most popular software development technologies in 2025, according to the report: AI Agents and LangChain RAG and Agentic RAG Python AWS and Azure Kubernetes and Docker Angular, React, and Blazor SQL Linux SEE: Python is today’s most popular programming language , according to the TIOBE Programming Community index. “We predict in 2025 the biggest disrupter to tech in general will be the adoption of AI agents,” wrote Adam Ipsen, lead content strategist at Pluralsight. The LangChain software framework can be used to create and direct those agents. “Even if you’re not in a technical role, or don’t want to become an AI specialist because you’re working as something like a Cloud Architect or a programmer, knowing AI is becoming an essential skill in 2024 and beyond (For cloud specialists, it’s especially important, as these spaces are quickly intersecting with services like Amazon Q),” Ipsen wrote in last year’s report . That still holds true going into 2025, even though the focus has shifted from large language models in general to semi-autonomous AI agents. SEE: NVIDIA added more AI processing power to its small Jetson Orin developer kit. Meanwhile, Python is still the world’s most popular programming language. Pluralsight picked Python skills as the most popular software development skill last year. “Python dominates data science and machine learning libraries, and over the last few years this fact alone has dramatically increased its popularity and industry relevance,” Ipsen wrote. The big takeaways for tech leaders Large language models, agents, and RAG all interconnect to form a melange of the most in-demand AI skills. “In 2025, we predict organizations will be seeking specialists who can combine these two techniques [agentic AI and RAG] to create highly autonomous AI agents who are empowered by your business data or other relevant information sources, known as Agentic RAG,” Ipsen said. Employees who know more than one of these skills will be valuable, and team leaders should give employees time and encouragement to learn them. Working in multi-cloud environments, especially AWS and Microsoft Azure, is another skill set that will benefit organizations and employees looking to upskill into higher-paying positions.
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