Futurology Today

Lome (AFP) – At least seven people were killed and many others wounded during recent anti-government protests in the Togolese capital Lome, according to an initial count civic groups gave journalists Sunday.

Campaigning groups and rights organisations denounced "abuses committed by members of the Togolese security forces and militias", and said seven bodies had been recovered from rivers in the capital.

They also reported "dozens of wounded" and "more than 60 arrests during the three days of demonstrations held from Thursday to Saturday.

The Togolese authorities, who have yet to provide an official toll from the recent protests, on Sunday denied the deaths were linked to the unrest.

"Forensic analysis revealed that these deaths occurred as a result of drowning," the government said in a statement, without commenting on the number of bodies recovered.

"I would like to congratulate our fellow citizens for their good behaviour and also the professionalism of our security forces, and above all, to reassure them that the government will take all necessary measures to protect Togolese citizens," Hodabalo Awate, minister of territorial administration, said on state television Sunday evening.

Earlier, David Dosseh of "Front Citoyen Togo Debout" told AFP that "we are in a country where citizens still have the right to go out, to express themselves."

"They should not face this state-imposed brutality, it is unacceptable," he added.

"We are not animals, we are sons of this country, and as sons and citizens of this country, the Constitution gives us the right to express ourselves and to demonstrate peacefully."

Protests are rare in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbe has maintained his grip on power since 2005, succeeding his father who ruled for nearly four decades.

But on Thursday morning, small pockets of up to dozens of protesters blocked streets, burned tyres and wooden barricades in the capital, where many businesses remained closed.

People have been protesting against a crackdown on critical voices, rising electricity prices and a constitutional reform that allowed Gnassingbe, now 59, to further consolidate his power.

On June 5 and 6, police arrested about 50 protesters, mainly young people. Most have since been released but Amnesty International has denounced cases of alleged "torture".

The government responded that it had not been officially informed of such abuses and condemned protesters' "clear will to sow disorder and chaos".

In mid-June, Togo blocked France 24 television and Radio France Internationale for three months, accusing the outlets of having relayed "inaccurate and biased statements" following the early June protests.

For some white Afrikaner South Africans, Donald Trump’s offer of refugee status in the US has been seen as a godsend. For others, it has provoked anger and frustration that they are being falsely portrayed as victims of a “white genocide”, 31 years after their community’s own oppressive minority rule ended.

In February, Trump signed an executive order claiming Afrikaners, who make up about 4% of South Africa’s population, or about 2.5 million people, were victims of “unjust racial discrimination”. The order cut aid to the country and established a refugee programme for white South Africans. The first group arrived in May.

The spectacle of white people being flown to the US while Trump blocked refugees from war zones bemused and angered South Africans of all races. For some liberal Afrikaners, it felt personal.

“In terms of being singled out, for progressives it’s extremely painful,” said Lindie Koorts, a history lecturer at the University of Pretoria.

‘I think the political path would be an easy one, meaning, I think I could do it,’ Eric Trump says

https://archive.ph/53NK0

It is the most direct explanation so far on why India lost fighter jets during the recent conflict.

Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/indian-official-says-political-constraints-led-to-jet-losses

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

#Linux Weekly Roundup for June 29th, 2025: #Firefox 140 ESR, first look at #GIMP 3.2, #IPFire gets #WireGuard support, #KDE Plasma 6.4's first point release, Firefox 141 to use less memory on Linux, #qBittorrent 5.1.1, #Clonezilla Live 3.2.2-15, #PipeWire 1.4.6, #GStreamer 1.26.3, and more https://9to5linux.com/9to5linux-weekly-roundup-june-29th-2025

#OpenSource #FOSS

Archived

At least six German military trucks were destroyed in a suspected arson attack at a Bundeswehr facility in Erfurt, Germany, in what appears to be a Russian sabotage operation on NATO soil, revealed by a pro-Russian Telegram channel, Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi on June 26.

The footage shared by the channel shows multiple Rheinmetall MAN military trucks engulfed in flames. The authors claimed that the vehicles belonged to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and were supposedly sent to Erfurt for repairs—a claim easily disproven by the visible Bundeswehr markings and German license plates on the trucks.

[...]

The trucks should have been secured within a military zone, meaning the attack not only caused significant material damage but also likely involved an unauthorized breach of a German military installation—a serious security violation that points to foreign intelligence involvement.

[...]

The pro-Russian channel claimed the operation was carried out by “our people” and celebrated the destruction of equipment allegedly bound for Ukraine. However, the reality indicates a direct attack on German property and military readiness.

Authorities in Germany have not yet commented publicly on the incident or confirmed the extent of the damage, but investigations are expected to focus on potential Russian intelligence operatives or proxy networks operating within Germany. The attack follows a broader pattern of Russian sabotage attempts across Europe, targeting railways, military depots, and arms factories that support Ukraine’s defense.

[...]

of

Original question by @Justathroughdaway@lemmy.world

Ivan was born in Russia. His first job as a young man was cutting logs in the northern forests. The mosquitos plagued him. The work was brutal, but Ivan survived because he was a strong many and used to hardships. Then he went to the mines, slaving for hours in dim tunnels, moving tons of rocks. The air was foul and the heat was intense, but Ivan survived because he was a strong man and used to hardships. Finally, in search of cleaner air, he applied to the navy. On his first day, he was sent to the crows nest as a lookout. Sadly, a huge gust of wind knocked him from his perch and sent him tumbling to the deck, but Ivan survived because he was a strong man and used to hard ships.