Category: Politics

MIL-OSI Global: Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tim Glawion, Senior research fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institut, Freiburg, Germany, University of Freiburg

Since it became independent in 1960, the Central African Republic has grappled with poverty, instability and governance challenges.

A decade into former president François Bozizé’s corrupt rule, a rebellion broke out and toppled the president in 2013. What followed was a devastatingly violent civil war with thousands of people killed and a fifth of the populace displaced.

To halt violence against civilians, numerous international actors intervened, including the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and France. From 2014 onward they put thousands of boots on the ground and pushed rebels from most towns, while protecting and supporting the interim administration.

But by 2016 all actors had retreated, save the United Nations (UN). The mission – Minusca – was not able to contain a resurgence in rebellion, and the newly elected president Faustin-Archange Touadéra turned to Russian paramilitaries to stabilise his rule in 2017.

These paramilitaries started out only as “trainers” but took on more prominent and direct combat roles as the years passed, making the country a geopolitical playing field. The Russian paramilitaries and national army again pushed the rebels out of most towns and into the countryside.

I have studied the Central African Republic’s politics for over a decade, conducting research in towns across the country. I wanted to find out why some areas were more affected by violence than others and how people locally lived together. I believed that in such local stories we might find missing links as to why all the actors involved failed to provide the protection from violence and provision of services that people desired.

To study people’s expectations of peacekeepers, I used a method I call the “qualitative” survey. This type of survey asks open questions, for example “what do you expect of international actors?”. This leaves space for people to say things that researchers might not have expected. It also included more typical closed questions like “how safe do you feel, on a scale from 1 to 5?”.

With a team of Central African researchers, I conducted these surveys in four places in 2019 and in two places in 2023 and 2024. At this stage respondents had experienced foreign peacekeeping missions and Russian paramilitary presence.

We found that peacekeeping missions were losing popular support because they were not fulfilling the expectations of people in the Central African Republic.

People wanted peacekeepers to confront armed actors. When peacekeepers failed to do so, they criticised them, even requested them to leave.

Russian paramilitaries offered the forceful response that autocratic regimes and many locals wanted. However, they provided a too simplistic answer to people’s demands, based only on the present. People also had future expectations: they wanted armed actors to be kicked out so that people might be treated fairly and witness the return of a caring state in the near future.

Thus, while peacekeepers frustrated initial expectations and Russian paramilitaries might fulfil them, the Central African state and their Russian paramilitary allies were not building the future people expected.

Expectations

The overall results of the survey showed that people had the most confidence in local institutions, while harbouring high expectations for the state (when it returns), and being broadly disappointed by international peacekeepers.

The results varied strongly according to local experiences with the state and international actors. Most intriguingly, respondents did not necessarily feel safest in those localities that had the fewest violent incidents. I call this the “security paradox” and it has much to do with unmet expectations for which we need to dig into individual responses.

Take the example of a middle-aged woman in the Central African Republic’s north-eastern and long rebel-held town of Ndélé, who made two points in early 2019. First, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Minusca, was inactive in the face of aggression. Second, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were doing a good job:

Partner organisations such as Minusca who reside among our population do not seem to be there to ensure our protection, as we hear on the radio. A person may well be raped, and they do not even react to rescue the person in danger, even if they know about it. On the other hand, the NGOs are doing a very good job, and it is thanks to them that Ndélé is doing well today.

However, my own analysis showed that, objectively speaking, both peacekeepers and aid organisations were doing a mediocre job. Under the peacekeepers’ watch few violent incidents occurred and the aid organisations were only covering a fraction of local needs, much less than in other studied localities.

The difference in perception, I argue, stems from the fact that local people have certain expectations for security and different expectations for service provision in the Central African Republic.

Security in the Central African Republic is marked by an abundance of armed groups threatening people’s livelihoods. Dozens are currently active, of which a handful have been roaming for more than a decade, controlling trade routes and resources, as well as wielding local political power.

Services like schooling, health and electricity are almost entirely absent in many areas outside the capital; not even the state provides them.

Thus, in the security sector, people expect confrontation of armed actors by either the UN peacekeeping mission or the Russian paramilitary, whereas in services they want NGOs to substitute for government failings. Or in the words of an Ndélé trader:

The international actors can help us during these absences of state authority.

However, Minusca was not ready to forcefully oppose armed actors as they pursued an approach based on negotiating peace agreements and pursuing voluntary integration or disarmament. What my study shows is that doing too little in the eyes of the population can quickly turn the rumour mill, as this woman in Ndélé suggested:

As for Minusca, we do not see its work in favour of our well-being, and we even want it to leave since we have seen that it is the cause of our current division and suffering.

But would confrontation have brought more popular support to Minusca? Well, it did to another actor that stepped in, as a national staffer of an aid organisation stated in early 2022 in Bambari:

Minusca patrols do not have the confidence of the population. Because in front of Minusca forces, the rebels kill the population. For seven years, Minusca was unable to secure the town. Within minutes, the Central African Armed Forces and their Russian allies managed to dislodge them from the town of Bambari, which is now secure.

Reality

I did not judge whether people’s expectations of interventions were realistic.

Given the state’s history in the Central African Republic, it was surprising how many people wanted a state and army to return.

However, people were hoping for a “benevolent” state return. This has not happened.

And as for the Russian “allies”, as they are called in the Central African Republic: their confrontational approach has caused heavy collateral damage and has failed to stabilise former rebel areas. Rebellion is again on the rise.

My study shows how important it is to analyse expectations in-depth, and to take them as a starting point of intervention policy. Not understanding people’s expectations is what caught peacekeepers by surprise when people started demonstrating in front of their bases and even calling for their withdrawal.

While there might be good reasons not to pursue a forceful approach against rebels, interveners must be aware that they thereby deceive public expectations and should thus proactively listen to and engage the population about their demands.

The dilemma is that fulfilling people’s initial expectations does not automatically lead to the future they desire. So there must be difficult and open discussions about what is and what is not feasible in peacekeeping.

Tim Glawion receives funding from the public German Science Foundation (DFG, project number: 437386574).

– ref. Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace – https://theconversation.com/central-african-republic-listening-to-peoples-stories-about-foreign-forces-could-help-bring-peace-247834

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center

US president Donald Trump has taken a series of decisions that have delivered body blows to the global management of health. He has announced that the US will leave the World Health Organization. And a 90-day freeze has been placed on money distributed by the US Agency for International Development (USAid) pending a review by the US State Department. This includes funds for the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar). The decisions have triggered alarm in the global health sector.

Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, outlines which countries are most at risk and which health programmes will suffer the most damage.

What does the US exit mean for Africa?

The US exit from the WHO and the freeze announced on USAid funding are devastating moves that will have drastic effects on the health of millions of people in Africa.

The US is by far the WHO’s largest state donor, contributing approximately 18% of the agency’s total funding.

US development aid is used to run large-scale health programmes on the continent. For example, Nigeria received approximately US$600 million in health assistance from the US, over 21% of the 2023 health budget.

The WHO is a global health body that synthesises scientific research and develops guidelines that countries in Africa rely on to shape their own policies and practices.

The biggest loss for Africa under the USAID umbrella will be funding for Pepfar, which is used for HIV-related programmes including prevention, testing and treatment. Through Pepfar, the US government has invested over US$110 billion in the global HIV/Aids response.

Read more: WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out

What’s going to be lost?

A range of capabilities.

Firstly, technical guidance. The WHO provides technical guidance to countries on issues ranging from TB management to cost-effective malaria control.

Secondly, the ability to mobilise resources. The WHO has the mandate and mechanisms to assemble experts from across the globe to evaluate new therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines. They can evaluate new evidence on emerging patterns of new bugs, resistance to current treatments, and so on.

Thirdly, the WHO has tools and mechanisms that have been key to African countries’ health policy decisions. These include:
- the WHO’s list of Essential Medicines to inform decision-making on critical drugs
- a similar mechanism to evaluate new vaccines, resulting in guidance that makes regulatory approval faster and easier in African countries which don’t have strong systems.
Fourth, the WHO also provides resources for emergency response, as in the event of disease outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. The WHO is able to quickly mobilise experts and funds and to coordinate emergency responses.

Fifth, the WHO provides evidence-informed guidelines. It does this by gathering and sharing information like the causes of outbreaks, while monitoring signals of potential outbreaks and coordinating efforts to develop new technologies, such as vaccines and medical devices.

Sixth, the WHO’s ability to support critical programmes in tuberculosis prevention and emergency response will be reduced.

Seventh, the withdrawal of US citizens working in these global agencies – and the orders to stop sharing data – mean the US is essentially excluded from global information-sharing mechanisms that keep us all safe. It will be harder to share information about emerging health threats in the US with the rest of the world and vice versa.

Which countries will be most affected?

Many African countries are heavily reliant on the support provided by Pepfar and USAID to fund programmes in the health sector and for humanitarian assistance.

Countries which will be most affected are those with a high burden of HIV, TB and malaria and those with large populations of refugee and internally displaced people.

Currently the top eight USAid recipients in Africa are: Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Without funds being rapidly mobilised to fill the gap left by the US withdrawal, the effect on the health of millions of Africans is at stake. Failure to prevent new infections, and the threat of drug resistance developing because of disrupted treatment, will have far-reaching consequences.

In Uganda, where about 1.4 million people are living with HIV/Aids, 60% of the spending on its HIV/Aids programme was from Pepfar, and about 20% from the Global Fund (partly funded from Pepfar).

A drastic reduction in funding will be devastating for patients and the greater health system.

The Pepfar programme, a lifeline for millions of Africans, has been under threat since before the most recent aid freeze. In 2024, the American congress only gave a one-year authorisation instead of the typical five-year funding authorisation.

A conservative backlash against this programme has been growing for years with concerns that some funds may be used to fund abortion. The current authorisation expires in March 2025 and falls within the 90-day aid review period. With the current approval expiring next month, and in light of the current atmosphere, it is very likely that it may not be renewed.

Read more: How US policy on abortion affects women in Africa

What steps should African countries be taking?

There has a been a lot of discussion around jobs and lives lost, but not much around what happens next: how African governments are planning on mitigating shortfalls in their health budget in the short term and foreseeable future.

Therefore we need to ask our governments what that means for us and how they are planning to ensure that we do not reverse the gains made so far. This includes preventing millions of HIV infections, improved testing and provision of life-saving antiretroviral treatment.

The sudden and drastic decisions taken by the Trump administration have been hailed by several commentators as the wake-up call the continent needs – to wean itself off dependency on a flawed “development aid” system that is admittedly a tool for geopolitical influence.

Read more: US health funding cuts: what Nigeria stands to lose

The disbelief and chaos in the global health sector should be rapidly mobilised into citizen action, for governments to invest in a critical sector that has depended on foreign assistance for too long. In the absence of sustained investment, the gains in the health sector may be lost, reversing decades of progress in global health.

Lastly, Africans, especially scientists and academics, need to stand up to the worrying anti-science trend that underlies some of these drastic policies. The growing mistrust in science and scientific institutions will not abate unless it is challenged.

It is ridiculous that a continent of 1.3 billion people is reliant on the whims of one man many kilometres away; on his signature on a single document.

The world needs to wake up. We need to wake up.

– Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why
– https://theconversation.com/healthcare-in-africa-on-brink-of-crisis-as-us-exits-who-and-usaid-freezes-funds-health-scholar-explains-why-248906

MIL OSI Africa –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Faculty member, Department of Political Science, Lagos State University

With France fast losing its influence in west Africa’s Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum?

The Sahel region covers 10 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

French troops have been expelled from three of these – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – after military coups. Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast have also expelled French troops. The troops were there because of the security threat from extremist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

Niger also ended an agreement to keep about 1,000 US troops involved in a counter-terrorism mission. Niger’s military government described the US as having a “condescending attitude”.

While it has been rightly argued that the presence of the western powers did not resolve the security challenges of the region, their withdrawal creates a vacuum.

I am a political science and international relations researcher who has been studying China-Africa relations for over a decade.

I argue that Beijing could take advantage of the vacuum in the Sahel in at least three ways: expansion of investments in critical minerals; resolution of the Ecowas crisis (when Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali exited the regional bloc); and increased arms sales.

This is especially so as China is not new to the Sahel region of west Africa. For instance, China is constructing a US$32 million headquarters for Ecowas in Abuja, Nigeria.

Three ways China could benefit

First, China could expand its influence – and the next four years hold enormous opportunities in this regard.

US president Donald Trump’s likely transactional and unpredictable approach to international relations may force African countries to look to China. For instance, they may need China to help fill the void created by the US decision to dismantle USAID and freeze international development aid.

Nigeria joined Brics as a partner country a few days before the inauguration of Trump. Brics is a group of emerging economies determined to act as a counterweight to the west and to whittle down the influence of global institutions. It was established in 2006 and initially composed of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This decision by the largest economy in the Sahel is an expression of its commitment to China – with potential implications for other Sahelian countries.

The vacuum offers Beijing the opportunity to strengthen its investment and position as a top beneficiary of the critical minerals, such as gold, copper, lithium and uranium, in the Sahel region.

In 2024, west African gold production was estimated to be 11.83 million ounces. Ghana, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Guinea and Mali were the major contributors.

Second, China is in a unique position to push for a resolution of the Ecowas crisis.

Following military coups, the Ecowas regional economic bloc sanctioned Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Ecowas even threatened Niger with a military invasion. The three countries then decided to leave Ecowas to form the Alliance of Sahel States.

As a neutral actor whose non-interference policy accommodates both civil and military regimes, Beijing is in a position to bring Ecowas and the Alliance of Sahel States into negotiation before the final departure date of 29 July 2025.

If it succeeds, China would look more like a peaceful power, an image that is contested by others.

Building on its soft power projects like the Confucius Institutes and scholarships, China would look like the “saviour” of Ecowas integration.

This is what it did in the case of the Tazara railway project, where China supported Tanzania and Zambia to build a railway line together. It supported the African countries when the US and Europe had failed, were reluctant or were not interested.

Third is Chinese arms sales.

Chinese arms are already in the Sahel. In 2019, Nigeria signed a US$152 million contract with the China North Industries Corporation Limited (Norinco) to provide some of the weapons needed to fight the Boko Haram terror group. Since then, Chinese drones and other equipment have become a feature in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism response.

The Chinese arms market could receive a major boost beyond Nigeria with the withdrawal of western countries from the Sahel. Western countries are likely to be reluctant to sell arms to the countries that have evicted their military.

Sanctions on Russia have also increased the likelihood of Chinese arms in the Sahel.

For example, a few months after France and the US left the region, some reports suggested that Russian mercenaries in the Sahel region were using Chinese weapons. Norinco – China’s top arms manufacturer and seventh largest arms supplier in the world – has opened sales offices in Nigeria and Senegal.

In June 2024, Burkina Faso received 100 tanks from China. Three months after, Mali signed an agreement with Norinco to bolster its fight against terrorism.

Bumpy road ahead

China’s non-interference can accommodate both civil and military governments in the Sahel. This is an advantage for Beijing in some ways. But it could also have unexpected impacts.

There are competing local interests in the Sahel and Beijing’s deepening involvement could be (mis)interpreted as supporting one over the other.

This could make Chinese interests a target in the violence.

It is also unclear if China is capable or willing to fill the vacuum created by the evicted western powers. But it looks as though China can benefit from the situation in the Sahel in the short term.

Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi has previously received research funding or travel support from organisations like the KU Leuven, Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Lagos State University, Chatham House (i.e. Robert Bosch Stiftung), Centre for Population and Environmental Development (CPED), Think Tank Initiative, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund), Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF), American Council of Learned Societies’ African Humanities Program (ACLS-AHP), Merian Institute of Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), Development Studies Association (DSA) UK, Collective for the Renewal of Africa (CORA), Ford Foundation, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS). However, I must clearly and strongly state that none of these funders have at any time sought to influence or influenced my writings or public engagement. Thus, this article is one of my many expressions of my academic freedom.

– ref. Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits – https://theconversation.com/power-vacuum-in-west-africas-sahel-3-ways-china-could-fill-the-gap-as-west-exits-248353

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tim Glawion, Senior research fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institut, Freiburg, Germany, University of Freiburg

Since it became independent in 1960, the Central African Republic has grappled with poverty, instability and governance challenges.

A decade into former president François Bozizé’s corrupt rule, a rebellion broke out and toppled the president in 2013. What followed was a devastatingly violent civil war with thousands of people killed and a fifth of the populace displaced.

To halt violence against civilians, numerous international actors intervened, including the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and France. From 2014 onward they put thousands of boots on the ground and pushed rebels from most towns, while protecting and supporting the interim administration.

But by 2016 all actors had retreated, save the United Nations (UN). The mission – Minusca – was not able to contain a resurgence in rebellion, and the newly elected president Faustin-Archange Touadéra turned to Russian paramilitaries to stabilise his rule in 2017.

These paramilitaries started out only as “trainers” but took on more prominent and direct combat roles as the years passed, making the country a geopolitical playing field. The Russian paramilitaries and national army again pushed the rebels out of most towns and into the countryside.

I have studied the Central African Republic’s politics for over a decade, conducting research in towns across the country. I wanted to find out why some areas were more affected by violence than others and how people locally lived together. I believed that in such local stories we might find missing links as to why all the actors involved failed to provide the protection from violence and provision of services that people desired.

To study people’s expectations of peacekeepers, I used a method I call the “qualitative” survey. This type of survey asks open questions, for example “what do you expect of international actors?”. This leaves space for people to say things that researchers might not have expected. It also included more typical closed questions like “how safe do you feel, on a scale from 1 to 5?”.

With a team of Central African researchers, I conducted these surveys in four places in 2019 and in two places in 2023 and 2024. At this stage respondents had experienced foreign peacekeeping missions and Russian paramilitary presence.

We found that peacekeeping missions were losing popular support because they were not fulfilling the expectations of people in the Central African Republic.

People wanted peacekeepers to confront armed actors. When peacekeepers failed to do so, they criticised them, even requested them to leave.

Russian paramilitaries offered the forceful response that autocratic regimes and many locals wanted. However, they provided a too simplistic answer to people’s demands, based only on the present. People also had future expectations: they wanted armed actors to be kicked out so that people might be treated fairly and witness the return of a caring state in the near future.

Thus, while peacekeepers frustrated initial expectations and Russian paramilitaries might fulfil them, the Central African state and their Russian paramilitary allies were not building the future people expected.

Expectations

The overall results of the survey showed that people had the most confidence in local institutions, while harbouring high expectations for the state (when it returns), and being broadly disappointed by international peacekeepers.

The results varied strongly according to local experiences with the state and international actors. Most intriguingly, respondents did not necessarily feel safest in those localities that had the fewest violent incidents. I call this the “security paradox” and it has much to do with unmet expectations for which we need to dig into individual responses.

Take the example of a middle-aged woman in the Central African Republic’s north-eastern and long rebel-held town of Ndélé, who made two points in early 2019. First, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Minusca, was inactive in the face of aggression. Second, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were doing a good job:

Partner organisations such as Minusca who reside among our population do not seem to be there to ensure our protection, as we hear on the radio. A person may well be raped, and they do not even react to rescue the person in danger, even if they know about it. On the other hand, the NGOs are doing a very good job, and it is thanks to them that Ndélé is doing well today.

However, my own analysis showed that, objectively speaking, both peacekeepers and aid organisations were doing a mediocre job. Under the peacekeepers’ watch few violent incidents occurred and the aid organisations were only covering a fraction of local needs, much less than in other studied localities.

The difference in perception, I argue, stems from the fact that local people have certain expectations for security and different expectations for service provision in the Central African Republic.

Security in the Central African Republic is marked by an abundance of armed groups threatening people’s livelihoods. Dozens are currently active, of which a handful have been roaming for more than a decade, controlling trade routes and resources, as well as wielding local political power.

Services like schooling, health and electricity are almost entirely absent in many areas outside the capital; not even the state provides them.

Thus, in the security sector, people expect confrontation of armed actors by either the UN peacekeeping mission or the Russian paramilitary, whereas in services they want NGOs to substitute for government failings. Or in the words of an Ndélé trader:

The international actors can help us during these absences of state authority.

However, Minusca was not ready to forcefully oppose armed actors as they pursued an approach based on negotiating peace agreements and pursuing voluntary integration or disarmament. What my study shows is that doing too little in the eyes of the population can quickly turn the rumour mill, as this woman in Ndélé suggested:

As for Minusca, we do not see its work in favour of our well-being, and we even want it to leave since we have seen that it is the cause of our current division and suffering.

But would confrontation have brought more popular support to Minusca? Well, it did to another actor that stepped in, as a national staffer of an aid organisation stated in early 2022 in Bambari:

Minusca patrols do not have the confidence of the population. Because in front of Minusca forces, the rebels kill the population. For seven years, Minusca was unable to secure the town. Within minutes, the Central African Armed Forces and their Russian allies managed to dislodge them from the town of Bambari, which is now secure.

Reality

I did not judge whether people’s expectations of interventions were realistic.

Given the state’s history in the Central African Republic, it was surprising how many people wanted a state and army to return.

However, people were hoping for a “benevolent” state return. This has not happened.

And as for the Russian “allies”, as they are called in the Central African Republic: their confrontational approach has caused heavy collateral damage and has failed to stabilise former rebel areas. Rebellion is again on the rise.

My study shows how important it is to analyse expectations in-depth, and to take them as a starting point of intervention policy. Not understanding people’s expectations is what caught peacekeepers by surprise when people started demonstrating in front of their bases and even calling for their withdrawal.

While there might be good reasons not to pursue a forceful approach against rebels, interveners must be aware that they thereby deceive public expectations and should thus proactively listen to and engage the population about their demands.

The dilemma is that fulfilling people’s initial expectations does not automatically lead to the future they desire. So there must be difficult and open discussions about what is and what is not feasible in peacekeeping.

– Central African Republic: listening to people’s stories about foreign forces could help bring peace
– https://theconversation.com/central-african-republic-listening-to-peoples-stories-about-foreign-forces-could-help-bring-peace-247834

MIL OSI Africa –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Faculty member, Department of Political Science, Lagos State University

With France fast losing its influence in west Africa’s Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum?

The Sahel region covers 10 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

French troops have been expelled from three of these – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – after military coups. Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast have also expelled French troops. The troops were there because of the security threat from extremist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

Niger also ended an agreement to keep about 1,000 US troops involved in a counter-terrorism mission. Niger’s military government described the US as having a “condescending attitude”.

While it has been rightly argued that the presence of the western powers did not resolve the security challenges of the region, their withdrawal creates a vacuum.

I am a political science and international relations researcher who has been studying China-Africa relations for over a decade.

I argue that Beijing could take advantage of the vacuum in the Sahel in at least three ways: expansion of investments in critical minerals; resolution of the Ecowas crisis (when Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali exited the regional bloc); and increased arms sales.

This is especially so as China is not new to the Sahel region of west Africa. For instance, China is constructing a US$32 million headquarters for Ecowas in Abuja, Nigeria.

Three ways China could benefit

First, China could expand its influence – and the next four years hold enormous opportunities in this regard.

US president Donald Trump’s likely transactional and unpredictable approach to international relations may force African countries to look to China. For instance, they may need China to help fill the void created by the US decision to dismantle USAID and freeze international development aid.

Nigeria joined Brics as a partner country a few days before the inauguration of Trump. Brics is a group of emerging economies determined to act as a counterweight to the west and to whittle down the influence of global institutions. It was established in 2006 and initially composed of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This decision by the largest economy in the Sahel is an expression of its commitment to China – with potential implications for other Sahelian countries.

The vacuum offers Beijing the opportunity to strengthen its investment and position as a top beneficiary of the critical minerals, such as gold, copper, lithium and uranium, in the Sahel region.

In 2024, west African gold production was estimated to be 11.83 million ounces. Ghana, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Guinea and Mali were the major contributors.

Second, China is in a unique position to push for a resolution of the Ecowas crisis.

Following military coups, the Ecowas regional economic bloc sanctioned Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Ecowas even threatened Niger with a military invasion. The three countries then decided to leave Ecowas to form the Alliance of Sahel States.

As a neutral actor whose non-interference policy accommodates both civil and military regimes, Beijing is in a position to bring Ecowas and the Alliance of Sahel States into negotiation before the final departure date of 29 July 2025.

If it succeeds, China would look more like a peaceful power, an image that is contested by others.

Building on its soft power projects like the Confucius Institutes and scholarships, China would look like the “saviour” of Ecowas integration.

This is what it did in the case of the Tazara railway project, where China supported Tanzania and Zambia to build a railway line together. It supported the African countries when the US and Europe had failed, were reluctant or were not interested.

Third is Chinese arms sales.

Chinese arms are already in the Sahel. In 2019, Nigeria signed a US$152 million contract with the China North Industries Corporation Limited (Norinco) to provide some of the weapons needed to fight the Boko Haram terror group. Since then, Chinese drones and other equipment have become a feature in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism response.

The Chinese arms market could receive a major boost beyond Nigeria with the withdrawal of western countries from the Sahel. Western countries are likely to be reluctant to sell arms to the countries that have evicted their military.

Sanctions on Russia have also increased the likelihood of Chinese arms in the Sahel.

For example, a few months after France and the US left the region, some reports suggested that Russian mercenaries in the Sahel region were using Chinese weapons. Norinco – China’s top arms manufacturer and seventh largest arms supplier in the world – has opened sales offices in Nigeria and Senegal.

In June 2024, Burkina Faso received 100 tanks from China. Three months after, Mali signed an agreement with Norinco to bolster its fight against terrorism.

Bumpy road ahead

China’s non-interference can accommodate both civil and military governments in the Sahel. This is an advantage for Beijing in some ways. But it could also have unexpected impacts.

There are competing local interests in the Sahel and Beijing’s deepening involvement could be (mis)interpreted as supporting one over the other.

This could make Chinese interests a target in the violence.

It is also unclear if China is capable or willing to fill the vacuum created by the evicted western powers. But it looks as though China can benefit from the situation in the Sahel in the short term.

– Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits
– https://theconversation.com/power-vacuum-in-west-africas-sahel-3-ways-china-could-fill-the-gap-as-west-exits-248353

MIL OSI Africa –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI: Ormat Commences Commercial Operation of 35 MW Ijen Geothermal Facility in Indonesia, Delivering Low Carbon Geothermal Power

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RENO, Nev., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ormat Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ORA), a leading geothermal and renewable energy company, today announced the successful commencement of commercial operations (COD) for the 35MW Ijen geothermal power plant. The power plant is jointly owned with PT Medco Power Indonesia (“Medco Power”), through their subsidiary company, PT Medco Cahaya Geothermal (“MCG”). Ormat’s share of the facility is 17MW. This is the first geothermal power plant in East Java, Indonesia, contributing to Indonesia’s plan for an additional 7.2 GW of geothermal capacity by 2035.

The Ijen Geothermal Power Plant, equipped with Ormat Energy Converter (“OEC”), began operations with its first phase, delivering 35 MW of electricity power to the Java grid. The commencement of this first phase marks a significant step of the Ijen Facility, which has a total planned capacity of 110 MW under a 30-year power purchase agreement.

MCG, a jointly owned company between Medco Power (51% equity share) and Ormat Technologies (49% equity share), will operate the Ijen geothermal facility.

Doron Blachar, Chief Executive Officer of Ormat Technologies, stated, “We are pleased to announce the commencement operations of the Ijen geothermal facility. The launch of the Ijen facility is a key step in our strategy to consistently and accretively grow our leading global geothermal energy portfolio and expand our presence in Indonesia. Indonesia has one of the largest geothermal potentials globally and with the geothermal targets set by the Indonesian government, we plan to expand our operations in the country. Achieving COD at Ijen demonstrates our strong development capabilities and our commitment towards advancing our short and long-term growth targets in our Electricity segment. We look forward to supporting Indonesia’s goal of increasing geothermal deployment and aiding in their efforts to achieve net zero emissions.”

ABOUT ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES

With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company, and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (“REG”), with robust plans to accelerate long-term growth in the energy storage market and to establish a leading position in the U.S. energy storage market. The Company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter – a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. The Company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed for utilities and developers worldwide, totaling approximately 3,400MW of gross capacity. Ormat leveraged its core capabilities in the geothermal and REG industries and its global presence to expand the Company’s activity into energy storage services, solar Photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage plus Solar PV. Ormat’s current total generating portfolio is 1,537MW with a 1,247MW geothermal and solar generation portfolio that is spread globally in the U.S., Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guadeloupe, and a 290MW energy storage portfolio that is located in the U.S.

ORMAT’S SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including such matters as our projections of annual revenues, expenses and debt service coverage with respect to our debt securities, future capital expenditures, business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, development or operation of generation assets, market and industry developments and the growth of our business and operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words “may”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “projects”, “potential”, or “contemplate” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words or expressions. These forward-looking statements generally relate to Ormat’s plans, objectives and expectations for future operations and are based upon its management’s current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Although we believe that our plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we may not achieve these plans or objectives. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties and other risks described under “Risk Factors” as described in Ormat’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 23, 2024, and in Ormat’s subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are filed from time to time with the SEC.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and, except as legally required, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Ormat Technologies Contact:
Smadar Lavi
VP Head of IR and ESG Planning & Reporting
775-356-9029 (ext. 65726)
slavi@ormat.com

Investor Relations Agency Contact:
Joseph Caminiti or Josh Carroll
Alpha IR Group
312-445-2870
ORA@alpha-ir.com

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: A boycott campaign fuels tension between Black shoppers and Black-owned brands – evoking the long struggle for ‘consumer citizenship’

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Timeka N. Tounsel, Associate Professor of Black Studies in Communication, University of Washington

Some Black consumers may be breaking up with Target this February.

It all started late last month, when the retailer announced that it was ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The move drew widespread rebuke from social justice organizers, including New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant. Although Target said one set of its racial-equity initiatives had already been scheduled to conclude, the timing was notable: The move came just days after the White House called for a federal DEI ban, and as several other companies took similar actions.

Beyond renaming its “supplier diversity” team – now called “supplier engagement” – and ending “diversity-focused surveys,” Target hasn’t said what the change will mean for the many Black entrepreneurs who sell everything from coffee to sunscreen on its shelves. The webpage for the retailer’s Black Beyond Measure initiative, which highlights dozens of Black-founded brands and connects business owners to a program designed to “democratize access to retail education,” remains active.

But Target’s critics, including Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, view the move as a surrender to the new presidential administration’s attack on equity programs. In a news conference outside Target’s Minnesota headquarters on Jan. 30, 2025, Armstrong called for a nationwide boycott of the store to begin on the first day of Black History Month.

While many social media users posted in support of the boycott, some Black founders whose brands are stocked by Target – and there are dozens of them – have been more conflicted. Tabitha Brown, whose products can be found in various aisles, from books to cooking appliances, asked customers to reconsider boycotting Target. Withholding their dollars, Brown insisted, will hurt Black businesses far more than the corporations that sell their products.

This request for restraint garnered a mixed response on social media. Some Black consumers accused Black business owners of selling out the very racial community that contributed to their success.

So, why would a Black business owner ask consumers to patronize a retailer that signaled it doesn’t care about Black customers? And how did something as mundane as where people buy toilet paper and shampoo become a litmus test for racial consciousness in the first place?

Black consumers and the fight for dignity

The marketplace has long been a battleground where Black Americans have sought to assert their citizenship. Most of the nation’s biggest household brands didn’t begin to take African American consumers seriously until after World War II. Before that shift, advertisements and product packaging were more likely to feature degrading Black caricatures to appeal to white shoppers, than to address Black consumers directly.

This segregated commercial landscape reinforced the belief among some community members that Black people would not be taken seriously as citizens until they were taken seriously as consumers. They would need to vote with their dollars, patronizing only those brands and retailers that respected them.

In my research on marketing campaigns aimed at Black women, I’ve examined how the struggle for consumer citizenship complicated the dynamic between Black entrepreneurs and consumers. On the one hand, businesses have long leveraged Black ownership as a unique selling proposition in and of itself, urging shoppers to view Black brand loyalty as a path to collective racial progress.

Unlike their larger competitors, Black entrepreneurs relied on their racial community to stay afloat. Patronizing African American businesses could therefore be framed as a racial duty. Conversely, as African American advertising pioneers made clear, recognition from big brands was a political victory of sorts because it signaled that Black dollars were just as valuable as anyone else’s.

A short documentary from The Advertising Club of New York featuring iconic ads from African American marketer Tom Burrell.

Competing for Black dollars

Corporate attention to Black consumers ebbs and flows in a cycle that is especially noticeable in the beauty and personal care industry. In seasons of limited competition for African American customers, entrepreneurs typically thrive, even while they struggle to meet the capital demands of a growing brand. Their success, however, beckons larger corporations, which then seek to capitalize on consumer niches they previously ignored.

Two common approaches that mass market brands pursue to compete for Black dollars include acquiring smaller, established Black brands and developing their own niche products. Large corporations deployed both strategies during a period of intense expansion into the beauty market of the 1980s.

Black owners tried to stave off their competition by creating a special emblem that alerted shoppers to their authenticity. Then, as now, social justice organizations, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH, also initiated boycotts and urged Black consumers not to choose “lipstick over liberation.”

Nevertheless, many Black entrepreneurs sold their brands, and by 1986 nearly half of the Black hair care market was no longer Black-owned.

A linked fate

Parsing winners and losers within the world of Black enterprise is as difficult now as it was in earlier periods. African American business owners often possess a cultural consciousness that distinguishes their brands, even when they can’t match the resources of larger competitors. And as they figure out how to survive an uneven playing field, Black entrepreneurs sometimes face accusations of betraying their racial community.

In a market governed by the law of supply and demand, Black consumers benefit from increased competition. Yet, racial loyalty sometimes asks that they eschew these benefits for the sake of keeping Black dollars in Black hands.

Four years ago, when Target launched its Black Beyond Measure funding initiative, it seemed that the retailer had struck a rare balance in supporting Black brands and their customers. In addition to curating a collection of products to lure shoppers, Target used the campaign as an opportunity to position entrepreneurs to flourish well beyond Black History Month.

Now, as Black consumers and business owners weigh varying responses to the retailer’s decision to reverse their commitment to DEI values, one question endures: Do Black dollars matter?

Timeka N. Tounsel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. A boycott campaign fuels tension between Black shoppers and Black-owned brands – evoking the long struggle for ‘consumer citizenship’ – https://theconversation.com/a-boycott-campaign-fuels-tension-between-black-shoppers-and-black-owned-brands-evoking-the-long-struggle-for-consumer-citizenship-248978

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why the price of your favorite chocolate will continue to rise

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Narcisa Pricope, Professor of Geography and Land Systems Science and Associate Vice President for Research, Mississippi State University

Chocolate prices spiked amid very dry conditions in Africa. Chuck Fishman/Getty Images

Valentine’s Day often conjures images of chocolates and romance. But the crop behind this indulgence faces an existential threat.

Regions like northeastern Brazil, one of the world’s notable cocoa-producing areas, are grappling with increasing aridity – a slow, yet unrelenting drying of the land. Cocoa is made from the beans of the cacao tree, which thrives in humid climates. The crop is struggling in these drying regions, and so are the farmers who grow it.

This is not just Brazil’s story. Across West Africa, where 70% of the world’s cacao is grown, and in the Americas and Southeast Asia, shifting moisture levels threaten the delicate balance required for production. These regions, home to vibrant ecosystems and global breadbaskets that feed the world, are on the frontlines of aridity’s slow but relentless advance.

A farmer in Colombia holds a cacao pod, which holds the key ingredients for chocolate.
©2017CIAT/NeilPalmer, CC BY-NC-SA

Over the past 30 years, more than three-quarters of the Earth’s landmass has become drier. A recent report I helped coordinate for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification found that drylands now cover 41% of global land, an area that expanded by nearly 1.7 million square miles (4.3 million square kilometers) over those three decades — about half the size of Australia.

This creeping dryness is not just a climate phenomenon. It’s a long-term transformation that may be irreversible and that carries devastating consequences for ecosystems, agriculture and livelihoods worldwide.

What causes aridity?

Aridity, while often thought of as purely a climate phenomenon, is the result of a complex interplay among human-driven factors. These include greenhouse gas emissions, land use practices and the degradation of critical natural resources, such as soil and biodiversity.

These interconnected forces have been accelerating the transformation of once-productive landscapes into increasingly arid regions, with consequences that ripple across ecosystems and economies.

Greenhouse gas emissions: A global catalyst

Human-induced climate change is the primary driver of rising aridity.

Greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, increase global temperatures. Rising temperatures, in turn, cause moisture to evaporate at a faster rate. This heightened evaporation reduces soil and plant moisture, exacerbating water scarcity – even in regions with moderate rainfall.

Aridity began accelerating globally in the 1950s, and the world has seen a pronounced shift over the past three decades.

This process is particularly stark in regions already prone to dryness, such as Africa’s Sahel region and the Mediterranean. In these areas, reduced precipitation – combined with increased evaporation – creates a feedback loop: Drier soils absorb less heat, leaving the atmosphere warmer and intensifying arid conditions.

The number of people living in dryland regions has been rising in each region in recent years. Years 1971-2020. Scales vary.
UNCCD

Unsustainable land use practices: A hidden accelerator

Aridity is also affected by how people use and manage land.

Unsustainable agricultural practices, overgrazing and deforestation strip soils of their protective vegetation cover, leaving them vulnerable to erosion. Industrial farming techniques often prioritize short-term yields over long-term sustainability, depleting nutrients and organic matter essential for healthy soils.

For example, in cocoa-producing regions like northeastern Brazil, deforestation to make room for agriculture disrupts local water cycles and exposes soils to degradation. Without vegetation to anchor it, topsoil – critical for plant growth – washes away during rainfall or is blown away by winds, taking with it vital nutrients.

These changes create a vicious cycle: Degraded soils also hold less water and lead to more runoff, reducing the land’s ability to recover.

Aridity can affect the ability to grow many crops. Large parts of the country of Chad, shown here, have drying lands.
United Nations Chad, CC BY-NC-SA

The soil-biodiversity connection

Soil, often overlooked in discussions of climate resilience, plays a critical role in mitigating aridity.

Healthy soils act as reservoirs, storing water and nutrients that plants depend on. They also support biodiversity below and above ground. A single teaspoon of soil contains billions of microorganisms that help cycle nutrients and maintain ecological balance.

However, as soils degrade under aridity and mismanagement, this biodiversity diminishes. Microbial communities, essential for nutrient cycling and plant health, decline. When soils become compacted and lose organic matter, the land’s ability to retain water diminishes, making it even more susceptible to drying out.

In short, the loss of soil health creates cascading effects that undermine ecosystems, agricultural productivity and food security.

Global hot spots: Looming food security crises

Cocoa is just one crop affected by the encroachment of rising aridity.

Other key agricultural zones, including the breadbaskets of the world, are also at risk. In the Mediterranean, Africa’s Sahel and parts of the U.S. West, aridity already undermines farming and biodiversity.

By 2100, up to 5 billion people could live in drylands – nearly double the current population in these areas, due to both population growth and expansion of drylands as the planet warms. This puts immense pressure on food systems. It can also accelerate migration as declining agricultural productivity, water scarcity and worsening living conditions force rural populations to move in search of opportunities.

A map shows average aridity for 1981-2010. Computer simulations estimate that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities caused a 1.2% larger increase in the four types of dry regions combined for the periods between 1850 and 1981–2010 than simulations with only solar and volcanic effects considered.
UNCCD

Aridity’s ripple effects also extend far beyond agriculture. Ecosystems, already strained by deforestation and pollution, are stressed as water resources dwindle. Wildlife migrates or dies, and plant species adapted to moister conditions can’t survive. The Sahel’s delicate grasslands, for instance, are rapidly giving way to desert shrubs.

On a global scale, economic losses linked to aridification are staggering. In Africa, rising aridity contributed to a 12% drop in gross domestic product from 1990 to 2015. Sandstorms and dust storms, wildfires and water scarcity further burden governments, exacerbating poverty and health crises in the most affected regions.

The path forward

Aridity is not inevitable, nor are its effects completely irreversible. But coordinated global efforts are essential to curb its progression.

Countries can work together to restore degraded lands by protecting and restoring ecosystems, improving soil health and encouraging sustainable farming methods.

Communities can manage water more efficiently through rainwater harvesting and advanced irrigation systems that optimize water use. Governments can reduce the drivers of climate change by investing in renewable energy.

Continued international collaboration, including working with businesses, can help share technologies to make these actions more effective and available worldwide.

So, as you savor chocolate this Valentine’s Day, remember the fragile ecosystems behind it. The price of cocoa in early 2025 was near its all-time high, due in part to dry conditions in Africa. Without urgent action to address aridity, this scenario may become more common, and cocoa – and the sweet concoctions derived from it – may well become a rare luxury.

Collective action against aridity isn’t just about saving chocolate – it’s about preserving the planet’s capacity to sustain life.

Narcisa Pricope is a member of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Science-Policy Interface, which works to translate scientific findings and assessments into policy-relevant recommendations, including collaboration with different scientific panels and bodies.

– ref. Why the price of your favorite chocolate will continue to rise – https://theconversation.com/why-the-price-of-your-favorite-chocolate-will-continue-to-rise-246227

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Teen girls are facing an increased risk of suicide − and stress related to sexual identity might be contributing to it

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joseph Cimpian, Professor of Economics and Education Policy, New York University

In 2021, about 48% of LGBQ females considered suicide, compared with roughly 20% of heterosexual females, data shows. bymuratdeniz/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The alarming national rise in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among teenage girls has made headlines recently. Experts point to social media, cyberbullying and COVID-19 as potential new sources of stress for teenagers.

However, a well-known source of stress that now affects more teenagers compared with a decade ago has been overlooked in explanations for this increase – stress related to sexual identity.

As scholars focused on education policy, we conducted research showing that the increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors corresponds with a dramatic rise in the number of female high school students who identify as LGBQ – lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning.

A double bind for LGBQ teens

While some LGBQ youth are growing up in supportive environments, our findings suggest that an increasing number may be experiencing a double bind – a communication dilemma in which a person receives two or more mutually conflicting messages.

Many LGBQ youth may believe it’s safe to “come out” due to greater access to information and the increased visibility of LGBQ people in U.S. society. But coming out earlier in life could expose them to discrimination and social stress in their schools, families and communities.

This stress related to sexual orientation can contribute to a greater prevalence of mental health concerns, including suicide.

We analyzed national data from over 44,000 U.S. high school students who took the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021. We did this to understand these parallel national trends of rising suicide risk and rising LGBQ identification among teens.

Between 2015 and 2021, the percentage of high school girls identifying as LGBQ jumped from 15% to 34%. During this same period, all females who reported they thought about suicide increased from 23% to 29%. Creating a plan to commit suicide rose from 19% to 23%.

But looking at the data more closely reveals something crucial: Girls who identified as LGBQ consistently reported much higher rates of thinking about, planning and attempting suicide.

In 2021, about 48% of LGBQ females considered suicide, compared with roughly 20% of heterosexual females. When we accounted for this difference statistically, we found the overall rise in female suicidal thoughts and behaviors were explained by more students identifying as LGBQ.

Meanwhile, the percentage of male students identifying as LGBQ increased only slightly, from 6% in 2015 to 9% in 2021, with similar smaller changes in suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Why more students may be identifying as LGBQ

The increase in LGBQ identification among more female students in the past decade likely indicates greater access to information and social acceptance. It may also reflect the greater visibility of LGBQ people, including in popular media and leadership roles, which may help young people better understand and label their own identity.

Today’s teenagers, regardless of sexual orientation, have more language and representation to help them make sense of their experiences than previous generations did. Some teens have supportive parents and attend schools that are supportive of their sexual orientation.

While more young people feel able to openly identify as LGBQ, many still face substantial challenges that can affect their mental health.
kieferpix/iStock/Getty Images Plus

However, identifying as LGBQ may still come with significant challenges for many youth.

Research has consistently shown that LGBQ youth face unique stressors. They include discrimination, rejection by family members and friends and bullying and harassment.

Studies incorporating several generations of LGBQ people over the past 50 years find that, despite more societal acceptance, LGBTQ+ people born in the 1990s reported stressors at least as high as older generations born in the 1950s-80s. And younger generations reported the highest rate of suicide attempts.

Our findings highlight a critical point. The rising rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among all teenage girls cannot be understood in isolation from their social context and identities. While more young people feel able to openly identify as LGBQ, many still face substantial challenges that can affect their mental health.

We believe this understanding has important implications for how we address the crisis. Simply implementing general suicide prevention programs may not be enough. Experts may need to craft targeted support that addresses the specific challenges and pressures faced by LGBQ youth.

The need for supportive school environments

Schools play a crucial role in supporting student well-being.

However, states such as Indiana, Florida and Iowa have recently restricted resources and support for LGBQ and trans students.

Since 2021, legislators in at least 24 states have attempted to pass similar laws.

Other states, such as Montana, Tennessee and Arizona, don’t outright ban this curriculum. But they severely restrict how educators can discuss sexual orientation and gender identity by adding additional burdens on educators, including parental notification requirements.

The Trump Administration, meanwhile, has started to roll back earlier federal efforts to protect LGBQ and trans students and recently deleted the Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

Our research suggests this approach could be dangerous.

If we want to address rising suicidal thoughts and behaviors among teenage girls, we need to understand and support LGBQ youth better.

Rather than reducing support, schools, parents and youth advocates could maintain and expand their resources to support LGBQ youth. This includes efforts to create safe and affirming school environments, and training staff and teachers to support LGBQ students effectively.

Joseph Cimpian receives funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation.

Dr. McQuillan has been hired by the ACLU to provide expert testimony in court cases. Dr. McQuillan has also received funding from the Spencer Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, and the Wisconsin Partnership Project.

– ref. Teen girls are facing an increased risk of suicide − and stress related to sexual identity might be contributing to it – https://theconversation.com/teen-girls-are-facing-an-increased-risk-of-suicide-and-stress-related-to-sexual-identity-might-be-contributing-to-it-247671

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: If FEMA didn’t exist, could states handle the disaster response alone?
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ming Xie, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage in Florida in 2022, estimated at over $112 billion. This scene was once a shopping center. Giorgio Veira/AFP via Getty Images

Imagine a world in which a hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. has no federal agency prepared to quickly send supplies, financial aid and temporary housing assistance.

Could the states manage this catastrophic event on their own?

Normally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, is prepared to marshal supplies within hours of a disaster and begin distributing financial aid to residents who need help.

However, with President Donald Trump questioning FEMA’s future and suggesting states take over recovery instead, and climate change causing more frequent and severe disasters, it’s worth asking how prepared states are to face these growing challenges without help.

What FEMA does

FEMA was created in 1979 with the job of coordinating national responses to disasters, but the federal government has played important roles in disaster relief since the 1800s.

During a disaster, FEMA’s assistance can begin only after a state requests an emergency declaration and the U.S. president approves it. The request has to show that the disaster is so severe that the state can’t handle the response on its own.

FEMA’s role is to support state and local governments by coordinating federal agencies and providing financial aid and recovery assistance that states would otherwise struggle to supply on their own. FEMA doesn’t “take over,” as a misinformation campaign launched during Hurricane Helene claimed. Instead, it pools federal resources to allow states to recover faster from expensive disasters.

During a disaster, FEMA:
- Coordinates federal resources. For example, during Hurricane Ian in 2022, FEMA coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and search-and-rescue teams to conduct rescue operations, organized utility crews to begin restoring power and also delivered water and millions of meals.
- Provides financial assistance. FEMA distributes billions of dollars in disaster relief funds to help individuals, businesses and local governments recover. As of Feb. 3, 2025, FEMA aid from 2024 storms included US$1.04 billion related to Hurricane Milton, $416.1 million for Hurricane Helene and $112.6 million for Hurricane Debby.
- Provides logistical support. FEMA coordinates with state and local governments, nonprofits such as the American Red Cross and federal agencies to supply cots, blankets and hygiene supplies for emergency shelters. It also works with state and local partners to distribute critical supplies such as food, water and medical aid.
The agency also manages the National Flood Insurance Program, offers disaster preparedness training and helps states develop response plans to improve their overall responses systems.

What FEMA aid looks like in a disaster

When wildfires swept through Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023, FEMA provided emergency grants to cover immediate needs such as food, clothing and essential supplies for survivors.

The agency arranged hotel rooms, rental assistance and financial aid for residents who lost homes or belongings. Its Direct Housing Program has spent $295 million to lease homes for more than 1,200 households. This comprehensive support helped thousands of people begin rebuilding their lives after losing almost everything.

FEMA also helped fund construction of a temporary school to ensure that students whose schools burned could continue their classes. Hawaii, with its relatively small population and limited emergency funds, would have struggled to mount a comparable response on its own.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, and then-FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell speak to reporters in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 12, 2023, while assessing the wildfire damage there.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Larger states often need help, too. When a 2021 winter storm overwhelmed Texas’ power grid and water infrastructure, FEMA coordinated the delivery of essential supplies, including water, fuel, generators and blankets, following the disaster declaration on Feb. 19, 2021. Within days, it awarded more than $2.8 million in grants to help people with temporary housing and home repairs.

Which states would suffer most without FEMA?

Without FEMA or other federal support, states would have to manage the disaster response and recovery on their own.

States prone to frequent disasters, such as Louisiana and Florida, would face expensive recurring challenges that would likely exacerbate recovery delays and reduce their overall resilience.

Smaller, more rural and less wealthy states that lack the financial resources and logistical capabilities to respond effectively would be disproportionately affected.

“States don’t have that capability built to handle a disaster every single year,” Lynn Budd, director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, told Stateline in an interview. Access to FEMA avoids the need for expensive disaster response infrastructure in each state.

States might be able to arrange regional cooperation. But state-led responses and regional models have limitations. The National Guard could assist with supply distribution, but it isn’t designed to provide fast financial aid, housing or long-term recovery options, and the supplies and the recovery effort still come at a cost.

Members of the National Guard and a FEMA search-and-rescue team work together in the disaster response after Hurricane Florence pounded Wilmington, N.C., in September 2018.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Wealthier states might be better equipped to manage on their own, but poorer states would likely struggle. States with less funding and infrastructure would be left relying on nonprofits and community-based efforts. But these organizations are not capable of providing the scope of services FEMA can.

Any federal funding would also be slow if Congress had to approve aid after each disaster, rather than having FEMA already prepared to respond. States would be at the mercy of congressional infighting.

In the absence of a federal response and coordinating role, recovery would be uneven, with wealthier areas recovering faster and poorer areas likely seeing more prolonged hardships.

What does this mean?

Coordinating disaster response is complex, the paperwork for federal assistance can be frustrating, and the agency does draw criticism. However, it also fills an important role.

As the frequency of natural disasters continues to rise due to climate change, ask yourself: How prepared is your state for a disaster, and could it get by without federal aid?

Ming Xie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. If FEMA didn’t exist, could states handle the disaster response alone? – https://theconversation.com/if-fema-didnt-exist-could-states-handle-the-disaster-response-alone-248758
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Gut-wrenching love: What a fresh look at the ‘Good Samaritan’ story says for ethics today

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Meghan Sullivan, Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

A mural outside St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Silao, Mexico, quotes the Good Samaritan story: ‘Go and do likewise.’ Enrique López-Tamayo Biosca/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

The Bible story of the Good Samaritan is more than a mainstay of Sunday school courses. “Good samaritan” is the catch-all way to describe a do-gooder – someone who stops to change the tire of a stranded motorist, helps a lost child find their parents in a store and gives money to disaster relief programs.

But as an ethicist, I’d argue that the parable’s moral vision is much more radical than merely advising people to help out when they can. The parable raises profound philosophical questions about what it means to love another person, and our sometimes astonishing capacity to feel connected to others.

Love thy neighbor

The parable of the Good Samaritan occurs in the Gospel of Luke, in a part of the Bible where Jesus is attracting followers and preparing them to spread his movement.

During one of these sessions, a religious scholar asks him to explain the fundamental commandment in Jewish ethics: “You will love God with all of your heart, all of your mind, and all of your strength. And you will love your neighbor as yourself.” In response, Jesus tells the now-iconic story:

One time a man was traveling down the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. The Bible describes absolutely nothing else about this man, but the tradition assumes he is Jewish. The man was attacked and beaten within an inch of his life. As he lay in a ditch, a temple priest and a temple functionary both noticed him but hurried past.

Then a member of another tribe, a Samaritan, saw him. The Samaritan was immediately moved and rushed over, hoisted the man onto his donkey, took him to a nearby inn and stayed up with him all night, nursing him back to life. The next morning he paid the innkeeper two denarii – Roman silver coins, about two days’ salary – and offered to pay the tab for anything else the man might require as he recuperated.

‘The Good Samaritan’ by Aimé Morot (1880), now in the Petit Palais museum in Paris.
Marc Baronnet/Wikimedia Commons

Jesus turns the question back to the scholar: Who loved their neighbor? The scholar concedes the point – the Samaritan who had mercy.

“Go and do likewise,” Jesus replies.

What exactly did the Samaritan do that reveals the core of the love ethic? Jesus says specifically that the Samaritan’s “guts churned” when he saw the man in need: the Greek word used in the text is “splagchnizomai.”

The term occurs in other places in the Gospels, as well, evoking a very physical kind of emotional response. This “gut-wrenching love” is spontaneous and visceral.

Mortal and immortal

Ancient philosophers spent plenty of time trying to understand the ways humans love, often using highly intellectual frames. “The Symposium,” a dialogue by Plato, depicts Socrates drunkenly debating the essence of erotic love with his friends. Aristotle beautifully theorizes about friendship, “philia,” in his teachings about ethics. He introduces the idea that when we truly love a friend, we think of them as our “second self” – the lives of your closest friends become entangled within your own.

Many of the early Christian philosophers debated the nature of “agape,” the Greek word the New Testament uses to describe the selfless, unconditional love that characterizes the very nature of God. Saint Augustine introduced the concept of “amoris ordo,” the order of loves: that morality compels someone to first love the highest good, which is God, and then organize the rest of their loves to serve this highest love.

These concepts present love as an intellectual attitude that is often reserved for a select group, such as God, or one’s family, or one’s countrymen. And Christian notions of “agape” specifically put love just out of reach, only possible for a divine being, though humans should aspire to it and can experience its effects.

Splagchnizomai is different – such a physical emotion is only possible for creatures like us, with bodies. And as the parable of the Good Samaritan shows, it is an emotion that can be triggered by anyone, at any time, if we are – like the Samaritan – ready to be so moved.

A relief in St. Paul’s Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is one of countless artworks that reference the Good Samaritan.
Hantsheroes/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Love and modern moral thinking

Much like their ancient counterparts, philosophers of the past century have struggled to explain how love can be one of the most morally significant elements of our lives, while also being so extraordinarily partial, biased and seemingly arbitrary.

To resolve the tension, many treat love not as a source of insight but as a messy feature of human psychology – an impediment that ethical reasoning must navigate around.

Indeed, the most prominent recent movements in applied ethics are wholly oriented around rational efficiency. The Effective Altruism movement argues that people should use evidence to transform themselves into the most efficient do-gooders they can possibly be. Proponents discourage college graduates looking to make a difference from pursuing public service and recommend high-paying jobs instead, arguing that they can have a bigger impact giving away wealth than directly caring for others. Emotions are viewed with suspicion, as sources of potential bias – not sources of moral wisdom.

In the book “Against Empathy,” psychologist Paul Bloom warns that such emotions “do poorly in a world where there are many people in need and where the effects of one’s actions are diffuse, often delayed, and difficult to compute.”

Compare that to the parable of the Good Samaritan, which portrays ethics as an emotional, deeply personal and almost absurdly inefficient matter. Those two denarii were a weighty sum – they could have been used to beef up security on the road and prevent other robberies, rather than save a single man. Nor did the Samaritan off-load the injured man onto a local healer. He cared for him directly, the way someone might sit with a gravely ill family member.

Neighbors and fences

In Jesus’ time, as in our own, there was significant debate about how to understand the commandments to love one’s neighbor. One school of thought considered a “neighbor” to be a member of your community: The Book of Leviticus says not to hold grudges against fellow countrymen. Another school held that you were obligated to love even strangers who are only temporarily traveling in your land. Leviticus also declares that “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself.”

In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus seems to come down on the side of the broadest possible application of the love ethic. And by emphasizing a particular type of love – the gut-wrenching kind – Jesus seems to indicate that the way of progress in ethics is through emotions, rather than around them.

My current work focuses on the upshots of reading this parable as a philosophical guide to ethics in our own time. For instance, if the love ethic is right, preparing students to make progress on complex social issues requires more than cost-benefit analysis. It also requires helping them to recognize and cultivate emotions, especially loving compassion.

There are clear parallels between the original parable of the good Samaritan and pressing political issues today, especially migration – and also, I believe, polarization. His story calls closer attention to humans’ innate capacity to love beyond the limits of familiar relationships or “tribes” – and just how much is lost when we do not.

Meghan Sullivan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Gut-wrenching love: What a fresh look at the ‘Good Samaritan’ story says for ethics today – https://theconversation.com/gut-wrenching-love-what-a-fresh-look-at-the-good-samaritan-story-says-for-ethics-today-247988

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Russia’s shrinking world: The war in Ukraine and Moscow’s global reach

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ronald H. Linden, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

Russia President Vladimir Putin sent a guarded message of congratulations to Donald Trump on inauguration day, but then held a long direct call with his “dear friend,” Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

From Putin’s perspective, this makes sense. Russia gets billions of dollars from energy sales to China and technology from Beijing, but from Washington, until recently, mostly sanctions and suspicion.

Moscow is hoping for a more positive relationship with the current White House occupant, who has made his desire for a “deal” to end the Ukraine war well known.

But talk of exit scenarios from this 3-year-old conflict should not mask the fact that since the invasion began, Putin has overseen one of the worst periods in Russian foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.

Transatlantic unity

The war in Ukraine has foreclosed on options and blunted Russian action around the world.

Unlike the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the 2022 invasion produced an unprecedented level of transatlantic unity, including the expansion of NATO and sanctions on Russian trade and finance. In the past year, both the U.S. and the European Union expanded their sanction packages.

And for the first time, the EU banned the re-export of Russian liquefied natural gas and ended support for a Russian LNG project in the Arctic.

EU-Russian trade, including European imports of energy, has dropped to a fraction of what it was before the war.

The two Nordstrom pipelines, designed to bring Russian gas to Germany without transiting East Europe, lie crippled and unused. Revenues from energy sales are roughly one-half of what they were two years ago.

At the same time, the West has sent billions in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, enabling a level of resilience for which Russia was unprepared. Meanwhile, global companies and technical experts and intellectuals have fled Russia in droves.

While Russia has evaded some restrictions with its “shadow fleet” – an aging group of tankers sailing under various administrative and technical evasions – the country’s main savior is now China. Trade between China and Russia has grown by nearly two-thirds since the end of 2021, and the U.S. cites Beijing as the main source of Russia’s “dual use” and other technologies needed to pursue its war.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has moved from an energy-for-manufactured-goods trade relationship with the West to one of vassalage with China, as one Russia analyst termed it.

Hosting an October meeting of the BRICS countries – now counting 11 members, including the five original members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South America – is unlikely to compensate for geopolitical losses elsewhere.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and China President Xi Jinping toast their friendship in March 2023.
Pavel Byrkin/AFP via Getty Images

Problems at home …

The Russian economy is deeply distorted by increased military spending, which represents 40% of the budget and 25% of all spending. The government now needs the equivalent of US$20 billion annually in order to pay for new recruits.

Russian leaders must find a way to keep at least some of the population satisfied, but persistent inflation and reserve currency shortages flowing directly from the war have made this task more difficult.

On the battlefield, the war itself has killed or wounded more than 600,000 Russian soldiers. Operations during 2024 were particularly deadly, producing more than 1,500 Russian casualties a day.

The leader who expected Kyiv’s capitulation in days now finds Russian territory around Kursk occupied, its naval forces in the Black Sea destroyed and withdrawn, and its own generals assassinated in Moscow.

But probably the greatest humiliation is that this putative great power with a population of 144 million must resort to importing North Korean troops to help liberate its own land.

… and in its backyard

Moscow’s dedication to the war has affected its ability to influence events elsewhere, even in its own neighborhood.

In the Caucasus, for example, Russia had long sided with Armenia in its running battle with Azerbaijan over boundaries and population after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Moscow has brokered ceasefires at various points. But intermittent attacks and territorial gains for Azerbaijan continued despite the presence of some 2,000 Russian peacekeepers sent to protect the remaining Armenian population in parts of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan’s forces abruptly took control of the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh. More than 100,000 Armenians fled in the largest ethnic cleansing episode since the end of the Balkan Wars. The peacekeepers did not intervene and later withdrew. The Russian military, absorbed in the bloody campaigns in Ukraine, could not back up or reinforce them.

The Azeris’ diplomatic and economic position has gained in recent years, aided by demand for its gas as a substitute for Russia’s and support from NATO member Turkey.

Feeling betrayed by Russia, the Armenian government has for the first time extended feelers toward the West — which is happy to entertain such overtures.

Losing influence and friends

Russia’s loss in the Caucasus has been dwarfed by the damage to its military position and influence in the Middle East. Russia supported the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad against the uprisings of the Arab Spring in 2011 and saved it with direct military intervention beginning in 2015.

Yet in December 2024, Assad was unexpectedly swept away by a mélange of rebel groups. The refuge extended to Assad by Moscow was the most it could provide with the war in Ukraine having drained Russia’s capacity to do more.

Russia’s possible withdrawal from the Syrian naval base at Tartus and the airbase at Khmeimim would remove assets that allowed it to cooperate with Iran, its key strategic partner in the region.

More recently, Russia’s reliability as an ally and reputation as an armory has been damaged by Israeli attacks not only on Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed forces in Lebanon and Syria, but on Iran itself.

Russia’s position in Africa would also be damaged by the loss of the Syrian bases, which are key launch points for extending Russian power, and by Moscow’s evident inability to make a difference on the ground across the Sahel region in north-central Africa.

Dirty tricks, diminishing returns

Stalemate in Ukraine and Russian strategic losses in Syria and elsewhere have prompted Moscow to rely increasingly on a variety of other means to try to gain influence.

Disinformation, election meddling and varied threats are not new and are part of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. But recent efforts in East Europe have not been very productive. Massive Russian funding and propaganda in Romania, for example, helped produce a narrow victory for an anti-NATO presidential candidate in December 2024, but the Romanian government moved quickly to expose these actions and the election was annulled.

Nearby Moldova has long been subject to Russian propaganda and threats, especially during recent presidential elections and a referendum on stipulating a “European course” in the constitution. The tiny country moved to reduce its dependency on Russian gas but remains territorially fragmented by the breakaway region of Transnistria that, until recently, provided most of the country’s electricity.

Despite these factors, the results were not what Moscow wanted. In both votes, a European direction was favored by the electorate. When the Transnistrian legislature in February 2024 appealed to Moscow for protection, none was forthcoming.

When Moldova thumbs its nose at you, it’s fair to say your power ranking has fallen.

Wounded but still dangerous

Not all recent developments have been negative for Moscow. State control of the economy has allowed for rapid rebuilding of a depleted military and support for its technology industry in the short term. With Chinese help and evasion of sanctions, sufficient machinery and energy allow the war in Ukraine to continue.

And the inauguration of Donald Trump is likely to favor Putin, despite some mixed signals. The U.S. president has threatened tariffs and more sanctions but also disbanded a Biden-era task force aimed a punishing Russian oligarchs who help Russia evade sanctions. In the White House now is someone who has openly admired Putin, expressed skepticism over U.S. support for Ukraine and rushed to bully America’s closest allies in Latin America, Canada and Europe.

Most importantly, Trump’s eagerness to make good on his pledge to end the war may provide the Russian leader with a deal he can call a “victory.”

The shrinking of Russia’s world has not necessarily made Russia less dangerous; it could be quite the opposite. Some Kremlin watchers argue that a more economically isolated Russia is less vulnerable to American economic pressure. A retreating Russia and an embattled Putin could also opt for even more reckless threats and actions – for example, on nuclear weapons – especially if reversing course in Ukraine would jeopardize his position. It is, after all, Putin’s war.

All observers would be wise to note that the famous dictum “Russia is never as strong as she looks … nor as weak as she looks” has been ominously rephrased by Putin himself: “Russia was never so strong as it wants to be and never so weak as it is thought to be.”

Ronald H. Linden has in the past received funding from Fulbright, DAAD, German Marshall Fund, National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, Woodrow Wilson Center, US Institute of Peace.

– ref. Russia’s shrinking world: The war in Ukraine and Moscow’s global reach – https://theconversation.com/russias-shrinking-world-the-war-in-ukraine-and-moscows-global-reach-247754

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: The creation of a network of advanced schools is a strategic step into the future of our country

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Dmitry Chernyshenko at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

February 10, 2025

Dmitry Chernyshenko at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

February 10, 2025

Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

February 10, 2025

Meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government on the creation of advanced general education organizations

February 10, 2025

Meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government on the creation of advanced general education organizations

February 10, 2025

Previous news Next news

Dmitry Chernyshenko at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

A meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

Maxim Oreshkin recalled that President Vladimir Putin in his Address to the Federal Assembly instructed that no less than 12 advanced schools be created by 2030.

“The creation of such schools is planned in each federal district under the national project “Youth and Children”. They will help prepare a personnel reserve for knowledge-intensive and high-tech sectors of the economy. This is not just a matter of building 12 more schools, it should be a strategic step into the future of our country. At a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government of Russia, a decision was made to approve the presented concept of advanced general education organizations. It is important that within its framework, not only the scientific, educational and infrastructural component will be worked out, but also issues of educational work, teacher training and assessment of student success,” noted Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The implementation of such a large-scale project requires synchronization of efforts of all participants in the process: the state, society, educational institutions and business. The Ministry of Education, together with regions, universities and social partners, is already preparing mechanisms for these changes.

Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov announced that the first three flagship schools will open in the Novgorod, Ryazan and Pskov regions.

“The project to create flagship schools is not easy, but it is very important for our country. These will be schools for talented children in all federal districts. We plan to open the first three educational organizations on September 1, 2027. Graduates will develop domestic science and economics, and we set the goal of 100% employment of students in leading companies. These institutions will become methodological centers for schools in all federal districts and will disseminate the best pedagogical practices,” said Sergey Kravtsov.

Children will study in flagship schools from grades 7 to 11 and undergo annual knowledge assessment, and teachers will undergo qualification testing. Teachers will be provided with decent salaries. The creation of a network of schools involves mutual exchange between students and teachers from different regions.

First Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services Alexander Lomakin presented information on the progress of construction of advanced general education institutions in the Novgorod, Pskov and Ryazan regions. In addition, advanced schools are planned to be created in the Belgorod, Nizhny Novgorod regions and other regions.

The acting governor of the Novgorod region, Alexander Dronov, the governor of the Pskov region, Mikhail Vedernikov, and the governor of the Ryazan region, Pavel Malkov, also spoke in detail about the creation of schools.

The head of the educational foundation “Talent and Success” Elena Shmeleva noted the experience of “Sirius” in developing the federal territory around the educational center “Sirius”.

The meeting was also attended by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Nikita Anisimov, governors of the Belgorod, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Murmansk regions, Krasnodar Krai, heads of the Republic of Crimea and the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, representatives of the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Digital Development, and Rosobrnadzor.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: Thomas Kimsey, President and CEO of Thomas Financial Group Appointed as Associate Administrator for Capital Access, Small Business Administration

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LAGRANGE, Ga., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Community Bankshares, Inc. congratulates Thomas Kimsey, President and CEO of Thomas Financial Group, on his appointment by President Trump to the Small Business Administration (SBA) as Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access. Thomas Financial Group is a subsidiary of Community Bankshares, Inc.

During this distinguished assignment, Mr. Kimsey will take a leave of absence from his role as President and CEO of Thomas Financial Group to dedicate himself to this prestigious and impactful appointment. An interim president will be named shortly to ensure continuity and the ongoing success of the company during his absence.

“We are immensely proud of Thomas Kimsey’s commitment to serving his country in this critical role,” said Jeremy Gilpin, Chairman of the Board of Community Bankshares, Inc. “His extensive experience and passion for supporting small businesses make him uniquely qualified to improve the SBA’s ability to drive economic growth and create opportunities for entrepreneurs nationwide.”

“Thomas Kimsey has been a visionary leader at Thomas Financial Group, and while we will miss his daily leadership, we are honored to see him take on this national responsibility,” said Chris Hurn, President of Community Bankshares, Inc. “His commitment to improving the landscape for small businesses will leave a lasting impact on the SBA and the entrepreneurs it serves.”

Mr. Kimsey’s appointment reflects his unwavering dedication to strengthening the small business sector and empowering underserved communities. As Associate Administrator for Capital Access, he will work to enhance SBA programs and policies that support small businesses, ensuring they have the resources and access to capital needed to succeed in today’s competitive economy. The entire team at Community Bankshares, Inc. wishes him well in this important endeavor.

About Thomas Financial Group

Thomas Financial Group, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is now a subsidiary of Community Bankshares, Inc. and a nationally recognized leader in commercial lending solutions. Specializing in USDA and SBA programs, the company has a proven track record of empowering businesses, strengthening rural and underserved communities, and advancing government-guaranteed lending.

About Community Bankshares, Inc.

Headquartered in LaGrange, Georgia, Community Bankshares, Inc. is the parent company of Community Bank & Trust and a network of financial service subsidiaries. Phoenix Lender Services (PHX) is a subsidiary of Community Bankshares, Inc. whose mission is redefining the way lending capital is provided across America, in a manner that promotes business stability and encourages community prosperity. The company serves a diverse clientele across the nation, fostering growth, opportunity, and collaboration.

Media Contact:

Hannah Williams
Uproar by Moburst for Community Bankshares, Inc.
hannah.williams@moburst.com

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Liberia: Ameer Kotecha

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Mr Ameer Kotecha has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia.

Mr Ameer Kotecha has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia in succession to Mr Neil Bradley who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Kotecha will take up his appointment during April 2025.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Ameer Kotecha

Year	Role
2023 to present	Ekaterinburg, HM Consul General
2022 to 2023	FCDO, Full time language training (Russian)
2021 to 2022	FCDO, Head of Engagement and Programmes Team, Counter Daesh Communications Cell
2020 to 2021	Hong Kong, Vice Consul
2018 to 2020	FCO, Senior Desk Officer, West Africa Department
2017 to 2018	New York, Second Secretary Africa and Peacekeeping
2016 to 2017	FCO, Kidnaps and Incidents Case Manager, Counter Terrorism Department
2015 to 2016	FCO, Deputy Head Libya Team, North Africa Joint Unit
2015	Joined FCO
2013 to 2015	Financial Analyst, AgDevCo

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

Published 10 February 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stoke-on-Trent children’s services to exit Government intervention following significant transformation
Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

Published: Monday, 10th February 2025
Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Children and Families service will exit government intervention.

It comes after achieving substantial improvements in outcomes for children and families.

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed consistent progress and recommended lifting the intervention – which has been in place since 2019.

The intervention followed an Ofsted inspection that rated the service as ‘Inadequate’. A subsequent inspection in October 2022 saw the service rated as ‘Requires Improvement’, highlighting significant advancements. There were key improvements in services for individuals or professionals to report concerns or request support and in outcomes for children in care. Follow-up visits have demonstrated continued, sustained improvement.

The DfE review outlines several key achievements:

The number of children in care is at its lowest level in 18 months, with fewer children on Child Protection plans.

The quality of social work practice has remained strong, with an increasing number of audits rated ‘Good’.

Early support services are now more effective at preventing issues from escalating.

Stronger partnerships with local agencies are ensuring families receive the tailored support they need, with a clear focus on community-based solutions.

A robust leadership team continues to drive positive change and improvement.

The city council’s focus on early intervention and partnership working has been fundamental in reducing the number of children in care and making sure that families receive the right support at the right time.

Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for children’s services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This is a significant milestone for services for children and families in Stoke-on-Trent. We’ve made great progress, and we’re pleased to be moving forward without government intervention.

“The Family Matters programme has been central to this transformation, providing families with the early support they need to thrive.

“While we recognise there is still work to be done, I am confident that under the leadership of our incoming Corporate Director, Neil Macdonald, we will continue to build on this momentum, ensuring every child in Stoke-on-Trent gets the care and support they deserve.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza crisis: Amid winter storms, humanitarians appeal for full aid access

Source: United Nations 4

10 February 2025 Peace and Security

As the Israeli military completed its withdrawal at the weekend from a key security corridor in Gaza that had cut the enclave in two, UN humanitarians issued a fresh appeal for an end to all aid restrictions which continue to prevent the delivery of lifesaving relief.

“The health system is ruined. Malnutrition is rising. The risk of famine persists,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “We are ready to scale up our response – but we urgently need systematic and sustained access to the population across Gaza, and we need an end to restrictions on the entry of essential supplies.”

Three weeks since the ceasefire began between Hamas and Israel that has allowed further hostage and prisoner swaps, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a new warning on Monday about life-threatening conditions across the enclave. Some 60 per cent of buildings lie in ruins after more than 15 months of constant Israeli bombardment.

Perishing cold

“There’s a winter storm ongoing, it’s incredibly cold,” UNICEF Communications Specialist Rosalia Bollen told UN News. “I have no clue how people can sleep at night in their makeshift tents. Lots of people who return to the north found their homes in rubble. They’ve put up some sort of improvised dwelling on top of their rubble, but it’s very, very cold.”

Soundcloud

Humanitarian teams continue to assess the impact of winter storms on shelters in different locations of Gaza. In northern Gaza, partners are also preparing to distribute 1,500 tents to returnees in the governorates of Gaza and North Gaza.

Although thousands of aid trucks have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began on 19 January – the World Food Programme (WFP) alone said that it had sent more than 15,000 tons of food into the Gaza Strip, reaching more than 525,000 people with food parcels, hot meals and cash – overall needs remain enormous.

“We’re doing all we can,” UNICEF’s Ms. Bollen insisted. “We’ve actually been able to scale up assistance considerably as the numbers are showing and we don’t hold on to items; as soon as we can, we do all we can to immediately push items out to families. I know that’s the case not just for UNICEF, but for others as well. But you know the needs are just skyrocketing.”

The UNICEF worker added: “We humanitarians aren’t magicians. We don’t have a magic wand that can help the suffering overnight.”

Sheltering under sacks

According to a situation update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, despite an increase in shelter support for vulnerable Gazans, nearly one million displaced Palestinians live in “substandard tents or makeshift shelters, with families resorting to sewing old rice sacks together for basic cover”.

Many more Gazans live in crowded shelters in unsafe conditions, according to the Protection Cluster – a network of nongovernmental organizations, international organizations and UN agencies who work together in emergency settings.

For Gazans continuing to return to their homes in the north past the newly reopened Netzarim corridor that separated the north from the south, many find themselves confronted by a lack of basic services, including clean water.

Latest damage assessments from the UN satellite service, UNOSAT, indicated that an estimated 69 per cent of all structures in Gaza have been impacted and more than 245,000 housing units.

“The governorates of North Gaza and Rafah have experienced the highest rise in damage compared to the 6 September 2024 analysis, with around 3,138 new structures damaged in North Gaza and around 3,054 in Rafah,” UNOSAT said in its last update based on preliminary analysis. “Within North Gaza, Jabaliya municipality had the highest number of newly damaged structures, totalling 1,339.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: New Mexico State Council Rallies at Roundhouse for Workers’ Rights

Source: US GOIAM Union

The legislative building in Santa Fe, N.M., is known as the Roundhouse. Citizens can spend hours there going round and round with different lobbyists and interest groups trying to sway state politicians. This session, IAM members from New Mexico Locals 1635 (Albuquerque), 794 (Albuquerque), and 2515 (Alamogordo) –along with IAM International President Brian Bryant, Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez, General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, and Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett–took matters into their own hands and scored some impressive wins.

“The reason we do this is because we fight for working people, and when we fight for working people – we win,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “And what you were able to do yesterday, by getting an anti-captive audience bill out of committee, that’s a win for working people!”

Bryant was speaking about the lobbying efforts of these IAM members to move the Employees Free Speech Act, sponsored by State Rep. Eleanor Chavez, which is aimed at preventing employers from monitoring employees’ political activities and from holding mandatory attendance, anti-union captive audience meetings.

“We believe that you don’t only fight for things at the bargaining table, you also have to simultaneously fight for things through legislative action and advocacy,” said IAM Local 794 President Ashley Long. “Secondly, we are advocating for paid family medical leave. We know that our members have needs. They’re caregivers to children, to their elders in their family, and we want to make sure this legislation is passed, so that it’s easier for us to codify it in our collective bargaining agreements”

“We are building people, to build power, to make significant change for our members in their work life and their communities,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. That concept grows from legendary organizer of the United Farm Workers, Marshall Ganz. “Engaging our members will get us better contracts, win more elections, and we’re just going to win overall. Real change is made when we invest in people!

IAM members also gathered at a nearby conference center to install new officers to the state council and update their bylaws to reflect needed changes.

New Mexico State Council President John Dyrcz noted that across the country, people are turning to organized labor to do things for workers that have long been ignored.

“You see states like Alaska, that are ruby red, but their voters are passing family medical leave because we all need it,” said Dyrcz. “We are going to continue to fight for laws that support workers because it’s the right thing to do. We are going to keep up the fight here in New Mexico.”

[ Council Meeting Photo Gallery]

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MIL OSI USA News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: BRKZ closes $17M Series A to transform construction procurement as Saudi Arabia’s $3T project pipeline accelerates

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Riyadh, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While the MENA region drives forward with $3 trillion in infrastructure and building projects, construction companies face a critical challenge: fragmented supply chains and inefficient procurement processes that delay projects and inflate costs. Today, BRKZ announced it has completed its Series A funding at $17M, bringing total funding to $22.5M, to scale its technology platform that’s revolutionizing how contractors source and purchase building materials.

The funding includes an $8M Series A2 round closed in January 2025, complemented by $1M in venture debt from Capifly, following the initial $8M Series A1 round from December 2023. All existing investors strongly recommitted, including BECO Capital, Aramco’s Waed, 9900 Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, RZM Investment, Class 5 Global, MISY Ventures, Knollwood Investment Advisory, and Fluent Ventures.

Founded in 2023 by Ibrahim Manna, serial entrepreneur and former Managing Director at Careem, BRKZ emerged from firsthand experience with construction industry inefficiencies. “Traditional procurement in construction is highly fragmented and manual, often requiring contractors to juggle multiple suppliers, long negotiations, and delayed payments,” said Ibrahim Manna, Founder and CEO of BRKZ. “This funding will help us double down on tech development, enhance our BNPL offering aligned with construction cash flow cycles, and expand into cross-border trading.”

The BRKZ team.

Unlike traditional procurement methods, BRKZ’s platform combines a tech-enabled marketplace with embedded financing solutions, transforming how contractors and suppliers interact. Through its digital platform, contractors can access over 7,000 SKUs from more than 1,100 local suppliers, receiving competitive quotes within 20 minutes. The platform’s built-in financing options align with construction cash flow cycles, addressing a critical pain point in the industry.

The platform’s rapid adoption validates its approach. Since launching its Series A1, BRKZ has grown revenue fourfold during 2024, now serving more than 850 unique contractors and factories across flagship projects like King Salman Park, Neom, and Red Sea. The company has expanded its delivery network to over 40 cities across Saudi Arabia, with offices in three major regions, while processing $350m (SAR 1.3 billion) in RFQs through its platform.

BRKZ marketplace and app.

Real-world applications demonstrate the platform’s transformative impact. A contractor working in KSA’s central region, awarded a project in the Western Region, used BRKZ to price and procure materials from local suppliers despite having no team in the project location. Similarly, a local cement block factory broke traditional geographical constraints by listing on BRKZ, expanding its customer base while sourcing raw materials through the platform.

AbdulRauf H. Al-Matar, AGM at AlRashed Building Materials commented: “Partnering with BRKZ has revolutionized how we connect with contractors and streamline our operations. Their innovative approach to digitizing the construction industry is setting a new standard for efficiency and growth.”

Tamer Salah, CEO at AlMimar AlAraby for General Contracting added: “Working with BRKZ has been a game-changer for us. Their focus on understanding contractors’ needs and delivering tailored solutions has made it easier to meet tight deadlines and exceed customer expectations. BRKZ’s highly advanced technology provides the best e-commerce platform, which makes it easy to manage my orders and get automated updates on their status.”

The construction market in MENA represents a massive opportunity, driven by mega-projects reshaping the region. Major developments like Neom, The Red Sea Project, King Salman Park, and upcoming events like Expo 2030 and FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia underscore the urgent need for innovative, tech-driven solutions to streamline procurement and enhance efficiency.

Dany Farha, co-founder and managing partner at BECO Capital, commented: “The construction industry is foundational to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, and is ripe for technology and organizational optimization. The BRKZ team has executed its product and operational roadmap to drive efficiencies in this rapidly scaling sector, and we’re excited to continue supporting them in their next chapter. BRKZ’s financing product will complement their digitized procurement platform and address customer cash flow challenges. Having known Ibrahim and the team for years, we’ve seen firsthand their agility, prudence, and unique skill set that enable them to fulfill their promise of digitizing this industry.”

Looking ahead, BRKZ plans to establish offices in Saudi Arabia’s Northern and Southern regions during 2025 while expanding its supplier network into global markets, focusing on China and India. The company will continue enhancing its technology platform and financing solutions, positioning itself as the comprehensive solution for construction procurement in the MENA region.

Ends

Media images can be found here.

About BRKZ

BRKZ is a B2B managed marketplace transforming construction procurement in Saudi Arabia. By connecting contractors with suppliers through a tech-enabled platform, BRKZ provides access to thousands of SKUs, competitive pricing, and tailored financing solutions. With a focus on efficiency and transparency, BRKZ empowers MENA’s construction sector to meet the ambitious goals. For more information please visit https://brkz.com/en

About BECO Capital

BECO Capital is the largest non-government venture capital firm in the Gulf, managing over $500 million in AUM. Since its inception in 2012, BECO Capital has played a pivotal role in developing the regional tech ecosystem, helping it grow from its nascent stages to its current dynamism, and has been a notable investor behind many of the region’s success stories. These include Careem, the region’s ride-hailing service turned super-app, acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion, and Property Finder, the real estate marketplace that BECO exited at a $1 billion valuation in April 2024, alongside other prominent startups such as Kitopi and Fresha.

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How rural English women used scrapbooks to commemorate the death of Winston Churchill

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Cherish Watton-Colbrook, Archives Assistant, University of Cambridge

Sixty years ago, on January 24, Britons gathered around their radios to listen to the sombre BBC announcement that Sir Winston Churchill had died at the age of 90. Others learned about the news at church, as they listened to prayers for the life of the former prime minister, admired by many for leading Britain through the second world war. Later that day, radio and television schedules were suspended to make way for the flood of tributes.

Around this time in villages around England and Wales, Women’s Institute (WI) members were just beginning a year-long scrapbooking project in honour of the WI’s golden jubilee year in 1965. A branch-based voluntary organisation,
founded in 1915, the WI was set up to bring country women together.

This scrapbook project was one way in which the organisation sought to foster a sense of community in rural areas. Members were invited to chronicle everything that happened in their village during that year. Although not every entry featured a tribute to Churchill, several WI members decided to mark the former leader’s death.

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Today, many of these scrapbooks survive in county record offices, while others remain cherished volumes kept by WIs in their branch archives. Some branches, along with local history societies, have digitised their scrapbooks and shared them online.

Scrapbooks are perhaps not what immediately spring to mind when we think about the 1960s. Traditionally, they conjure up images of brightly coloured printed clippings or pressed flowers, saved by Victorian women and children. But this is just one page in scrapbooking’s rich history.

In the 20th century, the rise of popular newspapers, magazines, domestic photography and television provided an array of material that could be transformed into personal archives. Scrapbooking proved a popular way for people to document what they found meaningful in their lives. Family, work, activism, stars of film, music and sport, royalty and even the weather were just some of the many topics covered.

In 1965, WI members in Woodford, the constituency Churchill represented for 40 years until 1964, decided to conclude their community scrapbook with a tribute to their former MP.

On a page of black sugar paper, members pasted a programme from a local memorial church service. Women also included a commemorative stamp, together with a photograph of floral tributes left at a bronze statue of Churchill on the village green, flanked by servicemen. Even though Churchill died at the beginning of the year, it was evidently the last thing Woodford Green’s WI members wanted their readers to encounter in their scrapbook.

Local and national newspapers published a plethora of obituaries and articles on Churchill’s life, providing scrapbookers, such as WI members in Stoke Ferry in Norfolk, with a wealth of visual material for their community volumes.

Local WI members crafted a photographic record of Churchill’s life, from childhood through to retirement, arranging the images in chronological order, mirroring the conventions associated with family photograph albums. They combined a series of press photographs and newspaper headlines with a handwritten note elaborating on what they felt was significant about Churchill’s death. WI women even went as far as to connect Churchill with their scrapbooking activities:

As we compile this Jubilee Scrap Book, we stop to wonder what life would have been like in this village in 1965 but for that great statesman and leader, Sir Winston Churchill. Would this book be the happy record of a free and thriving community?

On the following pages, they contrasted photographs from the funeral procession, with a shot of a bunch of pink tulips, given by a serviceman. In juxtaposing these images, they switched between ceremonial and more intimate forms of commemoration.

WI scrapbookers clearly felt strongly about recording the death of Churchill in their community volumes. The scrapbook genre allowed these women, at a significant moment in time, to shape the historical record in a way they found to be meaningful, with an eye to the future generations they expected to read their creations.

‘Cold lunches were the order of the day’

As relayed in many of these WI scrapbooks, Churchill was the first prime minister in the 20th century who was afforded a state funeral. It was broadcast around the world in a transmission of unparalleled significance – second only to the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

One woman in Whitchurch, Herefordshire, wrote a series of diary entries under the pseudonym of Ann Whitchurch for her WI’s competition entry. After an earlier entry (exploring the merits of new brightly coloured long johns) Whitchurch reflected on January 30:

Everyone seems to feel his loss as something that really matters. Whatever anyone’s politics are, he stood for England, especially for people of my generation who remember his great speeches during the War. It’s rather like the end of a chapter.

Whitchurch chose the more intimate format of the diary entry, as opposed to national newspaper coverage, to offer a personal tribute to Churchill. By declaring herself the spokeswoman for her generation, Whitchurch conveyed how she understood Churchill’s death as a moment of rupture and transition.

Over 100 miles away in the Cotswolds, a farmer’s wife in Chedworth shared what the day looked like from her rural farm:

Cold lunches were the order of the day, everyone was watching the funeral procession of Sir Winston Churchill – an unforgettable memory. Even the menfolk dashed in and out between essential jobs.

This WI member used her passage to show how the villagers’ commitment to watching the funeral upended their everyday routines at home and at work.

Sixty years on, browsing the pages of these community scrapbooks reveals more than just a reaction to Churchill’s death by a specific group of rural women. They provide a fascinating glimpse of how national mourning unfolded in English villages and the different ways in which country women documented this moment on behalf of their communities.

Cherish Watton-Colbrook works as an Archives Assistant for Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge.

– ref. How rural English women used scrapbooks to commemorate the death of Winston Churchill – https://theconversation.com/how-rural-english-women-used-scrapbooks-to-commemorate-the-death-of-winston-churchill-248689

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The EU was built for another age – here’s how it must adapt to survive

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesco Grillo, Academic Fellow, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

Shutterstock/gopixa

To European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Europe is like a Volkswagen Beetle – an iconic car produced by a once-mighty German manufacturer which has been struggling to adapt to a new world.

“Europe must shift gears,” she urged in a speech to business executives gathered in Davos, Switzerland at the beginning of the year. Yet, her call to arms failed to raise more than an eyebrow. After all, she has repeated the same call many times since she was elected six years ago. So far, there has been little result.

The US president, Donald Trump, may now even be tempted to finish off the EU (the most developed of the world’s multilateral organisations) by dividing its members over the single market for trade. This arrangement is the cornerstone upon which the union was built, but can it withstand Trump’s attempts to play European nations off against each other in order to get the best deal for himself?

The problem is that Trump is simply bringing to its most extreme consequences the weakness of a system that was built for stable times which are long gone. We urgently need a new idea, and it cannot be for a “United States of Europe”. That is a dream from the past that could not be more at odds with Europe’s current political climate.

Mini unions

Europe is unable to chart a path forward because it needs unanimity among its member states in order to make any major decision. Votes are not even weighted to reflect the different sizes of each of the club’s members.

This is a weakness that would gradually cause the deterioration of any international organisation. But in the case of the EU, the crisis is more serious because member states have surrendered part of their decision power. As a result, if the EU cannot move quickly, even member states turn out to be paralysed.

Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, has often been singled out as the bad guy especially – this has happened every time the EU has tried to approve sanctions against Russia or aid to Ukraine. But examples of free riding abound even among the founding parties.

For decades, France has resisted any attempt to reorganise the common agricultural policy that sends a third of the EU’s budget to farmers, many of them French. Italy has halted the ratification of the reform of the European stability mechanism that should protect states from financial instability, out of the assumption among part of the Italian electorate that this may compromise further sovereignty.

Elsewhere, Germany’s constitutional court has derailed the reform of the EU electoral law that divides the election of the European parliament into a dysfunctional system of 27 national contests, because of the resistance of the German political system to any electoral law which is not proportional.

We need to find a way to change all this. And the solution cannot be the rather abstract idea of a union that proceeds at different speeds, where the older members are supposed to be part of an inner circle. Nor is it feasible to expect the abolition of unanimous voting for the simple reason that to forgo unanimity, you need a unanimous vote.

Instead, the EU should become the coordinator of multiple unions, each formed by the member states themselves around specific policies. A union might form around defence, for example, among member states which are ready for such a partnership, such as Poland, the Baltics and Finland.

Another might bring together countries that wish to collaborate on large projects such as a pan-European high-speed train, or a fully integrated energy market that may allow Italy, France and Spain to save billions of euros and decarbonise more quickly.

This is not entirely new. Arrangements like the euro and the free circulation of people (the Schengen area) follow this principle. Only a subset of EU nations are part of these projects, and offers have even been extended to join beyond the EU’s borders. Monaco is in the euro, for example, while Norway is in Schengen, despite neither being an EU member state.

The problem with these unions is that they are incomplete. The complement to the monetary union is a recently reformed “stability pact” that leaves so many loopholes that 11 out of its 20 members do not comply. And even within Schengen, there are still no proper common borders. The result is continuous reciprocal accusations of exporting each other’s illegal migrants.

The solution here is to fully share the levers within a certain policy area on terms which are more flexible and voluntary for the union’s members.

The possibility of calm divorce

Resilience is achieved through adaptability. Therefore, these new arrangements must make divorce between union members possible from the outset – and establish the terms of such a rupture in advance.

And in the event of an extreme case, the other parties should also be able to ask one of the members to leave their union (so as to avoid being systematically held to ransom by a free rider). The current union treaty does contain a provision (article 50) that enables a member to leave, as the UK did – but if Brexit showed anything, it was that this mechanism has limited use at preventing a divorce from descending into chaos.

People should always be part of these decisions, of course. When states decide to surrender some of their sovereignty to a larger organisation such as the EU, it changes the nature of the pact between the citizens of a country and the people who make decisions on their behalf. This evident truth has been ignored for decades as the EU has gradually been built from the top down.

The European Union currently resembles the marriages we once had in Europe (until well into the 20th century), before it was acknowledged that they are a civil (not necessarily religious) contract that can be dissolved through divorce – not some divine construct that can never be undone.

The marriage between EU countries is blighted by cheating and empty rhetoric. This is an issue we can no longer avoid if Europe wants to do more than just “shift gears”. The EU was the most successful political project of the 20th century. If it wants to continue to be so in the 21st, it has to learn to be flexible. Only those who can adapt survive.

Francesco Grillo is Director of the think tank Vision. Vision is convenor of three global conferences on the future of the EU, climate change and AI .

– ref. The EU was built for another age – here’s how it must adapt to survive – https://theconversation.com/the-eu-was-built-for-another-age-heres-how-it-must-adapt-to-survive-248811

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that causes lifelong suffering – here’s what you need to know

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Cristina Pina, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, Brunel University of London

3D illustration of sickle cell red blood cells Meletios Verras/Shutterstock

Right now, approximately 20 billion red blood cells are busy travelling through your blood vessels. They are delivering oxygen to all the different tissues in your body and removing carbon dioxide to be breathed out of your lungs.

Red blood cells are discs curved inwards on both sides, without a cell nucleus. They are full of haemoglobin, a protein responsible for gas exchanges. At the core of a haemoglobin molecule is an iron carrying component called haem, which can be loaded with oxygen.

The shape of the red blood cell is useful to flexibly navigate blood vessels of all sizes, deforming as needed. It also provides a large surface for gas exchange. Haemoglobin collects oxygen in the lungs, where there is plenty of it, and releases it across the body, where there is much less.

But not if you suffer from sickle cell disease, which affects nearly eight million people worldwide, most in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the UK, approximately 17,500 people have sickle cell disease and 300 babies are born with the condition each year. It is a genetic disorder caused by inherited mutations in a person’s DNA that affect the properties of haemoglobin.

Haemoglobin is made up of four proteins organised around the iron-carrying haem group. These proteins are called globins, and each haemoglobin molecule has two alpha and two beta-globins.

Sickle cell disease changes adult beta-globin. Instead of two alpha and two healthy beta chains, sickle cell disease patients have two alpha and two mutant beta chains. The resulting haemoglobin is called HbS.

HbS has different characteristics to normal adult haemoglobin, causing severe symptoms. HbS is structurally unstable. Upon high temperatures, dehydration, acidity, such as happens during infections, it clumps inside the red blood cells. The clumps make red blood cells rigid and change their shape from flexible doughnuts into inflexible sickles – hence the name of the disease.

Rigid sickle cells cannot travel through narrow blood vessels, which clogs them, forming clots that stop blood circulation in different places. The clots change oxygen and acidity locally, causing more sickling.

Accumulation of clots causes some of the most severe symptoms of sickle cell disease, including strokes, kidney failure, blindness, prolonged and painful erections (called priapism) and loss of circulation in the lungs – the excruciating acute chest syndrome.

Repeated clotting scars and destroys the spleen, increasing the risk of recurrent infections, often by streptococcal bacteria which can cause severe pneumonia and sepsis.

Sickle red blood cells also break easily, a phenomenon called haemolysis. The body tries to produce more red blood cells, but cannot correct the underlying defect. Patients experience symptoms similar to other forms of anaemia, including pallor, breathlessness upon exertion, fatigue. Haemolysis leads to inflammation and damages blood vessels, further aggravating sickling symptoms.

Lifelong suffering

Symptoms and complications of sickle cell disease start in the first year of life and progress in severity. The disease reduces the quality and duration of life of patients – in the UK, those with sickle cell disease have a life expectancy of 67.

Worldwide, life expectancy is below 50 and many children with sickle cell disease in sub-Saharan Africa die before the age of five. Sickle cell disease patients are dependent on transfusions of healthy red blood cells – over time this causes complications of its own.

Until recently, the only cure for sickle cell disease was stem cell transplantation – also known as bone marrow transplantation – from a healthy donor with a compatible immune system which will not be rejected by, or attack, the patient. Often, this is a sibling or a parent, but, in up to 75% of cases, a compatible relative cannot be found.

Stem cell transplantation replaces the cells in the blood factory of the patient, which produce HbS, with blood-making cells without the genetic defect, which produce normal adult haemoglobin. Transplanted blood stem cells maintain healthy haemoglobin production for life.

In the absence of transplantation, sickle cell disease patients receive regular transfusions, which deliver healthy red blood cells. But, unlike stem cells, red blood cells are short-lived.

Patients also receive a drug called hydroxycarbamide, which is used to treat cancer patients and can be toxic, but alleviates symptoms. Hydroxycarbamide acts by turning on a gene that leads to the production of foetal haemoglobin, which is not affected by the sickle cell disease mutation.

In 2024, two forms of gene therapy were approved for sickle cell disease treatment by the US Food and Drug Administration. Both involve collecting stem cells from the patient, modifying them genetically, and transplanting them back into the patient so the body makes blood with corrected cells for the rest of the patient’s life.

The first of the gene therapies, commercially called Casgevy, works by removing and inactivating a gene that is normally responsible for producing beta-globin. This replaces HbS in the red blood cells with the unaffected foetal haemoglobin.

Read more:
Nobel Prize for chemistry honors exquisitely precise gene-editing technique, CRISPR – a gene engineer explains how it works

The second gene therapy, called Lyfgenia (Lovotibeglogene autotemcel), works differently. It introduces an additional gene in the stem cells which makes it less likely for HbS to form aggregates and cause sickling, reducing the more severe symptoms of the disease.

The development and testing of gene and cell therapies for sickle cell disease is still an ongoing effort of many scientists and companies. That there are now two approved therapies for sickle cell disease highlights the importance of supporting investigation and development of breakthrough technologies based on detailed understanding of biological mechanisms of disease.

These investigations are key to treating patients with genetic diseases, which often do not have any other available treatments.

Cristina Pina receives funding from Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group via the Little Princess Trust and the National Centre for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animals in Research. She receives honoraria for consulting services to the Medicines Discover Institute at the University of Cardiff via an MRC research grant to Simon Ward.

Victor Hernandez-Hernandez receives funding from GOSHCC Charity, Newlife Charity, Welcome Trust, Fight for Sight, EU FP7. He is co-founder, shareholder and employee of Axovia Therapeutics Ltd.

– ref. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that causes lifelong suffering – here’s what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/sickle-cell-disease-is-a-genetic-disorder-that-causes-lifelong-suffering-heres-what-you-need-to-know-243827

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How the war in Ukraine has made flying worse for the climate

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Viktoriia Ivannikova, Assistant Professor in Aviation Management, Dublin City University

UladzimirZuyeu/Shutterstock

Some long-haul flights connecting Europe and Asia are emitting 40% more CO₂ since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, my new study shows. The spike is largely due to airspace closures above conflict zones which are forcing airlines to seek alternative routes, significantly increasing flight times. Longer flights consume more fuel and increase the operating costs for airlines, quite apart from their contribution to climate change.

The research I led with colleagues highlights how conflicts contribute to climate change in unexpected ways. Understanding this is crucial for tackling aviation’s environmental footprint.

The war in Ukraine closed the country’s airspace and limited access to the airspace of the Russian Federation and Belarus. This amounts to the biggest closure of airspace since the cold war, spanning 18 million km².

Airlines that previously flew in Russian or Ukrainian airspace on routes between Europe and Asia, North America and Asia, and North America and the Middle East now take significant detours. For example, Finnair’s flight AY73 from Helsinki to Tokyo now covers an additional 3,131 kilometres, extending flight times by up to 3.5 hours. North American flights to Asia have been rerouted over the Arctic and Central Asia.

Safety concerns and geopolitical sanctions have forced airlines to carefully navigate around restricted zones.

The situation is further complicated by restrictions in other conflict regions – including the Middle East, where the airspaces of Syria, Yemen and Iraq are also considered no-fly zones for many airlines. The global aviation map has been redrawn, forcing airlines to adapt quickly to a new and challenging reality.

Several international flights now skirt war zones.
Viktoriia Ivannikova

This has been accompanied by significant costs, both financially and to the climate. We analysed 14 long-haul routes between Europe and Asia that were affected by airspace restrictions and operated by three European airlines: Finnair, LOT Polish and Lufthansa.

The findings are striking: rerouted flights burn an additional 23 to 28.5 tonnes of fuel per journey, releasing an extra 72 to 90 metric tonnes of CO₂. That’s equivalent to the annual emissions of several cars for a single flight.

Airlines have also reported significant operating cost increases due to the extra flight hours, including higher fuel consumption, air navigation charges and crew salary increases. Our analysis showed that on certain routes between Europe and Asia, costs have risen by between 19% and 39%, while emissions have increased by between 18% and 40%, depending on the airline.

On routes from Warsaw to Beijing, Warsaw to Tokyo and Warsaw to Seoul, LOT Polish Airlines has reported an increase of 23% in average aircraft operating costs following flight restrictions. CO₂ emissions on these routes have increased by 24% and ticket prices have also risen.

Finnair, which historically relied on Russian airspace for efficient Europe-Asia connections, appears to be the most affected carrier. Following flight restrictions, aircraft operating costs on the routes from Helsinki to Shanghai, Helsinki to Tokyo and Helsinki to Seoul have risen by 39%, while average CO₂ emissions on these routes have increased by 40%.

Our findings shed new light on the massive carbon footprint of war, which is often overlooked in climate policy. Using a forecasting model with specialised software, we found that continued avoidance of the airspaces of Russia and Ukraine could increase all aviation-related CO₂ emissions globally by up to 29% in 2025, compared with 2022.

Aviation already accounts for 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, and this figure is expected to grow as air travel expands.

Aeroplanes seed heat-trapping clouds that amplify their climate impact.
Peter Gudella/Shutterstock

Our findings demonstrate that the need to decarbonise transport cannot be separated from broader geopolitical issues. As wars and conflicts reshape airspace availability, they also worsen aviation’s carbon footprint. It’s not just the airline industry that bears these costs – we all do, in the form of rising temperatures and a changing climate.

What action needs to be taken?

While the challenges are significant, there are solutions.

Upgrading airline fleets with more fuel-efficient aircraft, such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, can help to reduce CO₂ emissions by roughly 20%–25% compared with older aircraft models, such as the Boeing 777-200ER or Airbus A330-200.

Optimising flight paths using advanced air traffic management systems could help too. These systems, allow aircraft to choose the shortest and most efficient paths and can reduce unnecessary detours.

International agreements to manage airspace collectively during times of conflict can keep essential flight corridors open and ensure airlines avoid inefficient rerouting.

Airlines are investing in sustainable aviation fuels, which emits less than traditional kerosene – but insufficient supplies, high costs and other challenges make this an expensive and partial solution. With no viable low-carbon alternatives for aircraft, reducing air travel should be the priority.

As researchers, we see our findings as a call to action. By understanding the environmental consequences of conflict, we can work towards a more sustainable future for aviation and the planet.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Viktoriia Ivannikova does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How the war in Ukraine has made flying worse for the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-war-in-ukraine-has-made-flying-worse-for-the-climate-249039

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China unveils measures to boost consumer spending, foreign investment

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Feb. 10 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday presided over a State Council executive meeting that outlined measures to boost domestic consumption and approved an action plan to stabilize foreign investment in 2025.

The meeting called for strong support to increase household incomes, promote reasonable wage growth, broaden property-related income channels, and enhance consumption capacities.

It emphasized the importance of focusing on consumption sectors with a strong spillover effect and large growth potential to tap into consumption potential.

It also highlighted the importance of expanding consumption in the culture, sports and tourism sectors, of promoting consumption in the snow-and-ice industry, of developing inbound tourism consumption, and of strengthening support for China’s consumer goods trade-in program.

The meeting also noted that foreign enterprises play an important role in job creation, export stabilization and industrial upgrading, and urged more practical, effective measures to stabilize existing foreign investment and expand new investment.

It called for the optimization of a comprehensive services sector opening-up pilot program and the expansion of industries that encourage foreign investment.

It encouraged foreign capital to undertake equity investment in China, and urged efforts to optimize rules and procedures for foreign mergers and acquisitions.

The meeting stressed the need for domestic and foreign enterprises to be treated equally in government procurement, as well as the need to broaden financing channels for foreign enterprises.

Efforts should be made to promote the removal of outdated or inefficient production capacities, and to increase high-end capacities, according to the meeting.

It discussed and approved in principle a draft law on national development planning, and decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for deliberation.

MIL OSI China News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 2.2k basic housing views received

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Housing Bureau said today that it had received nearly 2,200 submissions of views in its stakeholder consultation on the proposed regulatory regime for Basic Housing Units (BHUs).

Since the establishment of the Task Force on Tackling the Issue of Subdivided Units in October 2023 until the end of the consultation period, the Government organised and joined nearly 40 engagement sessions, meeting nearly 700 participants and gathering views from political parties, academics, professional bodies, non-governmental organisations, estate agents, the renovation services industry, contractors associations as well as concern groups on tackling the subdivided unit (SDU) issue and the BHU regulatory regime.

In addition to extending gratitude to stakeholders for their active expression of views on the regulatory regime, the Government said it is glad that different sectors of society generally support the proposed framework of the BHU regulatory regime while giving suggestions on the execution details.

The Housing Bureau stressed that it will work at full steam to consolidate the views received, report a summary of views to the Legislative Council Panel on Housing, and seek the panel’s views on the latest proposal on the regulatory regime as soon as possible.

Subsequently, the bureau will introduce a bill into LegCo and strive for passage within this year, it added.

Upon completion of the legislative process, registration for pre-existing SDUs under rental will commence, with applications for recognition as BHUs to be accepted concurrently. A grace period will be granted to SDU landlords that have been successfully registered, so that they have reasonable time to discuss tenancy agreements with their tenants and to convert their SDUs to up-to-standard BHUs.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: A Stronger Engine for Middle East and North Africa’s Growth

Source: International Monetary Fund

The Managing Director’s Keynote Speech at the Ninth Arab Fiscal Forum, Dubai, UAE

February 10, 2025

Assalamu alaikum, your excellencies. I would like to thank Minister Al Hussaini for the United Arab Emirates’ continued warm hospitality in hosting this important annual event, as well as his excellent leadership of the World Bank’s Development Committee.

It is a privilege to address you at the ninth Arab Fiscal Forum. Over the years, the IMF and Arab countries have always had a strong and productive partnership. Today, this partnership is more vital than ever as the world and this region undergo significant economic, technological, and geopolitical shifts—a point that I will reflect on later.

In my remarks, I will explore how Arab countries can leverage fiscal policy to transform their economies for the future, and harness technology and investment opportunities for the benefit of their people.

Global outlook and transformations

Let me start with an overview of the global and regional economic outlook.

Global growth is projected to hold at 3.3 percent this year and the next, and then to slow over the next five years, to just above 3 percent. This is well below the historical average.

For the Middle East and North Africa, we expect growth to rebound to about 3.6 percent in 2025, driven by a recovery in oil production and an easing of regional conflicts. However, as with the global economy, our medium-term outlook still sees growth weaker than before the pandemic.

Policymakers have generally succeeded in taming inflation, but not everywhere, with inflation picking up again in some countries. This could lead to a divergence in interest rates across countries and higher borrowing costs for emerging market and developing economies.

On the fiscal side, the legacy of the multiple shocks from the last years leaves public finances under significant strain in many countries. Global public debt is projected to hit 100 percent of global GDP by 2030. Many countries in this region face similar pressures, with debt levels exceeding 70 percent of GDP. This poses the risk of them becoming trapped in a low-growth, high-debt scenario.

Governments have the difficult task of containing high debt levels in the face of rising spending needs. This region faces the pressing need to create jobs, enhance social safety nets, build resilience to more frequent natural disasters, and support economic diversification. The demands of national security and post-conflict reconstruction are also substantial.

This is all happening at a time of significant global transformations, which are creating a more uncertain and challenging environment for policymaking. We know, for instance, that trade is no longer the engine of growth that is used to be—unlike the decades of the 1990s and 2000s when global trade grew much faster than global GDP, the two are now growing at roughly the same rate. Governments around the world are shifting policy priorities: the new US administration has been clear that it intends to take action in the areas of trade, tax and spending, deregulation, and technology/digital assets. And the technology revolution—especially AI—is upon us and is set to transform the way we live and work, perhaps as early as the next five years.

These rapid transformations mean the recipes of the past may no longer provide the path to prosperity. Economies will need to be agile, adaptable and resilient—these will be the ingredients for future success.

How can the MENA region find these ingredients for success and avoid a low-growth, high-debt scenario?

Building adaptable and more resilient economies

First, focus on structural changes that increase economic resilience, agility, and long-term growth potential. Too often, countries use fiscal stimulus to boost short-term domestic demand. While this “sugar rush” provides temporary growth, it often fuels inflation and financial turbulence. Instead of merely stepping on the gas, we need a stronger engine.

Productivity growth is essential for stronger growth and driving up economic performance. Our research in the Arab region shows how to do it: accelerate digitalization, reduce the state’s footprint in the economy, foster trade diversification, and encourage the free flow of capital to dynamic firms.

Countries in the region that are more digitalized have substantially higher productivity than less-digitalization ones. Some countries are among the most developed in the world in this area. Digital innovation, with AI technologies, is expected to raise UAE’s GDP significantly by 2030. More R&D spending will further enhance productivity.

Reducing the state’s footprint in the economy and strengthening governance can yield significant benefits. For example, Saudi Arabia’s regulatory improvements have fostered private sector investment, especially in the non-oil economy. The UAE’s National Agenda for Entrepreneurship has supported a vibrant startup community, and Morocco’s New Model of Development aims to spur markets by improving public sector governance.

Encouraging employment is also a key ingredient for stronger growth. With a growing working-age population, the region has to make the most of its demographic advantage. Creating more private jobs, for women and youth in particular, can lead to more vibrant and inclusive economies. This requires more-flexible labor markets, and investment in education and vocational training. We have recently seen impressive developments in this regard in Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain.

A second priority is economic diversification. Today’s transformations provide an excellent opportunity to stimulate and reallocate resources toward new economic sectors and services. This could become a robust new growth engine, particularly for oil-exporting countries. Many countries are already investing in new technologies, such as batteries for electric cars; in improving connectivity and in green supply chains, for example.

Third, in a world where patterns of cooperation are shifting, countries need to look for opportunities to cooperate in new ways. In many cases, this means deepening regional cooperation. The GCC is an excellent example of the benefits of regional integration—one that I can imagine can be emulated elsewhere.

Building fiscal buffers and institutions

Let me turn to the fiscal side.

Prudent fiscal stance is essential for macroeconomic stability — a prerequisite for a vibrant private sector and economic growth. An overarching priority today is to decisively use fiscal policy to build fiscal buffers, which is essentially the capacity to spend when needed – for example, to respond to shocks, manage and mitigate risks, and meet pressing development and climate-related needs.

Many countries will need to pursue fiscal consolidation. It is crucial to carefully calibrate the size, pace, and composition of fiscal adjustments, to avoid unduly hampering growth. Tailoring budgetary reforms to each country’s circumstances, with a helping hand for those who lose out, is vital to ensure public support.

In this context, increasing tax revenues remains a priority. Our research finds significant potential in strengthening domestic tax systems. This requires expanding tax bases, especially as economies diversify. For example, as new sectors grow, including through digitalization, they can become an important source of tax revenues. In addition, digitalization and AI can help modernize tax administrations.

Domestic taxes will remain the primary source of funding government spending. However, private domestic and external financing will be needed to support the spending needs in the region. Addressing the impact of more frequent natural disasters will potentially require a cumulative $1 trillion in investment by 2030. The financial sector must play a larger role, while governments can enable an investment-friendly environment.

Several countries in the region require special attention, either to resolve ongoing conflicts or to advance post-conflict reconstruction. I pray that peace and stability can be delivered in Sudan and Yemen. I hope that the ceasefire in Gaza, along with political changes in Syria and Lebanon, can mark new beginnings. The international community’s reconstruction efforts provide a unique opportunity to rebuild better and lay the foundations for stronger growth.

Let me conclude

In a world of rapid transformations, it is critical for countries to become more agile, adaptable, and resilient. They need to look for new engines of growth, which will also help avoid a low-growth, high-debt trap.

The private sector has to be in the lead in transforming economies in the region through entrepreneurship, job creation, and innovation.

The role of governments is to foster the right environment for this private sector-led growth: by strengthening governance, modernizing public institutions, reducing bureaucracy, encouraging youth and female employment, and improving access to capital. And by designing and communicating policies that put people first and increase social support.

The IMF remains fully committed to supporting the Middle East and North Africa. Since early 2020, we have approved about $33 billion in financing for the region, most recently in 2024 to help mitigate the impact of conflict. We have also recently reformed our surcharge policy, resulting in important savings for some countries. We have also expanded our capacity development and strengthened our regional presence with resident representative offices, technical assistance centers, and the new regional office in Riyadh.

We are now stepping up our efforts to support the private sector, with the creation of a new IMF Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth. I can assure you, this region will be represented on it. And we look forward to the upcoming Al-Ula conference with emerging market economies, to discuss key issues affecting your economies. Jobs, innovation, and productivity—combined with a sound fiscal approach—will mean better prospects for citizens in this region and ultimately more peace and stability.

Let’s get to work, or as you say, “linabda al-âmal”—let’s start the work together!

I wish you all many insightful discussions and meaningful outcomes today.

Shukran!

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER:

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson

MIL OSI Economics –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: Locus Technologies Earns Two EBJ Business Achievement Awards

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Locus Technologies, the sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) compliance software leader, was honored by the Environmental Business Journal® (EBJ) with two prestigious 2024 Business Achievement Awards: the PROJECT MERIT AWARD for Locus’s successful implementation of a global waste management solution for one of the world’s largest energy leaders, and the TECHNOLOGY MERIT AWARD for Locus’s release of step-change software products for produced water management in the oil and gas industry, high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant management, and sustainable construction. Full details of these achievements and Locus’s recent worldwide project implementations are available from www.locustec.com. EBJ is an independent business research publication that has provided strategic market intelligence to the environmental industry since 1988.

“We are honored to be recognized by an esteemed group of researchers and analysts for the work we are doing to raise the bar in the ESG and EHS software space,” said Neno Duplan, founder and CEO of Locus Technologies. “Our product and implementation teams are masters at developing purpose-built solutions with time-saving frameworks and unmatched configurability. As a result, our clients gain incredible economies while remaining responsive to the emerging demands of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the shifting regulatory pressures state-side. We are pleased to be acknowledged for these advancements.”

Environmental Business Journal® provides strategic market intelligence to executives and investors in 13 business segments of the environmental industry including environmental consulting & engineering, remediation & industrial services, water & wastewater equipment, air quality & pollution control equipment, hazardous waste management, resource recovery, solid waste management, water/wastewater infrastructure, renewable energy and environmental instrumentation & information systems.

“In another year of strong growth for the environmental industry in 2024, a number of companies set themselves apart with their growth, innovation, M&A, or signature projects that merit the special recognition of an EBJ award,” said Grant Ferrier, editor of Environmental Business Journal and chair of the EBJ Business Achievement Award selection committee. The 2024 EBJ awards will be presented live and in-person at the EBJ Business Achievement Awards banquet at Environmental Industry Summit XXIII on April 02-04, 2025, in San Diego, along with CCBJ Business Achievement, Lifetime Achievement and 50-Year Company anniversary awards.

To learn more about Locus Produced Water Management, Locus Refrigerant Management, and Locus Sustainable Construction, please visit www.locustec.com.

About Locus Technologies
Locus Technologies, the global environmental, social, governance (ESG), sustainability, and EHS compliance software leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to be credible with ESG reporting. From 1997, Locus pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS compliance, water management, and ESG credible reporting. Locus apps and software solutions improve business performance by strengthening risk management and EHS for organizations across industries and government agencies. Organizations ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, such as Sempra, Corteva, Chevron, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Seattle, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, have selected Locus. Locus is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For further information regarding Locus and its commitment to excellence in SaaS solutions, please visit www.locustec.com or email info@locustec.com.

About Environmental Business Journal
Environmental Business Journal has been published since 1988 by Environmental Business International Inc., an independent research and publishing company focused on the environmental and climate change industries.

Media Contact:
Brenda Mahedy
Locus Technologies
media@locustechnologies.net

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: Q2 Metals to Present at the Metals and Mining Growth Virtual Investor Conference February 12th
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Q2 Metals Corp. (TSX.V: QTWO | OTCQB: QUEXF | FSE: 458) (“Q2” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that Q2 Metals President & CEO, Alicia Milne, will provide an overview of the Company and update on activities at its flagship Cisco Lithium Project at the Metals and Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 at 8:30 am PT | 11:30 am ET.

DATE: February 12th
TIME: 8:30 am PT | 11:30 am ET
LINK: https://bit.ly/4hLrzs6
Available for 1×1 meetings: February 13

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

Q2 Metals Highlights and Upcoming Catalysts
- The fully funded 2025 winter drill program at the Cisco Lithium Project, located within the greater Nemaska traditional territory of the Eeyou Istchee Territory, James Bay, Quebec, Canada is currently underway
- The program follows up on the exceptional drill results from the Company’s inaugural 2024 drill campaign which included:
  - Drill hole CS-24-018 – 215.6 metres (“m”) at 1.69% Li₂O
  - Drill hole CS-24-021 – 347.1 m at 1.35% Li₂O; and
  - Drill hole CS-24-023 – 188.6 m at 1.56% Li₂O
- The campaign is targeting 6,000 – 8,000 m of drilling using two diamond drill rigs.
- The first hole, collared on February 3^rd, is an aggressive 400 m step out from the easternmost hole of the 2024 drill program (CS-24-022).
- Initial assays are anticipated in early Q2.
About Q2 Metals Corp

Q2 Metals is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the Cisco Lithium Project, located within the greater Nemaska traditional territory of the Eeyou Istchee Territory, James Bay, Quebec.

The Project is comprised of 767 claims, totaling 39,389 hectares. The main mineralized zone is just 6.5 kilometres (“km”) away from the Billy Diamond Highway which transects the Project. The town of Matagami, is the end of the rail link to much of James Bay and is approximately 150 km to the south.

The Cisco Project is situated along the Frotet Evans Greenstone Belt, comprised of a volcanic package dominated by mafic to felsic metavolcanic rocks, of the southern James Bay Lithium District, the same belt that hosts the Sirmac and Moblan lithium deposits, located 130 km and 180 km away, respectively.

The Cisco Lithium Project has district-scale potential with an already identified mineralized zone and discovery drill results that include:
- 120.3 metres at 1.72% Li₂O (hole CS-24-010);
- 215.6 metres at 1.69% Li₂O (hole CS-24-018);
- 347.1 metres at 1.35% Li₂O (hole CS-24-021); and
- 188.6 metres at 1.56% Li₂O (hole CS-24-023)
Since May 2024, the Company has drilled a total of 6,359.7 m over 17 holes. All drill holes intercepted pegmatite with visual indications of spodumene mineralization identified.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

www.Q2Metals.com

Click to follow us online:

X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram

About Virtual Investor Conferences®

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “estimates”, “plans”, “may”, “should”, “would”, “will”, “potential”, “scheduled” or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Accordingly, all statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future including, without limitation, any statements or plans regarding the geological prospects of the Company’s properties and the future exploration endeavors of the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date specified in such statement. Forward looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the prospectivity of the greenstone rocks in the area, the possibility of future development and mining infrastructure scenarios, the potential for development, the potential scale of the Cisco Project, the focus of the Company’s current and future exploration and drill programs, the scale, scope and location of future exploration and drilling activities, the Company’s expectations in connection with the projects and exploration programs being met, the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same. Readers are cautioned that mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business and accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Management Discussion and Analysis for its recently completed fiscal period, which is available under Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The MIL Network –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: D. Boral Capital Served as Co-placement Agent to MicroVision, Inc. (Nasdaq: MVIS) in Connection with its up to $17.0 Million Private Placement

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MicroVision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS), a leader in MEMS-based solid-state automotive lidar and ADAS solutions, today announced that it has bolstered its financial position by entering into an agreement to raise up to $17 million in new capital and reducing future cash obligations stemming from its $75 million senior secured convertible note facility with High Trail Capital.

“Strengthening our financial position through this infusion of new capital and reduction of debt buoys our efforts to advance and secure revenue opportunities with several industrial customers in the heavy equipment segment. As announced last month, we have increased production capacity with our manufacturing partner to support high-volume orders from industrial customers in 2025 and beyond,” said Sumit Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of MicroVision, Inc. “At this exciting time for MicroVision, we continue to work to secure multiple partnerships with industrial customers, as well as advance our partnerships with automotive OEMs, with RFQs in flight and new RFQs expected in 2025. We appreciate High Trail’s partnership at this pivotal time.”

Continued Sharma, “With our MAVIN and MOVIA S products, we remain actively engaged with global automotive OEMs in seven high-volume RFQs and custom development explorations for future passenger vehicle programs. With the size, power, and specifications of our lidar, combined with our integrated perception software, I believe we remain the solution frontrunner with automotive OEMs. Given automotive OEMs’ latest start-of-production timelines, the opportunity to ramp up significant recurring revenues in 2025 with our industrial customers puts MicroVision in the best position in the market. We remain the only multifaceted company with potential for significant revenues from the industrial segment starting in 2025 and much higher automotive revenues expected in the coming years.”

“With the announcement of this transaction, our overall debt obligation has now been reduced by $12.25 million in principal or over 27% of the convertible note. In addition, this new round of equity investment by our strategic financing partner provides up to $17 million in new equity capital and also defers a portion of the remaining repayments. This bolsters MicroVision’s balance sheet and positions it well with its ongoing customer engagements,” said Anubhav Verma, Chief Financial Officer of MicroVision, Inc. “We believe that our strong balance sheet and strategic financing partner help to competitively position MicroVision for today’s marketplace and business outlook.”

D. Boral Capital LLC and WestPark Capital, Inc. acted as co-lead agents for the transaction.

Key Terms of the Transactions

In connection with the $45 million senior secured convertible note issued by the Company on October 23, 2024, cash payments totaling approximately $9.6 million that would have been payable during the period from March 1, 2025 through May 1, 2025 will be converted into approximately 11.7 million shares of the Company’s common stock. In addition, pursuant to an agreement dated February 3, 2025, the note holder has agreed to defer payments due from June 1, 2025 to August 1, 2025, instead ratably allocating such payments to the payments due from September 1, 2025 through March 1, 2026. The Company and the note holder entered into a securities purchase agreement dated February 3, 2025 pursuant to which the Company issued approximately $8 million of shares of the Company’s common stock to the holder at a 12.5% discount to the market price and warrants to purchase up to an additional $9 million of common stock at an exercise price per share of $1.57, which warrants expire five years from the initial exercise date.

Disclosures

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

Additional information, including the full terms of the financing transaction, is available in the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by MicroVision with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About MicroVision

With offices in the U.S. and Germany, MicroVision is a pioneering company in MEMS-based laser beam scanning technology that integrates MEMS, lasers, optics, hardware, algorithms and machine learning software into its proprietary technology to address existing and emerging markets. The Company’s integrated approach uses its proprietary technology to provide automotive lidar sensors and solutions for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and for non-automotive applications including industrial, smart infrastructure and robotics. The Company has been leveraging its experience building augmented reality micro-display engines, interactive display modules, and consumer lidar modules.

For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.microvision.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/microvisioninc, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/microvision/.

MicroVision, MAVIN, MOSAIK, and MOVIA are trademarks of MicroVision, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release, including expected benefits and closing of financing transactions; customer engagement and the likelihood of success; opportunities for revenue and cash; market position; product volumes, performance and capabilities; and expected revenue, expenses and cash usage are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements include the risk its ability to operate with limited cash or to raise additional capital when needed; market acceptance of its technologies and products or for products incorporating its technologies; the failure of its commercial partners to perform as expected under its agreements; its financial and technical resources relative to those of its competitors; its ability to keep up with rapid technological change; government regulation of its technologies; its ability to enforce its intellectual property rights and protect its proprietary technologies; the ability to obtain customers and develop partnership opportunities; the timing of commercial product launches and delays in product development; the ability to achieve key technical milestones in key products; dependence on third parties to develop, manufacture, sell and market its products; potential product liability claims; its ability to maintain its listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market, and other risk factors identified from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports filed with the SEC. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the general or specific factors that may affect the Company. It should be recognized that other factors, including general economic factors and business strategies, may be significant, now or in the future, and the factors set forth in this release may affect the Company to a greater extent than indicated. Except as expressly required by federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in circumstances or any other reason.

Contact Us:

D. Boral Capital
590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Main Phone: +1 (212) 970-5150
www.dboralcapital.com
info@dboralcapital.com

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI: NXP Agrees to Acquire Edge AI Pioneer Kinara to Redefine the Intelligent Edge

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Enhances NXP’s leading processing portfolio with cutting edge NPUs and AI software, driving intelligent system solutions across the industrial and automotive edge markets.
Delivers high-performance neural network processing with advanced generative AI to create transformative edge use cases.
Establishes a scalable platform for AI-powered edge systems, combining NXP’s broad portfolio of processing, connectivity, security, and advanced analog solutions, with Kinara’s AI hardware and software.

EINDHOVEN, the Netherlands, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kinara, Inc., an industry leader in high performance, energy-efficient and programmable discrete neural processing units (NPUs). These devices enable a wide range of edge AI applications, including multi-modal generative AI models. The acquisition will be an all-cash transaction valued at $307 million and is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances.

The future of intelligent systems will require secure, cost-effective and energy efficient AI processing at the edge. As a result, the edge AI processing market is growing rapidly. Advanced AI at the edge enables critical decisions to be made locally and independently from the cloud, leading to faster responses, improved data privacy, and reduced costs.

Kinara’s innovative NPUs and comprehensive software enablement deliver energy-efficient AI performance across a range of neural networks, including conventional AI, as well as generative AI, to address the rapidly growing AI needs of industrial and automotive markets. The acquisition will enhance and strengthen NXP’s ability to provide complete and scalable AI platforms, from TinyML to generative AI, by bringing discrete NPUs and robust AI software to NXP’s portfolio of processors, connectivity, security, and advanced analog solutions.

As existing partners, Kinara and NXP make it easy to pair Kinara’s NPUs with NXP’s industry-leading portfolio of industrial and IoT processors. Together, the companies will create tighter integration of solutions to deliver scalable AI platforms for a variety of industrial and automotive AI inference needs.

“The industrial market is going through a transformation, with new innovations like generative AI helping to deliver major improvements in efficiency, sustainability, safety and predictability, and in many instances, unlock new use cases and functionality,” said Rafael Sotomayor, executive vice president and general manager, Secure Connected Edge at NXP. “Adding Kinara’s AI capabilities to our broad intelligent edge portfolio creates a scalable platform for new classes of AI-powered systems. Together, we can help our customers simplify complexity and accelerate time to market as they create transformative AI systems.”

Advancing Edge AI Innovation with Kinara Discrete NPUs
Kinara’s discrete NPUs, including the Ara-1 and Ara-2, are among the industry leaders in performance and power efficiency. This makes them the preferred solution for emerging AI applications in vision, voice, gesture, and a variety of other generative AI-powered multi-modal implementations. Both devices feature an innovative architecture that enables mapping of the inference graphs for efficient execution on Kinara’s programmable proprietary neural processing units for maximizing edge AI performance. This programmability ensures adaptability as AI algorithms continue to evolve from CNNs to generative AI and new approaches such as agentic AI in the future.

Ara-1 is the first generation discrete NPU, capable of advanced AI inferencing at the edge. Ara-2, capable of up to 40 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second), the second generation NPU, is optimized for achieving system-level high performance for generative AI. The Ara-1 and Ara-2 NPUs can be easily integrated with embedded systems to enhance their AI capabilities, including upgrading existing in-field systems.

Kinara also provides a complete software development kit enabling customers to optimize AI model performance and streamline the deployment. Kinara’s AI software portfolio includes extensive model libraries and model optimization tools, which will be integrated into NXP’s eIQ AI/ML software development environment to enable customers to quickly and easily create end-to-end AI systems.

Embedded World 2025
The combined innovations of NXP and Kinara will be on display at Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg. For more information, visit NXP.com/EmbeddedWorld or visit NXP’s Booth #4A-222.

Forward Looking Statements
This document includes forward-looking statements which include statements regarding NXP’s acquisition of Kinara, Inc. as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except for any ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by the United States federal securities laws, NXP does not have any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after NXP distributes this document, whether to reflect any future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a discussion of potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the risk factors and other cautionary statements included in NXP’s SEC filings. Copies of NXP’s SEC filings are available on NXP’s Investor Relation website, https://investors.nxp.com or from the SEC website, www.sec.gov.

About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in the automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communications infrastructure markets. NXP’s “Brighter Together” approach combines leading-edge technology with pioneering people to develop system solutions that make the connected world better, safer, and more secure. The company has operations in more than 30 countries and posted revenue of $12.61 billion in 2024. Find out more at www.nxp.com.

For more information, please contact:

Americas & Europe	Greater China / Asia
Phoebe Francis	Ming Yue
Tel: +1 737-274-8177	Tel: +86 21 2205 2690
Email: phoebe.francis@nxp.com	Email: ming.yue@nxp.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27fb23b7-451d-40a6-906f-9935570a1b44

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025

Category: Politics

Expectations

Reality

What does the US exit mean for Africa?

What’s going to be lost?

Which countries will be most affected?

What steps should African countries be taking?

Three ways China could benefit

Bumpy road ahead

Expectations

Reality

Three ways China could benefit

Bumpy road ahead

Black consumers and the fight for dignity

Competing for Black dollars

A linked fate

What causes aridity?

Global hot spots: Looming food security crises

The path forward

A double bind for LGBQ teens

Why more students may be identifying as LGBQ

The need for supportive school environments

What FEMA does

What FEMA aid looks like in a disaster

Which states would suffer most without FEMA?

What does this mean?

Love thy neighbor

Mortal and immortal

Love and modern moral thinking

Neighbors and fences

Transatlantic unity

Problems at home …

… and in its backyard

Losing influence and friends

Dirty tricks, diminishing returns

Wounded but still dangerous

Dmitry Chernyshenko at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

Dmitry Chernyshenko at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov at a meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government for the creation of advanced general education organizations

Meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government on the creation of advanced general education organizations

Meeting of the Coordination Council under the Government on the creation of advanced general education organizations

Curriculum vitae

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Perishing cold

Sheltering under sacks

‘Cold lunches were the order of the day’

Mini unions

The possibility of calm divorce

Lifelong suffering

What action needs to be taken?

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