Feed aggregator

Regulations, certifications, and logistics hinder business growth.

The EU-US Data Privacy Framework is also being seen increasingly as unviable.

The cement industry is ambitious to reach net zero by 2050, with over 100 decarbonisation projects underway. Success also depends on a Clean Industrial Deal that delivers regulatory certainty, CO2 infrastructure, funding clarity, and lead markets for low-carbon products.

Employment minister blasts finance chief for taxing minimum wage earners.

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 13 2025 (IPS)

The Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US government’s primary channel for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, is expected to have a devastating impact on the world’s developing nations.

The 2025 Budget Request, under the former Biden administration, amounted to a staggering $58.8 billion in US foreign aid for this year.

The proposed aid included funding to fully support the US priorities and commitments made at the U.S.-Africa Leader’s Summit in May last year.

The request also fulfills Biden’s pledge made at the U.S.-hosted Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to match $1 for every $2 contributed by other donors by providing $1.2 billion to the Global Fund.

And, according to the State Department, it was also expected to advance U.S. leadership by providing sustained funding for the Pandemic Fund to enhance global preparedness against infectious disease threats.

But all these commitments will have to be abandoned– or drastically scaled back– with the elimination of USAID and with over 10,000 of its staffers laid-off worldwide, leaving only about 290 positions—with US employees asked to return home.

Credit: J. Countess/Getty Images

According to a frontpage story in the New York Times February 11, critics of Trump’s executive orders say these orders “will cause a humanitarian catastrophe and undermine America’s influence, reliability and global standing.”

The Times said the US spent nearly $72 billion on foreign assistance in 2023, including spending by USAID and the State Department. As a percentage of its economic output, the US—which has the world’s largest economy—gives much less in foreign aid than other developed countries.

USAID spent about $38 billion on health services, disaster relief, anti-poverty efforts and other programs in 2023—about 0.7 percent of the federal budget.

Dr James E. Jennings, President, Conscience International, told IPS the Draconian cuts to USAID are already having global repercussions.

For two billionaires– one of whom is allegedly the richest person in the world– to take bread from the mouths of multitudes of children throughout the global south is not just uncaring–it is cruelty personified, he pointed out.

“International aid is more than numbers on a balance sheet. It impacts people in desperate need for their next meal, safe drinking water, a place to sleep, or emergency medical aid”.

Washington’s USAID program costs only 1.2% of the federal budget, according to the Pew Research Center. Much of it benefits refugees and displaced persons worldwide.

“Today they number more than ever before in history, totaling almost 100 million people. Cutting support for health programs, especially Malaria eradication and AIDS/SIDA treatment and prevention is simply madness, because deadly diseases eventually reach everybody’s neighborhood,” said Dr Jennings.

Not since President Franklin Roosevelt arrived in the White House in 1932, he said, has a chief executive issued so many directives. There is a huge difference, however.

“FDR’s actions were to benefit people, lift them out of poverty, provide jobs and improve life.”
Even if the massive federal government needs reform and border controls strengthened, something most Americans support, Trump’s actions are intended to strengthen plutocrats like himself, cut services to the American people, including veterans, and eliminate programs to help struggling populations in the rest of the world.

Such has always been the behavior of autocrats, not to mention would-be tyrants, declared Dr Jennings.

In an oped piece this week, Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, a retired professor of international relations, most recently at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University (NYU), wrote “witnessing the devastating impact of Trump’s executive order to freeze almost all foreign aid is heartbreaking”.

His decision has left millions of vulnerable children without access to lifesaving food across the globe. Over 1.2 million people in Sudan who were supported by US-funded programs are now left without access to food, essential medicine, and clean water, which they need to survive.

“The consequences are equally devastating in refugee camps in Ethiopia, where 3,000 malnourished children relied on US-supported efforts through Action Against Hunger. Trump’s inhumane decision is not just heartless; it shatters the very ideals of compassion and leadership that once defined the United States”.

A nation that once led the charge in fighting hunger and saving lives is now, under Trump’s savage assault, abandoning millions of innocent children to starvation and inevitable death. His wanton action demeans rather than preserves America’s greatness, said Dr Ben-Meir.

According to the Times, there are more than 30 “frozen studies”, including:
• Malaria treatment in children under age 5 in Mozambique
• Treatment for cholera in Bangladesh
• A screen-and-treat method for cervical cancer in Malawi
• Tuberculosis treatment for children in Peru and South Africa
• Nutritional support for children in Ethiopia
• Early-childhood-development interventions in Cambodia

Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State and acting Administrator of USAID, was quoted as saying:
“The United States is not walking away from foreign aid. It’s not.”

“But it has to be programs we can defend. It has to be programs we can explain and it has to be programs we can justify. Otherwise, we do endanger foreign aid.”

Meanwhile, justifying the decision to shut down USAID, the White house said in an official statement that for decades, USAID “has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight”.

The few examples of “waste and abuse” cited by the White House included the following:

$1.5 million to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities”
$70,000 for production of a “DEI musical” in Ireland
$2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam
$47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia
$32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru
$2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala
$6 million to fund tourism in Egypt
Hundreds of thousands of dollars for a non-profit linked to designated terrorist organizations — even AFTER an inspector general launched an investigation
Millions to EcoHealth Alliance — which was involved in research at the Wuhan lab
“Hundreds of thousands of meals that went to al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria”
Funding to print “personalized” contraceptives birth control devices in developing countries
Hundreds of millions of dollars to fund “irrigation canals, farming equipment, and even fertilizer used to support the unprecedented poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan,” benefiting the Taliban

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Bolojan has 90 days to reshape the Presidential Administration.

Those arriving by small boat or concealed vehicle will be denied citizenship.

The separatist Süd-Tiroler Freiheit party, which has been climbing the polls, put out a campaign poster showing a pair of feet on a morgue table with a sign reading: "The doctor didn't know German".

Still, a front-row seat among Europe’s far-right greats remains a distant prospect for Weidel.

According to the French authorities, the main objective of the meeting is "to develop a strategy with the Syrians to coordinate international aid" and define "the modalities for delivering this aid on the ground".

Euractiv sat down with Tilly Metz, the vice-president of the Health Committee, to learn about her priorities.

“Big brands can negotiate prices even two years in advance,” said Grimonpon. “We can’t do that - we don’t have the volume or the market power to secure better deals.”

The CDU’s plans to cut taxes could create a budget gap of €110 billion, economists warn.

The EU Commission could sue countries that load their own rules on top of regulations made in Brussels.

Price increases feel all the more painful when households allocate a larger share of their income to food.

In this episode, host Giada Santana and Bucharest-based Global Focus think thank director Oana Popescu – Zamfir analyse the supermarket boycott phenomenon, and the road ahead the Romanian election.

One lawyer said the Strasbourg court's order to draw up a comprehensive strategy for the "Land of Fires" region was the first concrete order of its kind in an environmental case.

Emirats Arabes Unis –12 Fev, 2025 – La Fondation Tony Elumelu (TEF), la principale organisation philanthropique qui émancipe les jeunes entrepreneurs africains des 54 pays africains, a signé aujourd'hui un accord de partenariat stratégique de 6millions de dollars américains avec le Bureau des affaires de développement des Émirats arabes unis et la Fondation Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (une filiale d'Erth Zayed) pour fournir une formation commerciale, un mentorat, un accès à des réseaux et un capital de démarrage non remboursable de 5 000 dollars. à 1 000 jeunes entrepreneurs africains supplémentaires.

L'accord signé lors du Sommet mondial des gouvernements par le fondateur de TEF, Tony O. Elumelu, et le directeur général de la Fondation Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Son Excellence Mohamed Haji Al Khoori, témoigne de l'engagement commun des deux organisations à favoriser l'autonomisation économique et l'entrepreneuriat à travers l'Afrique.

Dans le cadre de ce partenariat, la Fondation Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan tirera parti de l'expertise et de la capacité d'exécution de la Fondation Tony Elumelu pour catalyser l'entrepreneuriat par le biais du programme d'entrepreneuriat Tony Elumelu, qui a été le pionnier de la formation en gestion d'entreprise, du mentorat et du financement en capital pour les entrepreneurs africains. La Fondation Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, une organisation philanthropique distinguée, affiliée à Erth Zayed, s'engage depuis longtemps dans des projets humanitaires et de développement, axés sur l'éducation, les soins de santé, l'autonomisation économique et le développement des entreprises.

« L'autonomisation des entrepreneurs n'est pas seulement un impératif moral, mais aussi un investissement stratégique dans l'avenir de l'Afrique. En fournissant l'accès nécessaire au capital, au mentorat et aux ressources, nous libérons le potentiel des talents entrepreneuriaux de l'Afrique, éradiquons la pauvreté, favorisons l'autonomie et ouvrons la voie à une croissance inclusive et à la prospérité sur le continent.

Ce partenariat entre la Fondation Tony Elumelu et la Fondation Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan reflète non seulement notre vision commune de l'autonomisation de la prochaine génération de chefs d'entreprise africains, mais créera également un effet d'entraînement de transformation économique sur le continent », a déclaré Tony Elumelu.

Son Excellence Mohamed Haji Al Khoori a ajouté : « La mission d'Erth Zayed est de favoriser des partenariats efficaces qui stimulent les progrès humanitaires et de développement. Soutenir les jeunes entrepreneurs africains s'inscrit dans notre objectif de renforcer les économies et de créer des entreprises durables qui améliorent les communautés.

Depuis le lancement du programme d'entrepreneuriat TEF en 2015, la Fondation Tony Elumelu a permis à jusqu'à 2,5 millions de jeunes Africains d'accéder à des formations sur son centre numérique, TEFConnect, et a versé plus de 100 millions de dollars US en financement direct à plus de 21 000 femmes et hommes africains, qui ont collectivement créé plus de 1,5 million d'emplois directs et indirects. Grâce à ses initiatives, la Fondation Tony Elumelu a sorti 2 millions d'Africains de la pauvreté. En plus de ses programmes autofinancés, TEF travaille avec des partenaires internationaux tels que l'UE, le PNUD, le CICR et la Fondation Ikea. Le partenariat avec la Fondation Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan est le premier avec une philanthropie basée dans le Golfe et représente un nouvel exemple des liens forts, d'investissement, diplomatiques et culturels entre le CCG et l'Afrique.

La Fondation Tony Elumelu accepte actuellement les candidatures de jeunes entrepreneurs de toute l'Afrique ayant des idées commerciales innovantes ou d'entreprises existantes datant de moins de cinq ans sur TEFConnect. Les entrepreneurs africains sont encouragés à postuler à des initiatives pour recevoir de la formation, du mentorat, l'accès à des réseaux et du financement. La date limite pour postuler est le 1er mars 2025.

Visitez la page d'impact du TEF et les histoires de réussite africaines pour en savoir plus sur l'impact de la Fondation Tony Elumelu à travers le continent, ainsi que sur les initiatives menées par les anciens bénéficiaires du programme d'entrepreneuriat du TEF.

Americas Lockheed Martin and Boeing are in a competition to build new military communication satellites for the US Space Force. Both companies have successfully passed early design reviews, allowing them to proceed to the next stage. Lockheed Martin emphasized its use of advanced digital technology and collaboration, creating a reprogrammable payload processor, and its design surpassed expectations. Boeing completed its design review in December 2024, leveraging its existing 702MP satellite platform used by the Space Force. The goal is to expand the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) with two new satellites by 2030, enhancing secure military communications. Momentus has secured a $3.5 million contract from DARPA to support the NOM4D program, which focuses on building large-scale structures in space. The company will use its Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle to demonstrate in-orbit assembly technologies in low-Earth orbit. This mission, scheduled for early 2026, aims to validate the performance of space-optimized structures like antennas and solar arrays, advancing capabilities for future Department of Defense systems. Middle East & Africa A tragic accident has claimed the life of an Air Force of Zimbabwe student pilot during a training mission near Gweru. Air Lieutenant Nesbert Tambudza was killed when his Karakorum-8 (K-8) jet trainer […]

The US president is ratcheting up pressure on South Africa over its domestic and foreign policy.