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In a bid to promote reading skills, the Danish government has announced it will abolish VAT on books - which at 25 percent is currently the highest in Europe. Danish media are delighted and hope that lower prices will boost reading among the population. In Finland, on the other hand, VAT on books was raised from 10 to 14 percent at the start of the year - a step which has drawn much criticism.

Le gouvernement de la République du Niger a adressé ses remerciements au gouvernement béninois pour la solidarité et la promptitude dont il a fait preuve lors de l'accident du bus de la compagnie STM sur le fleuve Ouémé à Glazoué dans la nuit du dimanche 16 au lundi 17 août 2025. La motion de remerciements en date du jeudi 21 août 2025, est signé du ministère des Affaires étrangères, de la coopération et des Nigériens à l'extérieur.

La lettre de remerciements du Niger
Le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, de la Coopération et des Nigériens à l'Extérieur de la République du Niger adresse ses vifs et sincères remerciements au Gouvernement de la République du Bénin pour sa solidarité, et pour toute l'assistance apportée, à l'occasion de l'accident de la route survenu, dans la nuit du 16 au 17 Août 2025, sur le pont du fleuve Ouémé, au Bénin.
Le Ministère remercie tout particulièrement les autorités compétentes béninoises pour la diligence et la forte mobilisation dont elles ont fait montre dans la mise en œuvre du dispositif de secours.
En attendant de connaître les conclusions de l'enquête sur les causes de cette tragédie, le Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, de la Coopération et des Nigériens à Extérieur de la République du Niger tient à exprimer la bonne appréciation du Gouvernement et du peuple nigériens pour les efforts consentis par le Gouvernement de la République du Bénin.

Décédé à l'âge de 39 ans et inhumé ce 21 août 2025, Razack Omotoyossi, l'ex attaquant vedette des Ecureuils, laisse une veuve et quatre enfants. Qui est Bosè Alao Omotoyossi, l'actrice devenue veuve de l'ex international béninois ?

Agée de 40 ans, Bosè Alao est une figure bien connue du cinéma nigérian. Actrice à Nollywood, elle a joué dans plusieurs films. Elle est connue pour Wrong Romance (2022), Basket Case (2019) et Apeka (2021).

Mais derrière la lumière, il y a aussi une femme, une mère. Elle partageait la vie de Razack Omotoyossi.

Le couple s'était marié jeune. Très vite, Bosè avait mis sa carrière entre parenthèses. Elle a choisi de se consacrer à son foyer. Bosè et Razack ont vécu des tensions, une séparation, puis une reconnection.

Devenue veuve le 19 août, Bosè va devoir élever seule les quatre enfants qu'elle a eus avec la légende du football béninois, Omotoyossi.
M. M.

In 1980, the country voted to phase out nuclear power but today a political majority supports expanding it as part of efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels

Az Air Base blogon márciusban bemutatott, igen sikeres SH-3 Sea King helikopter történetéhez két másik típus is kötődik. Nem meglepő, hiszen a Sikorsky konstrukciója annyira a víz feletti üzemeltetésre termett, hogy adta magát egy kisebb és egy nagyobb kutató-mentő változat kifejlesztése is.

Amikor az Egyesült Államok Parti Őrsége (USCG – United States Coast Guard) az 1950-es évek második felében a forgószárnyas géppark cseréje mellett döntött, az új helikopterrel szemben megfogalmazott legfőbb követelmény a gázturbinás meghajtás és az úszóképesség volt. A dugattyús motorról gázturbinás hajtóműre való átállás mondhatni időszerű volt, az úszóképesség pedig egy új mentési eljárás miatt lett fontos. Akkoriban a parti őrség helikopterein nem volt szakképzett vízimentő, aki a vízbe ugorva segít a bajbajutottnak és az illetőt a gép fedélzeti technikusa csörlő segítségével emelhette a fedélzetre. A vízreszállásra alkalmas helikopterrel egy új eljárást alkalmazhattak és a mentett személyt egyszerűen behúzhatták a helikopterbe. Ez a képesség egy nyíltvízi kényszerleszállás esetén is jól jöhetett, mert a helikopter úszóképes maradt, időt adva a személyzetnek a gépelhagyásra, ráadásul szerencsés esetben a forgószárnyast bevontathatták egy közeli kikötőbe vagy a partra. Ugyanakkor bármilyen céllal is szállt vízre egy helikopter, ezt csak jó időben tehette meg. A vízen úszó gépet erős szél és már viszonylag csekély hullámzás esetén is borulásra hajlamossá tette, hogy a törzs felett elhelyezett hajtómű(vek) és a forgószárnyrendszer tömege miatt a súlypontja magasan volt. Az amerikai parti őrség történetében két olyan típus volt, amelyek megfeleltek az ötvenes évek végén megfogalmazott elvárásoknak, évtizedekig szolgálták az életmentést és amelyekről igen ritkán esik szó.

[...] Bővebben!

Jozef Ráž (Smer-jelölt) közlekedési miniszter pénteki (8. 22.) sajtótájékoztatója

Le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères, Sergueï Lavrov, a exclu le déploiement de troupes étrangères en Ukraine dans le cadre d’un accord de paix — un refus qui pourrait faire échouer les efforts pour mettre fin à la guerre.

The post La Russie exclut tout déploiement militaire étranger en Ukraine appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Pour l'Ukraine, perdre l'ouest de Donetsk signifierait la chute d'un rempart contre toute future avancée russe.

TASR: A Wizz Air fogja működtetni a Pozsony-Kassa repülőjáratot, az első gép novemberben száll fel. Az Airbus A321/A32O-as gépek összesen 230 utast szállíthatnak. Az állami támogatás összege maximum 5,2 millió euró lesz, a kezdetben becsült 9 millió euró helyett – jelentette be pénteki (8. 22) sajtótájékoztatóján Jozef Ráž (Smer-jelölt) közlekedésügyi miniszter. A gép indulása előtt 40 perccel kell kiérni a repülőtérre.

Dans leur déclaration commune publiée jeudi 21 août, Bruxelles et Washington précisent certains aspects de l’accord commercial conclu en juillet. Cependant, plusieurs engagements dans le domaine numérique restent flous.

The post Accord UE-États-Unis : dans le domaine numérique, certains points restent flous appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Rövid időn belül harmadszor érte támadás a Barátság-kőolajvezetéket az orosz-belorusz határnál – közölte a magyar külügyér. Szijjártó Péter szerint ez egy "újabb kísérlet arra, hogy belerángassanak minket a háborúba". Denisa Saková, szlovák gazdasági miniszter rövid Facebook-bejegyzésben adott hírt az este az eseményről.

Az Energiaügyi Minisztérium által a Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal, mint Lebonyolító útján meghirdetett „Energetikai kutatás-fejlesztési projektek támogatása” című pályázati felhívás célja, hogy a hazai piacról még hiányzó innovatív energiatechnológiai fejlesztéseket ösztönözze.

Pénzcentrum: Alig változott a forint árfolyama péntek (8. 22.) reggelre a nemzetközi devizapiacon. Az euró jegyzése reggel hét órakor 396,30 forinton állt az előző esti 396,91 forint után, a dollár jegyzése szinte nem változott, 342,08 forint 342,07 forint után, a svájci franké pedig 422,20 forintra csökkent 423,07-ről. (MTI)

Un haut fonctionnaire de l’UE a confirmé jeudi 21 août qu’il fallait s’attendre à d’autres « exclusions » tarifaires, étant donné que les États-Unis s’intéressent à « certains systèmes d’armement » et aux semi-conducteurs.

The post La défense ne sera pas épargnée par les tarifs douaniers de Donald Trump appeared first on Euractiv FR.

A Szlovák Tudományos Akadémia (SAV) elemzése Oskar Dvořák (PS) parlamenti képviselő szerint csak bebizonyította, amit a szakemberek és a laikusok is régóta tudtak – a vakcinák teljes mértékben biztonságosak. Dvořák a téveszméket és álhíreket terjesztő Peter Kotlár kormánybiztos leváltását követeli a kabinettől.

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Emergency Relief Coordinator, speaks at the Commemoration Ceremony for World Humanitarian Day 2025, held at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: UN Photo/Violaine Martin

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 22 2025 (IPS)

World Humanitarian Day (August 19) honors humanitarian aid workers, raises public awareness for humanitarian crises, and advocate for strengthened international cooperation. Through this year’s theme, A Call to #ActForHumanity, the United Nations underscored the need for increased funding for lifesaving humanitarian missions, stronger protections for aid personnel, and accountability for violations of international law.

“Humanitarian workers are the last lifeline for over 300 million people caught in conflict or disaster,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Yet funding for that lifeline is drying up. And those who provide humanitarian aid are increasingly under attack…On this World Humanitarian Day, let’s honour the fallen with action: To protect every aid worker – and invest in their safety. To stop the lies that cost lives. To strengthen accountability and bring perpetrators to justice. To end arms flows to parties that violate international law”.

According to figures from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 2024 marked a record high for the number of humanitarian personnel deaths to date, with 383 killed while in the line of duty or in their homes. Another 308 workers were injured, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained. Compared to the previous year, violence against aid workers rose significantly across 21 countries, with government forces being the most common perpetrators.

Humanitarian experts have expressed concern over the sharp rise in attacks targeting humanitarian workers in 2025, with an estimated 265 killed as of August 14. CARE International reports that this represents a 50 percent increase compared to the same period last year, warning that 2025 could surpass 2024’s record death toll if the trend continues.

“Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy…Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end.”

According to figures from CARE, in 2025, roughly 97 percent of the killed aid workers were national staff. Since 2022, the number of aid workers killed annually has doubled, with this being largely attributed to increased attacks from the Israeli military in Gaza. In 2025, approximately 180 aid workers were killed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory alone.

Palestinian aid workers have not only faced targeted attacks but, like the rest of the population, struggle to access essential services, such as food, water and healthcare. Olga Cherevko from OCHA stated that aid workers in Palestine have “lost everything and several times over”, and face exhaustion from being overstretched and maneuvering in dangerous conditions. Additionally, many aid workers have reported facing significant access challenges due to hostilities. Samah, a malnutrition expert working for CARE in Deir Al-Balah described being unable to commute to work due to the threat of sniper fire at critical checkpoints.

Yuliia Hladka, Programme Manager at Winds of Change in Ukraine, stated that aid workers in Ukraine face regular threats of kidnapping and torture, with many also experiencing “profound psychological exhaustion”. Hladka added that aid workers in Ukraine also face risks of shellings, limited evacuation options during attacks, and increased surveillance. Female aid workers in Ukraine face heightened risks of harassment, which greatly impedes their ability to help children and victims of gender-based violence.

“We are witnessing a disturbing trend of blatant violations of international humanitarian law,” said Deepmala Mahla, CARE’s Global Humanitarian Director. “The perpetrators must be held to account, as well as the world leaders who have consistently failed to take sufficient action to prevent these attacks… Attempts to prevent humanitarians from doing our jobs are not only death sentences for aid staff but also for the people we are trying to assist”.

The UN emphasizes the importance of humanitarian assistance today, with many countries facing critical turning points in their humanitarian crises. The efficacy of humanitarian assistance is often challenged by the unpredictability of conflict zones, as well as numerous funding cuts and a vast, expanding scale of needs.

“Everyone’s still showing up (to work), but courage alone and commitment alone isn’t going to feed people, isn’t going to save people,” said Cherevko on the crisis in Gaza. “What we need is, again, a permanent ceasefire. We need political solutions to this conflict and a resolution to this crisis.”

According to the 2025 edition of OCHA’s Global Humanitarian Overview, approximately 305.1 million people in 72 countries rely on humanitarian assistance for survival. Roughly 4 out of 5 of all civilian deaths in conflict hotspots occurred in countries that have submitted humanitarian appeals. With food insecurity, displacement, and disease running rampant in these regions, it is imperative that there is a coordinated and unimpeded humanitarian response. For 2025, the UN has appealed for over 47 billion USD to assist over 190 million people in 72 countries.

Due to severe funding shortfalls from budget cuts, many lifesaving programs have been forced to scale back their efforts or prioritize the most urgent populations, leaving significant gaps unattended. Additionally, the lack of funding severely restricts flexibility in humanitarian responses, with strategies for anticipated emergencies and flash appeals being the most affected.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Least Developed Countries account for less than 1 percent of world trade. Credit: Ali Mkumbwa/Unsplash

By Deodat Maharaj
GEBZE, Türkiye, Aug 22 2025 (IPS)

Artificial intelligence and the use of frontier technologies are already transforming trade and boosting prosperity, particularly for developed and some developing countries. This ranges from the digital exchange of documents, the digitalisation of trade processes and leveraging online platforms to fast-track cross-border trade.

The rapid adoption of new technologies will further consolidate the dominance of world trade by developed economies, which currently account for roughly 74 percent of global trade, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The world’s 44 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), with a population of an estimated 1.4 billion people, are seeing a different trajectory altogether. According to the World Trade Organisation, they account for less than 1 percent of the world’s merchandise trade. LDCs continue to reel from the relentless onslaught of bad news, including increased protectionist barriers.

Deodat Maharaj, Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries.

UNCTAD has estimated that tariffs on LDCs will have a devastating consequence, possibly leading to an estimated 54 percent reduction in the exports from the world’s poorest countries.

In this dire situation, exacerbated by declining overseas development assistance, what does an LDC do to survive in this difficult trade environment?

To start with, they must continue to advocate globally for fairer terms of trade. At the same time, they need to be more aggressive in addressing matters for which they have control. Otherwise, the status quo will leave their people in a perpetually disadvantageous situation. Imagine paying three times more than your competitors just to ship a single crate of goods across a border. For millions of entrepreneurs in the world’s LDCs, it is the everyday cost of doing business. Technology offers a way out in reducing these high costs.

Indeed, when the international community gathered in Sevilla for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in July 2025, one truth stood out: Technology is no longer a luxury—it is a prerequisite for effective participation in global trade. The outcome document was clear that for the world’s 44 LDCs, bridging infrastructure gaps, building domestic technological capacity, and leveraging science, technology, and innovation are vital to unlocking trade opportunities.

So, given the challenges and opportunities, what forms the core elements of an action agenda for LDCs to leverage trade to generate jobs and opportunities for their people?

Firstly, there is a need to pivot to digital solutions, which can dramatically reduce trade costs and open new markets. According to the World Bank, paperless customs and single-window systems have been proven to cut clearance times by up to 50 percent, reducing bureaucracy that stifles commerce. In Benin, automating port procedures reduced processing time from 18 days to just three days (World Bank). E-commerce platforms, when paired with secure payment systems and targeted training, have shown remarkable potential.

Secondly, invest in digital infrastructure. The data suggest that LDCs still have a lot of catching up to do. The solution is for development partners and the international financial institutions to steer more resources in this area with a fixed percentage of resources, say, 15 percent of a country’s portfolio dedicated to boosting digital infrastructure.

Thirdly, focus on value addition and reduce transition away from the export of raw commodities. This in turn requires the human resource capacity to spur innovation and creativity. Boosting investment in research and development can pay rich dividends.

According to the World Economic Forum, LDCs invest less than 1 percent of GDP in research and development compared to developed countries. The Republic of Korea invests 4%.

Finally, for LDCs to enter the technological age, their businesses must lead the way. It is difficult to do so in some countries like Burundi, where internet penetration is a mere 5 percent of the population. The average internet penetration is around 38 percent. So, in addition to digital infrastructure, support must be provided to micro-, small and medium-scale enterprises to benefit from the opportunities provided by technology to boost trade, thereby creating jobs and opportunities. This includes the establishment of incubators to support this business sector, boosting their technological capacities to trade and profile their businesses on digital platforms, and helping them to deliver services created by the digital economy. Rwanda has been a pioneer in this regard.

Of course, technology alone will not address all the challenges faced by LDCs. However, by delivering cost-efficient solutions, it can help level the playing field and drive transformation. It is time for the international community and development partners to back their words with action in helping LDCs advance this agenda. Since LDCs represent an emerging market of 1.4 billion people, when they rise, everyone else will rise with them.

Deodat Maharaj, a national of Trinidad and Tobago is the Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries and can be reached at: deodat.maharaj@un.org

 

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