Latest news with #DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo
Forbes
4 days ago
- General
- Forbes
What It Takes To Support Children Fleeing Violence In Eastern DRC
UNICEF is on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working with local partners to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of children and families reeling from months of violent conflict, displacement and related horrors. Community social worker Bienfait of Masisi territory in North Kivu is one of those partners. Learn how he is making a difference, reuniting children who become separated from their families and providing other forms of support, all with UNICEF's help. Bienfait, a father of seven, has been a social worker with a UNICEF partner organization in eastern DRC since 2020, helping to reunite children separated from their families by the ongoing conflict and displacement crisis. Bienfait, whose name is the French expression meaning 'well done,'' lives alone in his home community in North Kivu province; the rest of the family fled to escape escalating violence. © UNICEF 2025/Nelson Many months of violent conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have displaced families and disrupted critical health, education and other services and systems, intensifying risks to children's safety and well-being. When fighting forces families to flee, it is all too easy for children to become separated from their parents and caregivers in the chaos. It is in times like these that the efforts of individuals like Bienfait, a community social worker in Masisi territory, North Kivu, become more critical than ever. With support from UNICEF, Bienfait has helped reunite families torn apart by violence and displacement. "As a member of the community, he knows who everybody is," says Judith, a community psychologist who works alongside Bienfait. Together, they work to identify unaccompanied and separated children, reunite them with caregivers and make sure they get the psychological care they need. Bienfait also helps organize hikes and other activities for children and young people to help relieve the stress of living in a conflict zone. Family tracing and psychosocial support services remain essential child protection interventions in the DRC — but cuts in foreign aid are putting these vital efforts at risk. This intimate glimpse into Bienfait's life and day-to-day activities highlights his strong ties to the community and the growing strain felt by many following recent reductions in international aid funding: UNICEF's emergency response in the DRC relies on ongoing collaborations with local partners — and individuals like Bienfait — to meet a range of needs. UNICEF-supported mobile health and nutrition teams are on the ground delivering lifesaving support including vaccinations. UNICEF is also providing safe water through emergency water trucking and rehabilitating water systems to mitigate heightened risks of disease outbreaks. Learn more about how UNICEF supports and protects children in the DRC Helping displaced children continue their education is another top priority. Earlier this spring, UNICEF staff helped thousands of secondary school students sit their exams so they could avoid having to repeat the year. UNICEF also supports children released from armed groups. Many are placed with foster families and connected with services that help them reintegrate into society and get back to being kids. All of these efforts face critical funding shortfalls. 'If the funding crisis isn't urgently addressed, hundreds of thousands of children in eastern DRC will miss out on screening and treatment for malnutrition, lifesaving medicines and vaccines, safe drinking water and psychosocial support," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement before the UN Security Council on April 16, 2025. There is hope, however. "What gives me hope: the children, the social workers, the young people and the health workers of the DRC," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said after visiting the DRC in April. 'The skilled and compassionate social workers — rooted in the community — are the backbone of UNICEF's response," Elder said. "Day by day, they accompany survivors, stitching together safety, dignity and justice ... What they need is opportunity. That's the spark. But for opportunity to light real change, it must come with peace, and with funding.' Your contribution to UNICEF is more important than ever. Please donate. Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
The Herald
13-06-2025
- The Herald
'Logistical challenges' delay SANDF soldiers' midday arrival: Motshekga
Defence and military veterans minister Angie Motshekga says the midday arrival of the first group of South African National Defence Force troops who were deployed to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been delayed due to technical and logistical challenges. The group included 249 troops due to arrive from Tanzania. They were part of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Mission in the DRC. Motshekga said the troops were expected to fly from Tanzania and their latest estimated arrival was Saturday morning. 'The indication is the arrival has been delayed due to technical and logistical challenges with the contracted airline. We have been assured they are on board and will arrive any time today [Friday] or tomorrow [Saturday].' Sadc, which is facilitating the flights, had challenges with the contracting airline company.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on after they became best friends
MUHAMMAD ALI would still tease George Foreman about their Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on - after the pair became inseparable. Ali famously defeated Foreman in Zaire - now the Democratic Republic of the Congo - in 1974 with over ONE BILLION viewers watching worldwide. 5 And he did so using his famous rope-a-dope tactic - allowing Foreman to punch himself out before winning in round eight. The build-up was bitter and the rivalry carried on post-fight to lead to what was an expected rematch. But after Foreman claimed to have died in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1976 - he found God and retired. It also paved the way for Foreman to form a brotherhood with Ali - up until the boxing great's death in 2016. Ali's grandson, MMA star Biaggio, told SunSport: "My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time. "The only memory I have with George myself was from my grandfather's 70th birthday party. "We met George there, I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was. "I had seen the fight with him and Poppy and I was like, 'Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.' "He was such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth and of just a very successful businessman at that point too. "So, really, that's like the only memory I have from George, but I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close." Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns - but he was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later. Although that did not stop the quick-witted sports great from throwing verbal jabs to his rival-turned-friend Foreman. Biaggio, 26, revealed: "Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things. "It's crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' "Certain things like that I would reminisce in my head and then at the same time I'm like, 'But you're just my grandpa.' It was a very strange feeling my whole life really. "But yeah, they definitely had some banter, you know, Poppy was a jokester, he's always joking." Foreman made a comeback in 1987 after ten years out and became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time aged 46. I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' Biaggio Ali Walsh But the multimillionaire businessman - who made over £150million through his cooking grills - died in March at 76. Ali meanwhile passed nearly ten years prior but Biaggio - an unbeaten MMA fighter and brother Nico a professional boxer - continue on the legacy. Middleweight Nico has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 boxing bouts while Biaggio - a former American football prospect - is 2-0 in the cage. Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns on June 27 in Chicago - but wants to compete all over the world - like his grandfather before him. He said: "I wanna just fight. So, anywhere it is, that'd be great. "And I think it's cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I'd never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there. "That's what's so cool about this job, you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to. "All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL." 5 5
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Fact Finding
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Fact Finding Constructor: Catherine Cetta Editor: Amanda Rafkin GONG (1A: ___ bath (meditation practice that involves healing vibrations)) As is suggested by its name, a GONG bath involves being immersed in sound produced by GONGs. They are touted as promoting deep relaxation and stress relief, as well as enhanced creativity. ETTA (9A: "Tell Mama" singer James) "Tell Mama" is the title song from ETTA James' seventh studio album, released in 1968. The song was one of the biggest hits of ETTA James' career, but in her 2003 memoir, the singer confessed that she never cared for the song. OREO (13A: Cookie with a Double Stuf variety) Our crossword friend OREO is making its first June appearance and its 14th appearance of 2025. APES (14A: Bonobos and orangutans) Bonobos are an endangered species of great APE that live in an area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Orangutans are a red-haired species of great APE that spend most of their time in trees. They are found in Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. LITTLE CAT FEET (19A: Metaphor for fog's silent arrival, in a Carl Sandburg poem) "Fog" is a poem by Carl Sandburg that was first published in 1916. "The fog comes / on LITTLE CAT FEET / It sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on." My cat, Willow, says, "Hey, I have LITTLE CAT FEET!" HOP (24A: Sock ___ ('60s dance movement)) Sock HOPs were dances that were often held in school gymnasiums. The dances earned their name because dancers were required to remove their shoes in order to avoid damaging the gyms' varnished floors. I remember going to a sock HOP when I was in junior high school. That wasn't in the '60s though – it was 1977. ALASKA (28A: Denali's state) Denali is a mountain in the Alaskan Range and is the centerpiece of Denali National Park in ALASKA. With a summit elevation of 20,310 feet, Denali is the highest mountain in North America. AMINO (33A: ___ acids (molecules that combine to form proteins)) Over 500 AMINO acids (organic compounds containing AMINO and carboxylic acid groups) exist in nature. Only 22 of these AMINO acids are proteinogenic, that is, incorporated into proteins as directed by the genetic code of organisms. As proteins are the building blocks of muscles, AMINO acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, are necessary for muscle growth. Hooray for science in the crossword! IGA (48A: Tennis star Swiatek) IGA Świątek, a professional tennis player from Poland, won the French Open in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and the U.S. Open in 2022. GOBLIN (1D: Green ___ (Spider-Man villain)) In Marvel Comics, the alias, Green GOBLIN, has been used by at least four different supervillains, the first of which was Norman Osborne. The Green GOBLIN's superpowers (and insanity) are chemically induced, the result of ingesting Goblin formula, an unstable performance-enhancing serum. The weapons used by GREEN GOBLIN resemble bats, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns. EPIC (6D: "Beowulf," e.g.) Beowulf is an English EPIC poem dating to between 700-1000 CE. Its author is unknown. Beowulf, named for its hero, is one of the most often translated works of Old English literature. XENA (7D: TV's warrior princess) XENA is the title character of the TV show XENA: Warrior Princess, which originally aired from 1995 to 2001. Lucy Lawless portrayed XENA. ALEX (15D: Two-time Women's World Cup champion Morgan) ALEX Morgan is a former professional soccer player. She played for a number of teams during her career, including NWSL's San Diego Wave FC (2022-2024). ALEX Morgan also played on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, and was a part of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning teams. I have previously written about her "sipping tea" goal celebration at the 2019 World Cup. Fun fact: In the 2018 movie: ALEX & Me, ALEX Morgan plays a fictionalized version of herself. PAD (26D: ___ see ew) PAD see ew is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish. We have seen this dish a couple of times recently in clues for the word "Thai." RARITY (43D: Black sheep or blue lobster, for example) I wasn't able to find specific data about the RARITY of black sheep, but I found a couple of sources that said a blue lobster is a one in 2 million occurrence. That is indeed a RARITY. TAPAS (50D: Chopitos and croquetas, e.g.) TAPAS are a variety of appetizers or snacks that are popular in Spanish cuisine. Chopitos are battered and fried cuttlefish (baby squid). Croquetas are a type of fried dumpling made of a thick batter surrounding a filling. NEMO (52D: "Finding Dory" fish) Finding Dory is a 2016 animated movie that is a sequel and a spin-off of the 2003 movie Finding NEMO. A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed: YELP (64A: "You stepped on my foot!" sound) TSK TSK (8D: "I disapprove!" sound) LITTLE CAT FEET (19A: Metaphor for fog's silent arrival, in a Carl Sandburg poem) I CAN'T FACE IT (36A: "This is too much for me!") INTERNET CAFE (51A: Hangout spots where customers pay for access to the web) FACT FINDING: An anagram of the word FACT is found in each theme answer: LITTLE CAT FEET, I CAN'T FACE IT, and INTERNET CAFE. I'll be honest – it took me a moment to FIND these FACTs. At first I was not looking for a hidden anagram theme. Once I realized that FACT, I was able to identify the scrambled FACTs: CAT/F, T/FAC, and T/CAF. Thank you, Catherine, for this enjoyable puzzle. One more thing today: The first blog I wrote about a USA Today crossword was about the June 9, 2020 puzzle. That means today is my 5th blogiversary! I'm delighted to still be writing about the USA Today crossword, as doing so brings me great joy. I'm ecstatic (and honestly a little amazed) to now be doing so for USA Today. And I continue to be grateful for you, the readers. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for June 9, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
Arab News
07-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
The second scramble for Africa's mineral wealth
An accelerating global push to combat climate change has unintentionally elevated Africa to a position of unprecedented strategic importance. The continent has nearly a third of the planet's known mineral reserves, including commanding shares of elements essential for decarbonization technology: 85 percent of global manganese, 80 percent of platinum group metals and chromium, and an estimated 70 percent of cobalt, concentrated primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These elements — lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, rare earths — form the physical foundation for electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy systems, and the advanced electronics critical for future green economies. As major economies aggressively pursue net-zero targets, securing reliable supplies of these materials has become synonymous with efforts to secure future economic competitiveness and national security. However, this convergence of ecological necessity and resource dependency is resurrecting deep-seated fears of renewed, intense competition for African resources, echoing historical patterns of extraction but amplified by 21st century geopolitics and the immense financial stakes of the inevitable energy transition. A lopsided equation is undercutting current dynamics, in which immense mineral wealth fails to translate into commensurate local socioeconomic benefits. Sub-Saharan African economies capture, on average, a mere $2 of every $5 of potential revenues from the extraction and export of their natural resources. The disconnect is sharply illustrated by the bauxite-aluminum value chain. The export of raw bauxite ore yields about $92 a tonne, while the export of refined aluminum commands prices of nearly $2,438 a tonne, earning exporters of the latter over 25 times more than exporters of the raw ore. At present, the focus is on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It possesses the world's largest reserves of cobalt, which is critical for production of lithium-ion batteries, and remains overwhelmingly dependent on exports of raw or minimally processed materials. Most of the country's exports of critical minerals flows to China, which refines more than 60 percent of the world's lithium and 85 percent of rare earth elements. China's established dominance, built over decades through strategic industrial policies rather than vast domestic reserves, has led to Beijing's control over processing capacity, granting it significant leverage as exemplified by recent export controls on minor metals such as gallium and germanium. However, the reliance of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the rest of Africa, on raw exports leaves economies there acutely vulnerable to commodity price swings, and denies them the jobs, technological transfers, and industrial development inherent in midstream and downstream processing. This persistent failure to capture added value represents a systemic economic failure that is perpetuating dependence despite possession of the very resources driving global technological advancement. In response, the US and its allies are scrambling to reduce these emergent vulnerabilities. Initiatives such as the Minerals Security Partnership aim to 'friendshore' supply chains among allied nations, while significant investments seek to boost domestic processing and recycling. At present, the US remains import dependent for 15 critical minerals, and more than 50 percent reliant for 34 others, with China supplying nearly half. This dependency is now driving rare, assertive diplomatic and commercial overtures toward mineral-rich African states — but they follow the same old formula of intense extractionism at the continent's expense. The contrasting approaches — multilateral partnerships versus unilateral actions, including overt pressure on resource access — are the hallmarks of the high-stakes nature of this brewing competition with Africa at its heart. The most immediate risk is a fragmentation of global supply chains along geopolitical lines, forcing African nations to make difficult choices. Africa's strategies must incorporate aggressive investment in domestic research and development. Hafed Al-Ghwell Optimistically, the meteoric growth in demand for Africa's critical minerals presents a potential inflection point. Properly harnessed, the revenue streams from these minerals, potentially worth trillions of dollars in the coming decades as demand soars, could catalyze fundamental transformations. Investment could flow into long-neglected areas, funding reliable electricity generation, modern transportation networks and, crucially, education and skills development in fields such as metallurgy, chemical engineering, and environmental sciences. A move beyond raw exports, for instance, to establish domestic refining and manufacture of components, such as battery precursors, is essential for African nations to capture more value from their resources and build resilient, diversified economies. Ghana's policy framework that bans raw mineral exports and promotes value-chain development, and nascent efforts such as a collaboration between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia on battery production, signal recognition of this imperative. Regional cooperation, such as exports of raw lithium from Zambia for refining in South Africa, offers further potential for shared industrial development. However, challenging obstacles threaten to derail the potential this holds and instead entrench a new era of even more exploitative relationships. Decades of mismanagement under the so-called 'resource curse,' weak governance, institutional fragility, pervasive corruption, and the tendency of elites to view national resources as private revenue streams for patronage networks rather than for the public good, remain pervasive challenges. Without robust democratic accountability, transparency mechanisms such as contract disclosures, and effective civil society oversight, any mineral windfalls are likely to fuel instability and inequality rather than broad-based, 'bottom up, middle out' development. Furthermore, the current lack of industrial capacity and technical expertise in Africa creates a dependency trap. Policies mandating local processing, such as Zimbabwe's requirement for lithium-refinement plans, often crash on the rocks of inadequate infrastructure and skills. After all, investors are less likely to pour money into a country that bleeds more than 6 percent of gross domestic product every year due to electricity shortfalls alone. The continent's negligible share of the global electric vehicle market, less than 1 percent, further complicates efforts to attract high-value manufacturing, as firms prioritize locations closer to large consumer bases, such as China, Europe, and North America. Perhaps the most underappreciated threat is technological obsolescence. The breakneck pace of innovation in materials science could rapidly devalue Africa's present mineral advantages. China's massive investments in sodium-ion battery technology, culminating in the opening of the world's largest storage system in 2024, aim to reduce dependence on lithium and cobalt. A successful large-scale transition to such alternatives could leave lithium and cobalt-rich African nations with 'stranded assets' if their resources are suddenly less critical to the global energy transition. Focusing solely on current extraction efforts and battery chemistry is therefore profoundly shortsighted. Africa's strategies must incorporate aggressive investment in domestic research and development, anticipate substitutions of materials, and position themselves within future, not only current, value chains. Failure to do so risks repeating the mistakes of history: immense wealth extracted, fleeting benefits captured locally and monopolized by cronyism, and enduring vulnerabilities left behind. The path forward demands a fundamental break from past practices. For African states, success hinges on the prioritization of long-term governance reforms, institutional strengthening, massive investment in human capital and infrastructure, and strategic regional integration to achieve economies of scale. Policies must be ruthlessly pragmatic, aligning industrial ambitions with realistic assessments of current capabilities while aggressively building future ones. The alternative, a frenzied rush for resources without addressing the root causes of Africa's historical marginalization within the global economy, risks not only the perpetuation of underdevelopment but also the fueling of instability that could disrupt the very supply chains the energy transition depends on.
