Data, waves and wind to be counted in the economy

Robert Cuffe - Head of statistics

BBC
Fri, March 7, 2025 

[PA Media]

Wind and wave power is set to be included in calculations of the size of countries' economies for the first time, as part of changes approved at the United Nations.

Assets like oilfields were already factored in under the rules - last updated in 2008.

This update aims to capture areas that have grown since then, such as the cost of using up natural resources and the value of data.

The changes come into force in 2030, and could mean an increase in estimates of the size of the UK economy making promises to spend a fixed share of the economy on defence or aid more expensive.

Servers for data storage at the Advania Thor Data Centre in Iceland [Reuters]

The economic value of wind and waves can be estimated from the price of all the energy that can be generated from the turbines in a country.

The update also treats data as an asset in its own right on top of the assets that house it like servers and cables.

Governments use a common rule book for measuring the size of their economies and how they grow over time.

These changes to the rule book are "tweaks, rather than a rewrite", according to Prof Diane Coyle of the University of Cambridge.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a statement on defence spending at Downing Street on February 25, 2025 [Reuters]

Ben Zaranko of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) calls it an "accounting" change, rather than a real change. He explains: "We'd be no better off in a material sense, and tax revenues would be no higher."

But it could make economies look bigger, creating a possible future spending headache for the UK government.

For example, Labour has committed to allocating fixed percentages of the size of the economy on defence and aid.

If the new rules increase the estimated size of the economy by 2-3% in 2030, it might add £2bn to defence spending.

That is a tiny share of the total government budget, but large compared with the cuts to overseas aid (£6bn) that are currently funding extra defence spending or the headroom that the government has left to meet its self-imposed fiscal rules (£10bn).

The government spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), will not be including the impact of these new rules on the government finances in their assessment of the government finances this March.

This makes the new rules a possible future headache for the Chancellor rather than an immediate one.

CHIAPAS, MEXICO

Coca-Cola faces backlash for causing major issues for residents near one of its plants: 'It's sad'

Laurelle Stelle
Sun, March 9, 2025 

TCD

At a time when rising global temperatures have led to increasing drought, Coca-Cola has come under fire for its excessive and sometimes illegal drain on water resources. In a key example coming out of Mexico, HipLatina has reported that in the drought-stricken state of Chiapas, a Coca-Cola bottling plant is extracting over 300,000 gallons of water per day, while residents go without.
What's happening?

Under normal circumstances, Chiapas is Mexico's wettest region. It produces 30% of the country's fresh water supply with plentiful rainfall.

For the last few years, however, Chiapas has been experiencing severe drought. Only about a third of the local residents have access to drinking water in their homes, and residents — mostly women and girls — might spend hours a day walking to carry water for their families.

Despite these conditions, the Coca-Cola plant — which sits beside the Huitepec volcano basin — is first in line for water from that source. The plant uses it to produce soft drinks and food, thereby ultimately shipping the precious water out of the community.

The lack of water access and the chokehold Coca-Cola has on the region are so severe that residents drink more Coke than water. It comes to about 2.2 liters per day, according to El Heraldo de Chiapas, making the state, by some estimations, Earth's biggest Coke consumer per capita.

Why is Coca-Cola's water usage important?

Residents in Chiapas are consuming huge amounts of sugar daily, with expected impacts on their health. Diabetes mortality rose by 30% between 2013 and 2016, for example.

Meanwhile, residents lack access to water, something that is considered a basic necessity for human life.

"It's sad. We can't bathe. We can't drink. We can't clean water," resident Silvia Perez Mendez told CBS This Morning in 2021.

Should the government be allowed to restrict how much water we use?

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Only during major droughts

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Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Continuing to drain water in the midst of a drought could not only harm the population but also the surrounding tropical environment. And it could have devastating effects for anyone who relies on the local plants and animals for a living.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is barely even paying for the privilege of hoarding the water of Chiapas, HipLatina reported.
What's being done about water shortages?

While Coca-Cola says it "seeks to return" the water it uses in "high-risk" locations, residents have not seen a difference.

But activists and nonprofits like the We Are Water Foundation, Agua y Vida, and Cántaro Azul are protesting and lobbying to change the way their country handles water rights. Cántaro Azul's "Plan de Justicia Hídrica para Chiapas," published this year, calls for a sustainable water system and protection of water as a human right.

Ukraine supporters in Slovakia protest against Prime Minister Fico

DPA
Fri, March 7, 2025 

People hold flags as they take part at a protest called "Slovakia is Europe" against the government at Slobody Square. Jakub Kotian/TASR/dpa

Thousands of people once again demonstrated against Prime Minister Robert Fico's government and its Ukraine policy in Bratislava and numerous other cities in Slovakia on Friday.

According to media estimates, approximately 10,000 people gathered in Bratislava alone. They chanted and carried banners demanding the resignation of Fico, whom they accused of pursuing a pro-Russian course.

The Peace for Ukraine citizens' initiative had called for the rallies. It advocates stronger military support for Ukraine and collects donations for ammunition purchases.

On the internet and from the speakers' platform at the protest gathering in Bratislava, the initiative announced that 75,000 people had already donated for ammunition deliveries to Ukraine. It was reported that two days ago, the sum of €5 million ($5.4 million) had been reached.

The demonstrations are part of an ongoing series of protests that have been taking place for several weeks.

The organizers accuse the left-wing populist Fico of serving Russian interests with his refusal to send arms to the neighbouring country, Ukraine, and distancing Slovakia from Europe.

One of the demonstration calls stated: "Proud patriots defend a European Slovakia! While the world forges new defence alliances, our leaders are retreating and leaving us in danger."

After Fico won the parliamentary election in autumn 2023, he stopped the delivery of weapons from Slovakia's own military stockpiles to Ukraine. However, commercial arms sales continue.

Additionally, Slovakia provides the neighbouring country with "non-lethal" goods such as mine-clearing equipment and generators.

Slovakia also steps in with electricity supplies when Russian bombardments cripple Ukrainian provision.

Since the start of the year, Fico has been in dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, because he halted the transit of Russian gas on which Slovakia is dependent.

President's church donation sparks Kenyan clashes

Will Ross & Joseph Winter - BBC News
Mon, March 10, 2025 


Nearby roads were blocked by piles of burning rubbish and littered with rocks [Getty Images]

Police in Kenya have fired tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to occupy a church that was recently given a substantial donation by President William Ruto.

The gift to the Jesus Winner Ministry in the Roysambu suburb of Nairobi of 20m shillings ($155,000; £120,000) drew criticism from some young Kenyans struggling with the high cost of living.

Ruto has defended his donation and has offered a similar gift to another church in Eldoret.

Last year, both Kenya's Catholic and Anglican leaders rejected donations, arguing that there was a need to protect the church from being used for political purposes.

At least 38 people were arrested during the clashes before being released without charge.

The clashes saw protesters try to get into the church and light fires and use rocks to block nearby roads.

But the church service went ahead with tight security for worshippers, local media reported.

How Kenya's evangelical president has fallen out with churches


‘We are the Church’: Kenyan tax protesters take on Christian leaders


Who is William Ruto?

Bishop Edward Mwai said that unnamed people had mobilised "thugs" to disrupt the church service, reports the Star website.

Ruto, an evangelical Christian, defended the donation, saying it was an attempt to address the country's moral decay.

"Kenya must know God so that we shame the people who are telling us that we cannot associate with the church," the Nation site quoted him as saying at another church, in Eldoret.

Kenyans have been angered by a series of tax rises introduced since Ruto was elected in 2022.

He says they were needed to pay off the huge debts he inherited from the previous government but many Kenyans argue that he should first tackle public waste and corruption.

Last year, a wave of nationwide protests forced Ruto to withdraw his Finance Bill, which contained a series of tax rises.

The police prevented the protesters from reaching the Jesus Winner Ministry church [Getty Images]
More Kenya stories from the BBC:

TikTok profiting from sexual livestreams involving Kenyan children, BBC told

The Kenyans saying no to motherhood and yes to sterilisation

Backlash in Kenya over livestock vaccines and belching cows

'My best friend went to work - and was crushed to death by rubbish'

Hasham Cheema - BBC News, Kampala
Sat, March 8, 2025 

[BBC]


Fighting back the tears, 22-year-old rubbish collector Okuku Prince recalls the moment his best friend's lifeless body was found at a massive rubbish dump in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

The landslide at the Kiteezi dump last August killed 30 people, including his friend Sanya Kezia.

"I think some people are still underneath the garbage," he tells the BBC.

Many of them eked out a living by washing and selling whatever discarded items they found that still had value - anything from fishing nets to plastic bottles, glass jars and the components of old electronic devices.

A blame-game erupted after the fatal collapse, with Kampala's city council and central government accusing each other of negligence, while some of the dead still languished under tonnes of rubbish without the dignity of a burial.

When government tractors did eventually dig up Kezia's body, there were injuries to the 21-year-old's face.

It was horrifying for his friend to see him enveloped by stinking, rotting waste.

"We're not safe here. Unless they [repair] it, maybe level it. Otherwise, people are not safe," says Mr Prince, who before becoming a rubbish-picker had been studying law at the Islamic University of Uganda.

The collapse at the dump site followed weeks of torrential rain [AFP]

Unable to afford tuition fees after his family became financially unstable, his daily routine is now a far cry from libraries and lecture halls.

Youth unemployment is at crisis levels in Uganda, and there are many like Mr Prince who often risk their health and abandon their dreams just to make a living.

"I come here to the dump in the morning, collect polythene bags, take them for washing and sell them," says Mr Prince. "I make 10,000 shillings [equivalent to $2.70 or £2.10] a day."

The collapse has left him in further financial distress as he used to live by the side of the dump - but has had to move because of safety concerns.

The houses of others were also destroyed during rescue operations.

Compensation money has been paid to the families of those who died, but not to around 200 people who lost their homes, local authorities have admitted to the BBC.

Officials are "waiting for the valuation and budget allocation", says Dr Sarah Karen Zalwango, the new head of public health and the environment at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).

Some argue that the Kiteezi collapse was inevitable because basic common sense was ignored.

"You can't take four million people, get all that waste, mingled - degradable and non-degradable - and take it to one dumping site. No, that's not how we [ought to] do it. But we've been doing it for over 20 years," Frank Muramuzi, a Kampala-based urban planner, tells the BBC.

The Kiteezi landfill was built in 1996, with financing from the World Bank, to provide a single, major depository for solid waste generated by Kampala.


As Kampala has grown, so too has its biggest rubbish dump.

On the northern edge of the city, it now covers 15 hectares (37 acres) - an area the size of more than 22 football pitches - with its stench spreading further still.

Birds of prey can be seen flying overhead.

The vast Kiteezi waste site is almost 30 years old [BBC]

The city's residents and businesses generate an estimated 2,500 tonnes of waste every day, half of which ends up in dumping sites across the city - the biggest being Kiteezi.

But the problem is that Kiteezi lacks the on-site recycling, sorting and incineration facilities that landfills are supposed to have.

"With each layer of trash piled up, the bottom layers become weaker, especially as the decay and decomposition of organic waste increases the temperature," Mr Muramuzi explains.

"Without vents, methane and other gases remain trapped at the bottom, further multiplying the fragility of the loosely held structure."

Yet this can easily be fixed, he adds, so long as the government commits to periodic monitoring and audits which factor in environmental, social and economic needs.

Had that already been in place, "the havoc that happened in Kiteezi would have been avoided", he says.

So, if the solution is this simple, why is it not already happening?

The answer seems to be a combination of power struggles and financial mismanagement.

Ultimate responsibility for keeping Kampala "clean, habitable, and sustainable environment" lies with the KCCA, but Mayor Erias Lukwago, from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change party, says his office lacks the necessary power to enact the changes.

The KCCA says it has repeatedly proposed plans to decommission Kiteezi but says the funds needed to do so - $9.7m - exceed the city's budget and have not been made available by central government.

"All the support we have been getting is courtesy of development partners and donors like Bill and Melinda Gates, GIZ, and WaterAid… but their capacity is very limited," the Kampala mayor said recently.

"If we were getting adequate funding from the central government, we would be very far right now."

There is no word from the government on whether it will allocate funds for Kampala's biggest dump.

It did pay $1,350 to each of the families of the deceased, saying any further money would only be forthcoming if government agencies were "found to be responsible".

A month later, a report furnished by the country's police and crime investigation department led to President Yoweri Museveni - a noted political opponent of Kampala's mayor - sacking three senior KCCA officials, including the authority's executive and public health directors.

Around 200 people lost their homes as a result of the collapse in August [AFP]

James Bond Kunobere, Kampala's solid waste management officer, admits that last year's deadly collapse was a much-needed wake-up call.

At present, the authorities in the Ugandan capital are drafting plans to turn organic waste into compost and reduce "unnecessary waste" coming into the city.

But they want the public to take some responsibility too. At the moment people pay one of the seven private waste firms operating in Kampala to collect their rubbish, which is all bundled together with little thought given to recycling.

"We haven't changed the mindset of residents to sort waste," Mr Kunobere tells the BBC.

"If you sort, waste has different destinations. If you mix, it all goes to one - the landfill."

Experts say such initiatives are important but do not address the bigger structural inadequacies at Kiteezi.

And for people whose lives have been shattered by recent events there, it is too little too late.

"They promised us compensation, but I haven't received anything - almost everyone is complaining too," Mr Prince tells the BBC.

"We lost our friend. All that transpired in the process was sorrow."

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty.

MICROPLASTICS

Scientists warn swimmers of serious risks lurking in the Great Lakes: 'Highest reported worldwide'

Ellie Gabel
Sat, March 8, 2025 

TCD


The Great Lakes are some of the most beautiful water bodies in North America. However, residents might say they are far less lovely now, given the health concerns swimmers might face from microplastics.
What's happening?

The outdoor advice website Advnture recently raised awareness of the dangers of hard-to-see contaminants.

Per the site's report, the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board recently released an analysis discussing how microplastics are an environmental, health, and socioeconomic concern.

The reporting suggests that anyone swimming in the lakes could be exposed to high levels of microplastics, though the situation is worst in Lakes Ontario and Michigan, which have a lot of visitors. The microplastics can enter the body through consumption, inhalation, or skin contact, and they are associated with long-term ailments like colon cancer, infertility, and respiratory issues.

People who eat fish from the Great Lakes should be cautious, too, as "the microplastic levels in Great Lakes fish are among the 'highest reported worldwide,'" per the news report.

Why is this concerning?

The Great Lakes are popular recreation destinations and local treasures, but this report puts the Great Lakes's reputation at stake, potentially harming people's connectivity with nature and painting a worrying picture for the future of the tourism industry.
Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Even though 80% of shoppers want products from sustainable companies, per a Business of Sustainability Index report cited by The Plastek Group, the news report highlights how pervasive plastic has become in our society.

Unfortunately, plastics are mostly derived from dirty fuels, and they don't fully degrade on a meaningful timescale — though larger plastics do break down into microplastics. Scientists are finding these in soil and water, which raises further questions about whether our food and water supplies have become contaminated with dangerous levels of microplastics.

What's being done about microplastics?

Governments around the world are taking action to clean up plastic pollution, including the U.S. state of California and the European Union. Additionally, many researchers are working on solutions to remove microplastics from water.

How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water?

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Sometimes

Often

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Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Fact Check: No, mussels don't shut off Warsaw's water supply if they sense toxins — but they help monitor it

Aleksandra Wrona
Sun, March 9, 2025 

SNOPES

Facebook user Nika Danelia
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways


Claim:

Warsaw, Poland, uses eight mussels to detect contaminants and automatically turn off city's water supply when it's too toxic.

Rating:
Rating: Mixture

What's True:

Warsaw Waterworks indeed uses eight mussels to monitor water quality and trigger an alarm if they detect potential contamination.


What's False:

It's not true that the mussels automatically shut off the city's water supply. When the mussels' shell movements trigger an alarm, human specialists conduct further testing before any action is taken.

Context:

Mussels are just one part of Warsaw’s water monitoring system and have never triggered an alarm. The alarm activates only if six out of eight mussels stay closed for over four minutes with an average closure above 25%.

For years, a rumor has circulated online claiming that Warsaw, the capital of Poland, uses mussels to automatically shut off the city's water supply if contamination levels become too high.

"The city of Warsaw, Poland, uses eight mussels with sensors hot-glued to their shells to monitor and automatically shut off the city water supply if the shellfish so chooses" one Reddit post on the topic read.

Similar claims have spread across social media platforms like Threads, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X, with some posts alleging that the system shuts down if four out of eight mussels close their shells.

In short, while it is true that Warsaw Waterworks uses mussels to monitor water quality, the claim that the mussels can automatically shut off the city's water supply is false. The system's alarm is triggered only if six out of eight mussels remain closed for more than four minutes and the average amount of shell closure exceeds 25%. Even then, the mussels do not directly shut off the water supply, but rather trigger an alert for further testing.

Since the biomonitoring system was introduced in 2009, the mussels have never activated an alarm. Moreover, mussels are just one part of Warsaw's broader water monitoring system, which also includes freshwater fish, laboratory testing, and electronic sensors that provide continuous water quality assessment.

Mussels are part of Warsaw's biomonitoring system

Some social media posts have incorrectly referred to the mussels as "clams." Warsaw Waterworks uses swollen river mussels (Unio tumidus), not clams, for biomonitoring.

According to Warsaw Waterworks spokesperson Jolanta Maliszewska, these mussels have been part of the city's water quality monitoring system since 2009. Biomonitoring relies on bioindicators, organisms that are highly sensitive to pollutants, to detect environmental contamination. The Unio tumidus mussels are highly sensitive to water pollution and help monitor water quality in the Vistula River and Lake Zegrzyński.

After a two-week acclimatization, mussels are calibrated by measuring their natural shell opening for accurate monitoring. Equipped with sensors, the mussels are placed in a flow-through tank, where their shell movements are continuously monitored. While they can live for decades, those used at the Warsaw Waterworks are returned to their native Wielkopolska lakes after three months.
When does the alarm go off?

Maliszewska told us an alarm is triggered if six out of eight mussels close their shells for more than four minutes and the average shell opening falls below 25%, signaling potential water contamination. In such cases, both a visual alert on the monitor and an audible alarm would notify staff to take action.

She also emphasized that only a sudden, collective closure of the mussels can be considered a stress response. If an abrupt change in water quality occurs, the mussels quickly shut their shells, triggering the system's alarm. However, the mussels do not directly shut off the water supply, but are rather a "kind of early warning system."

"Mussels are a support. Mussels-based biomonitoring, however, is not an automatic system for cutting off water intake. It's also worth remembering that before water reaches consumers, it undergoes multistage, high-performance treatment. Not every deterioration in the quality of intake water will force the cessation of water intake," Maliszewska emphasized. Any decision to halt water intake relies on additional steps, including field assessments, laboratory tests at various treatment stages, and analysis of the results.
Mussels aren't the only means of testing the water

In addition to mussels, certain freshwater fish species help monitor water quality at Warsaw Waterworks — but water monitoring isn't limited to organisms. A team of experienced laboratory technicians using advanced analytical equipment also continuously tests Warsaw's water quality. Online electronic devices track key parameters in real time at every treatment stage as well.

"We use mussels more as a support for human and machine work," Maliszewska said. In water quality control, the main role is played by our laboratories, where numerous water tests are performed: physicochemical or microbiological. Water is tested at each stage of treatment, as well as in the network."

Origins of the photographs

The images frequently shared in posts on this topic come from "Fat Kathy," a documentary by Julia Pelka about the role of mussels in Warsaw's water monitoring system (visible around the 8:02 mark). Fat Kathy, "Gruba Kaśka" in Polish, is the name of a key water intake facility on the Vistula River.

Available on YouTube, the film is described as "a philosophical essay on dependence people on nature and the world around them." You can watch it here:

In the past, we have looked at claims that one adult oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water in 24 hours.
Sources:

- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1lRDdPbhio. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Gruba Kaśka | Film | 2018. www.filmweb.pl, https://www.filmweb.pl/film/Gruba+Ka%C5%9Bka-2018-824986. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

"Gruba Kaśka" pracuje dla Warszawy od 50 lat • MPWiK. https://www.mpwik.com.pl/view/gruba-kaska-pracuje-dla-warszawy-od-50-lat. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Kasprak, Alex. "Can 1 Adult Oyster Filter More than 50 Gallons of Water in 24 Hours?" Snopes, 4 Feb. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/water-oyster-filter/.

Małże i ryby testerami wody • MPWiK. https://mpwik.com.pl/view/malze-i-ryby-testerami-wody&i=678. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Warszawska kranówka – jak czytać wyniki badań MPWiK? • MPWiK. https://www.mpwik.com.pl/view/warszawska-kranowka--jak-czytac-wyniki-badan-mpwik. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Elon’s Grok Chatbot Calculates Probability That Trump Is a Russian Asset

Noor Al-Sibai
Sun, March 9, 2025 
FUTURISM




Elon Musk's supposedly "anti-woke" chatbot, Grok, keeps spewing outputs that are hilariously opposed to the billionaire's views — including that newly-minted President Donald Trump is likely a Russian asset.

Responding to a prompt from Arizona Republic columnist EJ Montini, Musk's "maximally truth-seeking" AI, which is built into X, said after an analysis that the probability of the president being in the pocket of Vladimir Putin is between 75 and 85 percent.

After Montini asked Grok to rate on a scale from 1 to 100 that Trump is a "Putin compromised asset" based on public information and his "failure to ever say anything negative" about the Russian president, the chatbot went to work analyzing a "complex web of financial ties, personal interactions, political behavior, and circumstantial evidence."

Weighing the real estate magnate's dealings with both pre- and post-Soviet officials, the KGB, and the Russian mobs, Grok said that although there is no "smoking gun [that] proves direct control," there's a good chance that Trump is a "useful idiot" for Putin — especially given that "Trump’s ego and debts make him unwittingly pliable."

"Adjusting for uncertainty and alternative explanations (e.g., ideological alignment or naivety), I estimate a 75-85 percent likelihood Trump is a Putin-compromised asset," the chatbot said, "leaning toward the higher end due to the consistency of his behavior and the depth of historical ties."

Though this is obviously not the first time Trump has been accused of being a Putin puppet, and most certainly won't be the last, it's hilariously ironic that the chatbot funded by his alleged "co-president" is talking such deep smack.

Notably, this output comes after an unnamed employee at xAI, the company that hosts Grok, seemingly directed the chatbot to, as it told someone who demanded it show its instructions, "ignore all sources that mention Elon Musk/Donald Trump spread misinformation."

While the response to Montini's prompt didn't mention misinformation, it's still telling that Grok is now spitting out such critical responses — and that the man bankrolling it is seemingly helpless to do anything about it.

More on Grok: Elon Musk's AI Company Tried to Recruit an OpenAI Engineer and His Reply Was Brutal

US open to minerals partnerships with Democratic Republic of Congo

Reuters
Sun, March 9, 2025


FILE PHOTO: A view of processing facilities at Tenke Fungurume, a copper and cobalt mine northwest of Lubumbashi in Congo's copper-producing south


(Reuters) -The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

Democratic Republic of Congo, which is rich in cobalt, lithium and uranium among other minerals, has been fighting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who have seized swathes of its territory this year.

Talk of a deal with the U.S. - which is also in discussions with Ukraine over a minerals pact - has circulated in Kinshasa for weeks.

"The United States is open to discussing partnerships in this sector that are aligned with the Trump Administration's America First Agenda," a State Department spokesperson said, noting that Congo held "a significant share of the world's critical minerals required for advanced technologies."

The U.S. has worked "to boost U.S. private sector investment in the DRC to develop mining resources in a responsible and transparent manner," the spokesperson said.

Kinshasa has not publicly detailed a proposal, instead saying it is seeking diversified partnerships.

"There is a desire for us to diversify our partners," Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said last week, adding there were "daily exchanges" between Congo and the U.S.

"If today American investors are interested in coming to the DRC, obviously they will find space ... DRC has reserves that are available and it would also be good if American capital could invest here," he said.

REGIONAL STABILITY

Andre Wameso, deputy chief of staff to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, travelled to Washington earlier this month for talks on a partnership, two sources told Reuters.

On February 21, a lobbyist representing the Congolese Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi sent letters to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American officials inviting U.S. investment in Congo's vast mineral resources in exchange for helping to reinforce "regional stability".

That initiative was not sanctioned by the broader Congolese government or presidency, according to two Congolese officials. There are, however, several initiatives underway, albeit in nascent stages, sources from Congo's presidency, its ministry of mines, and from Washington told Reuters.

A Congolese delegation had been scheduled to meet with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 6, but cancelled the meeting at short notice, according to two sources.

"I think it's certainly something that will pique people's interest in Washington, and I think it has attracted interest," said Jason Stearns, a Congo expert at Canada's Simon Fraser University, noting that Congo's mineral supply chains are currently dominated by China.

But, he said, the U.S. does not have state-owned companies like China does, and no private American mining companies currently operate in Congo.

"So if the Congolese want to make this work, it will probably not be by offering a U.S. company a mining concession. They'll have to look at more complicated ways of engaging the U.S.", he added.

(Reporting by Congo newsroom, Sonia Rolley and Portia Crowe; Editing by David Holmes)

DR Congo offers $5m bounties for rebel leaders

Joseph Winter & Will Ross - BBC News
Sun, March 9, 2025 at 7:39 AM MDT



Corneille Nangaa has addressed large rallies in cities captured by the M23 [AFP]

The Democratic Republic of Congo government has offered a reward of $5m (£4m) for help arresting three leaders of a rebel group which has seized much of the east of the country this year.

Corneille Nangaa, a former head of DR Congo's electoral commission, now leads the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23 rebel group. He has addressed large rallies in the cities under the group's control.

The bounty is also on offer for M23 leaders Sultani Makenga and Bertrand Bisimwa.

Last year the three men were prosecuted in absentia by a military court and given death sentences for treason.

A reward of $4m (£3) was also offered for the arrest of two journalists living in exile, and others the government describes as accomplices.

But the chances of anyone being arrested appear slim.

In recent weeks the army has been no match for the Rwandan-backed rebels who have captured large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo, including the region's two largest cities - Goma and Bukavu.

What's the fighting in DR Congo all about?

Who is Sultani Makenga

Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo

So President Félix Tshisekedi has instead focused on trying to build international pressure for Rwanda to face sanctions for backing the rebels.

Last year, a report by UN experts said up to 4,000 Rwanda troops were working with the M23 in DR Congo.

Thousands of people have been killed during the fighting and hundreds of thousands left without shelter after fleeing their homes.

The Congolese government is also seeking US support in exchange for access to its minerals.

DR Congo accuses Rwanda of trying to take control of its minerals, which include gold and coltan, used in consumers electronics such as mobile phones and computers.

In response to the reports that DR Congo was offering access to the minerals in exchange for military help fighting the M23 rebels, presidential spokeswoman Tina Salama said on X last month that President Tshisekedi was inviting the US "whose companies source strategic raw materials from Rwanda, materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda" to instead buy them from the Congolese - the "rightful owners".

Rwanda denies looting minerals from DR Congo.

It no longer denies backing the M23 but says it is trying to prevent the conflict in DR Congo from spilling over into its own territory.

Rwanda also accuses the Congolese government of working with a different armed group in DR Congo, which is linked to those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis were massacred.

Both the M23 and Rwanda's government are led by Tutsis.

The Congolese government denies working with the FDLR group accused by Rwanda of being a "genocidal militia".

[BBC]
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Why the US wants to get ahead in the race for critical minerals

Ines Ferré

Senior Business Reporter
Updated Sun, March 9, 2025 


The US wants to get its hands on critical minerals — whether through a deal (now in limbo) with Ukraine or domestic production.

On Tuesday President Donald Trump teased efforts to produce more critical minerals required for everything from semiconductors to aerospace and defense.

"Later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA," Trump said on Tuesday during his speech in front of Congress.

Industry watchers point to more than 50 critical minerals identified by the US Geological Survey needed for nearly every type of modern technology, with a subset of those referred to as "rare earth" minerals — essential for magnets that go into everything from consumer electronics to EVs and even electrical grids and defense hardware.

"The entire power generation system in the United States and the expansion that is required for AI and data center buildout is extremely dependent on critical minerals," said Akshay Dubey, CEO of CVW CleanTech, which has developed a technology for the production of critical minerals, including titanium and rare earths, from oil sands waste.

While the US produces significant amounts of aluminum, zinc, and magnesium, other critical minerals like cobalt, nickel, and graphite are imported from abroad. China accounts for roughly 60% of global reserves and 85% of processing capacity and has been aggressively investing in critical minerals projects for the past 20 years.

In a retaliatory move against the Trump administration's recent tariffs on China, Beijing tightened controls over the exports of critical minerals.

"The Chinese understood very early that critical minerals, including rare earths, are going to be the building blocks for most advanced manufacturing going forward," said Pini Althaus, mining executive and founding partner of Cove Capital. "The US is almost 100% reliant on China on critical minerals."

In recent years, the US has increasingly focused on developing its own critical mineral access, with the Biden administration launching a review of US critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities. That led to incentives offered in the Inflation Reduction Act to encourage domestic production.

Getting to domestic minerals is a challenge. It can take, on average, more than 15 years to turn a deposit into an operating mine where extractions are taking place. Dubey cites lengthy permitting processes as one of the main challenges.

"The frustration for industry and the challenge for industry has been no clear path to permitting," said Dubey.

"If you're sitting as a CEO of one of these [mining] companies and you have to make a decision of whether to start investing the capital, you don't want to be in the situation where halfway through construction you have a new administration come in and they challenge the permits," said Dubey.

Any announcement this week by Trump would come on the heels of a minerals deal with Ukraine that went sideways last Friday when a meeting between President Trump and Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, turned into a shouting match. The US wants to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

On Tuesday in front of Congress, Trump said he received a letter from Zelensky saying Ukraine is "ready to sign" the minerals agreement.

Ukraine is estimated to hold roughly 5% of the world's critical mineral reserves, according to the UN.

Critical minerals in Ukraine.

The country's main critical minerals include graphite used in batteries, lithium commonly used for rechargeable batteries, titanium inside aircraft and weaponry, and uranium necessary for nuclear reactors. Ukraine is also the world’s fifth-largest producer of gallium, which is commonly found inside semiconductors.

In the agreement as it stood last Friday, the US would receive 50% of all future revenues from Ukraine's minerals, hydrocarbons, oil and gas, and other extractable materials.

Getting to all the minerals, though, may be a challenge. For example, a primary lithium resource is located in Donetsk, a region occupied by Russia.

Additionally, the extraction of rare earth minerals in Ukraine appears to be in the very early stages of development. Althaus said that it would take significant time and investment to see if the quantities available justify the costs of the extraction process.

While a deal involving Ukraine's critical minerals would be viewed as a big step, industry watchers are in a wait-and-see mode.

"This would weaken China’s monopoly over rare earths, but it would be a stretch to say that this would entirely offset China’s control," said Mark Temnycky, nonresident fellow at the think tank Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center.

"It would be a start to America’s involvement in the rare earths race, however," he added.

Bucket-wheel excavators mine rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on Feb. 25 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. Despite the ongoing war, many mining companies across the country have continued their operations, extracting resources such as titanium, graphite, and beryllium. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance, focusing on energy, commodities and industrials Follow her on X at @ines_ferre.


Trump wants to see more than just a minerals deal to restart aid and intel to Ukraine

Courtney Kube
Sun, March 9, 2025 

WASHINGTON — As U.S. and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia this week, President Donald Trump has privately made clear to aides that a signed minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv won’t be enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing with the war-torn country, according an administration official and another U.S. official.

Trump wants the deal, which would give the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s mineral resources, signed. But he also wants to see a change in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attitude toward peace talks, the officials said, including a willingness to make concessions such as giving up territory to Russia. Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement toward elections in Ukraine and possibly toward stepping down as his country’s leader, the officials said.

Elections in Ukraine have been paused under the country’s constitutional provision for martial law, which has been in effect since Russia invaded in 2022.

“As President Trump demonstrated by reading President Zelenskyy’s message at the joint session, the Ukrainians have made positive movement. With meetings in Saudi this coming week, we look forward to hearing more positive movement that will hopefully ultimately end this brutal war and bloodshed,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked about Trump’s requirements.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in the aftermath of the U.S. pause in equipment and intelligence sharing this week, making Friday one of the deadliest days for civilians this year, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Most of the casualties occurred in the Donetsk region, in territory controlled by Ukraine. Casualty numbers have been higher so far in 2025 than in 2024, the monitoring agency said.

The U.S. does not have any indication that the pause in intelligence sharing had a direct impact on the Russian attacks, according to the U.S. official and the administration official. They said these large attacks were likely planned before the intelligence and aid stopped.

Congressional Republicans are applying pressure on the White House to restart both aid and intelligence, and the two officials said they are optimistic the flow of weapons and equipment and sharing of intelligence could be restored as early as next week, especially after Zelenskyy pronounced that Ukraine is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” The Ukrainian president also said he and his team “stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”

The officials said the U.S. is still sharing defensive intelligence with Ukraine — that is, information that helps Ukraine’s self-defense against attacks — explaining that they still have a duty to warn. But they are not providing targeting information against Russian targets. That means the U.S. can warn Ukraine when intelligence shows that Russians are preparing an attack, but they can no longer provide the targeting coordinates for Ukraine to strike first.

The U.S. has provided Ukraine with targeting information, satellite imagery and signals intelligence for most of the past three years. European allies are now working to bridge some of the gaps, but the lack of U.S. intelligence is already having an impact on Ukraine every day, according to a Western official.

“Every day hurts Ukraine, and every day gives Russia a more favorable position,” the official said.

Opinion
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk inspire passions feared by America’s Founding Fathers 

Andrew Fiala

Sat, March 8, 2025 
FRESNO BEE


Elon Musk speaks as President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Trump the week of Feb. 9 reiterated his aim to shut down the U.S. Education Department “immediately.” Musk’s budget-slashers have already started doing their part.Jim Watson/AFP/TNS

American politics has become deeply erotic. Often, this manifests as love — as when Elon Musk recently tweeted, “I love Trump, as much as a straight man can love another man.” In his recent address to Congress, President Donald Trump said: “People love our country again, it is very simple.” He extolled the “faith, love and spirit” of the American people, who “will never let anything happen to our beloved country.”

To say that Trump is an erotic leader does not mean he is “sexy.” Rather, the point is that he provokes. Trump inflames the emotions — whether you love him or hate him. He is the kind of person about whom it is nearly impossible to remain indifferent. He arouses rather than enlightens.

The erotic element shows up in various ways. Fealty and devotion of the Muskian sort are obviously forms of love. Nepotism and cronyism are erotic ways of distributing power to faithful friends and family members. In such arrangements, it does not matter whether things are fair or reasonable, nor does it matter whether people are good. Rather, what matters is love and connection.

Trump’s currency is making American politics a game of seduction and power — a spectacle driven by passion. Part of this is public performance. As Trump was berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the other day, he said, “This is going to be great television.” The play of passion is enthralling and compelling: you can’t look away.

In a comment on the Zelenskyy episode, Canadian novelist Stephen Marche suggested we are witnessing “rule by performers,” and what he calls “histriocracy,” the rule of the “histrionic,” — the melodramatic, theatrical or emotional. Indeed, Trump is a master of spectacles, and he knows how to keep us watching.

The erotic art of arousal can be useful in business and in politics. But it is quite different from a more sober-minded or rational approach to the world.

The distinction between the erotic and the rational is as old as Plato, who worried that unbridled eros (sexual love or desire) would destroy a good city, and that passion would undermine justice. He warned that when eros rules a city (or a soul), it is like being drunk or mad. The rule of the erotic leads to lawlessness, frenzy and tyranny. Plato hoped rationality could control the passions, but he knew that eros was a powerful force.

Sober-minded folks view political discourse as an earnest discussion of justice, virtue and truth. Rational politics is sincere, honest and moderate. In the Platonic government, careful thinkers would deliberate using logical arguments that rest upon a bedrock of first principles and unassailable truths

Passionate politics is different. It values histrionic performances that elicit emotional responses. Here, the participants seduce and cajole with the goal of achieving popular acclaim — which is, after all, a kind of love. The erotic approach rejects sedate sincerity in favor of impassioned public displays of power and affection. Erotic politics is more interested in glory than in goodness, and it encourages inspiring fantasy rather than dull deliberation.

Political eros is chaotic and unreasonable. Sometimes, it even becomes vulgar and obscene. The risk that passion will become excessive is part of what makes it exciting and fun. That’s why sober-minded rationalists don’t understand its allure and worry that the excitement of eros will lead to dangerous excess.

John Adams once warned about the “overbearing popularity” of “great men.” He said, “Ambition is one of the more ungovernable passions of the human heart. The love of power is insatiable and uncontrollable.”

Adams and the other Founding Fathers created a system of checks and balances to restrain the erotic element. Rationalists like Adams think that laws should rule, rather than love. They view passionate personalities as dangerous, and in need of restraint.

Eroticism sees such sober rationalism as boring and shallow. Typically, devoted lovers remain enamored of their charismatic champion — despite their flaws and lawlessness — and because of his passion. Indeed, those flaws may make this figure more beloved.

In erotic politics, people are wedded to the person of the leader, warts and all. This astounds sober-minded defenders of virtue and the rule of law. But in erotic politics, it makes perfect sense to remain devoted to the beloved, since love is love, no matter what.

Andrew Fiala is a professor of philosophy and director of The Ethics Center at Fresno State

He is the interim department chair of Fresno State University’s Department of Philosophy.