Author: M Barbu

Le HCUA à Kidal et Mohamed Bazoum à Niamey : Deux pions à la manœuvre pour faire regretter au Mali d’avoir contraint la France au retrait militaire

Le Haut conseil pour l’unité de l’Azawad (HCUA) de la Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) a renoué avec ses vieilles et mauvaises pratiques en mettant la pression sur le gouvernement malien avec des menaces à peine voilées. Et quand on sait qu’au même moment Mohamed Bazoum du Niger a décidé de fumer le calumet de la paix avec Boko Haram, on peut craindre une jonction dangereuse pour notre pays. Pour quelle raison aujourd’hui Bazoum fait-il la paix avec ceux qui ont endeuillé de nombreuses familles de son pays ? En tout cas ces deux situations (la menace de la CMA et la décision de Bazoum de faire la paix avec Boko Haram), ne sont pas anodines pour qui connaît la connivence entre la France et leurs auteurs.

Nigeria: une soixantaine de morts dans une milice d’auto-défense dans le nord-ouest

Au Nigeria, une soixantaine d’hommes, tous membres d’une milice d’auto-défense, ont été assassinés dans le nord-ouest du pays. Ils ont été victimes de ceux qu’on surnomme « bandits » dans la région. Plus d’une centaine de groupes criminels sont actifs entre les États de Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto et Kebbi, où ils multiplient les exactions sanglantes, face auxquelles les forces de sécurité semblent bien impuissantes.

Yet More on Inflation

Last week, I was on a panel with Jason Furman and Joseph Stiglitz, discussing the recent surge in inflation and the prospects for the future. We took some questions from the audience, but there were a number for which we did not have time. I have picked some of these questions to answer myself, for anyone who may be interested.

One Ukraine or Two?

Who hasn’t thought in terms of national identities, stereotypical and misleading as they are? He’s an American, someone might say, or she’s French, or those folks over there are Japanese, and so on.

We know such identities blur and dissolve upon closer inspection. There turn out to be many different kinds of Americans. There are Red Americans and Blue Americans, for instance, and White Americans and Black Americans, rich Americans and poor Americans, young Americans and old Americans, religious Americans and secular Americans, and on and on. And there no doubt are as many kinds of French, or Japanese, and so on.

Russia’s Attack on Ukraine Raises Stakes For Iran Nuclear Talks

While it does not appear that Russia has become interested in undermining the JCPOA as a whole, dragging out the talks could serve Russia’s interests.

Russia’s military attack on Ukraine has had a number of consequences for Iran, the most important of which have impacted the state of the nuclear negotiations and the energy market. With nuclear talks in Vienna in their final and most critical stages, a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would lead to the lifting of the “maximum pressure” sanctions that were first imposed on Iran under the Trump administration.

Ukraine-Russia war: Russia, the world’s most-sanctioned country – report

The total number of sanctions against Russia stands at 5,532, which is more than those imposed on Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and Myanmar combined.

Russia has officially become the most-sanctioned nation on Earth in the span of just 10 days, surpassing the likes of North Korea and Iran, due to the recent actions of President Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine, according to sanctions-tracking database Castellum.ai.

Russia-Ukraine War explainer: What is a no-fly zone?

While 74% of the US public supports working with NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, prominent US leaders have cautioned against the move.

As war rages in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. The EU, NATO and the United States have denied all requests for the NFZ as of now, fearing that the move could exacerbate the conflict.

Russia-Ukraine War: What is a thermobaric bomb?

The Russia-Ukraine War has seen increased discussion about the danger of thermobaric weapons, but what are they exactly and how do they work?

What is a thermobaric bomb?

Thermobaric weapons are a type of explosive that uses aerosolized fuel – fuel droplets suspended in air – to ignite oxygen to create intense heat and pressure waves.