Spanish Economy Minister on the New NATO Spending Target
Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo on the new NATO spending target
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Yahoo
40 minutes ago
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UN aid meeting seeks end to Global South debt crisis
More than 100 nations attending a UN aid conference pledged this week to help defuse the ticking time bomb of developing countries' ballooning debt, but deciding how is proving more divisive. "The debt burden is crippling the developing world," UN chief Antonio Guterres told the conference in the Spanish city of Seville that reaffirmed support for lifting low-income nations out of their predicament. "We must fix the global debt system which is unsustainable and unfair," Guterres pleaded at the gathering, which runs to Thursday. The total external debt of the group of least developed countries has more than tripled in 15 years, according to UN data. Developing nations now pay $1.4 trillion every year to service their debt -- its highest level in 20 years. Global South nations contend with interest rates two times higher than their richer counterparts when they borrow, increasing the burden. More than three billion people live in countries that fork out more on interest repayments than on health, according to a report commissioned by the late Pope Francis and coordinated by Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz. A litany of international crises from the Covid-19 pandemic to conflicts have plunged the world economy into turbulence in recent years, with repercussions felt acutely in lesser developed countries. Experts also blame the proliferation of costly and grandiose projects, particularly in African countries that have taken out billions in loans from China. "Many low-income and vulnerable countries are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt, poverty and climate-induced crisis," said the Action Aid NGO, which warned of a "critical" situation. The macroeconomic deterioration has real-world impacts for ordinary citizens, "notably on health policies", Francoise Vanni, of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, told AFP. - 'Lack of commitment' - In Seville, several world leaders from the Global South, including Kenyan President William Ruto and Senegal's Bassirou Diomaye Faye, called for a reform of the international financial system to resolve the vicious cycle. The document adopted in Seville -- snubbed by key actor the United States -- calls for the general adoption of clauses in loans that allow borrowing countries to temporarily suspend repayments due to an external shock or natural disaster. Storms, droughts and floods turbocharged by climate change disproportionately affect low-income countries that have historically contributed the least to the emissions that drive global warming. The so-called "Seville Commitment" asks creditors to increase loans in local currency to limit risks caused by foreign exchange fluctuations. It also urges the creation of a central database housed in the Washington-based World Bank "to harmonise and strengthen debt data reporting, enhance debt transparency and reduce reporting burdens". The World Bank says only a quarter of poor nations declare information on their new loans, denying crucial information to lenders. The Vatican-commissioned report also recommended "systemic reforms" and "essential investments" to tackle the crisis, suggesting an end to preferential treatment for private creditors and extending debt relief measures introduced during the pandemic. But NGOs want to go much further than boosting transparency by cancelling debt altogether for the most stricken countries. Hundreds of protesters marched through the stifling heat of Seville on Sunday to demand the measure, which has occasionally been applied in the past. But donor countries, which face debt problems of their own, are reluctant to implement such an initiative, making it unlikely. Action Aid denounced the Global North's "lamentable lack of tangible commitment to truly ending this debt crisis". vab/imm/mdm/gv
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
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Denmark expands military service to include women
By Tom Little and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Denmark on Tuesday expanded its military service to include women, as the Nordic country seeks to recruit more soldiers and strengthen its defences amid heightened security concerns across Europe. Under a law passed by Denmark's parliament in June 2023, Denmark will require women turning 18 after July 1, 2025, to register for assessment days for potential military conscription, aligning with measures already in place for men. Until now, women, who last year made up around 24% of all recruits, had been allowed to join the military on a voluntary basis. "In the world situation we're in right now, it's necessary to have more conscripts, and I think that women should contribute to that equally, as men do," Katrine, a recruit in the Danish Royal Life Guard, told Reuters without giving her last name. In Denmark, volunteers are signed up first for conscription, while the remaining numbers are drawn up in a lottery system. The armed forces are in the process of making adjustments in barracks and equipment better suited for women. "There are different things that they need to improve, especially in terms of equipment. Right now, it's made for men, so perhaps the rucksacks are a bit too large and the uniforms are large as well," said Katrine. Denmark, which together with NATO allies last week agreed to boost defence spending, plans to gradually increase the duration of the conscription period from four months to 11 months in 2026 and raise the number of recruits doing military service from around 5,000 now to 7,500 in 2033.
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
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Priyanka Chopra's Third-Wheel Moment With John Cena & Idris Elba
Idris Elba, John Cena and Priyanka Chopra have teamed up for a silly action flick with a side of romance — or Give the trailer a watch: Heads Of State follows US President Will Derringer (played by John) and UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris) after a covert operation goes sideways. The result? Their private Air Force One plane goes down in a hijacking before a critical NATO summit. Despite their hatred for one another, the pair must work together to keep the world's alliances intact. Alongside them is Priyanka's undercover agent character, Noel Bisset. And honestly, she's a certified UNIT. The film is the perfect Friday/weekend night watch (with some takeaway ordered and a bathrobe on). If you love dry jokes, unlikely friendships and "stylistic" fight sequences that'll either make you giggle or make you say "Woah" — add this to your list. There's plenty of chemistry between all three stars and it might make you wonder whose really falling for whom. Don't worry just strap in and keep an open mind. It's seriously just a bit of fun. Ahead of its drop on Prime Video, the trio let BuzzFeed Australia into some action star secrets, what they learned from each other and who was the third wheel on set. Here's what Priyanka, Idris and John had to say about Heads of State. BFOZ: Heads of State was a mix of action and silliness. So, we need to know — who was the biggest goofball on set and who was most likely to mess up a take? BFOZ: Priyanka — John and Idris share what feels like an enemies-to-lovers type of bromance in the film — did you ever feel like a third wheel working with these two unlikely best friends? Idris: That's really kind but, the truth is when Priyanka walked on became the sidemen. We did. John: [Idris and I] had weeks to warm up, we were shooting with each other for weeks, we had a camera dynamic. We got each other's social profile. [Priyanka] walks on in one day and it's like — alright this is a power trio. BFOZ: And finally, you've all had your fair share of action roles, but was there anything that you learnt from each other about playing big, cool action stars? Priyanka: We were thrown a lot of things and retakes many, many times but working with pros is so amazing because everyone knows their job and how to do it safely and do it well. So you're never nervous when you're doing action, that someone's going to get hurt. I never felt that on set and that only comes from that kind of experience. John: A lot of the action in this movie is stylistic, but it's also action comedy. You get notes on how to do the action and I love watching professionals adjust to feedback and not be able to just fight but because it is action comedy, there had to be a lot of emotion with the action. Watching [Priyanka and Idris] take notes and apply feedback were notes and there was a lot of feedback, seeing the choices they make when given the direction — sometimes an ambiguous direction — is interesting. You can watch this power trio in Prime Video's new movie Heads of State — streaming from 5PM AEST on July 2. Need more TV show, movie, anime, and gaming recommendations? Check out Press Play, a column dedicated to reviewing the latest releases, uncovering hidden gems and solving the age-old question of "What do I stream?" (before your food gets cold).
