Latest news with #DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo
Zawya
6 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Minister of State at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Meets United States (US) State Department Senior Advisor for Africa
HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi met on Thursday with HE Presidential Envoy and Senior Advisor for Africa at the US Department of State Massad Boulos, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the close strategic relations between the State of Qatar and the United States and discussed ways to support and enhance them. They also discussed joint efforts to address the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with a number of issues of mutual interest. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.
Al Jazeera
09-07-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Trump hosts five West African leaders to discuss trade and development
United States President Donald Trump is meeting with leaders from five African nations as he escalates a trade war that could impact developing countries reliant on commerce with the US. On Wednesday, Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House for talks and a working lunch, with discussions expected to centre on business opportunities, according to a White House official. During the lunch, Trump said they hail from 'very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits and wonderful people'. 'There's a lot of anger on your continent. We've been able to solve a lot of it,' Trump said, pointing to a recent peace agreement leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda recently signed at the White House. The leaders are expected to discuss key areas of cooperation, including economic development, security, infrastructure and democracy, according to statements from the White House and Liberia. Trump said the five countries were unlikely to face US tariffs. President Trump Participates in a Multilateral Lunch with African Leaders — The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 9, 2025 Trump is expected to soon announce dates for a broader summit with African leaders, possibly in September around the time of the United Nations General Assembly. This week's mini-summit marks the latest effort by successive administrations to counter perceptions that the US has neglected a continent where China has increasingly made economic inroads. Trade, investment in focus Wednesday's meeting is expected to focus on economics. During the meeting, Gabon's President Brice Oligui Nguema told Trump his country was open to investment and wants to see its raw mineral resources processed locally, but needs large investments in energy to do so. 'We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials. But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources with win-win partnerships,' Nguema said at the meeting. Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye suggested his country also offered investment opportunities for tourism, including a golf course. Faye said the course would only be a six-hour flight from New York and suggested Trump could visit to show off his skills. The US International Development Finance Corporation said earlier in the day it would provide project development funding for the Banio Potash Mine in Mayumba, Gabon, helping Gabon reduce its dependence on imports. 'DFC's efforts not only benefit the countries and communities where they invest but also advance US economic interests by opening new markets, strengthening trade relationships, and promoting a more secure and prosperous global economy,' said DFC head of investments Conor Coleman. The five nations whose leaders are meeting Trump represent a small fraction of US-Africa trade, but they possess untapped natural resources. Senegal and Mauritania are important transit and origin countries when it comes to migration, and along with Guinea-Bissau, are struggling to contain drug trafficking, both issues of concern for the Trump administration. However, African Union officials question how Africa could deepen trade ties with the US under what they called 'abusive' tariff proposals and visa restrictions largely targeting travellers from Africa. The top US diplomat for Africa, Ambassador Troy Fitrell, has dismissed allegations of unfair US trade practices. Earlier this month, US authorities dissolved the US Agency for International Development and said it was no longer following what they called 'a charity-based foreign aid model' and instead will focus on partnerships with nations that show 'both the ability and willingness to help themselves'. Those cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, research published by The Lancet medical journal showed last week.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Impostor uses AI to impersonate Rubio and contact foreign and U.S. officials
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) WASHINGTON — The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using technology driven by artificial intelligence, according to two senior officials and a cable sent last week to all embassies and consulates. The warning came after the department discovered that an impostor posing as Rubio had attempted to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor, according to the July 3 cable, which was first reported by The Washington Post. The recipients of the scam messages, which were sent by text, Signal and voice mail, were not identified in the cable, a copy of which was shared with The Associated Press. 'The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter,' it said. 'The department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department's cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents.' It declined to comment further due to 'security reasons' and the ongoing investigation. One of the officials said the hoaxes had been unsuccessful and 'not very sophisticated.' Nonetheless, the second official said the department deemed it 'prudent' to advise all employees and foreign governments, particularly as efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security increase. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. 'There is no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign, but information shared with a third party could be exposed if targeted individuals are compromised,' the cable said. The FBI warned in a public service announcement this past spring of a 'malicious text and voice messaging campaign' in which unidentified 'malicious actors' have been impersonating senior U.S. government officials. The scheme, according to the FBI, has relied on text messages and AI-generated voice messages that purport to come from a senior U.S. official and that aim to dupe other government officials as well as the victim's associates and contacts. It is the second high-level Trump administration official to face such AI-driven impersonation. The government was investigating after elected officials, business executives and other prominent figures received messages from someone impersonating President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Text messages and phone calls went out from someone who seemed to have gained access to the contacts in Wiles' personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported in May. Some of those who received calls heard a voice that sounded like Wiles, which may have been generated by artificial intelligence, according to the newspaper. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles' number, the report said. ___ AP writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report. Matthew Lee, The Associated Press
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Global Mining Expansion Accelerates
China has been buying mining operations around the world for years to sate its appetite for raw materials, which remains much stronger than what it can produce domestically. Over the past couple of years, however, this shopping spree has accelerated—Chinese investors are in a rush. In 2023, Chinese companies invested some $16 billion in mines globally, and this did not include minority stake purchases, the Economist reported in November last year. The publication listed several large deals, including a $5-billion investment in a copper mine in Afghanistan, a $1-billion investment in a gold operation in Ghana, and an investment commitment for $5 billion in Zambia over the five years to 2028. The investment list also included the acquisition of a stake in the largest copper mine in the Philippines, Tampakan. Clearly, copper is a key investment destination for Chinese companies given the wide use of the basic metal in everything from construction to electric vehicles. Back in 2023, more than half of Chinese companies' foreign mining investments focused on copper. But there is also another major investment destination for Chinese buyers: critical minerals. China is the biggest mining investor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is home to the largest cobalt reserves in the world, at 6 million tons out of a global total of 11 million tons. And cobalt is just the start. The DRC has the highest-grade copper ore in the world, with the copper content exceeding the global average four times, according to an overview of the country's mineral resources compiled by bne Intellinews. Rare earth minerals are also abundant, along with most of the elements in the periodic table. It is little surprise that China dominates the mining investment landscape there. Yet it is still investing ever more elsewhere as well. Last year, a report produced by a Chinese and an Australian university showed that global mining investment by Chinese companies had broken a record. Commitments under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2024 reached $21 billion, the report said, which was the highest since the initiative was launched, back in 2013. 'It is likely that Chinese policymakers are also welcoming strategic control by Chinese – often private – companies in critical minerals,' one of the authors of the report, Christoph Nedopil from Griffith University in Australia, said. There are no signs that the investment rush will weaken anytime soon for the world's largest processor of critical minerals and largest investor in energy transition technology, even as the West shows signs of awareness and unease about this total dominance in an area that most of the West, except the United States under Trump, considers a top priority for the future. The Financial Times reported this month that Chinese companies with mining interests abroad had stepped up activity markedly in 2024. The publication cited analysts as saying one big reason for that activity was precisely that awareness among Western governments that China was becoming too dominant in the sector—so they were starting to shut investment doors in its face. There has been 'more activity in the past 12 months because Chinese groups believe they have this near-term window . . . They're trying to get a lot of M&A done before geopolitics get difficult,' Appian Capital Advisory founder, Michael Sherb, told the FT. The 'geopolitics' referenced in the statement involves the growing mistrust of China by governments in Europe and North America, which is leading to a tightening of investment conditions—even as Europe considers closer cooperation with China on the energy transition. 'In the next few years we are likely to continue to see a healthy level of dealmaking activity from Chinese mining companies,' Standard Chartered's global head of metals and mining, Richard Horrocks-Taylor told the Financial Times. The publication cited two recent deals as examples, the $1.2-billion deal sealed by Zijin Mining for a gold mine in Kazakhstan and the $420-million acquisition of Appian Capital Advisory's Brazilian copper and gold mine, Vale Verde, by China's Baiyin Nonferrous Group. To be fair, Chinese companies have not exactly been scrambling to get a piece of mining action in Canada or the U.S. for reasons more to do with regulation than geopolitics. They have focused on Africa and Asia, as well as Latin America—all fertile ground for infrastructure investments under the Belt and Road Initiative. But China has given Western governments a new reason for worry now: Chinese companies have developed sophisticated ways of beating Western rivals for mining assets in emerging markets. Because the West also has to rely on resources in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—except perhaps Canada, which has the capacity for a reasonable degree of self-sufficiency in at least some critical metals and minerals. Perhaps, then, Chinese companies are right to go on a shopping spree while the governments of their Western rivals mull over their next steps and whether it might be a good idea to step up government-backed investments in foreign mining operations. By Irina Slav for More Top Reads From this article on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Giant wooden animal puppet parade wows city
A parade of life-sized wooden safari animal puppets has wowed crowds in Manchester as it passed through the city. The Herds aims to symbolise the animals' flight from climate disaster, according to The Walk Productions, which is behind the large scale public art. The elephants, giraffes, antelope, and lions are made from upscaled or recyclable cardboard and plywood. They arrived in the city just after 18:00 BST and will move to Heywood and Leigh in subsequent days. The animals began their 12,400m (20,000km) journey in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April and are now moving north through European towns and cities. Volunteers in each area take on the role of puppeteers. The parade made its way through Cathedral Gardens, Corporation Street and Market Street. Rochelle Dodson and Eva Barker were impressed by the puppetry. Ms Dodson said: "It was wonderful - the movement was realistic especially with the fact they are made out of cardboard. "The giraffes eyes really looked at you." Ms Barker added: "I thought it was great – not sure I was aware of a message." Danielle who came with her daughter Poppy to watch the spectacle said: "I thought it was great - I just like the intricate details on the chimpanzees." She said it was so entertaining but she thought the eco-friendly message was not particularly clear. "I think they should have had some information or someone telling that story – if you look it up it is a beautiful message," she said. "It was really funny there was a guy with a dog on his shoulder who said 'this is great but what is it all about?'" Poppy added: "They are really big and the puppet people are so hard working." Debbie, who came with her three children, Patti, Gracie and Kit was amazed by the experience. "The puppets were incredible - I really liked the way they were moving," she said. "When they came towards us it was unbelievable." Daughter Pattie added; "I thought they were really cool - I really liked the zebras." Once The Herds leaves Greater Manchester, it will next travel through Scandinavia to the Arctic Circle. The Herds parade marked the start of Manchester International Festival, which first took place in 2007. The Walk Productions also created in 2019 the journey of Little Amal, a 12ft high puppet of a Syrian refugee child. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. The Herds: 'Being a puppeteer is really difficult' The Herds: How the giant animal puppets are made Little Amal team launch climate change puppet project
