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Hungary’s new territorial development reform shows how Functional Urban Areas and targeted funding can help safeguard Europe’s Right to Stay. 

The dead were nationals of Zimbabwe and Malawi returning home, officials say.

La Zone industrielle de Glo-Djigbé (GDIZ), hub industriel béninois développé par la Société d'investissement et de promotion de l'industrie (SIPI-BENIN S.A.), a remporté trois distinctions majeures aux fDi Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2025, organisés par fDi Intelligence.

Le Bénin une fois encore au-devant de la scène internationale grâce à la Zone industrielle de Glo-Djigbé, plateforme industrielle développée par la SIPI-BENIN, un partenariat public-privé entre le Gouvernement du Bénin et le Groupe ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP).

A l'occasion des fDi Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2025, organisés par fDi Intelligence, la GDIZ a remporté trois distinctions majeures dont le prix de la Meilleure zone industrielle d'Afrique. A travers cette distinction, la GDIZ s'impose comme une référence en matière de transformation industrielle sur le continent africain, et la 7e zone à l'échelle mondiale.

Au cours de l'évènement, la Zone industrielle de Glo-Djigbé a obtenu une « Mention honorable » pour sa contribution au développement économique et social du Bénin.
Ces reconnaissances internationales décernées à la GDIZ, témoignent de l'impact, de la vision et de la détermination qui font d'elle, un modèle industriel en Afrique et par-delà, le monde.
« La GDIZ est une Zone Industrielle qui opère dans un contexte particulièrement exigeant, qui crée un nombre impressionnant d'emplois directs et apporte une contribution majeure au développement du Bénin », souligne fDi Intelligence.

A travers la création d'emplois, la formation des talents, le transfert de compétences et la transformation locale de produits tels que le coton, la noix de cajou et le soja, la GDIZ continue d'écrire une nouvelle page du développement industriel durable du Bénin. Mise en œuvre depuis février 2020, la GDIZ est une zone industrielle intégrée qui couvre une superficie de 1640 ha. Elle est axée sur la création de florissantes chaînes de valeur allant de l'approvisionnement en matières premières, la transformation des ressources, et à l'exportation de produits finis. Au terme d'une première phase de 400 ha, la zone abrite en plus de 30 unités de transformation dont une quinzaine déjà opérationnelles, qui emploient plus de 35 000 jeunes béninois.

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La Coordination Nationale du parti "Les Démocrates" tient une session extraordinaire ce lundi 13 octobre 2025.

Tous les membres de la Coordination Nationale sont invités à une session extraordinaire au siège du parti "Les Démocrates" à Fifadji Cotonou. L'ordre du jour porte sur la présentation du rapport de la Commission Nationale de Candidature chargée de la désignation du duo de candidats du parti à l'élection présidentielle du 12 avril 2026.

L'opération d'enregistrement des dossiers de candidatures pour l'élection présidentielle de 2026 au Bénin a débuté, vendredi 10 octobre 2025, à la Commission électorale nationale autonome.

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Après plusieurs mois de rivalité énergétique, l’Algérie a retrouvé son trône sur le marché espagnol du gaz. Selon les données publiées par la société espagnole […]

L’article GAZ : l’Algérie détrône les USA et reprend la tête du marché espagnol est apparu en premier sur .

Le Hamas libère les 20 otages qu'il détenait en vie dans le cadre de la première phase de l'accord, tandis qu'Israël libère 250 prisonniers palestiniens et 1 700 autres personnes qui avaient été arrêtées lors de son incursion militaire dans la bande de Gaza.

L'Ambassadrice de France au Bénin, SE.Mme Nadège Chouat, a rendu un vibrant hommage à la légende du football africain Claude Le Roy. La cérémonie s'est déroulée, vendredi 10 octobre 2025, à la Maison Rouge de Cotonou.

Au cours d'une soirée conviviale et pleine d'émotions, l'ancien joueur et entraîneur français Claude Le Roy a été honoré par ses pairs, amis et admirateurs.

« Claude est un vieil ami. C'est au-delà du football. J'ai connu Claude, il y a très longtemps et j'ai décidé de lui rendre hommage de son vivant », a confié Mme Nadège Chouat, soulignant la profondeur du lien qui les unit. La soirée a connu la présence de plusieurs figures des chaînes Canal + Sport Afrique en séjour au Bénin (Lilian Gatounes, Kaba Diawara, Fousseni Diawara, Rod Fanni, Cédric Kanté, José Pierre-Fanfan et Charles Mbuya).
Ils sont arrivés au Bénin pour la 2è édition du Trophée des Académies Ligue 1 McDonald's initiée par Claude Le Roy. Le monde sportif béninois n'a pas manqué ce rendez-vous d'amitié et de reconnaissance.

Plusieurs présidents de fédérations sportives ont répondu à l'invitation. L'Ambassadrice de France a salué « le rôle d'ambassadeur du football et de l'amitié franco-africaine » que joue Claude Le Roy depuis plusieurs décennies.

A.A.A

Depuis l'effondrement mortel de l'auvent de la gare de Novi Sad, le 1er novembre 2024, la Serbie se soulève contre la corruption meurtrière du régime du président Vučić et pour le respect de l'État de droit. Cette exigence de justice menée par les étudiants a gagné tout le pays. Suivez les dernières informations en temps réel et en accès libre.

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, Vucic, Serbie, Politique, Société, Gratuit

Depuis l'effondrement mortel de l'auvent de la gare de Novi Sad, le 1er novembre 2024, la Serbie se soulève contre la corruption meurtrière du régime du président Vučić et pour le respect de l'État de droit. Cette exigence de justice menée par les étudiants a gagné tout le pays. Suivez les dernières informations en temps réel et en accès libre.

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, Vucic, Serbie, Politique, Société, Gratuit

Il arrivera un moment où le dollar n’aura plus de garant suffisant pour assurer sa crédibilité. C’est le crépuscule du dollar.

The post La prochaine crise financière est inéluctable et américaine appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Sinkende Importpreise setzen die EU-Sojaproduktion weiter unter Druck. Schon jetzt hat sie Mühe, international mitzuhalten – die Erträge liegen deutlich unter denen der globalen Konkurrenz.

De Sarajevo à Belgrade, de Paris à Sydney, des milliers de fans ont rendu hommage au chanteur Halid Bešlić, disparu le 7 octobre à l'âge de 71 ans. Véritable légende de la musique populaire bosnienne, il laisse derrière lui une œuvre qui a traversé les frontières et les générations.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Courrier des Balkans, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Culture et éducation, Personnalités, Yougonostalgie

De Sarajevo à Belgrade, de Paris à Sydney, des milliers de fans ont rendu hommage au chanteur Halid Bešlić, disparu le 7 octobre à l'âge de 71 ans. Véritable légende de la musique populaire bosnienne, il laisse derrière lui une œuvre qui a traversé les frontières et les générations.

- Le fil de l'Info / Une - Diaporama, Courrier des Balkans, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Culture et éducation, Personnalités

Die Vorschriften gelten laut Virkkunen unabhängig von der Herkunft der Tech-Unternehmen. Die EU-Regeln seien nicht gegen „US-Unternehmen“ gerichtet. „Sie gelten gleichermaßen auch für europäische und asiatische Firmen“, betonte sie.

Populisten inszenieren Klimaschutz als Klassenkampf und schüren so Ängste. Fakt ist: Das Aus für den Verbrennungsmotor ist sozial, wenn die Kosten fair verteilt werden., Die Bundesregierung streitet über das geplante Verbrenner-Aus ab 2035. Dabei geht es nicht nur um Klimapolitik, sondern auch um soziale Gerechtigkeit: Wer trägt die Kosten – und wer profitiert? In Deutschland instrumentalisieren populistische Kräfte diese Debatte zunehmend, indem sie Klimaschutz als ...

Willkommen bei Rapporteur! Jeden Tag liefern wir Ihnen die wichtigsten Nachrichten und Hintergründe aus der EU- und Europapolitik. Brüssel: „Biest von Berlaymont“ – Martin Selmayr im Gespräch für Schlüsselrolle beim EEAS. Parlament: Manfred Weber unter Druck, nachdem französische Abgeordnete Misstrauensantrag unterstützen. Gaza: EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs zur Unterzeichnung eines Friedensabkommens eingeladen, das sie nicht vermittelt haben. […]

Kamikawa Yoko, Chair of JPFP and of AFPPD addresses the Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on Education for Life, Safety, and Human Dignity. Credit: APDA

By Cecilia Russell
TOKYO & JOHANNESBURG, Oct 13 2025 (IPS)

Vulnerable children are being targeted online faster than parliamentarians and law enforcers can act, a conference convened by the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) heard. Yet, with international cooperation and sharing of ideas, lawmakers believe the scourge of online abuse can be addressed.

The Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on Education for Life, Safety, and Human Dignity in Tokyo, Japan, on 7 October 2025 brought parliamentarians from Asian countries, ministry officials, practitioners, partner organizations, experts and media together to find solutions for the elimination of sexual crimes and violence against children and youth. It ended with a clear call for deeper international collaboration to tackle the protection of children in the digital age.

In her keynote address, Kamikawa Yoko, Chair of JPFP and of AFPPD, said, “Traditionally, in Japan, sexuality education was considered taboo; even the word ‘sexuality’ made discussion untouchable,” so she had proposed the concept of ‘Life Safety Education (LSE)’ so that it could be more readily accepted.

Lawmakers and other delegates at the Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on Education for Life, Safety, and Human Dignity. Credit: APDA

Setting the scene for the discussion, she said young people come to major cities like Tokyo and Osaka and are exposed to a vast amount of information through the internet and social media—with some lured by promises of an “easy income” only to be deceived and become victims before “they realize it, they may be coerced into the sex industry, human trafficking, drug trafficking, or other criminal activities.”

LSE was more than just teaching children age-appropriate knowledge about the bodies; it empowers children to recognize their rights, develop self-determination and protect themselves, she said, emphasizing that the lawmakers are often approached by public institutions and civil society groups for support.

“Protecting children is not optional. It is our shared responsibility,” she reminded the lawmakers.

Nakazono Kazutaka from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology elaborated on the country’s Life Safety Education program, saying it aims to prevent children from becoming perpetrators, victims, or bystanders, using age-appropriate content and social media guidance. The education is integrated into health and PE classes, with digital materials and teacher training. The initiative is expanding to more schools and regions, emphasizing human rights and dignity.

Makishima Karen, MP Japan, addresses the Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on Education for Life, Safety, and Human Dignity. Credit: APDA

Makishima Karen, MP Japan, said the levels of incidences were worryingly high, with 2,783 cases related to child pornography involving 1,024 individuals reported. She also explained that many victims fell outside of the law enforcement and safety nets designed to assist them. Often the grooming starts innocently, with young people detailing hobbies and daily life; they often become entrapped by people who groom them, lure them in with promises, and then sexually assault and abuse them.

The worrying factor is that the abuse remains unreported or if reported, the children disappear, making follow-ups difficult. New laws criminalizing unauthorized filming have been passed, Makishima said but legal mandates need to be extended. She cited an example of how victims of non-consensual sexual images must request removal individually from each digital platform, irrespective of their age—unlike in the US, where the visuals need removal within 48 hours.

Chanlinda Mith, Director of Research of the General Department of Legislation and Research, National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia, addresses the Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on Education for Life, Safety, and Human Dignity. Credit: APDA

Makishima outlined measures the Ministry of Education was involved in, including the LSE, which emphasized the importance of “not becoming a bystander when witnessing harmful behaviors.”

“Children need to understand the impact of sexual violence and foster a mindset that respects oneself and others too,” she said, and this is done with different messaging for various ages, so, for example, early childhood education would include messages that “your body belongs to you, and parts covered by a swimsuit are private and should not be shown or touched.”

Teens and youth messaging is unambiguous, stating that any “sexual act that you do not want constitutes sexual violence,” and the perpetrator and not the child is blamed.

Yet there is a need for content ratings in online communication that are effective and enforceable, but the problem is international rather than national—and she called for a deeper collaboration.

“Platform operators are very often global; therefore, this would require international collaboration. On the ground, the teachers are trying to educate children, but we need international collaborations beyond the boundaries of countries.”

Among other solutions mooted by international delegates at the conference was the restriction on the use of social media for children and youth under 16.

Catherine Wedd, an MP from New Zealand, gave a remote presentation to the Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference on Education for Life, Safety, and Human Dignity. Credit: APDA

“Globally, the data is grim; 16 to 58 percent of girls in 30 countries have experienced cyber violence. These are our daughters, sisters and friends. The psychological toll is real. Cyberbullying destroys self-esteem and sparks anxiety and depression,” Catherine Wedd, an MP from New Zealand, said.

New Zealand, following the example of Australia, is moving to regulate social media for youth.

Wedd said she championed a bill that will “ensure that the onus is placed on the companies to create necessary age verification measures to prevent children from accessing social media platforms and to enforce a social media ban for users under 16.”

In Cambodia, social media in the form of a Youth Health mobile app has been developed to enhance health education and sexual and reproductive health for adolescents, Chanlinda Mith, Director of Research of the General Department of Legislation and Research, National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia, told the conference.

Apart from crucial information designed to keep young people safe, the app, developed in collaboration with UNFPA, gives the youth anonymity should they need to discuss sensitive matters.

Both Yos Phanita, an MP from Cambodia and Dr. Abe Toshiko, Chair of the JPFP Project Team and MP Japan, reiterated the call for regional and international cooperation in their closing remarks

“We must continue to foster regional cooperations share best practice and advocate for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) as a fundamental human right and a critical foundation for building healthy, equitable, sustainable societies across Asia,” said Phanita.

Abe agreed, saying that he hoped the discussion would serve as a “catalyst for concrete policy progress and for building greater understanding and support across our society.”

Note: The conference was organized by the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) and Plan International Japan, in cooperation with the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP) Project Team on LSE and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Aujourd’hui dans Rapporteur : Martin Selmayr, ancien chef de cabinet de Jean-Claude Juncker, envisage un retour sur le devant de la scène européenne ; Manfred Weber sous pression après que les eurodéputés français du PPE ont soutenu la motion de censure de l’extrême droite contre la Commission ; et les dirigeants de l’UE invités à assister à la signature d’un accord de paix qu’ils n’ont pas négocié pour Gaza.

The post Le retour de Martin Selmayr ? appeared first on Euractiv FR.

AMENDMENTS 21 - 172 - Draft opinion Amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Marco Tarquinio

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A tricycle rider was wading through a flooded area in Kolkata, India.
 
AI technology will enable better disaster responses by governments and local communities. Credit: Pexels/Dibakar Roy
 
The UN, which commemorates International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on October 13, encourages citizens and governments to build more disaster-resilient communities and nations.

By Kareff Rafisura, Sheryl Rose Reyes and Natdanai Punsin
BANGKOK, Thailand, Oct 13 2025 (IPS)

The theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” called for the urgent need to shift from reactive spending on recovery to proactive investment in disaster risk reduction.

Advancements in satellite imagery analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) now enable us to map hazards, exposures and vulnerabilities more effectively, providing timely and clearer insights into who and what is at risk, and guiding more targeted investments in resilience and disaster preparedness. Leveraging these advances is essential to building resilience and is an imperative to safeguard lives and livelihoods in Asia and the Pacific – the world’s most disaster-prone region.

Building on advances in big Earth data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, a new tool – SatGPT – offers an innovative solution that supports flood risk mapping. Developed by UN ESCAP in collaboration with regional technical and institutional partners, it represents a functional, next-generation spatial decision support system designed for rapid deployment, which would be most beneficial in flood-prone and resource-limited contexts.

By mapping historical hotspots and past flooding events using a massive collection of archived satellite imagery, insights from SatGPT help inform the allocation of disaster risk reduction investments to where they are needed most, reducing both human and economic losses. SatGPT contributes to the implementation of the four pillars of the Early Warnings for All Initiative by enhancing disaster risk knowledge and providing historical flooding data.

It can also contribute to improved forecasting models, strengthen early warning analysis, and inform preparedness and response strategies. SatGPT and other technological advancements open an opportunity to deliver risk information that is consistent, accessible, comparable, and open-source, enabling evidence-based disaster risk reduction investment decisions.

Country-specific initiatives further demonstrate the value of Earth observation data and digital innovations. For example, the Philippine Space Agency Integrated Network for Space-Enabled Actions towards Sustainability (PINAS) builds a community empowered by space data, connecting citizens, public, and private sectors to work together toward improved disaster response and sustainable development.

Indonesia is developing an AI project on flood mapping with pilot sites in Jakarta and North Java Island, and SatGPT is planned to be integrated into this platform. Thailand is developing the Check Nahm (Check Flood) flood warning application that consolidates data from various sources, including CCTV cameras, to enhance early warning systems, provide near real-time updates on the flood situation, and forecasts.

The application’s cloud-based data integration can also incorporate SatGPT’s historical mapping capabilities. The University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China, demonstrates how flooding exacerbates social inequalities by integrating geospatial information, AI and socioeconomic data.

The vulnerability difference was calculated based on the defined social classes and climate scenarios, demonstrating that people with weaker socioeconomic status will face higher exposure risks and greater impacts due to inequality.

The Jakarta Ministerial Declaration on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific highlighted the strong potential of emerging technology applications from the fourth industrial revolution to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

To translate the Declaration into tangible impacts, countries in the region have focused on equipping young government professionals with the skills to rapidly analyze trends and transform geospatial information into actionable insights using SatGPT and other AI-powered tools, driving smarter and faster disaster risk reduction decisions.

Future efforts will respond to countries’ need for enhanced AI development, access to open-source data, standardized methodologies, and opportunities for capacity development. They will also further strengthen the capacities of local governments and communities to adapt and apply AI-powered tools like SatGPT to generate localized insights on high-risk areas, making mitigation and adaptation investments more effective.

As we champion funding for resilience and co-develop AI-powered disaster tools, it is vital to remember that data and technology are only as meaningful as the lives they aim to protect. Behind every map and dataset are real communities facing real risks. Keeping this human perspective at the center of innovation ensures that our efforts remain grounded in empathy, purpose and impact.

Kareff Rafisura is Economic Affairs Officer, ESCAP; Sheryl Rose Reyes is Consultant, ESCAP; and Natdanai Punsin is Geo-Informatics Officer, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)

IPS UN Bureau

 

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