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The Bangladesh Air Force risks becoming a paper tiger, if it isn’t already. 

Emmanuel Macron a pris la parole ce jeudi à Suippes pour saluer les militaires qui ont participé à l'exercice de combat de haute intensité "Orion-26" qui s'achève ce jeudi. L'exercice a été lancé en février pour entraîner l’armée française et l’OTAN aux nouvelles guerres de haute intensité. Un succès, selon le chef de l'État, qui en a profité pour avertir ses adversaires. Récit de Natalia Odisharia.

Comment les travailleurs sont-ils affectés par les bouleversements actuels ? Situation géopolitique, pression climatique, progrès vertigineux de l’intelligence artificielle… Rémi Bourgeot, économiste et chercheur associé à l’IRIS fait le point sur les pressions sur les travailleurs à travers le monde.

Es ist völlig unklar, wann der Irankrieg endet und wie er ausgeht. Welche Folgen hat das für den Nahen Osten – und welche für den amerikanischen Präsidenten?

Si les contes ont bénéficié d'un intérêt particulier à l'époque des nationalismes naissants, parce que l'on y voyait un héritage culturel immémorial, ces récits que l'on racontait pour veiller ou s'endormir tirent en vérité leur charme d'un franchissement permanent des frontières. Alexandre (…) / Ukraine, Frontières, Littérature, Russie

Washington must be willing to make uncomfortable concessions.

Amid China-U.S. competition over critical minerals, Kazakhstan is positioned to become a key partner for Washington. 

It's not about the economy at all: In a system that defines not struggling as a crime, opting out is a public offense.

Selon les analystes, le régime de droits de douane nuls renforce le soft power de la Chine, mais pourrait entraîner des retombées inégales.

Considerable attention has been paid to the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, but analysts have arguably overlooked a more immediate danger facing the Ryukyu Island chain.

The summit is unlikely to deliver decisive breakthroughs. Instead, its importance lies in how it helps manage competition under pressure.

Despite plans to go from zero to four nuclear power plants by 2050, Kazakhstan’s strategy comes with significant challenges.

Ask any academic about how they have come to their present station in their careers and they will talk at some point about the role of chance. The conversation in a queue at a coffee break at a conference, the sitting in on a departmental seminar series, the email on a disciplinary mailing list: the joining of ideas, the crossing of peoples’ paths.

Out of these moments has much research emerged. To take one example, the 2004 volcanic ash cloud that closed transatlantic air transport for over a week, trapping hundreds of European international relations scholars in Canada as their conference was ending, reputedly produced dozens of articles, funding bids and collaborative networks as people found they had time to sit, talk, brainstorm and advance ideas that might otherwise have been lost to the constant pressures of managing a regular workload.

All of which is to say that the advancement of knowledge through research doesn’t follow a straight or foreseeable path. And the growing focus of funding bodies on strategic priorities risks undermining the valuable possibilities that come from a rich and supportive research environment.

The move towards funding priority topics is partly understandable by the desire of funders to demonstrate their direct contribution to areas of political and public interest: research for gain instead of research for its own sake, if you will. In an age of tightening budgets, performance metrics and stakeholder accountability the incentives are clear.

But we now find ourselves at risk of moving too far in this direction.

Firstly, the world moves fast and uncertainly. If priorities are updated too slowly, then we risk missing important new agendas, but if they move too quickly, there is a danger that funding never lasts long enough to allow for the production of sufficiently deep analysis and findings. Supporting researchers to follow many paths – that may for time to time becoming more salient – actually improves the ability to speak to changing needs.

Secondly, priority relies on the existence of a pool of experienced researchers who can bid into designated pots of funding. But if there isn’t the support to allow such people to learn and develop in the absence of targeted monies, then the upsides of prioritisation are severely eroded.

And finally, research has never been just about material benefits. The pursuit of knowledge – in all its forms – is a human endeavour, with intrinsic value. Just as higher education can’t be simply a vehicle for getting a better-paid job, so too must research retain its wider purpose of supporting our understanding of the world and of ourselves.

That means we need to protect funding streams both within individual institutions and from external funders to allow researchers the opportunity to pursue their own agendas and ideas, and to be able to share, discuss and develop them with their communities of practice.

Having been a chair of UACES, which brings together European Studies researchers from across the world and from multiple disciplines, I have been repeatedly delighted and educated by what the rich tapestry of a vibrant and mutually supportive research environment can bring to my own work and to the full range of stakeholders, from politicians to the general public, activists to journalists.

If we can continue to preserve the value of supporting research in the broadest sense then we can not only make targeted funding work more effectively and sustainably, but also ensure that the broadest values of research are protected and shared with everyone.

Simon Usherwood is Professor of Politics and International Studies at the Open University and former Chair of UACES.

The post Why Research Needs a Supportive Environment as Much as Funding Priorities appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Les dirigeantes de la CFDT et de la CGT réclament vendredi des augmentations de salaires face au retour de l'inflation, tout en défendant le caractère chômé et férié du 1er-Mai. France 24 a reçoit Agathe Le Berder, secrétaire générale adjointe de l’Ugict-CGT, qui explique ce pour quoi elle est engagée et cette journée du travail.

Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Industry leaders describe a war for talent.

Condamné en première instance, l'ancien président de la République Nicolas Sarkozy comparait devant la Cour d'Appel de Paris, pour son procès en appel dans l'affaire du financement libyen de sa campagne de 2007. Ce mercredi, l'ex-chef de l'état a contredit son ancien bras droit Claude Guéant. Virginie Le Guay, éditorialiste politique, était l'invitée de Questions Directes pour en parler.

Le Conseil d'État a estimé jeudi qu'il n'y avait "plus lieu" de "statuer" sur les trois recours déposés par des syndicats et des députés qui contestait un communiqué du Premier ministre mi-avril censé faciliter, selon eux, le travail salarié le 1er-Mai dans les boulangeries et chez les fleuristes. Récit de David Gilberg.

Les Afghans sont confrontés à des infrastructures médicales rares et à des frontières fermées, alors même que les taux de cancer atteignent des niveaux alarmants.

Displaced mothers and children at a malnutrition treatment center in Chuil, Jonglei State, South Sudan. Credit: WFP/Gabriela Vivacqua

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, May 1 2026 (IPS)

In 2026, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan has taken a considerable turn for the worse, with widespread food shortages, ongoing disruptions to food production systems, and rising rates of malnutrition affecting over half of the population. Compounded by the vast scale of needs and an overwhelming lack of access to basic services, humanitarian experts warn that nationwide levels of hunger are projected to worsen to catastrophic levels if urgent intervention is not secured.

On April 28, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Food Programme (WFP) published a joint statement underscoring the escalation of the hunger crisis in South Sudan, noting that approximately 56 percent of the population, or roughly 7.8 million people, are projected to face acute food insecurity by July. They stress that the main drivers of food insecurity are climate shocks, flooding, mass displacement, and protracted armed conflict, all of which hinder effective agricultural yields and reduce food availability for hundreds of thousands of families.

“Hunger in South Sudan is intensifying, not stabilizing,” said Ross Smith, WFP Director of Emergencies and Preparedness. “Between April and July of this year, more than half of the population is projected to face crisis levels of hunger or worse, including people already in catastrophic conditions, where starvation and a collapse of livelihoods are a daily reality. This is among the highest proportions of any country’s population facing crisis levels of hunger today.”

The latest figures from the Integrated Food Security Classification Phase (IPC) show that over 280,000 additional civilians have been pushed into acute food insecurity since late 2025, including 73,000 civilians who are facing catastrophic (IPC Phase 5) levels of hunger. This marks a 160 percent increase from last year’s figures. An additional 2.5 million people face emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of hunger, and 5.3 million have been reported to rely on unsustainable coping mechanisms to survive.

Children have been hit particularly hard, with UNICEF reporting that approximately 2.2 million children between the ages of six months and five years suffer from acute malnutrition, marking an increase of over 100,000 cases compared to last year. Over 700,000 children are projected to face the highest levels of hunger by July. Roughly 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished, which has significantly dangerous, long-term implications for both mothers and children.

“Every day of delayed humanitarian access and supply delivery is a day a child’s life and future hangs in the balance,” said Lucia Elmi, UNICEF Director of Emergencies. “We are calling on all parties to grant timely, safe access to conflict-affected, including areas of displacement, and scale up nutrition interventions. We must act now if we are to save children’s lives.”

Widespread displacement continues to hinder South Sudan’s road to recovery, with rampant insecurity, overcrowding, and a shortage of critical supplies in displacement shelters complicating humanitarian relief efforts. The UN agencies note that nearly 300,000 people have been displaced this year in the Jonglei state alone, with many communities entirely cut off from humanitarian assistance. Numerous families report being unable to access food services due to rising prices, disrupted markets, and economic decline, which has significantly reduced household purchasing power.

Additionally, displaced communities face elevated risks of contracting infectious diseases due to persistent overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. The agencies have recorded a sharp rise in cholera, malaria, and measles infections, particularly among “vulnerable and already acutely malnourished children”. Furthermore, treatment for malnutrition has been severely compromised over the past several months, with a substantial portion of the nation’s healthcare and nutritional support facilities having been damaged or closed entirely due to conflict. Life-saving medical interventions are largely unavailable due to continued shortages of medical supplies.

In April, IPC conducted a detailed Risk of Famine Analysis, assessing hunger conditions across seven counties to determine which regions were at a high risk of developing famine. The analysis identified four counties that are projected to contract famine in the coming months, a significant increase from just one county identified last year. The Upper Nile and Jonglei regions are particularly vulnerable, as the renewed escalation of armed hostilities has driven further displacement and reduced humanitarian reach to the most at-risk communities.

Risks are especially pronounced in Akobo, where IPC projects the return of over 100,000 South Sudanese civilians currently displaced in Gambela and Ethiopia. This large-scale return could further exacerbate hunger conditions, as humanitarian and healthcare personnel face severe shortages of supplies, funding, and staffing in assisting already strained communities.

IPC also warns that hunger conditions could escalate to catastrophic levels (IPC Phase 5) in the coming months across multiple areas, including Doma and Yomding in Ulang County; Pulturuk, Waat, and Thol Lankien in Nyirol County; and Kuerenge Ke and Mading in southern Nasir County. All of these regions remain largely inaccessible due to ongoing conflict, which has limited humanitarian reach.

In response, the UN has called for an end to the isolation of these communities in relief efforts, stressing the urgent need for closer monitoring and a strengthened humanitarian response.

“Now, more than ever, we cannot afford to lose the hard-won gains made in recent years, especially as South Sudan works to strengthen its agrifood systems and build on encouraging signs of local agricultural production,” said Rein Paulsen, FAO Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience. “These gains remain highly vulnerable to conflict, insecurity, and climate shocks—the very forces driving today’s food crisis. We must act urgently and collectively to protect livelihoods, sustain food production, and prevent millions more people from falling deeper into hunger.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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