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eNCA
06-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Gabon's new president faces tough economic challenges
LIBREVILLE - Big challenges await Gabon's new president Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema as he takes the reins of a country rich in oil but struggling with debt. The general was sworn in on Saturday after winning 94.85 percent in the April 12 vote in which international observers signalled no major irregularities. His victory followed a 19-month transition after he took power in a coup in August 2023 that ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo dynasty. Following his inauguration in front of around 40,000 people at a stadium near the capital Libreville, Oligui enjoys strong popularity as he begins his term but faces high expectations of economic and social reform. The new 50-year-old president said he measured "with gravity, the immensity of the burden that falls upon him". He campaigned on six "pillars": reform of the water and electricity sector, youth employment through business promotion, housing and transport, social justice and human capital, sustainable development and governance reform. Among the pressing issues is the electrical grid, managed by the public company SEEG, which suffers regular failures due to a lack of investment. Gabon suffers a glaring lack of infrastructure: it has a "highway directorate" but no highways. Despite successive building plans, only 2,000 of its 10,000 kilometres of roads are usable, according to official data. The new head of state has cast himself as a "builder", proudly launching or relaunching numerous construction projects, particularly in Libreville. Campaign posters pictured him wearing a builder's hard hat and public television regularly broadcasts images of buildings under construction. Among the major projects promised during the campaign was a new north-south railway line linking the deep-water port of Mayumba and the Booue hydroelectric dam. Faced with the depletion of its oil resources, Gabon needs to diversify its economy. "There is still dependence on oil," said Francois Gaulme, an associate researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). "The economy needs to be diversified, and this has never been done on a large scale." Although oil extraction, the bedrock of the economy, has generated billions of annual profits since the first drilling in the 1950s, Gabon's debt has swelled. From 72 percent of GDP in 2023, it rose to 73 percent in 2024 and is projected to hit 80 percent this year. Oligui pledged in his speech to work with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank "to better repay our external debt".
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Veteran Chinese astronaut to lead fresh crew to space station
JIUQUAN: China announced Wednesday that a veteran astronaut will lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station , the latest milestone in the country's race to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Shenzhou-20 mission is scheduled to blast off at 5:17 pm Thursday (0917 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, announced at a news conference. At the helm will be Chen Dong, a 46-year-old former fighter pilot and experienced space explorer who in 2022 became the first Chinese astronaut to spend more than 200 cumulative days in orbit. Speaking about Thursday's Shenzhou mission, which will be his third, Chen said he was "still very excited". "Every space journey is very unique, so I look forward to bringing in more experience and breakthroughs in the flight," said the mission commander. Joining Chen will be two other male astronauts, Chen Zhongrui, a 40-year-old former air force pilot, and Wang Jie, a 35-year-old former space technology engineer. Both will be embarking on their first space flight, Lin said. "Today, I am on the point of realising my dream of flying in space," said Chen Zhongrui at another press conference Wednesday organised to introduce the astronauts to the public. "To be honest, when we first started training together, we were still a little nervous," he said of himself and Wang. "Now (the three crew members) are integrated like a single person," he added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The astronauts currently aboard the Tiangong space station are scheduled to return to Earth on April 29 after completing handover procedures with the incoming crew, Lin added. China's space programme, the third to put humans in orbit, has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon. The Tiangong space station -- crewed by teams of three astronauts that are exchanged every six months, is the crown jewel of the country's space project. China has ramped up plans to achieve its "space dream" under President Xi Jinping. Beijing says it aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where it intends to construct a base on the lunar surface. To achieve its celestial goals, China has poured billions of dollars into the country's space program in a bid to catch up with the United States and Russia. Despite the program's "impressive" pace of development, China still "lags significantly behind the United States", Marc Julienne, director of Center for Asian Studies at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), told AFP. However, US President Donald Trump "may inadvertently give China an edge by cutting budgets allocated to research and certain space programs", the expert added. Like previous missions, the Shenzhou-20 crew will continue to conduct experiments in physics and life sciences and will install protective equipment against space debris. For the first time, they will also bring planarians aboard -- aquatic flatworms known for their regenerative abilities. "The results could help address problems related to injuries sustained in space environments," said Lin on Wednesday. China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011, when the United States banned NASA from collaborating with Beijing. Since then, China has sought to bring other countries into its space program. In February, China and Pakistan signed an agreement paving the way for the first foreign astronaut to board the Tiangong space station. As part of this process, "two Pakistani astronauts will be selected to come to China for training", the CMSA confirmed on Wednesday.
Int'l Business Times
23-04-2025
- Science
- Int'l Business Times
Veteran Chinese Astronaut To Lead Fresh Crew To Space Station
China announced Wednesday that a veteran astronaut will lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station, the latest milestone in the country's race to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030. The Shenzhou-20 mission is scheduled to blast off at 5:17 pm Thursday (0917 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, announced at a news conference. At the helm will be Chen Dong, a 46-year-old former fighter pilot and experienced space explorer who in 2022 became the first Chinese astronaut to spend more than 200 cumulative days in orbit. Speaking about Thursday's Shenzhou mission -- which will be his third -- Chen said he was "still very excited". "Every space journey is very unique, so I look forward to bringing in more experience and breakthroughs in the flight," said the mission commander. Joining Chen will be two other male astronauts, Chen Zhongrui, a 40-year-old former air force pilot, and Wang Jie, a 35-year-old former space technology engineer. Both will be embarking on their first space flight, Lin said. "Today, I am on the point of realising my dream of flying in space," said Chen Zhongrui at another press conference Wednesday organised to introduce the astronauts to the public. "To be honest, when we first started training together, we were still a little nervous," he said of himself and Wang. "Now (the three crew members) are integrated like a single person," he added. The astronauts currently aboard the Tiangong space station are scheduled to return to Earth on April 29 after completing handover procedures with the incoming crew, Lin added. China's space programme, the third to put humans in orbit, has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon. The Tiangong space station -- crewed by teams of three astronauts that are exchanged every six months -- is the crown jewel of the country's space project. China has ramped up plans to achieve its "space dream" under President Xi Jinping. Beijing says it aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where it intends to construct a base on the lunar surface. To achieve its celestial goals, China has poured billions of dollars into the country's space program in a bid to catch up with the United States and Russia. Despite the program's "impressive" pace of development, China still "lags significantly behind the United States", Marc Julienne, director of Center for Asian Studies at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), told AFP. However, US President Donald Trump "may inadvertently give China an edge by cutting budgets allocated to research and certain space programs", the expert added. Like previous missions, the Shenzhou-20 crew will continue to conduct experiments in physics and life sciences and will install protective equipment against space debris. For the first time, they will also bring planarians aboard -- aquatic flatworms known for their regenerative abilities. "The results could help address problems related to injuries sustained in space environments," said Lin on Wednesday. China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011, when the United States banned NASA from collaborating with Beijing. Since then, China has sought to bring other countries into its space program. In February, China and Pakistan signed an agreement paving the way for the first foreign astronaut to board the Tiangong space station. As part of this process, "two Pakistani astronauts will be selected to come to China for training", the CMSA confirmed on Wednesday. Chen Dong, a 46-year-old former fighter pilot and experienced space explorer, will be at the helm AFP Beijing says it aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where it intends to construct a base on the lunar surface AFP
Local Italy
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Local Italy
France, Italy and UK order more air defence missiles
European governments are under pressure to step up on defence after US President Donald Trump questioned whether the United States – the guarantor of Europe's security since World War II – should continue its central role in Nato. "France, Italy and United Kingdom confirm the order of 218 additional Aster missiles and the acceleration of delivery of already ordered Aster missiles," the countries said in a joint statement. The deal underscored 'the unwavering commitment of France, Italy and United Kingdom to bolster their air defence capabilities,' they said. It would also ensure 'speedier delivery, from 2025, of 134 missiles previously ordered' in December 2022, France's Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on X. Aster 15 and 30 missiles are produced by pan-European manufacturer MBDA. The order is for an unspecified number of new Aster 30 B1 missiles, to enter into service next year, that are to be used in the future French and Italian SAMP/T land-to-air defence systems as well as the navy ships of the three nations. They are to be capable of reaching a target flying at an altitude of 2,500 metres within a range of 150 kilometres. They are to be able to intercept planes, but also medium-range ballistic missiles as well as hypersonic weapons travelling at above five times the speed of sound. A single Aster 30 missile is estimated to cost more than €2 million, according to the French Institute of International Relations. The order also includes an unspecified number of new Aster 15 missiles to be used by the French navy.
Local France
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Local France
France, Italy and UK order more air defence missiles
European governments are under pressure to step up on defence after US President Donald Trump questioned whether the United States – the guarantor of Europe's security since World War II – should continue its central role in Nato. "France, Italy and United Kingdom confirm the order of 218 additional Aster missiles and the acceleration of delivery of already ordered Aster missiles," the countries said in a joint statement. The deal underscored 'the unwavering commitment of France, Italy and United Kingdom to bolster their air defence capabilities,' they said. It would also ensure 'speedier delivery, from 2025, of 134 missiles previously ordered' in December 2022, France's Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on X. Aster 15 and 30 missiles are produced by pan-European manufacturer MBDA. The order is for an unspecified number of new Aster 30 B1 missiles, to enter into service next year, that are to be used in the future French and Italian SAMP/T land-to-air defence systems as well as the navy ships of the three nations. They are to be capable of reaching a target flying at an altitude of 2,500 metres within a range of 150 kilometres. They are to be able to intercept planes, but also medium-range ballistic missiles as well as hypersonic weapons travelling at above five times the speed of sound. A single Aster 30 missile is estimated to cost more than €2 million, according to the French Institute of International Relations. The order also includes an unspecified number of new Aster 15 missiles to be used by the French navy.
