Latest news with #IronCurtain
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Czech deputy minister urges NATO, South Korea to broaden defense ties
Radka Konderlova, deputy minister and director general of the Industrial Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, underscored the strategic necessity for defense cooperation between NATO members and South Korea through industrial and tech collaboration. During her visit to Seoul, Konderlova told The Korea Herald that deeper Czech-Korean defense industry cooperation and supply chain integration would benefit both sides, enabling Korean firms to expand regionally and Czech companies to join Korean acquisition projects. 'After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Czech companies had to shift from Soviet-era systems to NATO standards, which made them highly adaptable,' she said, referring to the strength of the Czech defense industry and its long tradition. '(Czech companies) also have extensive global contacts from the past, which is a great advantage for Korean companies looking to broaden their customer base.' 'When we talk about broader defense cooperation, we're also referring to military-to-military contacts, which often happen through industrial cooperation,' she underscored. Konderlova noted that Poland's tank deal with Korea boosted military ties, suggesting similar Czech-Korean industrial cooperation could do the same. She highlighted small and medium-sized Czech defense enterprises as agile, reliable partners for foreign collaboration. 'Our defense industrial base is largely composed of SMEs, which are more flexible and responsive to partners' needs. This makes them ideal collaborators,' Konderlova stated. Calling the Korea-Czech defense engagement a 'win-win,' she stressed that the relationship should go beyond simple exports. 'It's not just about exporting. It's about building mutually beneficial real partnerships —multilateral cooperation,' she said. Konderlova cited CZ's partnership with Korea's SNT Motiv, involving tech transfer and joint participation in Korean defense tenders, as a model of Czech-Korean defense cooperation. She underlined the need for local content in defense deals, urging Korean firms to partner with Czech companies to stay competitive. Highlighting Korea's advanced systems, such as the K9 and Black Eagle tank, she praised the Defense Acquisition Program Administration as a key partner, and noted the Czech Defense Industrial Cooperation Division's role as a gateway for global tech. AI and drones, she added, are becoming central to modern defense. She recommended emerging tech such as AI, drones and cybersecurity, citing shifting battlefields in Gaza and Ukraine. Konderlova believes there is major potential in combining Czech research and development with Korean industry, and urged both countries to stay open and proactive. 'Be open-minded. Don't be discouraged by the geographical distance between the Czech Republic and Korea,' is her message to Korean defense companies. Konderlova thanked DAPA, highlighted strong diplomatic ties and emphasized her visit's role in boosting partnerships. She brought Czech firms for business-to-business meetings with Korean counterparts and urged mutual participation in defense exhibitions such as Korea's ADEX and Czech trade fairs. Meanwhile, she also said that business developments surrounding the Dukovany nuclear power plant would bring an extensive Czech-Korea partnership. sanjaykumar@
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
You won't believe which Trump family member is Zelensky's key ally in DC, hint - she's based out of White House
In a surprising turn of events, it seems that Melania Trump is playing a big part in changing her husband's mind about the Ukraine conflict. As President Donald Trump agrees to give more military aid to Kyiv, insiders say the first lady has been reminding him of the cost of war in terms of lives lost. Melania Trump has quietly become an unexpected voice that has changed Donald Trump's tough stance on Russia. Using her Eastern European background, she is said to have reminded him of Ukraine's suffering and questioned Russia's sincerity. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Digital Marketing Artificial Intelligence Leadership Operations Management MCA Others healthcare Management Finance Project Management PGDM CXO Data Science Product Management Public Policy Data Analytics others Design Thinking Healthcare MBA Technology Degree Data Science Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details This earned her praise from Ukrainians online and surprised many people in the Beltway with her behind-the-scenes activism. How has Melania Trump influenced Donald Trump's Russia policy? The number of Russian airstrikes has been brought up by Melania Trump to her husband. With Trump's recent tougher stance on Russia, the first lady may be President Zelenskyy's unlikely ally in the White House, as per a report by The Independent. Live Events During this week's decision to send Patriot air missiles to Kyiv, Melania Trump has been reminding the president of the number of people killed by Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. Donald Trump acknowledged at a press conference on Monday that his wife was instrumental in exposing the Russian president's duplicity, which has repeatedly embarrassed the White House by saying one thing and doing another, after a string of unsuccessful peace negotiations between the United States and Russia. 'I go home, I tell the first lady, 'I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation.' And she says, 'Oh really, another city was just hit she said, referring to Monday afternoon's events from the Oval Office. What's her connection to Ukraine? First Lady Melania was born in 1970 in the former Yugoslavia, behind the Iron Curtain. Speaking to her son Barron in Slovene, she praises Ronald Reagan for his role in ending the Cold War, and both of them continue to possess EU passports. The first lady is close to Barron, who is a student at NYU, and has reportedly preferred to spend time away from the White House since her husband's inauguration in January. "It [Melania's fondness for Ukraine] is not surprising at all given she grew up in the former Yugoslavia, a country with no love for Russia," Mary Jordan, author of The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump, told The Times, indicating that those who know Melania Trump are not surprised by her influence. "She's been trying to make her point for longer than anyone else in the cabinet." According to Jordan, Melania is well-versed in European politics because her father, 81-year-old Viktor Knavs, often visits Slovenia, where she grew up. "Her country is fully behind Ukraine, and the people there are horrified that the United States would abruptly stop providing arms to Ukraine." Donald Trump called Putin "shrewd" and "genius" when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, while Melania called the conflict "heartbreaking" and "horrific." How are Ukrainians responding? Following the announcement, an X user shared a photo of " Agent Melania Trumpenko " sporting a jacket bearing the Ukrainian Armed Forces' logo and a wide-brimmed hat, causing a stir on some pro-Ukrainian social media platforms. Agent Melania Trumpenko — Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) July 14, 2025 Similar images of the first lady draped in Ukraine's blue and yellow flag and dressed in combat fatigues quickly surfaced. ALSO READ: Reddit down app not working: Thousands affected as site struggles to stay online, issues with login failures Current affairs magazine Business Ukraine wrote, "There is a lot of love for Melania Trump on Ukrainian social media tonight," along with a meme of three cartoon characters giving her a Ukrainian hat. User Ernő Buzás joked, "Melania is doing more for Ukraine on her own than the entire GOP." Lots of love for Melania Trump on Ukrainian social media tonight — Business Ukraine mag (@Biz_Ukraine_Mag) July 14, 2025 Another user joked, "Melania Trump's role in preventing this administration's total abandonment of Ukraine is not what I expected but also tracks exactly with Trump's decision-making process," alluding to the widely-quoted social media adage that Trump frequently adopts the viewpoints of the last person he spoke with. President Trump allegedly questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the most recent setback with Putin about whether his nation's military could use missiles to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to make Russia "feel the pain." Besides that the president threatened to impose "severe tariffs" on Russia if Putin did not consent to a ceasefire within 50 days, as per a report by the Daily Beast. FAQs Is Melania Trump influencing US policy toward Ukraine? Yes. According to reports, she has played an important role in convincing Trump to take a tougher stance against Russia. Why is Melania being referred to as "Agent Melania"? Ukrainian social media dubbed her "Agent Melania Trumpenko" due to her unexpected role in supporting Ukraine behind the scenes.
Int'l Business Times
09-07-2025
- Science
- Int'l Business Times
Laser-Focused: How LIS Technologies Is Turning Science Into Scalable Nuclear Solutions
Nuclear power has long been a whisper in the alternative energy conversation. While many experts consider it a viable successor to fossil fuels, one problem has historically gotten in the way: a lack of scalability. Now, U.S.-based LIS Technologies is finally developing a process to manufacture nuclear fuel on a commercial basis. As a result, the dream of large-scale nuclear power just might become a reality. It's the culmination of the life's work of two luminaries in the field of nuclear energy, Dr. Jeff Eerkens (often regarded as the Father of Laser Enrichment) and laser enrichment scientist Christo Liebenberg. The journey began with Eerkens's development of the CRISLA (Condensation Repression Isotope Selective Laser Activation) process of uranium enrichment in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Uranium enrichment is the process of taking natural uranium and increasing the concentration of U-235, the isotope needed to create fuel for nuclear reactors. Natural uranium is about 0.7% U-235. The current fleet of lightwater reactors (LWRs) run on low-enriched uranium (LEU), which is up to 5% U-235. The new generation of small, highly efficient advanced reactors typically requires high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is up to 20% U-235. Research in CRISLA's development stopped when the U.S. started purchasing its nuclear fuel from Russia. "They funded this technology back in the '90s," says Jay Yu, LIS Technologies Chairman and President. "They scrapped it because the Iron Curtain fell, and Russia flooded the markets with cheap uranium." In 2013, Eerkens met Christo Liebenberg, a laser enrichment scientist who was involved in several laser enrichment programs since the mid 80s. Together they founded CRISLA, Inc and continued to develop the process. In 2023, they met Jay Yu, who realized the potential of CRISLA, and the three founded LIS Technologies , with Liebenberg as the chief executive officer, and Eerkens as chief technical officer. Eerkens and Liebenberg firmly believed in a nuclear renaissance, holding that nuclear power was the future of energy in the United States and possibly the world. To realize that vision, they had to overcome the problem of scalability. Although laser enrichment had proven to be an effective way to create LEU and HALEU, historically, alternative laser enrichment methods have shown that it was either too complex or too unreliable to implement on a commercial scale. "Laser enrichment has been around for more than 50 years, and no one has been able to successfully scale it, to take it to commercialization," says Liebenberg. "Not one out of any of the 26 countries that have tried it." That is all now changing, as Liebenberg, Eerkens, and the LIS Technologies' technical team are in the process of developing a new and improved laser systems architecture. "We plan to demonstrate single-stage LEU and double-stage HALEU," Liebenberg explains. "That means you irradiate the uranium in a single stage only, and it's enriched from natural all the way to the LEU level. If you take that LEU and irradiate it again in a second stage, you can go all the way to HALEU." LIS Technologies Current enrichment technologies can take hundreds or even thousands of cycles to enrich uranium in a commercial setting to the desired concentration of U-235. Now, with the ultra-efficient approach developed by LIS Technologies , large-scale nuclear power is within reach. However, it will take at least a few years to get to that point. "In the next three to four years, we are scaling our laser systems, separators, and gas handling systems," says Liebenberg. "We're going to scale the whole process and then show that we can do LEU single-stage, HALEU double-stage with scaled and industrialized equipment. And next is building a commercial facility." When imagining large-scale nuclear power many picture vast, centralized power plants, but the future of nuclear energy will likely look very different. As Eerkens and Liebenberg have been perfecting the CRISLA process, nuclear technology startups have been hard at work creating a new generation of nuclear reactors. These reactors are smaller and more efficient than their predecessors, and some are even portable. Bringing power to remote areas will become simpler, and the reactors' smaller footprints mean far less environmental damage than old-school nuclear power plants. It may have taken decades to get to this point, but Christo Liebenberg notes that now is the time for the U.S. to establish a domestic supply chain of nuclear fuel in order to develop the nation's next generation of advanced reactors and produce clean energy. "The energy demand is huge and will get much higher while the supply is going down because we are cutting out supply from Russia. We can't depend on Russia or China for our imports because that's a national security issue," he says. "There's also global warming. We want to produce new energy that's clean and get that online so we can combat global warming" It may take some time, but Liebenberg is confident that the United States is headed toward a domestic nuclear pipeline. "There are all these reasons why there's a huge resurrection, a huge resurgence of nuclear power," he says. "We are literally in the middle of a second nuclear age."
Observer
06-07-2025
- Business
- Observer
Globalisation: A journey of trade, innovation, and disruption
Over 2,000 years ago, the earliest form of globalisation began with the Silk Road. Trade has been a part of human existence since ancient times, with silk and spices exchanged between Asia and Europe. Trade links were established through the Silk Road and, later, the spice routes. History shows that trade thrives when nations protect it and collapses when they do not. Recent history has echoed these patterns: Trade War 1 (2018-19) and the ongoing Trade War 2 have disrupted international trade and reoriented global supply chains. While silk was primarily traded overland, spices were exchanged extensively across the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea. Globalisation took root during this period, and the Age of Discovery accelerated its progress, even though the phenomenon was not yet recognised as 'globalisation.' The rise of Great Britain and the First Industrial Revolution significantly increased global trade. The French constructed the Suez Canal, which connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, opening a vital artery of trade possibilities. The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, introduced new means of communication and transportation that revolutionised manufacturing and commerce. This era ended in crisis with the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918), which caused millions of deaths, widespread destruction, trade disruptions, and closed borders. The post-war years saw some global connections, but the Great Depression led to a breakdown of the worldwide economy. After World War II (1939–1945), the world entered a new era marked by the Cold War, with the Iron Curtain dividing the globe between the two superpowers of the time: the United States and the Soviet Union. A monumental development occurred in 1989: the collapse of the Iron Curtain, which significantly altered global power dynamics. The world began to move from a unipolar to a more multipolar landscape. The formation of the World Trade Organisation further advanced globalisation through numerous trade agreements that spanned borders. The third industrial revolution gave new meaning to the word connectivity. The advent of the computer and the Internet removed barriers to communication and connection across borders, opening doors to the possibilities of trade, work, and economic growth. This led to the unprecedented growth of global connectivity. The advent of the Internet led to a significant surge in globalisation, exponentially expanding international trade and benefiting a substantial portion of the world's population. Rapid technological developments and innovations ushered in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, bringing a wealth of technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and others. These developments and advances in transportation and communication have ensured the world is now deeply interconnected through globalisation and trade. At the peak of globalisation, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, exposing vulnerabilities to global supply chains and causing a sudden halt in international trade. Even in 2025, post-Covid-19, the world stands at the crossroads of escalating war, globalisation, protectionism, trade wars, immigration challenges, climate crises, and automation. In conclusion, globalisation is a dynamic phenomenon shaped by the unpredictable forces of the world, including pandemics, trade wars, conflict, technological advancements, innovation, and industrial ambition. From the Silk Road to the era of artificial intelligence, it has unlocked enumerable possibilities and exposed vulnerabilities. As the world faces unforeseen challenges—ranging from pandemics and trade wars to climate change, technological disruption, geopolitical tensions, and health crises—it is clear that globalisation is neither inherently good nor bad. Instead, it is a two-edged sword that must be used with wisdom and foresight. Global leaders and communities must collaborate to ensure that the benefits of globalization are equitably and sustainably shared worldwide and that the risks are mitigated for future generations. Dr Mythili Kolluru The writer is an assistant professor at the marketing and management department of the College of Banking and Financial Studies in Muscat.
Belfast Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
1,100 German fans to march in Lurgan for fixture the Cold War delayed by 65 years
More than a thousand German football fans will descend on Lurgan this weekend for the second leg of a match 65 years in the making. Glenavon FC, who qualified for the European Cup as Irish League champions, were prevented from completing their 1960–61 tie against FC Erzgebirge Aue when the Cold War stopped the club from crossing the Iron Curtain.
