The number 19 is significant in the Vietnam War and the Ukraine conscription because it is the age at which many young men were conscripted to fight in those wars. In the Vietnam War, the draft age was 18 to 26, but many young men were drafted at the age of 19. In the Ukraine conscription, the draft age is 18 to 60, but many young men are being conscripted at the age of 19. Continue reading
New York, May 1, 2023 – The U.S. banking crisis that began in March 2023 was the result of a number of factors, including:
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank: Silicon Valley Bank was a large regional bank that specialized in lending to technology companies. The bank’s collapse in March 2023 was a major blow to the banking industry and shook confidence in the financial system.
Horizon Capital, a U.S. private-equity firm investing primarily in fast-growing tech and export-oriented companies in Ukraine, announced that its latest fund, Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV (HCGF IV, the “Fund”) has reached $254 million at its Interim Closing held today in Kyiv, Ukraine. In besting its $250m target size at this second closing, the Fund demonstrates strong investor appetite for compelling opportunities in high-growth, high-impact tech and export-oriented companies, including light manufacturing, food processing, innovative consumer goods, fintech and more. Fund investments are expected to contribute to Ukraine’s ongoing resilience, including supporting growth and job creation, expanding the tax base, increasing availability of capital for SMEs, and promoting gender equality. Continue reading
Kristian Gustafson, Brunel University London; Dan Lomas, Brunel University London; Neveen S Abdalla, Brunel University London, and Steven Wagner, Brunel University London
After more than a week of intense fighting between Sudanese government troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum, many western countries – including the US and UK – are evacuating their nationals from the strife-torn city.
While the conflict has been billed as a clash between rival warlords, there are questions about the role played by the private Russian mercenary company, the Wagner Group. This group, allegedly associated with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ally Yevgeny Prigozhin – although he has denied any involvement – is heavily engaged in several African countries, exacerbating regional instability.
Paul Jackson, University of Birmingham
A three-day ceasefire to mark the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Fitr in Khartoum appears to be dead in the water as fighting continues in the Sudanese capital. According to the World Health Organization, more than 330 people have been killed over the past week. Now, with reports emerging that arms are being sent from Egypt and Libya, there are growing fears the situation could develop into a civil war that could draw in regional powers.
April 18, 2023 /World/ — The Ukraine war has divided the world in many ways. Some countries have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and have imposed sanctions on Russia. Others have been more hesitant to take action, fearing that it could escalate the conflict.
The war has also divided the world on a ideological level. Some countries see the war as a battle between democracy and authoritarianism. Others see it as a proxy war between the United States and Russia. Continue reading
Jose Caballero, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
After over a year of the Ukraine war, efforts at building a global consensus against Russia seem to have stalled, with many countries opting for neutrality.
The number of countries condemning Russia has declined, according to some sources. Botswana has edged towards Russia from its original pro-Ukraine stance, South Africa is moving from neutral to Russia-leaning and Colombia from condemning Russia to a neutral stance. At the same time, a large number of countries have been reluctant to support Ukraine.
Jennifer Mathers, Aberystwyth University and Anna Kvit, UCL
Thousands of women have voluntarily joined Ukraine’s armed forces since 2014, when Russia’s occupation of Crimea and territories in eastern Ukraine began. Over the past nine years, the number of women serving in the Ukrainian military has more than doubled, with another wave of women joining after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
As war rages in Ukraine and inflation impacts the economy, financial institutions in the United States expect a subsequent economic downturn to drive a rise in financial crime. Continue reading
Taha Yasseri, University College Dublin
At the end of every year, I gather statistics on the most viewed Wikipedia articles of the year. This helps me, a computational social scientist, understand what topics captured the most attention and gives me a chance to reflect on the major public events of the year. I try to use data to determine how the public (and more specifically here, English-language Wikipedia readers) will collectively remember the past year.