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Former foreign secretary Harshvardan Shringla has said that <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> needs to engage with those in power now in <keyword id="19919639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh" source="keywords">Bangladesh</keyword>, as instability in the neighbouring country has a direct impact on the security scenario of the Northeastern region. Shringla said this at a programme in which a report on <keyword id="22838676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="policy-options" source="keywords">policy options</keyword> for India in dealing with the current Bangladesh situation was released. The report, to be submitted to the Centre, was prepared by a think tank Society to Harmonise Aspirations for Responsible Engagement (SHARE). The political <keyword id="22838204" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="instability-in-Bangladesh" source="keywords">instability in Bangladesh</keyword> has direct repercussions both on security and developmental projects in <keyword id="19953073" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="North-East-India" source="keywords">North East India</keyword>, security and defence experts, who are members of SHARE, said at the event. "India has to engage with those in power or those behind the powers in Bangladesh as stability in the neighbourhood has a direct import to the security scenario of North East India. "We have two core concerns - Bangladesh's territory not be used in any manner inimical to its (India's) interests and ensuring the safety of <keyword id="22838205" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindus-and-other-minorities" source="keywords">Hindus and other minorities</keyword> in the neighbouring country," the former ambassador to Bangladesh said. Shringla also said that the recommendations in this report are prefaced by three key facts -- it remains uncertain who is currently responsible for policy making in Bangladesh, there is palpable anti-India sentiments in the neighbouring country, and finally, <keyword id="19951169" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-stability" source="keywords">economic stability</keyword> and employment generation there. The report will submitted to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the National Security Advisor for implementation, former Eastern Command GOC-in-C Lt Gen R P Kalita (Retd) said at the event. Ex-Ladakh Lt Governor R K Mathur said that care has been taken to ensure the recommendations are "implementable and acceptable to all sections and ideologies" as the neighbouring country goes through socio-political upheaval. "The recommendations are divided into short, medium and long-term so as to ensure a staged approach to policymaking on India's part which is mutually acceptable," the former defence secretary said. Assam Chief Information Commissioner Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, highlighting the recommendations, said dialogue with all stakeholders is in India's core interests, especially with regard to tackling a possible <keyword id="21880634" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="refugee-crisis" source="keywords">refugee crisis</keyword> in the Northeast which has a border of 1885 kms with Bangladesh. A matter of alarming concern for North East India is the disturbing developments of an armed mob breaking the high-security prison in Bangladesh's Sherpur on August 6 freeing more than 500 inmates while in another jail-break in Gazipur, 209 prisoners escaped, Mahanta said. Those who were freed include senior Ansarul Bangla Team (ABT) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB), the former DGP said. "This is an exceptionally alarming situation, especially for Assam and Tripura, where several ABT and JMB modules have been busted with 60 members of these outfits arrested from these states in 2022-23 and more than 30 of them are from Bangladesh," he said. This should ring alarm bells within India's internal security and law enforcement apparatus, Mahanta, who is also SHARE's General Secretary, pointed out. Connectivity is a key pillar of Indo-Bangla engagements with the vast spectrum of road, rail, inland water or even air connectivity projects that the two nations have embarked upon are a testament in this regard, he added. The report has pointed out that such connectivity exposes Northeast India to potential security concerns as these portals may be misused by anti-India elements to enter the region and wreak havoc. "The relevance of North East India in the context of Bangladesh remains disproportionately high and we have highlighted the need for a nuanced policy perspective," Mahanta asserted. Nagaland University Chancellor Samudragupta Kashyap and Cyber security expert Subimal Bhattacharjee moderated the event held on Sunday evening. Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs. Following that, 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh on August 8.

Security in NE a concern, India needs to engage with those in power in Bangladesh: Think tank

Dhaka: <keyword id="19919639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bangladesh" source="keywords">Bangladesh</keyword>'s garment industry, a vital economic pillar, is facing a severe crisis due to a volatile mix of <keyword id="20444027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-unrest" source="keywords">political unrest</keyword>, including violent protests, and catastrophic flooding, threatening to unravel years of rapid growth and global prominence. The textile and garment industry, which accounts for over 80 per cent of Bangladesh's total export earnings and contributes approximately 11 per cent to the nation's GDP, has been hit hard. This industry contributes significantly to export earnings and employs millions. Following the unprecedented anti-government protests, which reached a crescendo on August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country. She landed in India on August 5 and is currently staying there. The two-month-long anti-quota protests have led to widespread demonstrations, curfews, and violence. This unrest has not only disrupted factory operations but has also caused significant economic losses. Factories were forced to close, and with the peak season for Christmas shipments and the booking of next season's orders upon us, the timing of the unrest has exacerbated the crisis. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (<keyword id="22930680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BGMEA" source="keywords">BGMEA</keyword>) recently has reported substantial financial losses, estimating a shortfall of Tk 6,400 crore (approx Rs 4,500 crore) due to the shutdowns and communication breakdowns. Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, the newly elected president of the BGMEA, mentioned that the goal of reaching nearly USD 45 billion in exports this year may not be achieved. He attributed this to disruptions in both export activities and production. "I think this is a temporary crisis and we will tide over it. The exact magnitude of the losses will be known later, but yes, there has been an impact," he told PTI. Echoing similar sentiments, former cabinet minister and president of BGMEA, Gholam Sarwar Milon, said the garment industry has been badly hit by both the political unrest and the floods, as both production and the supply chain of raw materials have been severely affected. "The crisis in the garment industry is unprecedented. Production is nearly 15-20 per cent less than the corresponding period last year. Several orders have dried up as investors and order suppliers are wary about investing. Several small factories have either closed down or are working on sub-contracts for big factories," he told PTI. According to BGMEA sources, out of 3,000 major and small garment factories in Bangladesh, nearly 800-900 have closed since last year. "The big factories have survived, but the small and medium factories have borne the brunt. If the situation persists, it will worsen further," he said. Milon suggested that the garment industry needs to diversify into making jute bags and other high-end clothing and also look for new markets. The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association has projected losses of around USD 58 million. The impact on the industry is compounded by the recent flooding, which has further disrupted logistics and exacerbated the economic fallout. Bangladesh's main port, Chattogram, through which more than 90 per cent of the country's international trade transits, has become a focal point of the chaos. The port's operations were paralysed during the political unrest, leading to significant delays in shipments. Factories have struggled to maintain production schedules, and backlogs at ports and airports have stretched to a month in some cases. To mitigate the damage, factories have turned to air freight and extended working hours, but these measures have not fully alleviated the delays. The president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Mohammad Hatem, said orders are down by 15-20 per cent. "The industry has incurred huge losses in the last few months. In 2014, during political unrest, we suffered a similar situation. It then took us three years to return to the previous state. We hope to tide over the situation soon as Chief Advisor <keyword id="20024384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="muhammad-yunus" source="keywords">Muhammad Yunus</keyword> is taking several steps to restore normalcy," he told PTI. Hatem feels that if the situation is not overcome soon, there is a growing perception that foreign investors might look at new markets in other South Asian nations. "However, other South Asian markets don't have the infrastructure like Bangladesh, which has such huge production capacity," he said. The garment industry's workforce, which employs over 4 million people directly and nearly 15 million indirectly, with a significant proportion of women, faces mounting uncertainty. The sector's remarkable growth over the past two decades-from USD 5 billion in exports in 2001 to nearly USD 40 billion in 2023-now stands at risk. The floods have compounded the challenges, causing damage to infrastructure and further complicating logistics. Monsoon rainfall-triggered floods in deltaic Bangladesh and upstream Indian regions have killed several people and marooned or affected nearly 3 million others in Bangladesh, posing a huge administrative challenge to the newly installed interim government amid a political transition. "Due to the floods, the supply chain has been badly affected. We reached a high in 2023-24 where our garment exports touched around USD 46 billion. This time it is likely to be much less," said former army major and owner of a woollen garment factory, Mahfuzur Rehman. The sector's growth from a small-scale operation in the early 1980s to becoming the world's second-largest apparel exporter, after China, underscores its strength. In the financial year 2009, Bangladesh's apparel exports were valued at USD 12 billion. By the financial year 2023-24, this figure had surged to over USD 46 billion, reflecting the industry's capacity for recovery and growth even amid adversity. In response to the crisis, the interim government, now led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, has prioritised restoring order and stability. According to garment industry insiders, the path to recovery is fraught with challenges as the political instability has undermined investor confidence, and the recent flooding has further strained the already fragile infrastructure. "The sector's resilience will be tested as it attempts to regain its footing and restore its reputation as a reliable global supplier," a garment industry owner, who did not wish to be named, said. He added that despite the current crisis, Bangladesh's textile and garment industry has shown great strength and the ability to recover in the past.

Bangladesh garment industry faces crisis amid political unrest and floods

<keyword id="55910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Pollution" source="Orion">Air pollution</keyword> is a pressing global issue that affects both developed and developing nations. Using data from the IQAir 2022 World Air Quality Ranking we will examine the <keyword id="19039904" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="most-polluted-countries-in-the-world" source="Orion">most polluted countries in the world</keyword> from 2018 to 2022, shedding light on the sources of <keyword id="13001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pollution" source="Orion">pollution</keyword> and the impacts on public health and the environment. 1. Chad Chad tops the list as one of the <keyword id="13437378" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="most-polluted-countries" source="Orion">most polluted countries</keyword>, with alarming levels of particulate matter (PM2.5). The sources of pollution primarily stem from various factors, including industrial activities and vehicular emissions. 2. Iraq Iraq is the second most polluted country on our list. The rise in air pollution can be attributed to increased industrial activities and a growing number of vehicles on the road. 3. Pakistan Pakistan has consistently faced severe air pollution, and the data indicates fluctuations in pollution levels. Major sources of pollution include vehicular emissions, industrial discharges, and crop burning. 4. Bahrain Bahrain, despite its small size, faces significant air pollution challenges primarily due to industrial activities and oil refineries. The government has initiated measures to combat this issue. 5. Bangladesh Bangladesh has been grappling with air pollution, mainly driven by vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and construction activities. The health impacts are severe, leading to respiratory diseases and other health issues. 6. Burkina Faso Burkina Faso, with limited available data, experiences air pollution challenges. The lack of comprehensive data makes it difficult to identify specific sources of pollution. 7. Kuwait Kuwait's air quality is affected by factors such as industrial activities, oil refineries, and construction dust. The hot and arid climate exacerbates pollution issues, leading to health problems. 8. India India, with its rapid urbanization and industrialization, has faced significant air pollution challenges. Major cities like New Delhi often experience hazardous air quality due to vehicular emissions, industrial discharges, and construction activities. 9. Egypt Egypt's air quality is affected by emissions from vehicles and industrial activities. The political situation in the country has hindered environmental regulations and enforcement. 10. Tajikistan Tajikistan has faced fluctuations in air pollution levels, driven by factors such as vehicular emissions and industrial activities. The lack of consistent data makes it challenging to track long-term trends. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Impact on Health and the Environment" comment="subhead" text="Impact on Health and the Environment">Impact on Health and the Environment</cmsannotation> The consequences of air pollution in these countries are severe, with a high incidence of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other health issues. Long-term exposure to <keyword id="6489235" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Polluted-Air" source="Orion">polluted air</keyword> can lead to more severe conditions such as lung cancer. In addition to its effect on human health, air pollution also damages the environment, including contributing to climate change, impairing ecosystems, and harming agricultural productivity. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Efforts to Combat Pollution" comment="subhead" text="Efforts to Combat Pollution">Efforts to Combat Pollution</cmsannotation> Many of these countries have recognized the urgent need to address air pollution and have taken measures to mitigate its effects. These efforts include improving public transportation, implementing stricter emission standards, and promoting clean energy alternatives. However, challenges such as limited resources, rapid urbanization, and political instability continue to hamper progress. International cooperation and support are crucial in addressing the problem of air pollution. Multilateral agreements and partnerships can help countries access technology, financing, and expertise to combat pollution effectively. Air pollution is a global concern, and the data from 2018 to 2022 highlights the persistent challenges faced by the most <keyword id="19165516" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="polluted-countries" source="Orion">polluted countries</keyword>. These nations must continue their efforts to improve air quality, protect public health, and safeguard the environment. The path to cleaner air involves a combination of government initiatives, international collaboration, and individual actions to reduce emissions and protect the planet for future generations.

The most polluted countries in the world: A global environmental concern

Amid the poor economic health and political instability in the country, cash-strapped <keyword id="3001" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pakistan" source="Orion">Pakistan</keyword>'s Foreign direct investment (<keyword id="44528" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fdi" source="Orion">FDI</keyword>) has plunged 52 percent during the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY23) On Monday, the <keyword id="4511525" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pakistan-state-bank" source="Orion">Pakistan State Bank</keyword> issued the latest data, showing the FDI fell to USD 348.3 million in July-October FY23 from USD 726.5 million during the same period of the last fiscal year (FY22), the Dawn newspaper reported. According to the Dawn report, the FDI has been declining each year while the volume of investment is also very thin compared to that of regional countries like India, Bangladesh and <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword>. Notably, the highest FDI of USD 74.8 million came from China during the first four months of the fiscal year. The Pakistdaily said China has been the biggest investor for the past several years, but its investment has started declining as reflected in the comparative figures for two years. Meanwhile, the FDI inflows from the UAE increased to USD 67.6 million in the first four months, from USD 51.4 million, during the same period last year. This report comes as Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday rejected reports related to the country's default risks. Iqbal termed them as "propaganda" of <keyword id="2136" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="imran" source="Orion">Imran</keyword> Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The Pakistan federal minister made the remarks after Imran raised alarms about the economic situation in Pakistan, stating that the <keyword id="11977746" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shehbaz-sharif" source="Orion">Shehbaz Sharif</keyword> government is not able to control it. "The news about Pakistan's default risk is based on a malicious campaign initiated by the PTI which has no reality," Iqbal was quoted as saying by Dawn, in an address at the Pakistani Consulate in Jeddah. "The PTI destroyed the country's economy which led to an economic crisis but the incumbent government has improved the economy by following the agreement with the IMF (<keyword id="6366068" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-monetary-fund" source="Orion">International Monetary Fund</keyword>) and for the last six months, Pakistan has adopted a path of stability," Iqbal added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-nifty50-open-higher-amid-positive-global-cues-nykaa-inox-green-adani-enterprises-among-stocks-in-focus/articleshow/95702219.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 open higher amid positive global cues: Nykaa, Inox Green, Adani Enterprises among stocks in focus</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/mukesh-ambani-says-india-will-become-a-40-trillion-economy-by-2047/articleshow/95692457.cms">Mukesh Ambani says India will become a $40 trillion economy by 2047</a>

Pakistan's FDI plunges 52% in four months says a Dawn report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13357801" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="food-scarcity" source="Orion">Food scarcity</keyword> is likely to surge in countries throughout the world due to Russia's war with Ukraine. </li><li>In the past, that's led to <keyword id="13357802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="riots" source="Orion">riots</keyword> — most recently the <keyword id="13357803" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="arab-spring" source="Orion">Arab Spring</keyword> and <keyword id="11894142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="food" source="Orion">food</keyword> crises in 2007 and 2008. </li></ul>When Vladimir Putin invaded Europe's breadbasket, he may have set off shockwaves that could cause civil unrest worldwide.Together, Ukraine and Russia <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/oil-price-gold-platinum-russia-invades-ukraine-aluminum-nickel-wheat-2022-2">produce</a> nearly a third of the world's wheat, 19% of the world's corn, and 80% of its sunflower oil <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-europe-sunflower/eu-facing-shortfall-in-sunflower-oil-due-to-ukraine-war-producers-idUSKBN2L118T">supply</a>. The crisis in these countries means the world's food supply chain will take a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60653856">major hit</a>, putting more people at risk of starvation throughout the globe. "I would almost say that no country is going to be immune from this kind of trifecta of political risk: pandemic hangover, rising prices, and pressure on living standards," Tina Fordham, a global political analyst, told Insider. Soaring food prices, especially bread, have been a trigger for protests, civil unrest, and revolutions in France, Russia, and the Middle East in the past. With wheat prices up <a href="https://www.axios.com/wheat-prices-surge-russia-ukraine-middle-east-80b49d7d-9227-4786-946d-5012b8d8f373.html">70%</a> in the last month, experts worry that countries with an unstable food supply that rely on Ukraine and Russia are at particular risk. Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Yemen, in particular, get <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/03/06/1083769798/russias-war-on-ukraine-is-dire-for-world-hunger-but-there-are-solutions?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">more than half</a> of their imported calories from the region — they're looking at a possible surge of severe malnutrition and starvation. <h2>Hunger has driven rebellions in very recent history</h2>Two events in recent history renewed scholastic interest in the relationship between food prices and political instability, Slate's Joshua Keating <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2014/04/food-riots-and-revolution-grain-prices-predict-political-instability.html">wrote</a> in 2014. A food crisis in 2007 and 2008 due to <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/225na1_en.pdf">weather shocks and trade restrictions</a> to the food market triggered riots in countries like Haiti, Bangladesh, and Mozambique.Food scarcity also played a large role in the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests in the Middle East in the early 2010s after international food prices <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/17/bread-food-arab-spring">shot up</a>, unemployment rose, and frustration with corrupt political systems peaked. One of the driving forces behind the Arab Spring, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/world-july-dec11-food_09-07">experts say</a>, was the high cost of food. Shrinking farmlands, bad weather, and poor water distribution contributed to higher prices and, as a result, anti-government sentiment. "I think that the prices of food mobilized people," Rami Zurayk, an agronomy professor at the American University of Beirut, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/world-july-dec11-food_09-07">told </a>PBS NewsHour about the Arab Spring. In Syria, for instance, drought disrupted food production in the late 2000s. Poverty and food insecurity shot up in the country, and "the social unrest that had been simmering for a while in rural areas erupted into riots," Giulia Soffiantini, a researcher for the Global Food Security Journal, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211912420300547">wrote</a> in 2020. Soffiantini said that these riots largely involved many of those young people who had left their lands because of the drought. "While the riots that swept through Syria in March 2011 are clearly a reaction to a brutal regime far from the needs of the people and a response to the wave of political change that began in Tunisia," she said, "the civil war and the rise of rebel groups exemplifies the potential effects of food insecurity on political instability as a catalyst for social unrest." Civil unrest is one likely outcome of the impending food crisis, Fordham said, in addition to leaders becoming more unpopular, crime, increased health and malnutrition, especially for populations in countries that are at most risk. And she says that this is going to have a powerful impact on how people view their governments and leaders. "This is a problem for every sitting incumbent leader: Boris Johnson, Jair Bolsonaro, Joe Biden, this is the worst combination of factors for elected officials," she said. "Countries having elections in the coming months are at special risk of tensions." <h2>Surging food prices have caused people to revolt in centuries past too </h2>Bread shortages were flashpoints for unrest throughout history, including in the <keyword id="13357805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="french-revolution" source="Orion">French Revolution</keyword> in the late 18th century.Tensions began in the 1700s in France, when the crown deregulated the domestic grain trade — meaning sellers were free to increase prices as they wished. That deregulation, among other factors such as a huge rise in population, contributed to food shortages and high costs. In April and May of 1775, at least 300 riots and expeditions occurred in the span of three weeks, in what was coined the "Flour War." The rioters set the prices of grain, flour, and bread back to lower levels, Cynthia A. Bouton, a women's and gender studies professor specializing in French history, writes in her book, The Flour War. Farmers and merchants had no choice but to accept them, given that the alternative was pillaging. Bouton describes people with families and jobs as being driven to rioting. The "average" person involved was "a middle-aged, married, semi-skilled wage-earning male or female with young children" whose family's survival was threatened by the increasing price of grain. "Food rioting flourished during the 18th century and the Revolutionary period, so much so that historians have often observed that food riots were the most classic form of popular protest during that period," Bouton says.

Russia is disrupting food prices worldwide and it could cause civil unrest — it's happened before

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A global food crisis is unfolding, spurred by the Ukraine invasion and climate events.</li><li>Food shortages have led to civil unrest in the past, with deadly consequences.</li><li>Experts warn that even if you are well-fed, rising food costs in the country will impact you.</li></ul>In India, the cost of lemons has skyrocketed. Jollof rice has become so expensive in Nigeria that people are skipping meals. In Mexico, avocado prices have jumped, making them a luxury few can afford. Orange groves in Florida are yielding the lowest amount of fruit in years. And in Japan, a shortage of salmon is hitting the sushi trade.Zoom out and it's clear: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-food-crisis-unfolding-how-its-affecting-13-places-worldwide-2022-8">A food crisis is unfolding around the world</a>, with prices shooting up everywhere. And when that happens, everyone feels the pain. People can cut back on movies or even driving when the cost of tickets or gas surges, but everyone needs to eat.The crisis — a long time in the making, but brought to a head by Russia's invasion of Ukraine — is already having profound effects. In Peru, protests against a jump in food and fuel costs turned deadly in April. Sri Lanka's government collapsed and its president was ousted in July, as people took to the streets to demonstrate against a scarcity of food, fuel, and medicine.Unless urgent action is taken, experts warn that the crisis could have dire global consequences. In some countries, changes in the availability of food might alter age-old recipes and customs. Civil unrest could spread, fueling instability and even war in some of the world's poorest regions. A breakdown in food systems could drive huge waves of migration.<div type="image" title="A large crowd of protestors waving flags gather in front of the presidential building in Sri Lanka." height="3152" width="5184" msid="93281523" hostid="261"></div><h2>'A food crisis is a price crisis'</h2>Global food prices have surged following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February. In the US, prices jumped 10% year-over-year as of May, the biggest increase since 1981, and rose to a record 8.9% in the eurozone. Globally, things are even worse: The UN's world food price index shot up 23% year-over-year as of June. Simply put, more and more people are struggling to afford food. "A food crisis is a price crisis," Chris Barrett, an economist and food-policy expert at Cornell University, told Insider. He said its implications are widespread and touch every person's life, even if they don't immediately realize it."If you worry about domestic politics, if you worry about environmental matters, if you worry about immigration matters, if you worry about diplomacy in the military, you should be paying attention to the food crisis, because it is lurking in the background, pushing those things," Barrett said.Warnings from global organizations are growing louder and more desperate. According to the UN World Food Programme, 50 million people around the world are on the brink of famine and risk being tipped over, with the WFP's director calling it a "looming hunger catastrophe."<h2>'It really is a bunch of crises coming together'</h2>Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine pushed the global food system to a breaking point. Before the war, Russia and Ukraine together accounted for 30% of globally traded <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-wheat-russia-prices-food-crisis-2022-6">wheat</a>, 20% of maize, and 70% of sunflower supplies, according to the WFP.The war hasn't just laid waste to farms. Putin's troops have blockaded Ukraine's Black Sea coast, stopping vital agricultural products from leaving the country. Meanwhile, the conflict and the resulting Western sanctions on Russia have sent energy costs shooting up, with oil prices up more than 40% this year, which in turn drives up the cost of fertilizer."This issue could be easily prolonged into next year, because if you're a Ukrainian producer and your domestic price is, say, half of what it is on a global basis, your incentive or your ability to plant the next crop has been curtailed significantly due to poor margins, as you are still paying high prices for inputs," Wayne Gordon, a senior commodities strategist at UBS, told Insider. Although the Ukraine war sparked the crisis, other factors have been bubbling for a long time. Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rising number of conflicts around the world have piled pressure on the global food system in recent years.<div type="image" title="A drying ditch of water surrounded by golden grassy hills." height="2624" width="3936" msid="93281526" hostid="261"></div>Warning signs have been around since long before the Russian invasion — and can largely be chalked up to the climate crisis. In 2011, for example, the Black Sea region suffered a severe drought that caused a spike in the price of food, particularly wheat. Many analysts have said it contributed to the unrest that triggered the Arab Spring. Samuel Tilleray, a sovereign credit analyst at S&amp;P Global Ratings, told Insider that "there are clear parallels" to that 2011 drought today.Greenhouse-gas emissions have sparked unpredictable weather patterns, and a UN report from last year found that by the end of the century, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/06/13/climate-disasters-collide-with-ukraine-war-deepen-hunger-crisis/">as much as 30%</a> of current farmland could become unsuitable to grow crops.It's something the world is already seeing now. Severe drought has limited wheat production in major production states like Kansas, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cooking-oil-shortage-ukraine-war-us-uk-indonesia-germany-netherlands-india-2022-5">cooking-oil prices have spiked</a> globally, thanks to drought in South America that limited soybean production.The pandemic didn't help matters much, either. Cornell's Barrett said governments across the globe were "trying to revive economies struggling under the weight of the pandemic," but supply-chain disruptions were running rampant, and oil and ocean-freight prices were spiking. As a result, he said, supply was not keeping pace with demand, and prices were continuing to rise. "Things were already really strained, and now we are facing even greater strain," Annabel Symington, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme on the global food crisis, said. "It really is a bunch of crises coming together."<h2>The crisis impacts you</h2>Food is a key element of any community's culture. When that element becomes scarce — or is removed altogether — civil unrest can occur. In 2008, the international price of wheat doubled, along with milk and meat, leading major producers to ban exports to ensure domestic populations would continue to have supply.In Morocco, 10 people died in 2008 protesting the food shortages, spurring a wave of strikes and protests. In Bangladesh the same year, 10,000 workers rioted by smashing cars and vandalizing factories out of anger at spiking food prices. Experts say there's no reason this time will be different. "High-food-price periods are associated and causally associated with a higher incidence of violence, of political unrest and social unrest," Barrett said. "They're also causally associated with higher rates of forced migration. When people can't feed their families where they live, they leave in search of food. And some of those migrations are quite treacherous."But there are remedies — short- and long-term — that governments can employ to keep people fed. Symington, of the World Food Programme, said governments should give all they can to help avert the growing risk of famine in the world's most vulnerable regions. Barrett said that automatic safety-net provisions should always be in place to ensure there are financial resources when anyone becomes food insecure.Over the longer term, Symington said international organizations and political leaders should also encourage a shift toward more local food production, making people less reliant on global supply chains. Barrett suggested the World Trade Organization should price stabilize exports to prevent "crazy price gyrations."But no matter what actions governments take, life is going to get more expensive for all of us, and a lot more difficult for billions. "Even if you are well-fed and all your loved ones and neighbors are well-fed, you are impacted by this," Barrett said.

We're in a global food crisis that will wreak havoc on local economies and trigger civil unrest

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A condo in Surfside, <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-florida-condo-building-collapse-surfside-2021-6">collapsed unexpectedly</a> on June 24. At least <a href="https://www.insider.com/part-of-miami-condo-block-from-ivanka-jared-caved-in-2021-6">128 people are missing</a>.</li><li>Insider spoke with three structural engineers to find out why such a building might abruptly fall.</li><li>Common causes include poor maintenance or eroding soil under a structure's foundation.</li></ul>At least 20 people are dead and <a href="https://www.insider.com/part-of-miami-condo-block-from-ivanka-jared-caved-in-2021-6">120 are missing</a> after the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-florida-condo-building-collapse-surfside-2021-6">abruptly collapsed last week</a>. As rescuers continue to search for buried victims, investigators have started sifting through building records, videos, and physical wreckage to determine what, precisely, caused the structure to fall. While it's extremely uncommon for a building to collapse in the absence of a natural disaster like an earthquake or hurricane, there are a handful of reasons why it could happen, three structural engineers told Insider.Some of the most likely causes include poor maintenance or overloading part of a structure with too much weight. Buildings are designed to hold up to twice as much load as is deemed necessary - but that strength decreases as a building ages and deteriorates over time. "Very simply, structures collapse when the load that is placed upon them exceeds the strength of the structure," Ronald Hamburger, a structural engineer with the national <keyword id="27859" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="engineering">engineering</keyword> firm Simpson, Gumpertz, &amp; Heger, told Insider. (A member of that firm, not Hamburger, is helping investigate the Surfside condo disaster.)Erosion under a building's foundation, a corroded exterior, or a design flaw could also make a structure more vulnerable to collapse.Here's how five problems may contribute to building collapses like the one in Surfside, Florida.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-worried-building-home-collapse-miami-2021-7">2 construction experts on what to do if you're worried your condo, house, or building is at risk of collapsing</a><h2>The building isn't properly maintained</h2><div type="image" title="cracked concrete balcony" height="2371" width="3162" msid="84091954" hostid="261"></div>Most often, a sudden collapse can be traced back to poor maintenance, experts said. That may include a lack of new paint, or a failure to shore up cracks in concrete and eliminate rust and stagnant water. "You can have a perfectly designed building, and a perfectly constructed building per the engineer drawings, but if that building doesn't receive proper maintenance, that is an issue," Joel Figueroa-Vallines, a structural engineer from Orlando and member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, told Insider."Buildings are like anything else - the cars we drive, or even ourselves as human beings," he added. "If we don't maintain ourselves, we don't age well."In Miami-Dade County, where Champlain Towers South is located, buildings are recertified 40 years after their construction. Builders finished the condo in 1981, and it was <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/06/24/partially-collapsed-building-in-surfside-was-due-for-40-year-inspection/">due for its 40-year inspection this year</a>.Some experts said that's too long to wait."If maintenance or inspection happened every five years, think of how much safer that would be," Kit Miyamoto, a structural engineer with Miyamoto International based in Sacramento, California, told Insider.<h2>Part of the structure gets overloaded</h2><div type="image" title="bangladesh building collapse" height="900" width="1200" msid="84091959" hostid="261"></div>A collapse can occur if there's more weight on one part of a building than the structure is designed to handle - what's known as overloading. In 2015, six people died in Berkeley, California when an apartment balcony collapsed during a party. While part of the balcony had rotted, Miyamoto said, the excessive weight catalyzed the fall.Overloading also contributed to a factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh eight years ago.<h2>Land underneath the foundation moves or erodes</h2><div type="image" title="building collapse" height="1460" width="2200" msid="84091961" hostid="261"></div>Buildings "very rarely naturally fall," Miyamoto said, adding, "maybe every five years or so you hear of an abrupt collapse worldwide."But sometimes, wind and running water can erode the soil underneath a building's foundation, or cause the land to sink. When these events happen, "it creates a vacuum that would definitely cause an instability," Miyamoto said.In the case of the Surfside condo - which is built on top of reclaimed wetlands - it's possible that a large amount of groundwater is flowing back and forth under the building, which could exacerbate erosion, Figueroa-Vallines said.<h2>Steel and concrete deteriorates over time</h2><div type="image" title="Two men inspect the bottom of a balcony." height="718" width="957" msid="84091963" hostid="261"></div>All three engineers agreed that deterioration could play an outsized role in building collapses like the recent disaster in Surfside.As building materials interact with chemicals in the air around them, those materials start to break down. "Buildings and structures located in coastal environments where they are repeatedly exposed to salt-laden air experience more corrosion than structures located in central US," Hamburger said.After four or five decades, a concrete and steel structure is vulnerable to substantial rusting, he added.That's why continually repainting a seaside building is critical, because the coating protects it from damage."Salt essentially melts away the concrete," Figueroa-Vallines said.<h2>The building has a design flaw </h2><div type="image" title="nigeria building collapse" height="3280" width="4868" msid="84091968" hostid="261"></div>Typically, buildings are designed with redundancies - if part of the structure fails or weakens to the point that it can't support the building's weight anymore, that load gets redistributed somewhere else. If the floor of an apartment building caves in, for example, it shouldn't drop to the floor below it.These local accidents can be caused by several factors - a fire, corrosion, or even a truck backing up into a weight-bearing column in the building's basement, Hamburger said.Normally, they shouldn't cause a catastrophic failure like the one at Champlain Towers South, he added. But some older buildings lack redundancies that stop local accidents from cascading into bigger, building-wide problems.

3 structural engineers explain why a building like the Surfside, Florida condo might suddenly collapse

<ul><li>Indian has moved up 6 positions from 142, since 2012, on the <keyword id="167042" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-peace-index">Global Peace Index</keyword>. </li><li>Increased law enforcement has resulted in this improved score. </li><li>India still behind most of its neighbouring countries. </li></ul>The international think-tank <keyword id="168266" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Institute-for-Economics-and-Peace">Institute for Economics and Peace</keyword> (IEP) has recently released the 2018 edition of the <a href="http://www.dw.com/downloads/44090830/global-peace-index-2018-2.pdf">Global Peace Index (GPI)</a>. India ranked 136th out of 163 on this index which has been topped by Iceland since 2008. India has moved up six positions science <a href="http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2012-Global-Peace-Index-Report.pdf">2012</a> on this index. The index covers 99.7% of the world’s population and 163 countries by using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources and measures the state of peace in the country by the use of three thematic domains: <ul><li>The level of societal safety and security</li><li>The extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict</li><li>The degree of militarisation </li></ul>Besides Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, Denmark, Canada, Czech Republic, Singapore, Japan and Ireland are the countries which currently hold the top ten positions on the index, and hence are the most peaceful countries to live in. This positive trend in India is mainly due to the reduction of violent crimes in the country thanks to increased law enforcement, says a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-ranks-137th-on-global-peace-index-2018/articleshow/64481568.cms">report</a>. The <a href="http://www.dw.com/downloads/44090830/global-peace-index-2018-2.pdf">GPI report</a> also said that in India the government’s efforts to handle violent crimes have paid off, and falling military expenditure, particularly the ones in weapons imports, has resulted in a slight improvement in India's score. Surprisingly (not), the <keyword id="168218" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="GPI">GPI</keyword> report claimed that - “the concentration of power in the office of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> led to a deterioration in India’s score for political instability, and the country’s scores on the Political Terror Scale and internal conflicts fought, at 4 and 4.7 respectively, remain elevated.” Among its neighbours, India is only above Pakistan (151) and Afghanistan (162) on the index, whereas Bangladesh (93), Nepal (84), Sri Lanka (67) and Bhutan (19) come higher up. The report also added that the level of peace globally has deteriorated by 0.27% in the last year, marking 2017 the fourth successive year of deteriorations. Ninety two countries deteriorated, while 71 countries improved in 2017. The 2018 GPI also acknowledges that the tensions, conflicts and crises that emerged in the world over the past decade still remain unresolved, especially in the Middle East which has resulted in this gradual and sustained fall in <keyword id="509350" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-peace">global peace</keyword>. Ongoing conflicts in regions of Syria, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan in the past decade have contributed towards a significant rise in battlefield deaths, a surging refugee population and an increase in terrorism, the report added. As of now, these countries are at the bottom of the list with Syria coming in last.

India has moved up to the 136th position on the Global Peace Index: Report

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=32"></a><a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/">Council on Foreign Relations</a>Click map to see interactive version.</div></div>Several of the <a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=32">2014 geopolitical risks that could affect the U.S.</a> that the Council on Foreign Relations warned about in December are already happening.
Political unrest in Ukraine, rated moderate likelihood, moderate impact, has erupted into "<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=32" target="_blank">civil violence and protracted political instability</a>." A political crisis in Venezuela, rated low likelihood, low impact, is starting to look a lot more likely, with protesters warning they have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/venezuela-protest-2014-2">reached the point of no return</a>.
The <a href="http://www.cfr.org/peace-conflict-and-human-rights/preventive-priorities-survey-2014/p32072">CFR report</a> and <a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=32">accompanying map (click for interactive version)</a> is based on the assessment of approximately 1,200 government officials, foreign policy experts, and academics. Risk events are rated for likelihood and impact, with high impact events directly threatening the U.S. homeland, likely to trigger U.S. military involvement, or threatening the supply of critical U.S. strategic resources.
Below are the top ten threats threats, starting with the worst, with links to CFR's analysis for more information:
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=9">Strengthening of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula </a>High likelihood; moderate impact. The Arabian Peninsula is considered the "most dangerous al-Qaeda affiliate" to U.S. national security with more than two dozen U.S. diplomatic facilities in the area have shut down because of terrorist threats. In response, the United States will continue to escalate its drone counterterrorism campaign.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=10" target="_blank">Political Instability in Jordan </a>High likelihood; moderate impact. Jordan's political stability and economy is severely threatened by the influx of Syrian and Palestinian refugees. The United Nations has estimated that Jordan will need $5.3 billion by the end of 2014 for its refugee crisis. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=8" target="_blank">Sectarian Violence in Iraq </a>High likelihood; moderate impact. According to the CFR, if sectarian violence continues, Iraq may plunge into a "deeper state of chaos" and potentially into civil war. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=7" target="_blank">Rising Security Threats in Pakistan</a> High likelihood; moderate impact. The withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Afghanistan after 2014 could increase instability by allowing anti-state militants from Pakistan to establish a terrorist safe haven in Afghanistan. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=3" target="_blank">Increased Violence and Instability in Afghanistan</a> High likelihood; moderate impact. Failure to sign a security pact could undermine U.S. and allied forces efforts to improve the security environment of Afghanistan. The reestablishment of al-Qaeda groups throughout Afghanistan is one possibility if agreements are not met.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=1">Terrorist Attack on the U.S. Homeland </a>Moderate likelihood; high impact. Another attack on the scale of 9/11 is "plausible," according to CFR, with the White House warning that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula "poses the greatest potential threat."
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=4">Iranian Nuclear Crisis </a>Moderate likelihood; high impact. The prospects for a breakthrough in the nuclear standoff with Iran have recently improved. A lasting settlement of the dispute is still uncertain and even "the possibility of military strikes cannot be discounted," according to the CFR.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=5" target="_blank">North Korean Crisis</a> Moderate likelihood; high impact. The risk of conflict on the Korean peninsula remains high since there are continuous efforts by North Korea to develop nuclear weapons and long range missiles against UN Security Council resolutions. The execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle following charges of treason has increased the potential for political instability and unrest in the country.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=6" target="_blank">Civil War in Syria</a> Moderate likelihood; high impact. According to the CFR, ongoing civil strife threatens the stability of U.S. allies, particularly Turkey and Jordan. Increased regional instability could create another safe haven for extremist groups active in Syria, like al-Qaeda affiliates, Islamic State of Iraq, and Hezbollah.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=2" target="_blank">Cyberattack on U.S. Infrastructure</a> Moderate likelihood; high impact. Due to the increasingly sophisticated nature of cyberattacks, such an attack on critical infrastructure could be significantly disruptive or potentially devastating. Energy is the most vulnerable industry, and therefore a large-scale attack could temporarily halt the supply of water, electricity, gas, transportation, communication, and financial institutions.
And 23 more threats:
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=26">Violence in the Central African Republic</a> High likelihood; low impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=33">Internal Violence in South Sudan</a> High likelihood; low impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=16" target="_blank">Escalation of Drug-Related Violence in Mexico</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=14" target="_blank">Political Instability in Libya</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=12" target="_blank">Increased Violence in Egypt</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=18" target="_blank">Indo-Pakistani Military Confrontation</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=20">Continuing Conflict in Somalia with Al-Shabab</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=15">Sectarian Violence in Lebanon</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=32">Political Unrest in Ukraine</a> Moderate likelihood; moderate impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=13">South China Sea Armed Confrontation</a> Low likelihood; high impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=17">Increasing Sectarian Violence in Nigeria</a> Low likelihood; high impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=11">East China Sea Armed Confrontation</a> Low likelihood; high impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=29">Political Crisis in Venezuela</a> Low likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=25">Violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=28">Sectarian Violence in Myanmar</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=19">Internal Instability in Sudan</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=27">Sino-Indian Clash</a> Low likelihood; moderate impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=24">Sudan-South Sudan Military Conflict</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=23">Conflict Between Armenia and Azerbaijan</a> Low likelihood; low impact.
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=30">Violence in Bangladesh</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=31">Growing Instability in Thailand</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=22">Conflict in Kurdish-Dominated Regions</a> Moderate likelihood; low impact. 
<a href="http://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/?marker=21">Destabilization of Mali</a> Low likelihood; moderate impact.

The 33 Biggest Geopolitical Risks For America In 2014

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>In 2000 Melinda and Bill Gates launched the Gates Foundation. Since then, they've spent a chunk of their fortune tackling some of the world's biggest problems. More than <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Foundation-Factsheet">$45 billion</a> has been poured into their organization.One of those problems is that millions of children under age 5 are dying from preventable health issues and diseases. This is particularly true in impoverished areas of <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-under-15-dies-every-five-seconds-around-world-un-report">sub-Saharan Africa</a>.Thanks in part to big global health initiatives, the <a href="https://datareport.goalkeepers.org/case-studies/child-mortality">number of deaths has gone down</a> significantly, from 11.2 million children in 1990 to 5 million in 2017. And the number of children dying from infectious diseases has been halved.Only <a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Year-in-Review-2018">a handful of polio cases remain</a> in the world, down from 350,000 in 1988 (despite some backward traction last year - there were 22 cases of Polio in 2017 and 29 cases in 2018). The UN has a sustainable development goal to end the epidemics of malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS by 2030.But four major funds supported by the Gates Foundation and governments around the world are running out of cash: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria; The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, or GPEI, and the Global Financing Facility, or GFF, which aids mothers and children. Within the next two years, each will need billions more to help get the job done.Replenishing these funds may not work. Some see them as bottomless pits of cash - it's hard to predict exactly when or how a disease will be killed off. The original deadline to eradicate polio, for example, was 18 years ago.Other world leaders are less motivated to give foreign aid now than they have been in the past (Bill and Melinda Gates have invested almost $10 billion in these four funds, but governments are often able to provide much more money than nonprofits can afford).The Gates believe that if these groups do not receive the cash infusions they're asking for, the chance to eradicate certain deadly diseases will slip away."In the early 2000s...it looked like people might give up [on polio], which if you do give up, then the disease comes back and spreads back," Bill Gates said in a conference call on Wednesday. "And depending on how much you give up, you could go all the way back to the 300,000 kids a year being paralyzed. And so, even though a lot of money has been put into this, we can also say that we've saved literally millions of kids who were not paralyzed because of that."He added that if all goes well, at some point soon the investments should stop. "The magic result is when you get to zero and then you get the benefits forever without having to continue to invest," he said.Saving the lives of children isn't just a moral decision, Gates explained. It's also an economic one. Young people are a sort of human capital. When they are educated and employed, they can supercharge a country's growth. If health epidemics cause them to die or fall ill, their countries loses that upside.Business Insider spoke with Melinda Gates about these issues. She also dropped a hint about what her and Bill's annual 2019 letter will be about.Interview condensed and edited for clarity.Alyson Shontell: Why is right now such a critical time in global health, and why could the year 2030 look more like 2000 than 2018 if we're not careful?Melinda Gates: We are seeing that HIV rates are down, malaria deaths are down, and more children are surviving. So it is a hugely good news story. But sometimes people will then think, "Well, is the job done."If we don't make these investments, the converse will happen. Not only will the number of childhood deaths go up and the rate of diseases go up, but we have the largest-ever youth population coming through Africa. They are having their population boom right now. And if we make the right investments, they can become like South Korea became.People seem to have forgotten that, as the US, we made investments in South Korea that helped them with their primary healthcare and their health system. They went on to build a great educational system, and they grew from a low-income to a middle-income country [and graduated from the bulk of aid funding]. There are many African nations that are poised to do that in the next decade, but we have to keep making these investments. They are not forever.We have got to make these investments or we are going to see more death, more disease, and more instability in the world. And that's going to show up on the doorstep of the US, and in Europe.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Shontell: A key metric you use to measure success in these programs is the death rate of children, or death before age 5. What are some of the most common causes of death?Gates: The biggest childhood killers right now are diarrhoeal disease and pneumonia. Because of [the global vaccine alliance] <a href="https://www.gavi.org/">Gavi</a> and that fund, there are new vaccines that prevent those diseases.If you look back to 2000, more children were dying. And if you looked at all the children who were dying, more were dying between 30 days of life and 5 years. That's where we have cut the most deaths, is from 30 days to 5 years. Now the biggest percentage of children, about 40%, die during first month of life.So that is why you need something like the Global Finance Facility [which focuses on child and maternal health] because it tackles the newborn issues that you can't necessarily really get at with a vaccine.Some of [saving lives comes down to] really basic things, like getting a woman to space her births. If she has children too often and too close together, the children are more likely to be born preterm, and then they have all kind of complications - and a lot of them die in the first 30 days.Or if the woman doesn't know to do immediate and explicit breastfeeding and she thinks, "Oh, I gave the child goat's milk" or "My mother-in-law says I should mix something with water" but the water is dirty.So you have to work on that first 30 days of life, and that's what Global Finance Facility really goes after.And of course, the Global Fund goes after HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. It's getting women to do things like sleep under a malaria bed net when they are pregnant, or getting young children to sleep under a malaria bed net, which is incredibly important in keeping childhood death down.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Shontell: There is a misconception that if you're saving all these lives, it could lead to overpopulation. Could you explain that?Gates: That's a really common myth. When we first started this work, Bill and I started saying to ourselves, "OK, we are going to save all these children, but now aren't these women and men going to end up with lots of children?"Luckily, the converse is true. If a parent knows their children will grow up to thrive and survive, they will actually naturally bring down the number of children they have. I have met women all over the world who tell me, "I don't want to have this many children; it's exhausting. I'm tired, and I can't feed five children."The best longitudinal study ever done in global health was done in Bangladesh, where they gave a set of villages family planning contraceptives and another set of villages didn't get them. The villages that got family planning were healthier and wealthier, and the kids were better educated over time.Shontell: It's almost like an insurance policy for these parents to have more children because they are afraid the ones that they have won't survive.Gates: Exactly.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Shontell: You have said that contraceptives are the greatest anti-poverty tool ever created, but more than 200 million women don't have access to them. Why are they such a great anti-poverty tool, and what are the benefits?Gates: If a woman can time and space her births, she's more likely to survive childbirth and her children are likely to survive childbirth and be healthier when they're born. We know that there is no low-income country that has made the transition to a middle-income country without first having wide varieties of voluntary contraceptives accessible to their communities.It's not unlike in the United States. What is it that allowed women to go in droves into the workforce in the United States? It was the advent of the pill. And when that came out, women then had more economic means for their family, which means they can invest more in feeding their kids and educating their kids.So it's this incredible virtuous cycle that family planning starts.Shontell: The US has the highest death rate for women during childbirth than any developed country, I believe. More than 700 women die a year here, and black women have three times as high a mortality rate than white woman. Are you thinking about maternal health in the US?Gates: Those statistics are incredibly disturbing, so we are definitely looking at that.Bill and I are actually writing about that a little bit in our annual letter this year. A lot of those births have to do with preterm birth, which is happening more with African-American women. We need to unpack why that is happening. Is it barriers in their communities? Is it something genetic? Is it both? Is it stress?We need to focus on that in the United States. So yes, we are looking at that.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Shontell: We are close to eradicating a couple of diseases - three by 2030, potentially [TB, AIDS, and malaria]. It sounds like a no-brainer - of course we should get rid of things like polio, AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. But are there any unforeseen butterfly effects that could come into play if we wipe these diseases off the face of the earth?Gates: Smallpox is the best example. It's the only human disease that's been wiped off the face of the planet, and there don't seem to be any negative effects to the environment, humanity, or to animals.One of the things that is really important to remember is, why do we have infectious disease?If you go back in the history of the earth, there was far less infectious disease. It is because people lived further away from one another. But once we started to come together and live in these communities and to urbanize, disease spread, and it spreads incredibly quickly.If you look at the trends of urbanization and you look at places even in Nairobi and townships and slums, you are getting people in closer proximity all the time. Also with jet planes, disease travels really fast. So all the more reason you just want to eradicate these diseases so we are not dealing with them.Malaria has been particularly hard. It's been around since the time of the Egyptians, because of the way the parasite moves from the mosquito to the human and in the way it lives in our guts.But the scientific advances that are coming look incredibly promising. We have new tools like disease modeling so that we can look at, "OK, which tools should be applied in which areas, and how are people moving around and spreading the disease?"So we don't see any downside in getting rid of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, any of them, quite frankly. We would be healthier as a populous.

MELINDA GATES: We're getting closer to wiping several deadly diseases off the face of the earth, but we could easily blow it

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_ford_1919.jpg">en.wikipedia.org</a></div></div>Henry <keyword id="6355174" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ford">Ford</keyword>, who was born 150 years ago today, is remembered as the guy who unleashed the full potential of the assembly line, beginning in 1913 when the Ford Motor Company<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ford-in-the-1910s-2012-5"> cranked out Model T's much faster and cheaper than any one could imagine</a>.
But his business philosophy, known as Fordism, went beyond the implementation of mass production.
Ford argued that high <keyword id="6356975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wages">wages</keyword> were essential for economic and moral reasons. As he wrote in his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Work-Autobiography-Henry/dp/0979311985">autobiography</a>:
What good is industry if it be so unskillfully managed as not to return a living to everyone concerned? No question is more important than that of wages — most of the people of the country live on wages. The scale of their living — the rate of their wages — determines the prosperity of the country.
Ford set a powerful precedent in 1914 when he doubled wages for workers on his assembly line in Dearborne, Mich. The move was in part <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-54463_18670_18793-53441--,00.html">a reaction to high turnover</a> among his workers, who found the work too hard and unrewarding. At the same time, he argued that it was good for his business. 
High wages support a good market:
No questions is more important than that of wages — most of the people of the country live on wages. The scale of their living — the rate of their wages — determines the prosperity of the country. ... If we can distribute high wages, then that money is going to be spent and it will serve to make storekeepers and distributors and manufacturers and workers in other lines more prosperous and their prosperity will be reflected in our sales. Country-wide high wages spell country-wide prosperity, provided, however, the higher wages are paid for higher production.
High wages lead to good products:
The kind of workman who gives the business the best that is in him is the best kind of workman a business can have. ...[I]f a man feels that his day's work is not only supplying his basic need, but is also giving him a margin of comfort and enabling him to give his boys and girls their opportunity and his wife some pleasure in life, then his job looks good to him and he is free to give it of his best. This is a good thing for him and a good thing for the business.
Whatever the reason, Ford's higher wages were successful. Applications to work at the Dearborn, Mich. factory soared and turnover plummeted.
Ford's advanced production methods were so successful that every other auto company, and companies in ever industry, followed suit. Fordism, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Irresistible-Empire-Americas-Advance-Twentieth-Century/dp/0674022343">the eponymous manufacturing system designed to spew out standardized, low-cost goods and afford its workers decent enough wages to buy them</a>," spread rapidly around the world.
It was good for the workers too. The average Ford worker in 1914 had savings of $207.10; workers who stayed at the factory for the next five years would amass<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324059704578471112978065632.html"> $2,171.14 in savings</a> on average, according to author Richard Snow. Sure enough, they were entering the middle class.
Ford imagined a bright future in which wages would keep on rising:
What do we mean by high wages, anyway? We mean a higher wage than was paid ten months or ten years ago. We do not mean a higher wage than ought to be paid. Our high wages of to-day may be low wages ten years from now. If it is right for the manager of a business to try to make it pay larger dividends, it is quite as right that he should try to make it pay higher wages.
So what happened?
As much of a genius as Ford was, his vision of capitalism would become dated by the 1970s. As described by Walter Russell Mead in "<a href="http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2004_summer/mead.html">The Decline of Fordism and the Challenge to American Power</a>":
The trouble is that capitalism did not stop with Henry Ford and the system named for him. The era of regulation, income equality, state planning and stability has gradually been yielding to a new form of capitalism over the last generation.
Many writers have worked to describe the difference between Fordism and what we might as well call “millennial capitalism,” the new system we seem to be inventing and exploring. For some, the shift from Fordism to millennialism is a rake’s progress: the end of a system that produced peace, justice, mass prosperity and social security and the rise of a grotesque new system of inequality, instability and bare-knuckled competition in a hideous, neoliberal dog-eat-dog world. For others, the shift represents the glorious triumph of technology and entrepreneurial spirit over a decadent and stagnant era, and the new and more dynamic capitalism offers opportunities to eliminate poverty and transform the human condition.
No aspect of Fordism has became more passé than his ideas about high wages. While liberal economists like Robert Reich still argue about the <a href="http://robertreich.org/post/9789891366">economic benefits of greater income equality</a>, corporations have realized that they can get away with paying relatively less and less.
For a visualization of what has happened on this front in the past half century, check out a graph of <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?id=GDPC1">corporate profits relative to GDP versus employee compensation relative to GDP</a>:
<div class="image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?id=GDPC1">research.stlouisfed.org</a></div></div></div>
Corporate profits relative to GDP are around ten times what they were in the 1940s, while employee compensation relative to GDP has steadily declined.
And it's not just a case of rising tides: median U.S. income in 2012 fell to<a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ed14fc70-fc51-11e1-aef9-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2aX3ALLEh"> levels not seen since 1995</a>. 
This chart doesn't even include the vastly lower wages received by a growing population of foreign laborers who work indirectly for U.S. corporations. Just look at how bad conditions are for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bangladesh-garment-workers-2013-5">garment workers in Bangladesh</a> or<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-china-labor-watch-report-response-2013-7"> tech workers in China</a>.
The industrial revolution is not continuing as Ford predicted, and — at least as far as wages are concerned — that's a tragedy.

On Henry Ford's 150th Birthday, His Greatest Insight Has Been Tragically Forgotten

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">Maplecroft</div></div></div>
Leading global risk analytics firm <a href="http://maplecroft.com/">Maplecroft</a> have put out a midyear update of the countries facing the worst risk of conflict and political violence. All together, 48 countries around the world have seen these risks intensify over the last six months. 
Ukraine, due to the political instability of the interim government, saw the biggest increase in risk and dropped 52 places in the stability ranking. Maplecroft expects Ukraine to drop further in its 2014 rankings when the impact of pro-Russian separatists <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-is-offering-to-supply-gas-to-europe-if-a-russian-energy-embargo-goes-into-effect-2014-5#!INCvU">overrunning eastern Ukraine</a> are taken into account. 
Surprisingly, Ukraine is only the 35th least stable country in the world with Russia being designated as being more potentially unstable. 
The Arab Spring countries altogether have seen the biggest increase in risk since 2011. Worryingly for investors, the high growth economies of Colombia, Nigeria, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, China, Indonesia, and Turkey are all also rated as being at 'high' or 'extreme risk.'
Below are the 16 most unstable countries according to the Maplecroft report. 
<h3>Syria</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Hosam Katan Smoke rises from a site hit by what activists said were barrel bombs dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's al-Shaar district April 13, 2014. </div></div>
Syria has been in a state of civil war for a little over three years and over <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-of-syrian-refugees-flooding-into-lebanon-2014-4#!IPnCP">1 million refugees</a> having fled into neighboring Lebanon alone. The Syrian regime has also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uk-syria-clothing-sarin-chemical-weapons-assad-2013-9#!IPoO7">used Sarin gas</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-syria-opposition-claims-has-evidence-of-chlorine-gas-attack-2014-14#!IPpTr">chlorine bombs</a> against rebel fighters and civilians. 
<h3>Central African Republic <div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Siegfried Modola/REUTERSAn African Union (AU) soldier stands guard outside a home at the end of a funeral of two men killed by sectarian violence in the Muslim neighbourhood of Kilometre 5 (PK5) in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on March 23, 2014.</div></div></h3>
The UN Security Council has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/un-peacekeepers-to-central-african-republic-2014-4#!IPuPU">unanimously voted</a> to send peacekeepers to the Central African Republic amongst fears that the sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims could spiral into genocide.
<h3>Iraq</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Ako RasheedCivilians gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, January 15, 2014.</div></div>
Sectarian violence in Iraq is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/un-peacekeepers-to-central-african-republic-2014-4#!IPuPU">reaching its worst levels</a> since the country almost descended into civil war in 2007 and 2008. Hard-line al Qaeda spin off ISIS has also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-map-of-al-qaeda-in-iraq-is-terrifying-2013-12#!IPLx3">taken control</a> of vast swathes of western Iraq after exploiting the chaos in Syria as a spring board. 
<h3>South Sudan</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Goran TomasevicA man from Dinka tribe holds his AK 47 rifle in front of cows in a Dinka cattle herders camp near Rumbek, capital of the Lakes State in central South Sudan December 14, 2013. </div></div>
South Sudan is the world's newest country, and it is also one of the world's poorest. It has also been in a state of civil war since last December which has <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27281666">displaced</a> at least 800,000 people so far. 
<h3>Afghanistan</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Parwiz Parwiz/REUTERSAn Afghan policeman destroys poppies during a campaign against narcotics in Kunar province, April 29, 2014.</div></div>
Afghanistan is poised to become a narco-state. Its opium production is at an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afghan-opium-production-is-at-an-all-time-high-2014-5#!IP1PC">all-time high</a>, U.S. troops are due to withdrawal down to minuscule numbers, and the Taliban continues to operate throughout the country. 
<h3>Somalia</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">APAl Shabaab fighters march in training.</div></div>
Somalia has been without a functioning central government since the 1990s. During this time various armed groups have come to prominence, with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/al-shabaab-westgate-al-qaeda-20-2014-2#!IP9ru">al Shabaab</a> being the most worrying as it has carried out terrorist attacks across the border in Kenya. 
<h3>Democratic Republic of Congo</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERSMilitants in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo carry weapons through the jungle.</div></div>
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been in a state of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-7-conflicts-were-the-worst-since-rwanda-2014-4#!IQb5p">civil war since 1996</a>. During this time over 5 million people have died and violence, famine, and displacement remain constants in life in eastern regions of the DRC. 
<h3>Libya</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Esam Al-Fetori / REUTERSA protester in Libya burns the flag during a demonstration against the new central government.</div></div>
Libya has faced growing unrest since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown during the Arab Spring in 2011. Since then, Libya has faced difficulties establishing a central government, curtailing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-should-deploy-troops-into-africa-2014-1#!IQqHk">weapons shipments</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-insight-armed-militias-hold-libya-hostage-2014-30#!IQoIV">disarming former militias</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/libya-threatens-to-bomb-north-korean-tanker-if-it-ships-oil-from-seized-port-2014-3#!IQpFg">controlling its oil exports</a>. 
<h3>Sudan</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">APA burning village after an attack by pro-government rebel forces.</div></div>
The Darfur conflict in Sudan, labeled a genocide by many in the international community, is still <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-7-conflicts-were-the-worst-since-rwanda-2014-4#!IQte1">continuing at low levels</a>. Other minorities in Darfur <a href="http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/May-05/255429-ex-bishop-says-sudan-air-force-targeted-church-hospital.ashx#axzz30qxGCa4J">frequently complain</a> of discrimination by the Arab-dominated government, with some having taken up arms.
<h3>Pakistan</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">AP Images</div></div>
Pakistan has been embroiled for years in a battle against the Pakistani Taliban, who have targeted <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/asia/pakistan-violence/">NATO workers</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=newssearch&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CCgQ-AsoAjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fworld%2Fpakistan%2FWHO-slaps-travel-restrictions-on-Pakistan-over-polio-fears%2Farticleshow%2F34694992.cms&amp;ei=FqlnU7rQJIjjsAT02ICIBg&amp;usg=AFQjCNHw-rrd_xG7ghz89iK4Y-NFzRvfug&amp;sig2=dkJdFG9k6ltsM09H0pxPWw&amp;bvm=bv.65788261,d.cWc">health care professionals</a>, and Pakistani soldiers. The country is also the frequent target of U.S. drone attacks and supports large numbers of Afghan refugees.
<h3>Colombia</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Jorge Cabrera/REUTERSMilitary police keep watch at a checkpoint outside a military facility where drug trafficker Carlos Arnoldo Lobo is detained in Mateo, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa May 3, 2014. </div></div>
Colombia has been fighting drug cartels and a range of rebel forces, including FARC, for years. Rebels <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/05/02/rebel-attack-on-colombia-pipeline-causes-oil-spill/">frequently attack</a> economic interests, such as pipelines. Colombia also has a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-honduras-venezuela-have-worlds-highest-murder-rates-un-2014-10#!IQ9su">startling murder rate</a> of 30.8 per 100,000 people. 
<h3>Yemen</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Mohamed al-SayaghiMen look at wall graffiti depicting a U.S. drone along a street in Sanaa, Yemen, November 9, 2013. </div></div>
Yemen has become one of the key centers for a resurgence of al Qaeda in the world. The Yemeni branch of al Qaeda acts relatively in the open, has support, and has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yara-bayoumy-al-qaeda-vows-to-strike-america-in-new-video-2014-4#!IRink">pledged to attack</a> western interests. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-kills-al-qaeda-suspects-in-yemen-2014-4#!IRilb">Drone strikes</a> have also become a fact of life in Yemen. 
<h3>Myanmar</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Minzayar Minzayar/REUTERSRohingya people wait to receive their share of food aid from the World Food Program (WFP) at the Thae Chaung camp for internally displaced people in Sittwe, Rakhine state, April 24, 2014.</div></div>
Myanmar has been shifting slowly away from a military dictatorship. However, during this time it has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-kills-al-qaeda-suspects-in-yemen-2014-4#!IRilb">severely limited rights</a> of its Muslim minority, allowed radical Buddhist monks to incite crowds to violence, and has kicked Doctors Without Borders out of the country. 
<h3>Egypt</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyA man walks near debris after an explosion near a security building in Egypt's Nile Delta city of Mansoura on Dec. 24, 2013.</div></div>
Egypt has had an extremely rocky transition after the Arab Spring forced Mubarak to resign. The first elected president, Muhammad Morsi, was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/egypt-ban-on-r4bea-rabea-signs-in-facebook-2013-12#!IRRrq">forced from power</a> by the military, which has proceeded to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood and hand down <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-egyptian-court-recommends-death-sentence-for-683-brotherhood-supporters-2014-28#!IRPe0">mass death sentences</a>. Terrorists have also taken advantage of the chaos to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-kills-al-qaeda-suspects-in-yemen-2014-4#!IRilb">carry out attacks</a> throughout the country.
<h3>Nigeria</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">REUTERS/Afolabi SotundeA damaged car is seen at the scene of a car bomb blast in Nyanya, Abuja, May 2, 2014. </div></div>
Nigeria is facing a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nigeria-is-melting-down-2014-5#!IR1EB">myriad of threats</a>. Boko Haram has carried out a five year terrorist campaign culminating in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-nigerias-boko-haram-claims-abduction-of-over-200-schoolgirls-2014-05#!IR73X">kidnapping 230 girls</a> in the north of the country. The country is also facing hefty corruption problems and falling oil prices upon which it is dependent for growth.
<h3>Russia</h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Stringer Russia / ReutersRussian special forces stood guard in Sochi before the start of the Olympics.</div></div>
Although Putin is facing amazingly high approval ratings following his actions in Ukraine, the situation in Russia is disintegrating. Russia has started viciously <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-putins-surveillance-denial-was-clearly-wrong-2014-4#!ISvUQ">censoring the internet</a>, arresting political dissidents, and Russia's demography is in <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2014/03/numbers-vladimir-putin-doesnt-want-you-to-see">complete shambles</a>.

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