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The transformations in the world economy, the globalization of information, the globalization of security issues have brought non-state powers to the position of main actors of the contemporary geopolitical phenomenon, in which transnational, international or supranational organizations play a special role. The unprecedented period of peace and stability that Europe went through at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century is due to the existence of the European Union. The European Union is a relevant actor in the international arena; the emergence of the European Union radically changed the European and global geopolitical balance. Having an extensive network of economic relations worldwide, carrying out crisis management missions and humanitarian actions, the European Union cannot be omitted from any geopolitical analysis. In a very dynamic and unpredictable global geopolitical and geoeconomic context, the European Union launched on June 20, 2023 the European Strategy for Economic Security, a strategy that emphasizes bilateral and plurilateral cooperation - in different formats and degrees of institutionalization, from the G-7 to high-level economic talks, investment partnerships and commodity clubs. The European Union wants to reduce, for the next decades, the economic risks related to dependence on China. The strategy outlines how the European Union - a key trading partner for both China and the United States - is trying to manage its economic dependence on Beijing and avoid the kind of economic rupture with Russia that followed the invasion of Ukraine. The paper aims to analyze what China's "risk reduction" means for Europe and, at the same time, to understand how the European Union's approach to economic security will shape future relations in terms of geopolitics and geoeconomics at the international and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last year, the Bahamas has been featured in the news disproportionally. After reviewing the island's vital statistics and some important physical, economic and financial events, this paper highlights the economy's vulnerability to external shocks and extreme weather-related events. On the one hand, the island nation of less than 400,000 people--and the Caribbean region, in general--faces major challenges triggered by the intensification of global climate change. On the other hand, in order to mitigate the costs these events have had on the economy over the years, successive governments have repeatedly endorsed hosting dubious economic and financial activities. The enthusiastic reception given to FTX in fall 2021 is only the most recent example of the island's encouragement of these questionable enterprises. Considering the economy's performance over the last decade, an unorthodox proposal is recommended to support the future political stability and economic security of the Bahamas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slurry transport pumps, the central equipment of deep-sea mining (DSM) systems, provide the lifting power required for lifting mineral ores from the seafloor to the surface. The current technical challenges are associated with transport security and the economic aspects of coarse ore particles in pumps and pipelines. This paper focuses on the transportation characteristics of slurry pumps and uses theoretical methods, numerical calculations, and experimental methods to identify a feasible working mode. The geometric parameters of impeller channels in pump hydraulics significantly influence the migration properties of particles which in turn affects the overall security and economy of the system. The ratio of the impeller cross-sectional area F2/F1 (F1: crosssectional area of the impeller outlet; F2: cross-sectional area of the impeller inlet) affects the particle passing capacity but negatively impacts pump efficiency. The percent of particles in the excellent passage interval of 0.2 s to 0.25 s increases from 25 to 43% when the number increases from 1.57 to 2.51. The pump behavior increases of the head by 5–10 m, and the efficiency decreases by 5– 10%. So, the recommended span of F2/F1 is 1.57–2.00, and satisfying particle passing ability and efficiency can be achieved in this range. This study can provide a reference for the commercial transportation of slurry ores for deep-sea mining systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term power load forecasting is an important factor affecting the security and economic operation of modern power systems. In order to avoid the limitation of a single model, this paper proposes a novel variable weight combined model that combines three single models of support vector regression (SVR), linear regression (LR) and random forest (RF). In the proposed model, a weight table is created based on time similarity, which contains weight information of 336 timestamps for determining the weight of each model. Then, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is employed to complete the modeling of the variable weight combined model. To evaluate the forecasting ability of the combined model, this paper takes the half-hourly power data of New South Wales as an example. Experimental analysis shows that all the evaluation metrics of the proposed model are better than the three single models and combined model based on average weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conditions of global instability and the impending recession of the world economy, enterprises should look for new organizational models and management approaches to both maintain market positions and ensure economic security and potentials for further and sustainable growth. Such a model can be an innovative ecosystem which makes it possible to make a significant contribution to sustainable development of all its actors, since it puts cooperation in the first place, while competition is given a secondary role. In the context of digitalization of economies and the upcoming new industrial revolution, ecosystems will become crucial in the capital accumulation. This paper reveals the roles of actors in the ecosystem, puts forward the principles of their construction, and also suggests indicators and methods for assessing ecosystem participants, discusses research tasks necessary for the sustainable reproduction of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connectivity and fragmentation coexist as two interlinked discourses on the relationship between infrastructures and societies. In response to the Digital Silk Road initiated by the Chinese government, Chinese companies have built numerous digital infrastructures globally. Simultaneously, China's government seeks to strengthen domestic internet governance through laws and administrative regulations, such as the Cyber Security Law. This paper utilises the interpretive framework of "sociotechnical imaginaries" to explore the controversial tension between digital fragmentations and connectivity in cyberspace along technical, institutional and political dimensions. Scrutinising two cases studies -- New IP and smart city -- the study finds that China's approach to infrastructuring cyberspace can be best understood as selective connectivity. China not only integrates into global cyber infrastructures to enhance its technological and regulatory capabilities, but also attempts to reshape global cyberspace governance to strengthen its political structures and enhance digital autonomy, seeking a balance between digital sovereignty, regime security and economic development. However, selective connectivity brings its own complexities and drawbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The desiderata implemented in forensics at the time of its birth as a special legal science, the knowledge gained during its development and its subject matter, overall determine the possibility of using forensic means, methods, and procedures in judicial and extrajudicial activities. This scientific paper describes the possibility of using the forensic arsenal not only in a criminal trial, but also in the context of other law enforcement actions, including in the field of civil law relations. In this regard, the methods of using forensic knowledge in civil and contravention processes are described, ensuring the economic and information security of the enterprise, establishing psychological contact in interviews, emphasizing the significant role of forensics in preventing and combating illegal acts. The author also highlighted some causes that prevent the use, outside the criminal process, of the opportunities offered by forensic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the extent and intensity of energy poverty among households in the Kasargod district of Kerala. The inspiration to focus the study on Kasargod district is its socio-economic backwardness relative to Kerala as a whole. Household survey was conducted with a pre-designed questionnaire, and energy poverty was examined using multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI). Results indicate that, although almost all households are electrified, households face intermittent power outages, and hence they are forced to rely upon alternative measures like power backup facilities. Although most households have access to clean cooking, they also use biomass like firewood extensively and hence widespread practice of fuel-wood stacking is reported. Since households use traditional stoves without chimney to burn fuel-wood, the very purpose of promoting clean cooking to eliminate health hazards of burning biomass is defeated. Overall, the results indicate that effective tackling of energy poverty and resultant evils requires not only economic security but also the capacity to influence the habits and customs of the people. • Although Kerala is fully electrified state, Kasargod region exhibits instances of intermittent supply of electricity, • Evidence of fuel stacking due to easy availability of fuel wood • Women in energy poor household are burdened with the collection of fuel wood leading to capability deprivation. • Incidence of energy poverty across socio-economic categories [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first consider one of the interconnected enterprises in the economy as nodes in a complex network. Based on the SIRS risk contagion model, we describe the transmission process of credit risk between enterprises after the bursting of the stock market with the contagion process, and clarify their diffusion mechanism and effect. The propagation effect of SIRS model in complex network is simulated and analyzed. The results show that when the risk contagion intensity exceeds a certain threshold and the proportion of infected enterprises in the economy exceeds a certain level, it will inevitably lead to the insecurity of the whole economy. In most cases, the policy intervention of the regulatory authorities is necessary. If the crisis is allowed to infect, it is likely to induce the financial risk of the whole system; The construction of smart city credit system can use big data to solve the problem of information island, promote the co construction and sharing of data resources, assist the regulators to effectively prevent and block the transmission of credit risk, and nip the risk in the bud, so as to maintain social stability and economic security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Localized land registration expected to nurture peace in conflict affected areas. • In Burundi and the DR Congo, often a big gap between expectations and realities. • Sometimes, it indeed clarifies ownership, helps protect women, and prevents disputes. • In practice, marked by state absence, institutional competition, and elite capture. • Risks to reproduce conflict, and on its own unable to create sustainable peace. The last two decades, a variety of –mostly donor-led– initiatives have aimed at 'localizing' land tenure registration, specifically in conflict-affected settings, making the registration of land rights more accessible to rural smallholders. In such settings, land registration is seen not just as instrumental to tenure security and economic development; but also to prevent land-related violence and promote sustainable peace. However, to reach such goals proves extremely complex. This paper explores discourses and practices of localized land tenure registration in Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More specifically, we explore how these efforts are marked by the absence of reliable state action, by institutional competition, and by the risk of elite capture. We organize our discussion around three common assumptions about land registration interventions: that they will 1) contribute to clarifying and protecting land rights; 2) help the most tenure insecure, notably women, to strengthen their rights to land; and 3) prevent disputes. Based on our findings from Burundi and the eastern DRC we suggest that the expectations of registration efforts need to be tempered. On the one hand, localized land tenure registration risks to become part of the dynamics that reproduce conflict. On the other hand, it is not able, on its own, to create the more fundamental changes necessary for a sustainable peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic all over the world has seriously affected seafarers' work and life. In this paper, we focus on the countermeasures of major countries and organizations on the seafarer shift matter during the pandemic period. And the target of this paper is to become useful in promoting the shift change of seafarers more smoothly. Policies are identified on the basis of a systematic review of importance in combination with a detailed analysis of the primary global and national policy initiatives. Findings suggest that the root cause of the international crew change crisis lies in the issues and deficiencies in the crew change system, economic security, seafarers' welfare, and seafarers' social security among other aspects. On this basis, this paper gives feasible suggestions in the respects of system innovation, economic security and welfare, social security system innovation and technical innovation. • The COVID-19 epidemic has seriously affected international crew changes. • Policies of major countries and organizations are concluded and compared. • Causes of the crisis are analyzed, which are policy deficiencies, financial assistance, and "key workers" designation. • Suggestions are given in the respects of policy formulation, economy, social security and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a cursory glance, much of Japan's new economic security policy resonates with US-Biden policy language of building resilient supply chains and strengthening strategic partnerships. Mainstream scholarship has been quick to interpret this as a new form of economic statecraft and the strengthening of the US-Japan partnership. However, little has been discussed about how the adoption of economic security policy has entailed state restructuring and reconnected different social forces. There has been a shift in the functions of state institutions which are, to some extent, becoming fused. Security institutions are drawn into economic domains while economic institutions increasingly adapt to discourses on military issues. This fusion has been facilitating the reconnection of industrial capital, military capital, and state elites who attempt to leverage the interlocking components of US-led policies and economic security, that in turn reproduces the developmental form of the Japanese state. This paper offers a theoretically-informed way of understanding new geopolitical lines underpinning state transformation in Japan and sheds light on the constitutive elements we currently see as 'networked security architecture' such as the Quad or 'friendshoring' industrial policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icebergs have a long history of commercial exploitation and while climate change has accelerated interest in Arctic resources, this enigmatic symbol of the region has received little attention in contemporary legal debates. In an age of growing freshwater scarcity, iceberg harvesting is currently unregulated and without legal status under international law beyond the rule of capture. Positioned at the intersection of water security and economic gain, icebergs are primed as a site for resource conflict. Framing the legal status of ice within historical debates, this paper considers principles of international law that could apply in determining rights derived from sovereignty over this resource. It posits a regulatory pathway via the Arctic Council, although the resource may in time simply disappear from both the legal and physical landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]