Interdependence between the United States (U.S.), European Union (EU) and Asia in the semiconductor industry, driven by specialization, can serve as a preventive measure against disruptions in the global semiconductor supply chain. Moreover, with rising geopolitical tensions, the cost-intensive nature of the semiconductor industry and a slowdown in demand, interdependence and partnership provide countries with opportunities and benefits. Specifically, by analyzing global trade patterns, developing the Interdependence Index within the semiconductor market, and applying the Grubel-Lloyd Index to the U.S., the EU, and Asian countries from 2011 to 2022, our findings reveal that interdependence enhances regional semiconductor supply chains, such as the establishment of semiconductor foundries in the U.S., Japan, and the EU; reduces dependence on a single supplier, such as the U.S. distancing from China; and increases market share in different semiconductor segments, as demonstrated by Taiwan in automobile chips. The evidence indicates that China heavily depends on foreign sources to meet its semiconductor demand, while Taiwan and South Korea specialize as foundry service providers with lower Interdependence Index values. The U.S., with a robust presence in semiconductor manufacturing and design, has a moderate dependence on semiconductor imports, whereas the EU demonstrates a higher level of interdependence because it lacks semiconductor foundries. The stage-specific analyses indicate that the U.S. and the EU rely on Asia for semiconductor devices, while China and Taiwan have a higher dependence on American intermediate inputs and European lithography machines.

The achievement of sustainable development in Kenya has been hindered by the prevalence of HIV. The effects of HIV on sustainable development have been given less academic attention. HIV prevalence prevents people from achieving good health and well-being, which then makes them unable to conduct activities that lead to sustainable economic growth. The paper found that the prevalence of HIV causes economic hardship, destroys human capital development and human resources by reducing life expectancy and increasing mortality rates. It was equally found that the prevalence of HIV undermines social stability and mobility, reduces economic investments, influences food insecurity and makes people vulnerable. The paper found that the prevalence of HIV reduces labor supply and productivity, increases the cost of health services, promote inequality and poverty. The paper found that the prevalence of HIV was caused by the failure to integrate religion, culture and science infrastructure to achieve a holistic treatment acceptance and adherence that would overcome all misconceptions people have towards the disease. The paper found that while science provides effective HIV treatments, religious and cultural perspectives often shape community attitudes toward the disease. It was found that engaging religious and cultural as well as health workers or health advocates can help reduce stigma and promote ART adherence by aligning treatment messages with faith-based principles. The paper found that the integration that incorporates religion, culture, and science into HIV interventions would promote a more inclusive healthcare system that respects diverse beliefs while ensuring evidence-based treatment is accessible and widely accepted. The study was conducted through a qualitative methodology. Data was collected from secondary sources that included published articles, books and occasional papers as well as reports. Collected data was interpreted and analyzed through document analysis techniques.

On 17 February 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, receiving recognition from over half of the UN member states, the majority of the European Union, Council of Europe and NATO member states, as well as the most industrialized states in the global economic forum. However, Kosovo did not receive recognition from Serbia, China, Russia, India, certain states with diplomatic grievances with the USA, communist dictatorial states like North Korea, and five EU member states, including Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Spain. This article focuses on Spain’s possibilities and reasons for recognizing Kosovo or not. Using qualitative methodology, five university professors—two from Madrid, one from Barcelona, and two Kosovar professors, one from the University of Pristina and the other from the University of Winchester, England—were interviewed with open-ended questions in November-December 2023. The research identified opportunities and reasons for Spain’s hesitation in recognizing Kosovo, including Spain’s domestic context, historical relations with the Western Balkans and the newly formed countries after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, as well as the European and international political context. The research results show that Spain has been hesitant to recognize new states quickly, not only in the case of Kosovo, due to the context of autonomist aspirations within Spain and reluctance to draw parallels between Kosovo and Spain’s autonomous regions.

The study examined the mediating role of supply chain security performance on the relationship between supply chain security practices and supply chain disruptions occurrences in the manufacturing industry in Ghana. Drawing on a survey of 336 manufacturing firms, dynamic capability, and contingency theories were applied using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the conceptual model. It was discovered that both direct and indirect hypotheses supported the findings of the study. The results indicate that Ghanaian manufacturing firms have made progress in implementing supply chain security measures. The findings revealed that the adoption of comprehensive supply chain security practices is positively associated with improved performance metrics, including reduced inventory losses and damages, faster order fulfillment and delivery times, lower costs related to security incidents, and enhanced brand reputation and customer trust. Policymakers can leverage these insights to develop support programs aimed at strengthening the security capabilities of manufacturing firms, ensuring they are equipped to compete effectively in both local and global markets, improving security performance, and reducing the likelihood and impact of supply chain disruptions. In the quest of bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research contributes valuable knowledge to the discourse on supply chain security in developing countries, offering a roadmap for enhancing resilience and performance in the manufacturing sector.

The objective of this research is to assess the current state of e-banking in Saudi Arabia. The banking industry is rapidly evolving to use e-banking as an efficient and appropriate tool for customer satisfaction. Traditional banks recommend online banking as a particular service to their customers in order to provide them with faster and better service. As a result of the rapid advancement of technology, banks have used e-banking and mobile banking to both accumulate users and conduct banking transactions. Nonetheless, the primary challenge with electronic banking is satisfying customers who use Internet banking. Thus, the current study seeks to determine what factors affect e-payment adoption with e-banking services. mobile banking, e-wallets, and e-banking, as well as the mediating role of customer trust, can drive e-payment adoption. We distributed the survey online and offline to a total of 336 participants. A convenience sampling technique was used; structure equation modeling (SEM), convergence and discriminant validity; and model fitness were achieved through Smart PLS 3. The findings have shown that mobile banking, e-banking, and e-wallets are three significant independent variables that mediate the role of customer trust in influencing e-payment adoption when using Internet banking services. They should emphasize trust-building activities, specifically in relation to the new ways of e-payment such as e-banking, m-payments, NFC, and e-proximity, which will further help reduce consumer perceptions of risk. The system developers should design user-friendly applications and e-payment apps to enhance consumers’ belief in using them for payment purposes over any Internet-enabled device. They should promptly respond to consumers in cases of failed e-payment transactions and be able to promptly demonstrate transparency in settling claims for such failed transactions. Future studies could benefit from implementing probability sampling to facilitate comparisons with non-probability sampling studies. This study selected responses from only Saudi Arabian adopters of mobile payment technology. We need to conduct research on non-adopters and analyze the results using the model we proposed in this study. Due to time and resource constraints, in depth research using a mixed-methods approach could not be conducted. Future studies can utilize a mixed-methods approach for further understanding.

The current state of the Moroccan mountains in general, and the Beni Iznassen Mountains in particular, is the result of a dynamic process that has accelerated in recent years due to rapid demographic growth and the associated pressure on mountain natural resources. This has led to significant degradation, varying in severity across different areas within the Beni Iznassen Mountain range. In the context of these imbalances between natural mountain resources and the daily needs of the local population, there has been an emergence of various challenges, such as poverty and marginalization, affecting the lives of the region’s residents and a noticeable decline in socioeconomic indicators. This situation has consequently driven migration towards regions that better meet the population’s needs. Therefore, it has become essential to pay attention to this natural area by restoring its residents’ livelihoods, breaking their isolation, and rationalizing the use of its land-based natural resources. This has made the region a focus of territorial development efforts by both the state and local stakeholders.