UN rights council to consider call for Israel arms sales halt
The UN Human Rights Council on Friday is set to consider a draft resolution calling for a cessation of arms...
Geostrategy
Gaza children fly kites to escape horrors of war
RAFAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES – Meters away from the concrete and steel fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt, 11-year-old Malak Ayad flies a...
Geostrategy
Economy
UAE economy likely to grow by 3.8 percent in 2025, says World Bank
WASHINGTON, US - The World Bank expected the UAE's real GDP to grow by 3.4 percent in 2023, rising to...
- The World Bank forecast the growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to rise to 3.6 percent in 2024 and 3.8 percent in 2025.
- The report said that the growth rate in the Middle East and North Africa region slowed down sharply to 1.9 percent in 2023.
Geostrategy
2023 hottest recorded year as Earth nears critical threshold
PARIS, FRANCE - The year of 2023 was the hottest on record, with the increase in Earth's surface temperature nearly crossing...
- Climate change intensified heatwaves, droughts and wildfires and pushed the global thermometer 1.48 C in 2023 above the preindustrial benchmark.
- Nearly half of 2023 exceeded the 1.5C limit, beyond which climate impacts are more likely to become self-reinforcing and catastrophic, said scientists.
Business
Energy companies to test CO2 capture in Brazil undersea oil field
PARIS, FRANCE  - A consortium of Brazilian, British, French and Chinese energy firms will test new technology aimed at capturing CO2...
- The pilot unit will separate oil from CO2-rich natural gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinject the gas directly into the reservoir, TotalEnergies said.
- The company said the high pressure subsea separation (HISEP) technology has the potential to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.
Business
Resilient supply chains are essential to global trade: Expert
DUBAI, UAE – For over 30 years, globalization has been the evergreen megatrend as global trade has helped lift some...
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of resilient supply chains in sustaining economies worldwide to the forefront.
- Wars, armed conflicts, overall increasing geopolitical tensions, and protectionism create serious headwinds for global trade.
Business
Utilizing AI is only possible if skill gap is bridged, says expert
DUBAI, UAE - The Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is upon us, with AI becoming a pervasive force in our daily...
- As the rate of AI adoption increases, humans are essential to guiding the technology’s implementation and usage of these technologies.
- Executives estimate that up to 40 percent of their workforce may need to reskill as a result of implementing AI or automation over the next three years.
Geostrategy
Turkish Airlines grounds Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets amid inspection orders
Turkish Airlines said that it would stop flying five Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets in its fleet even as the...
- The Alaska Airlines scare prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration to order immediate inspections of around 171 of the jets operated worldwide.
- Boeing has so far delivered about 218 of the 737 MAX planes worldwide, the company said.
Science
India’s solar mission Aditya-L1 enters Sun’s orbit
New Delhi, India - India's solar observation mission on Saturday entered the Sun's orbit after a four-month journey, the latest success...
- The Aditya-L1 mission was launched in September and is carrying an array of instruments to measure and observe the Sun's outermost layers.
- The latest mission by the Indian Space Research Organization is the first by any Asian nation to be placed in orbit around the Sun.
Business
Google Chrome begins restricting cookies in first step towards elimination
Paris, France - Google has begun limiting third-party cookies for some users of its Chrome web browser, a first step towards...
- Cookies, small files which are used to target advertising by tracking web navigation, have recently been subject to greater regulation.
- Google announced in January 2020 that it would begin eliminating third-party cookies within two years, but the start has been delayed several times.
Economy
FAO says global food prices fell 13.7 percent in 2023
World food prices fell in 2023, with considerable declines for grains and oils as supply concerns eased, the UN's Food...
- Overall, world food commodity prices fell 13.7 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, Rome-based FAO said.
- The vegetable oil price index posted the biggest fall last year, dropping 32.7 percent, thanks to improved supplies and reduced use for biofuel production.
Geostrategy
Foreign governments paid Trump firms millions as president, claims US report
NEW YORK, US - Former US president Donald Trump's businesses received at least $7.8 million from foreign governments including China during...
- The authors of the report said that revenues from overseas governments violated a constitutional ban on "foreign emoluments."
- The report alleged that Beijing as well as businesses including ICBC bank and Hainan Airlines spent $5.5 million at Trump-owned properties.
UN rights council to consider call for Israel arms sales halt
The UN Human Rights Council on Friday is set to consider a draft resolution calling for a cessation of arms...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Situation in Red Sea has a limited impact on food exports so far, says FAO
ROME, ITALY – The situation in the Red Sea has not yet been reflected in the pace of prices for...
Economy
Trump said he won’t ‘give a penny’ to Ukraine, claims Hungary Prime Minister
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has asserted that former US president Donald Trump told him during a meeting...
Geostrategy
Four space station crew members leave for Earth
WASHINGTON, US – Four astronauts left the International Space Station on Monday and were bound for Earth following a more than...
Geostrategy
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Economy
GASTAT adopts chain-linking method to calculate Saudi Arabia’s real GDP
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said in a press release it issued on Sunday that...
- The fourth quarter 2023 results and the annual results for the same year have been reached at by using the new methodology.
- Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Gulf and Arab regions, and among the first G20 countries, to implement the chain-linking methodology.
Business
Cryptocurrency Ether witnesses meteoric rise since launch
NEW YORK, US – Bitcoin has captured the limelight in recent weeks as it surged to a new record high, yet...
- Launched in 2015, Ether is by far the second-largest digital currency in terms of total value, now estimated at over $460 billion.
- Bitcoin's rise has been well-documented, but Ether's has been even more impressive, surging almost 72 percent year to date.
Geostrategy
Thousands rally in London seeking a truce in Gaza
London, UK - Thousands of protesters marched in central London on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing...
- The march, from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy, was the fifth major demonstration of the year so far in the capital.
- However, marches protesting Israeli assault in Gaza have seen dozens arrested for anti-Semitic chanting and banners.