Building futuristic sustainable urban cities starts from the underground up
Underground innovation, digitization, and AI are vital for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future cities, says Sam Wiffen, director and founder...
Interview
Risks are interconnected, need collaborative solutions, says WEF’s Mark Elsner
Davos, Switzerland – Mark Elsner, Head, Global Risks Initiative, World Economic Forum sat with TRENDS during WEF’s summit in Davos...
World Economic Forum
Geostrategy
Turkish strikes leaves hundreds of Syrian villages without electricity
Qamishli, Syria - Hundreds of northeast Syrian villages and towns have lost power after Turkish strikes pounded electricity stations and infrastructure,...
- The Kurdish administration said Turkey launched a slew of strikes since Friday, mostly concentrated on infrastructure including power stations and oil refineries
- The semi-autonomous Kurdish administration listed hundreds of villages and towns facing blackouts due to the Turkish strikes in a statement Monday
Geostrategy
EU worried Red Sea attacks could spark inflation
European Union economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned that violence in the Red Sea sparked by Houthi attacks on shipping could...
- Gentiloni said that "what is happening in the Red Sea... is not for the moment apparently creating consequences on energy prices and inflation".
- Tensions in the Red Sea have soared after the United States and Britain carried out strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Business
Global personal computer shipments decline 14.8 percent in 2023
DUBAI, UAE - Worldwide PC shipments totaled 63.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2023, a 0.3 percent increase...
- PC shipments reached 241.8 million units in 2023, a 14.8 percent fall from 2022.
- This is the first time that shipment volume has dipped below 250 million since 2006.
Economy
Saudi Arabia to highlight role in dealing with global challenges at WEF meet
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef said that the Kingdom’s participation in the...
- Saudi Arabia’s participation in the annual meet underscores its pivotal role in the transition toward carbon neutrality.
- The Kingdom’s engagement provides an opportunity for communication with key players in the private sector globally.
Geostrategy
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have built a significant arsenal
DUBAI, UAE - Yemen's Houthi rebels, who vowed to retaliate against US and British strikes early on Friday against key military...
- Iran-backed Houthis have carried out a spate of attacks in the Red Sea, claiming to be targeting ships with Israeli links.
- The Houthis have been steadily developing their military capabilities since 2014, when they seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia signs MoUs with four countries for development in mining industry
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the...
- The roundtable highlighted the need for governments and industry to achieve economic and social development for local communities.
- A total of 79 governments, 13 international organizations, 15 NGOs and seven business associations took part in the roundtable.
Geostrategy
Top global leaders to attend WEF meet amid Gaza, Ukraine war
Paris, France - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Middle East leaders will attend a World...
- Blinken and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be among 2,800 participants at the forum, including more than 60 heads of state and government.
- Argentina's libertarian new president, Javier Milei, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will also participate in the forum.
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.
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Building futuristic sustainable urban cities starts from the underground up
Underground innovation, digitization, and AI are vital for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future cities, says Sam Wiffen, director and founder...
Interview
Company News
Latest News
Russia not in danger of trading oil at a loss, says Lavrov
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Russia does not see the risk of trading oil at a loss due to the redistribution of...
Business
Most Read
Science
Google’s new AI for corner kick tactics gets Liverpool approval
PARIS, FRANCE – Liverpool football analysts have given their seal of approval to a new artificial intelligence tool from Google that...
- Many clubs across the world already deploy experts to comb through video and data to carefully plan corner kick scenarios ahead of matches.
- Google DeepMind, the AI arm of the US tech giant, also targeted corners for its new TacticAI system in research.
Business
Masdar to buy stake in Terra-Gen
Masdar to buy 50 percent stake in Terra-Gen from ECP.
- Masdar’s US portfolio of utility-scale wind, solar and storage assets has a generating capacity of over 1.4 GW.
- The US market will play a vital role as Masdar plans to build a renewable energy portfolio of 100 GW capacity by 2030
Business
UAE investments abroad reach US$2.5trn in beginning of 2024, says UAEIIC
ABU DHABI, UAE – The United Arab Emirates has solidified its position as a leading regional and global player in...
- This robust financial footprint positions the UAE as a significant economic force with strong potential for continued expansion.
- The focus on emerging markets and the creation of strategic partnerships further amplifies this momentum.