Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spike
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday that Saudi officials had committed "to provide everything that will serve those...
Sweden Quran burner arrested in Norway, faces deportation
OSLO, NORWAY – An Iraqi refugee in Sweden who stoked international outrage by repeatedly desecrating the Quran last year has been...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Fighting rages in Gaza as war enters third month
Heavy urban combat raged in and around Gaza's biggest cities as the bloodiest-ever war between Israel and Hamas entered its...
- Israeli forces have encircled major urban centres as they seek to destroy Hamas over its unprecedented attack in October.
- Backed by air power, tanks and armored bulldozers, Israeli troops were fighting Thursday in Khan Yunis, the biggest city in southern Gaza.
Business
99 percent of world live in areas with air pollution levels above WHO guideline limits
DUBAI, UAE - According to World Health Organization data, 99 percent of the world’s population lives in places where air...
- Leading businesses recognize that they have an important role in reducing air pollution alongside greenhouse gas emissions.
- Business activity contributes significantly to air pollution globally but air pollution is not prioritized nor integrated into climate action.
Geostrategy
Russian oil price cap partially successful
LONDON, UK - A Western price cap imposed a year ago on Russia's oil has had limited success with Moscow increasingly...
- The cap was jointly imposed on December 5, 2022 by the European Union, Australia and the Group of Seven rich countries.
- Initially successful, it lost its impact once President Vladimir Putin's Russia found new buyers for its oil and new tankers to deliver it.
Geostrategy
Asian countries score high in keenly watched PISA education survey
Paris, France - Asian countries dominated the top spots in a keenly watched survey of education capabilities published Tuesday, while levels...
- Singapore took top ranking in the latest assessment, which was carried out in 2022 and involved 690,000 students in 81 participating countries and economies
- Five other Asian education systems -- in Macao, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea -- came next in mathematics, and also scored near the top in reading and science
COP28 UAE
We respect climate science, says COP28 head
DUBAI, UAE - The Emirati president of the UN's COP28 talks said on Monday he respects climate science, after a leaked...
- Sultan Al Jaber also repeated his past statements that a phase out of fossil fuels was "inevitable".
- He acknowledged that global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 43 percent by 2030.
COP28 UAE
MENA region can create 10m jobs by 2050 via climate action, says ILO
DUBAI, UAE - International Labor Organization (ILO) Deputy Regional Director for the Arab States Peter Rademaker has confirmed that the...
- The trend towards renewable energy has helped to create 13.7 million jobs in the sector worldwide.
- The ILO is participating in COP28 to ensure that climate change efforts include to monitor the impact on jobs.
COP28 UAE
50 oil and gas companies pledge to cut operational emission in COP28 meet
DUBAI, UAE - Fifty oil and gas companies representing 40 percent of global production pledged to decarbonize their operations by 2050...
- The charter is part of a set of initiatives designed to accelerate the decarbonization of the global energy industry.
- They are voluntary commitments unlike the decisions of COP28, which are taken by consensus between nearly 200 countries.
COP28 UAE
US pledges $3bn to a global climate fund at COP28 meet
Developing countries least responsible for climate change are seeking support from richer polluting nations to adapt to the increasingly ferocious...
- The amount, which must be approved by the US Congress, will go into the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was created in 2010
- The last US contribution to the fund for developing countries was made under then President Barack Obama, who committed $3 billion in 2014
Geostrategy
UAE President attends Group of 77 and China meeting at COP28
DUBAI, UAE – At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) here, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended...
- The UAE President expressed the country's commitment to enhancing global cooperation to achieve the ambitious goals set for COP28.
- These include accelerating the shift to a sustainable, low-carbon and economically robust model to deal with climate change.
Business
Mumtalakat, Investcorp ink pact
The firms have jointly launched a climate investment platform.
- The platform will make investments in businesses where they have matured past many of the risks that face earlier stage ventures.
- They must manage and minimize the execution risks associated with expansion in middle-market investments.
Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spike
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday that Saudi officials had committed "to provide everything that will serve those...
Company News
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Iran agricultural, food exports hit US$5.5bn in 11 months
TEHRAN, IRAN – The Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade said that Iran exported fisheries, livestock, agricultural and food products...
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...
Economy
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...
Business
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Business
Amman Chamber of Industry exports for January-February 2024 reaches $1.3bn
AMMAN, JORDAN - Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) exports amounted to US$1.3 billion (JD926 million) during the last two months...
- During the first two months of 2024, India, the US, Saudi Arabia and Iraq accounted for the majority of ACI’s exports.
- The chamber's exports to the US surged during the first two months of 2024 to about US$297 million compared to US$275 million.
Geostrategy
Aid boat ready to set sail from Cyprus for Gaza
A boat laden with food for Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza was "ready" to set sail from Cyprus, an NGO said,...
- The UN has repeatedly warned of looming famine, particularly in the Palestinian territory's north where no overland border crossings are open.
- With ground access limited, countries have also turned to airdropping aid, although a parachute malfunction turned one delivery on Friday deadly.
Geostrategy
Iran hits out at UN experts report on 2022 protests
TEHRAN, IRAN – Tehran on Saturday strongly condemned a UN report on the Islamic republic's response to mass protests in 2022,...
- International experts said the repression of mostly peaceful protests beginning in September 2022 have led to "crimes against humanity".
- The UN Human Rights Council mandated the experts' investigation following massive protests after the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.