EU imports US$120.5bn worth of energy products in Q4 2023
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In the fourth quarter of 2023, the EU imported US$120.5 billion (€111.3 billion) worth of energy products...
Business
US, Israel hold talks as Gaza truce plan fails at UN
Israel plans to send troops into Gaza's Rafah even without US support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Antony Blinken, as...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Oil industry is an integral part of climate solutions, says COP28 head
President of the upcoming COP28 climate talks Sultan Al Jaber, also the head of UAE state-owned oil firm ADNOC, told...
- The president of the upcoming COP28 urged oil industry leaders to curb emissions associated with energy production.
- He also encouraged them to embrace "low carbon solutions" like carbon capture and storage,
Science
mRNA COVID vaccine experts awarded Nobel Medicine Prize
Kariko, 68, and Weissman, 64, longstanding colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania in the US, have won a slew of...
- While the prizewinning research dates back to 2005, the first vaccines to use the mRNA technology were those made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna against Covid-19.
- The mRNA vaccines, together with other COVID vaccines "have saved millions of lives and prevented severe disease in many more," the jury said
Geostrategy
UN conference adopts plan to reduce harmful chemicals
PARIS, FRANCE - A new roadmap to reduce the environmental risks from chemicals and waste was adopted at a United Nations...
- The plan sets out 28 concrete targets and guidelines for key sectors across the entire lifecycle of chemicals, from production to waste.
- It calls for a transition to more sustainable chemical alternatives, responsible management of chemicals in industry, agriculture and healthcare.
Economy
ADB capital reforms unlock $100bn to support Asia and the Pacific region
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved capital management reforms that unlock US$100 billion in new funding capacity...
- The expansion of available funds will be further leveraged by mobilizing private and domestic capital required to tackle the climate crisis.
- The reforms also create a Countercyclical Lending Buffer to support ADB developing member countries facing unexpected crises.
Geostrategy
The many ways US government shutdown affects people
WASHINGTON, US - The United States is heading toward a government shutdown this weekend with no foreseeable way out of a...
- Sharp disagreements in the Republican Party has prevented passage of the bills needed to keep the government funded and open.
- The credit ratings agency Moody's warned this week that a shutdown would be "credit negative" for US sovereign debt.
Geostrategy
1bn tons of food wasted every year while 783m people face hunger: FAO
Rome, Italy - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) said one billion tons...
- The agencies said that stopping food loss and waste boosts food security, saves resources and helps reduce our carbon footprint.
- Both the bodies called for urgent action from the public and private sector as well as consumers to save and preserve food
Science
Politicians fail to understand scientific facts of climate, says expert
PARIS, FRANCE - Wavering ambition by governments and a growing belief that science is politically subjective are great causes for concern...
- Several extreme weather events have occurred in 2023, which the European Union's climate monitor says is likely to be the hottest in human history.
- These underscores the urgency of slashing planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions to avert the catastrophic impacts of greater global warming.
Geostrategy
Israel sells Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany for US$3.5bn
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - Israel's US$3.5-billion sale of its Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, sparked by security fears after...
- Israeli arms exports reached a new record of $12.5 billion dollars last year, double the amount from three years earlier, says its defense ministry.
- Israel, together with its top ally the United States, has developed hi-tech systems designed to knock incoming rockets and missiles out of the sky.
Geostrategy
Top army officials from 30 nations review threats in Asia-Pacific
New Delhi, India - Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India on Tuesday...
- US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside his Indian counterpart Manoj Pande.
- Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the "Quad" defense cooperation forum alongside Washington and New Delhi, also took part.
Science
Antarctic sea ice hits lowest winter maximum on record, says data
WASHINGTON, US - The sea ice around Antarctica likely had a record low surface area when it was at its maximum...
- The ice pack typically reaches its largest size during the colder winter months, so the September 10 reading will likely remain this year's maximum.
- At its high-point this year, the sea ice was 1.03 million square kilometers smaller than the previous record.
EU imports US$120.5bn worth of energy products in Q4 2023
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In the fourth quarter of 2023, the EU imported US$120.5 billion (€111.3 billion) worth of energy products...
Business
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Stock markets diverge before Nvidia results, Federal Reserve minutes
Stock markets diverged as traders awaited earnings from US tech darling Nvidia, in addition to minutes from the Federal Reserve...
Market Report
Dutch court upholds $50bn payment award in Yukos case
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - A Dutch court quashed an appeal by Russia in a record $50-billion case on Tuesday, paving the...
Geostrategy
WHO registers eighty percent rise in measles case
Geneva, Switzerland - The World Health Organization voiced alarm on Tuesday at the rapid spread of measles, with more than 306,000...
Geostrategy
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Business
Iran-EU trade surpasses US$5bn in 2023, says Eurostat
TEHRAN, IRAN - The Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) reported that Iran and the 27 European Union member...
- Trade between Iran and member states of the EU recorded a decrease of 9 percent from January to December 2023.
- During that period, the exchange of products between Iran and the EU member states was valued at US$5 billion.
Business
KEZAD Group, Al Ghurair Group’s APT ink lease pact to set up manufacturing facility
ABU DHABI, UAE – Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD Group) and Al Ghurair Group subsidiary Automotive Precision Technology (APT)...
- The 30,000 square meters advanced manufacturing facility for APT in KEZAD will be located adjacent to Emirates Global Aluminum.
- The facility will be one of the largest manufacturers of aluminum in the world and will be operational by early 2025.
Business
Passenger traffic could exceed earlier figures, says Dubai Airports’ CEO
DUBAI, UAE – The airport here has "every chance" of breaking its record for passenger traffic this year after surpassing pre-pandemic...
- Dubai International, the world's busiest airport for international passengers for nearly a decade, hit 87 million visits in 2023.
- Dubai Airports' official forecast for 2024 stands at 88.8 million passengers, despite the Israel- Hamas war which began in October.