Turkey says Erdogan to meet Joe Biden at White House on May 9
Istanbul, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with US counterpart Joe Biden at the White House on May...
Geostrategy
Science
Trio wins physics Nobel for illuminating electrons
France's Pierre Agostini, Hungarian-Austrian Ferenc Krausz and Franco-Swede Anne L'Huillier won the Nobel prize in physics for research using ultra...
- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences likened the process to how the flapping wings of a humming bird turn into a blur for the human eye.
- "We can now open the door to the world of electrons," Eva Olsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in a statement.
Market Report
Markets slump as US jobs data says labor market buoyant
The focus has been on US Treasury bond yields that have surged to levels not seen in over a decade,...
- Asian indices also ended mostly lower with Hong Kong leading the decline, falling nearly 2.7 percent as the market reopened after a holiday weekend
- Russia's currency meanwhile continued to weaken on signs the country's economy is facing slower growth and higher inflation as the Ukraine war drags on
Geostrategy
Qatar begins construction on North Field gas expansion
RAS LAFFAN, QATAR - Qatar's state-owned energy giant began construction on Tuesday on a project to expand production from the world's...
- There has been mounting demand for Qatari gas as European consumer nations have scrambled to replace lost Russian deliveries.
- Qatari Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi called the project a "leap towards our country's leadership in the field of energy".
Geostrategy
Countries pledge to raise $12 billion to help coral
The pledge comes with coral around the world under particularly acute stress because of record warm seas this year.
- Marine heatwaves -- episodes of abnormally high water temperatures -- have become more frequent and intense.
- Oceans have absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat produced by human activity since the dawn of the industrial age, according to scientists.
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
Company News
Latest News
Global criticism of Israel after ‘massacre’ of Gazans lining for food
Global condemnation flowed after Israeli forces in war-ravaged Gaza opened fire as Palestinian civilians scrambled for food aid during a...
Geostrategy
WTO ministers struggle to forge deals as talks go into overtime
ABU DHABI, UAE – World trade ministers were locked in disagreement Thursday on fisheries subsidies, agriculture and digital customs duties as...
Geostrategy
Iran launches imaging satellite Pars 1 from Russia
Iran announced the launch of a remote sensing and imaging satellite into orbit from Russia, according to state media. The...
Geostrategy
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Business
Renault Scenic model wins Car of the Year at Geneva auto show
Renault unveiled a new electric vehicle and its Scenic model won the Car of the Year award at the first...
- Renault is the only European automaker with a presence at this year's industry gala.
- Volkswagen and Stellantis, whose brands include Peugeot and Fiat, decided to skip the event.
Science
Japan’s Moon craft SLIM revives after lunar night
TOKYO, JAPAN – Japan's Moon lander has produced another surprise by waking up after the two-week lunar night, the country's space...
- The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down last month at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way.
- As the sun's angle shifted, it came back to life for two days and carried out scientific observations, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said.
Business
Goldman Sachs, Mubadala ink pact
The two firms have signed a $1 billion private credit deal.
- The partnership will be managed by Private Credit at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with a dedicated team across multiple Asia Pacific markets.
- This mandate will enable both firms to continue scaling their investment activity in the large and growing Asia Pacific credit market.