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
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.
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
Company News
Latest News
Hamas says Israeli military action kills 7 hostages in Gaza
Hamas said that seven more hostages seized during its unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7 had died because...
Geostrategy
Energy-related global CO2 emissions hit record levels in 2023, says IEA
PARIS, FRANCE – Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose to a record level in 2023, but the growth slowed from previous years...
Science
World resource extraction could surge 60 percent by 2060, UN warns
Paris, France - Extraction of Earth's natural resources could surge 60 percent by 2060, imperiling climate goals and economic prosperity, the...
Economy
Most Read
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...
- The meeting opened with disagreements between the body's 164 member states on key issues that dominated the agenda of the talks.
- They include fisheries subsidies, agriculture and a moratorium on customs duties for digital transactions.
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...
- Iran’s Telecommunications minister said "Pars-I" was "fully domestically developed" in his country.
- In August 2022, Russia launched Iran's remote-sensing Khayyam satellite into orbit from Kazakhstan.
Geostrategy
Zelenskyy in Saudi Arabia to discuss war; meets Mohammed bin Salman
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his accompanying delegation arrived here on Tuesday.The Ukrainian President was...
- At the Royal Terminal in King Khalid International Airport, Zelenskyy was received by the Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region and other senior officials.
- The 10th Saudi relief plane operated by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) reached a Polish airport, close to the Ukrainian border.