Trump increasingly ambiguous on Israel amid Gaza war
At the start of Israel's war with Hamas in October, Donald Trump loudly presented himself as the key US ally's...
Geostrategy
UN rights council to consider call for Israel arms sales halt
The UN Human Rights Council on Friday is set to consider a draft resolution calling for a cessation of arms...
Geostrategy
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
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.
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
Trump increasingly ambiguous on Israel amid Gaza war
At the start of Israel's war with Hamas in October, Donald Trump loudly presented himself as the key US ally's...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Apple’s changes contradicts European rules, 34 firms complain
Brussels, Belgium - Changes Apple is making to its services in the European Union "make a mockery" of new antitrust rules...
Business
Total value of Saudi Arabia’s export of dates reaches US$389m in 2023
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - According to data released by the National Center for Palms and Dates (NCPD), the value of...
Business
EU queries Meta about ad-free subscriptions, shadow banning
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The EU on Friday used new regulatory powers to query Meta about ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram as...
Business
Most Read
Science
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...
- CO2 emissions from energy rose by 1.1 percent in 2023, increasing by 410 million tonnes to a record 37.4 billion tonnes.
- Without the drought and water shortfalls, global carbon emissions from power generation alone would have fallen last year.
Economy
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...
- The hunger for natural resources -- everything from food to fossil fuels -- keeps growing by an average of more than 2.3 per cent per year, it said.
- Extraction and processing of the huge amount of resources accounts for over 60 percent of planet-warming emissions, the report said.
Geostrategy
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...
- Iran denounced "the barbaric attack by the Zionist regime", China said it was "shocked", and head of the Arab League said the "brutal" act showed "total contempt for human life".
- Saudi Arabia strongly condemned what it called the "targeting" of unarmed civilians, while Kuwait and the UAE also issued condemnations.