S.Africa says Israel war undermining top UN court
South Africa's top diplomat accused Israel of setting a precedent for leaders to defy the top UN court, as she...
Geostrategy
Attack on Gaza’s Rafah inevitable, says Israeli PM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to send ground forces into Gaza's southern Rafah city. The right-wing premier, whose security...
Geostrategy
Market Report
Stocks jump, dollar falls as Federal Reserve seen curbing rate rises soon
Equity markets rose, with Paris hitting a record-high, as investors reacted positively to easing inflation, recession concerns and some strong...
- In a sign of cooling inflation, Singapore's central bank kept rates steady, having previously hiked five times in a row.
- Stocks advanced "on increasing signs that the global round of interest rate hikes could be drawing to a close".
Economy
IMF chief calls upon global community to avert a ‘second Cold War’
Countries must do more to avert the costly consequences of growing global trade fragmentation, and help avert a "second Cold...
- Multilateral institutions like the World Bank and IMF have an important role to play in preventing the world from splintering into different blocs.
- An IMF report said that growing trade fragmentation due to Brexit, US-China trade war and Russian invasion of Ukraine, could make the global economy.
Geostrategy
Russia to withdraw from grain deal if all conditions are not fulfilled
Russia delivered a new warning to the West over a grain deal with Ukraine, saying a number of conditions must...
- Russia, whose economy has been hit by a raft of Western sanctions, has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the agreement if obstacles to its own exports remain.
- There are no sanctions on Russian exports of food and fertilizers to global markets but the problems are related to sanctions on shipping, insurance companies and banks.
Fossil fuel pledges divide G7 in ‘critical decade’ for climate
The world's leading developed economies are all targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner after signing the Paris Agreement to...
- Britain has proposed new targets on the phase-out of domestic coal power in a draft statement ahead of the minister-level talks, which kick off in Sapporo
- Governments around the world will also be looking for action on resilience funding for the developing nations most affected by climate change
Business
LVMH posts Q1 revenue of $23.1bn
Jump in sales across all regions, including China.
- LVMH became Europe's most valuable company in January when its market capitalization soared to US$440 billion.
- The United States had a steady performance while "Asia experienced a significant rebound following the lifting of health restrictions".
Economy
Interest rate hikes adversely affect developing countries, says UN
The global economic slowdown and swelling interest rates are pummeling debt-ridden developing countries, the UN warned, urging bold global action...
- Rate increases in the US and other wealthy countries may cost developing countries over US$800 billion in lost income by 2025.
- UNCTAD said it now expected global GDP growth of 2.1 percent in 2023, down from 2.2 percent it forecast in September last year.
Science
UAE’s Rashid Rover to land on Moon on April 25
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in UAE said that Rashid Rover, onboard the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander, is...
- During the landing sequence, the Lander will perform a braking burn, firing its main propulsion system to decelerate from orbit.
- Utilizing a series of pre-set commands, the Lander will adjust its altitude and reduce velocity to make a soft landing.
Economy
US consumer inflation slows to 5% in March year-over-year
US consumer inflation slowed in March lessening the pressure on the Federal Reserve to maintain its aggressive posture to cool...
- Bureau of Labor Statistics report is the latest evidence that the Fed's streak of interest rate hikes over the last year is weighing on economic activity.
- While US labor market data has remained solid, recent reports on manufacturing and the services sector have shown signs of slowing.
Economy
Global debt growing due to US, China, says IMF
Global government debt is on track to reach levels not seen since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International...
- In the US, government debt as a percentage of economic output is expected to surpass its pandemic-era peak by 2027.
- China's debt burden is forecast to be almost double its pre-pandemic levels by 2028, the IMF said.
Geostrategy
Tunisia intercepts over 14,000 migrants in January to March 2023
TUNIS, TUNISIA - Tunisia's coastguard said Friday it had intercepted over 14,000 migrants trying to reach Europe from January to March,...
- The figure has risen from 2,532 intercepted in the same period last year, including 1,657 from sub-Saharan Africa.
- Tunisia has long served as a launchpad for people fleeing conflict in countries as far afield as Cameroon and Sudan.
S.Africa says Israel war undermining top UN court
South Africa's top diplomat accused Israel of setting a precedent for leaders to defy the top UN court, as she...
Geostrategy
Company News
Mumtalakat, Investcorp ink pact
Business
Latest News
Energy companies to test CO2 capture in Brazil undersea oil field
PARIS, FRANCE - A consortium of Brazilian, British, French and Chinese energy firms will test new technology aimed at capturing CO2...
Business
Resilient supply chains are essential to global trade: Expert
DUBAI, UAE – For over 30 years, globalization has been the evergreen megatrend as global trade has helped lift some...
Business
Utilizing AI is only possible if skill gap is bridged, says expert
DUBAI, UAE - The Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is upon us, with AI becoming a pervasive force in our daily...
Business
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Science
India’s solar mission Aditya-L1 enters Sun’s orbit
New Delhi, India - India's solar observation mission on Saturday entered the Sun's orbit after a four-month journey, the latest success...
- The Aditya-L1 mission was launched in September and is carrying an array of instruments to measure and observe the Sun's outermost layers.
- The latest mission by the Indian Space Research Organization is the first by any Asian nation to be placed in orbit around the Sun.
Business
Google Chrome begins restricting cookies in first step towards elimination
Paris, France - Google has begun limiting third-party cookies for some users of its Chrome web browser, a first step towards...
- Cookies, small files which are used to target advertising by tracking web navigation, have recently been subject to greater regulation.
- Google announced in January 2020 that it would begin eliminating third-party cookies within two years, but the start has been delayed several times.
Economy
FAO says global food prices fell 13.7 percent in 2023
World food prices fell in 2023, with considerable declines for grains and oils as supply concerns eased, the UN's Food...
- Overall, world food commodity prices fell 13.7 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, Rome-based FAO said.
- The vegetable oil price index posted the biggest fall last year, dropping 32.7 percent, thanks to improved supplies and reduced use for biofuel production.