Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spike
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday that Saudi officials had committed "to provide everything that will serve those...
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
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.
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.
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.
Geostrategy
WTO launches US$50m fund for women entrepreneurs in developing countries
ABU DHABI, UAE - The director general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Sunday launched a $50 million fund...
- The director general of WTO said the "ground-breaking initiative... embodies our collective commitment to empower women".
- The fund will help businesses run by women in developing countries to adopt digital technologies and increase their online presence.
Geostrategy
British lawmaker suspended over ‘Islamophobic’ comments
London, UK - Britain's ruling Conservatives on Saturday suspended their former deputy chairman from the parliamentary party, after he refused to...
- Pressure had been growing on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Tories to act following lawmaker Lee Anderson's contentious remarks.
- On the right-wing GB News channel, Anderson claimed Islamists had "got control" of Khan, who was the first Muslim mayor of London.
Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spike
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday that Saudi officials had committed "to provide everything that will serve those...
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Iraqi PM to visit Washington for troop talks
Geostrategy
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
Putin vows retribution on Moscow concert hall attacks, as toll rises
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish those behind a "barbaric terrorist attack" on a Moscow concert hall that killed...
Geostrategy
Passenger air traffic has reached pre-pandemic levels, says ICAO
MONTREAL, CANADA – In the first quarter of 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) projected that passenger air traffic...
Business
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Geostrategy
Iraqi PM to visit Washington for troop talks
Washington, US – President Joe Biden will welcome Iraq's prime minister on April 15 for talks on the US troop presence,...
- The visit will mark the first trip to Washington by Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, who took office in October 2022.
- Sudani in the past has called for an exit of US forces, redeployed nearly 10 years ago as part of a campaign to defeat the Islamic State
Geostrategy
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...
- US has repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security Council but tried to pass a text mentioning an "immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal".
- World leaders including staunch allies of Israel backed the renewed diplomatic push.
Geostrategy
Poorer countries need money before raising climate targets, says COP29 head
Copenhagen, Denmark - Developing countries should not have to set stricter targets for cutting their carbon emissions before funds are available...
- Addressing the meeting, Azerbaijan's Mukhtar Babayev said "there is a growing gap between the needs of developing countries and what's available.
- This year, "finance will lie at the heart of climate diplomacy", said Babayev, the ecology and natural resources minister of Azerbaijan, host of COP29 climate summit.