Osaka Expo 2025 opens: World gathers amidst hope and global tensions
From quirky Hello Kitty algae sculptures to demonstrations of flying vehicles and lunar samples, the Osaka Expo offers a fascinating...
Geostrategy
Building futuristic sustainable urban cities starts from the underground up
Underground innovation, digitization, and AI are vital for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future cities, says Sam Wiffen, director and founder...
Interview
Business
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...
- Companies have expressed doubts about how much Apple's changes would ultimately broaden consumer choice and digital competition.
- Apple in January announced it was modifying how its iOS operating system, Safari browser and App Store operate in the 27-nation EU.
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...
- By the end of 2023, the number of countries importing Saudi Arabian dates had reached 119.
- The total value of date and date-byproduct exports increased by 152.5 percent since 2016.
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...
- The European Commission made a request for information under the mammoth content moderation law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA).
- The EU has launched probes under the DSA to quiz platforms on how they are addressing concerns from consumer protection to children's activity online.
Geostrategy
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...
- Hamas seized around 250 Israelis and foreigners during the October 7 attack on southern Israel.
- A spokesman for the UN agency OCHA told reporters that "if something doesn't change, a famine is almost inevitable" in Gaza.
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.
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.
Osaka Expo 2025 opens: World gathers amidst hope and global tensions
From quirky Hello Kitty algae sculptures to demonstrations of flying vehicles and lunar samples, the Osaka Expo offers a fascinating...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Debt, trade barriers drag Asian economies in 2024, says World Bank report
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Asian economies are not doing as well as they could and growth in the region is forecast...
Economy
Gaza children fly kites to escape horrors of war
RAFAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES – Meters away from the concrete and steel fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt, 11-year-old Malak Ayad flies a...
Geostrategy
Global football stars choose Red Sea destination for holiday
TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA – A few days ago, the Red Sea destination hosted several international football stars from Saudi Pro...
Business
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Geostrategy
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...
- The Biden administration in January approved $23 billion in F-16 warplanes for Turkey swiftly after it ratified Sweden's stalled NATO membership bib
- Some analysts additionally linked Turkey's continued delays to Erdogan's anger at Washington for its support of how Israel is pursuing its war against Hamas
Geostrategy
US census to include Middle Eastern or North African category
The next US census and federal government forms will include new options for race and ethnicity including a category for...
- "These updated standards will help create more useful, accurate and up-to-date federal data on race and ethnicity," US Chief Statistician Karin Orvis said.
- These revisions will enhance the ability to compare data across federal agencies, and to understand how federal programs serve a diverse America.
Economy
US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge ticks up as fuel costs rise
WASHINGTON, US – The US central bank's favored measure of inflation edged higher last month on the back of rising fuel...
- The personal consumption expenditures price index rose at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in February.
- Much of the February increase in the cost of goods came from energy prices, which rose 2.3 percent from January.