91% of new renewable projects now cheaper than fossil fuels alternatives
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation...Technology Economy Geostrategy
AI-powered ‘nudify’ apps fuel deadly wave of digital blackmail
Washington, United States - After a Kentucky teenager died by suicide this year, his parents discovered he had received threatening...Technology
Israel’s Bedouin communities use solar energy to stake claim to land
Tirabin al-Sana in Israel's Negev desert is the home of the Tirabin (also spelled Tarabin) Bedouin tribe, who signed a...Tirabin al-Sana in Israel's Negev desert is the home of the Tirabin Bedouin tribe, who signed a contract with an Israeli solar energy company to build the installation
The deal has helped provide jobs for the community as well as promote cleaner, cheaper energy for the country, as the power produced is pumped into the national grid
Nvidia tops $4 trillion as US stocks shrug off latest tariffs
After Congress gave Trump a big win last week with his fiscal package, the Republican's aggressive trade posture has returned...But stocks pushed higher nonetheless, with Nvidia jumping 2.5 percent to top $4 trillion in market capitalization on investor bullishness over Artificial Intelligence (AI) growth.
Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said investors are not "overly concerned" about Trump's latest tariff threats.
Trump says ‘no extensions’ to Aug 1 tariff deadline
While Trump imposed a sweeping 10 percent tariff on goods from almost all trading partners in April, higher rates customized...On Monday night, Trump had told reporters at a dinner that the August 1 deadline was "firm, but not 100 percent firm."
Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: "I would say final -- but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we'll do it."
Trump warns of 10% additional tariff for countries aligning with BRICS’ policies
BRICS leaders on Sunday described Trump's stop-start tariff wars as "indiscriminate", damaging, and illegal, drawing a quick rebuke from the...The 11-nation grouping -- which also includes US allies Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia -- is concluding a two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro.
BRICS members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output.
US tariffs to kick in Aug 1 barring trade deals: Treasury Secretary
Washington, United States -- US tariffs will kick in on August 1 if trading partners from Taiwan to the European...The tariffs were part of a broader announcement in April where Trump imposed a 10 percent duty on goods from almost all trading partners.
Countries have been pushing to strike deals that would help them avoid these elevated duties.
BRICS nations voice ‘serious concerns’ over Trump tariffs
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry US President...Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties.
His latest salvo comes in the form of letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates that will soon enter into force.
Meta’s AI talent war raises questions about strategy
New York, United States -- Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are spending billions to recruit top artificial intelligence talent, triggering debates...OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently complained that Meta has offered $100 million bonuses to lure engineers away from his company.
Several OpenAI employees have accepted Meta's offers, prompting executives at the ChatGPT maker to scramble to retain their best talent.
Trump metal tariffs wreak havoc on US factory
Belcamp, United States -- In the sweltering US summer, metal containers decorated with snowmen and sleighs are taking shape --...At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14.
Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task.
G7 to exempt US multinationals from global minimum tax
The deal will see US companies benefit from a "side-by-side" solution under which they will only be taxed at home,...Nearly 140 countries struck a deal in 2021 to tax multinational companies, an agreement negotiated under the auspices of he Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
That agreement, deeply criticized by Trump, includes two "pillars," the second of which sets a minimum global tax rate of 15 percent.
World Bank announces Lebanon, Syria reconstruction projects
Beirut, Lebanon -- The World Bank announced on Wednesday it had approved $250 million to support Lebanon's post-war reconstruction and...Lebanon is reeling from last year's devastating war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Syria faces massive needs after the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime.
The grant comes after Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they would pay off Syria's World Bank debt, and as the country's new rulers press reconstruction efforts.
