Dubai approves rise in energy, water efficiency programs
DUBAI, UAE – Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum chaired the 81st...Business Economy Energy Geostrategy
Israeli army says operation under way in Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital
Al-Shifa is the Gaza Strip's largest hospital. The Israeli army had in November last year carried out an operation in...Geostrategy
Iraq voices protest at Turkey’s offensive in Kurdistan region
Iraq on Tuesday summoned Turkey's ambassador to Baghdad in protest against the new Turkish offensive targeting rebels in the north's...Turkey has launched an air and ground offensive against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq
Designated as a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies, the PKK has waged insurgency against the Turkey since 1984
Temporary aid can offset inflation hit to families: IMF official
Faced with surging inflation that is hitting poor families especially hard, which has sparked unrest in some countries, policymakers should..."We've seen already in some countries people protesting when they see the price of food or basic items increasing very rapidly," said IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas.
Governments can alleviate impact of the price jumps with "targeted measures to try to support vulnerable populations", he said.
Iran says ‘political’ issues still holding up nuclear deal
Iran said Wednesday that "technical issues" in the now-paused negotiations to restore its 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers have...Iran is engaged for a year in negotiations with France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China directly, and the United States indirectly, to revive the 2015 deal
The US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to step back from nuclear commitments
Israel PM bans far-right lawmaker from Jerusalem march
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday barred far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir from entering Muslim areas of Jerusalem's Old...Tensions in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem have spiked in recent weeks, amid nearly a month of deadly violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank
Ben Gvir had announced he would take part in a rally on Wednesday evening, saying he would march through the Damascus Gate
Environment Agency says 60 sq km of UAE’s marine critical habitats protected
Environmental assessment and permitting operations carried out by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in 2021 reveal that 60...This is in addition to a reduction of more than 2800cum of toxic waste from drilling operations, and a 99 percent reduction in air pollutants emissions from the fluorine industry.
EAD has also completed permitting the commissioning of clean energy projects that save about 11 million tons of carbon emissions per year.
UK court orders Assange’s extradition to US for trial
A UK court on Wednesday issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to...The ruling Wednesday by a magistrate in central London brings the long-running legal saga in the UK courts closer to a conclusion
Washington wants to put him on trial in connection with the publication of 500,000 secret military files relating to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Italy looks to Africa for gas to end Russia dependence
Meanwhile, Italy is also looking into buying or renting two floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) to allow it to...Italy is one of Europe's biggest guzzlers of gas, which currently represents 42 percent of its energy consumption, and it imports 95 percent of the gas it uses
The government hopes to reduce those imports by accelerating the investment in renewables and has vowed to cut red tape on wind and solar farms
Blinken urges Israel, Palestinians to ‘end cycle of violence’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Israel and Palestinians to “end the cycle of violence”, amid rising...Recent tensions have centred on the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City
Mr Blinken told Mr Lapid of the US government's “steadfast commitment” to Israel's security and condemned recent rocket attacks from Gaza
Yemen: New leadership council takes office in bid to end war
The newly formed, eight-man leadership council performed a largely symbolic swearing-in in Aden in front of members of a parliament...The newly formed, eight-man leadership council performed a largely symbolic swearing-in in Aden in front of members of a parliament elected in 2003.
Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi handed over his “full powers” to the new council in a televised address on April 7
Oil stabilizes after big drop on IMF growth cut
Asian markets were flat on Wednesday as oil began clawing its way back up from a big drop after the...Energy prices are surging, debt levels are rising and shortages remain acute, the IMF noted.
Multiple crises including the Ukraine war and coronavirus pandemic fuel an acceleration of inflation
