Iran defends ‘unshakable’ right to enrich uranium ahead of key talks
Iran on Thursday reaffirmed its right to enrich uranium, saying it was "unshakable", on the eve of key talks with European powers threatening to reimpose nuclear sanctions.
Europe’s gas demand at 10-year low, to peak in 2025: report
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia triggered a massive shift by European nations away from Russian natural gas delivered by pipelines, with prices for LNG soaring as they competed on international markets for limited supplies. With a limited number of import terminals, European nations were also forced to undertake measures...Asian markets rally after Wall Street highs, oil prices slide
"The weakness of yesterday's US retail sales release have given market doves a new lease of life and allowed them to refocus on the likelihood of an early Fed rate cut," Rabobank analyst Jane Foley told AFP.EU adopts fallow land exemption after farmer protests
Brussels, Belgium - The European Commission on Tuesday officially extended an exemption from contested rules to leave a share of agricultural lands fallow, which had become a flashpoint for protesting farmers across the bloc.First lifted in 2023 in response to market disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the rules will...Global conflicts herald ‘dangerous decade’, says military think-tank
"The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.Nissan profit drops to US$195m
Its sales in China slumped 35% from April to December.NATO chief calls on Europe to ramp up arms production
Ahead of a key meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels and the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, Jens Stoltenberg insisted that "we need to reconstitute and expand our industrial base faster, to increase deliveries to Ukraine and refill our own stocks." "This means shifting from slow peacetime to...Law, politics hamper UK museum return of artifacts
LONDON, UK - British museums, like others across Europe, are under pressure to return artworks taken during the colonial era, including Bronzes from Benin, royal treasures from Ghana and friezes from Greece.However, politicians have little appetite to change the legal framework that is currently blocking full restitutions by national museums, campaigners...European stocks firm as markets await US inflation data
London, United Kingdom - Europe's main stock markets steadied Friday as traders reacted to more earnings updates from top companies, while awaiting revisions to US inflation data.Asia saw holiday-thinned trade, with investors there struggling to build on another record-setting day on Wall Street."Today sees things slow down after a week that...World sees first 12 months above 1.5C warming level, says climate monitor
PARIS, FRANCE - Earth has endured 12 consecutive months of temperatures 1.5C hotter than the pre-industrial era for the first time on record, Europe's climate monitor said Thursday, in what scientists called a "warning to humanity".Storms, drought and fire have lashed the planet as climate change -- supercharged by the naturally-occurring...EU seeks 90 percent drop in greenhouse emission by 2040
Strasbourg, France - The EU on Tuesday urged a 90-percent cut to its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, even as the bloc's transition to a greener future was clouded by a widespread farmers' revolt."Based on the best available science, and a detailed impact assessment, we are recommending that the 2040 target should...European markets surge as US jobs data batter rate cut hopes
"The markets continue to forge ahead despite a blowout jobs report from the US last Friday which seems to have finally put the nail in the coffin of the idea rates will be cut next month," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.EU adopts cavalier approach in its desire for primacy
For EU leaders, it is their way or the highway as the wealthy, powerful bloc seeks to tame opposition and browbeat defiant countries and individuals into submission.Banco Santander posts US$12bn profit
It made record profit on the back of higher interest rates.Iran and Turkey to utilize modern tech for electricity exchange
Tehran, Iran - Iran and Turkey are set to enhance their electricity exchange capabilities through the implementation of modern technology, according to Mehdi Moghimzadeh, the head of Iran's Iran Grid Management Company. “With the signing of the contract for the operation of 400-kilovolt BtB HVDC line between Khoy (Iran) and...Iran, Turkiye ink contract to connect power grids
Ankara, Turkiye – Iran and Turkiye signed contract to connect their power grids during the visit of Iranian president Ibrahim Raisi to Turkiye. The Khoy-Van grid line is set to become operational as part of the agreement between the Iran Grid Management Company and the Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS).,...Apple to make changes to App Store in Europe
iPhone users can download alternative app stores.CIA chief heading to Europe for Gaza negotiations: US media
According to Axios, Israel has offered Hamas a two-month pause in fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages. Vowing to crush Hamas, Israel has launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 25,900 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to...NATO kicks off biggest military exercise since Cold War
The Western military alliance has said some 90,000 troops will take part in the months-long Steadfast Defender 24 exercise designed to test its defenses in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine. "The alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North...Two Tunisian teenage migrants die in shipping container
Last week, the national guard announced the disappearance at sea of about 40 Tunisians who left from Sfax province, on Tunisia's central coast, who were trying to reach Italy, whose island of Lampedusa lies around 150 kilometers (90 miles) away. In 2023, more than 155,000 irregular migrants arrived in Italy,...P&G posts mixed quarterly results
Earnings per share dropped 12 percent to $1.40.European market up on record-busting Wall Street
A surge in tech titans including Apple, Amazon, Nvidia and Facebook parent Meta on Friday pushed New York's S&P 500 index to its first new all-time high since early 2022 thanks to bets on lower borrowing costs this year.France flooded with applications for electric car leasing scheme
Paris, France - The French government has been flooded with applications from low-income households to lease a subsidized electric car from 100 euros ($109) a month, Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said on Friday.President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the plan on social media in December as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions...Middle East only region to overcome pre-Covid tourism levels: UNWTO
"International tourism is expected to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with initial estimates pointing to 2.0 percent growth above 2019 levels," the Madrid-based agency said in a statement. Figures for last year showed that 1.3 billion tourists travelled abroad, 44 percent higher than in 2022 and 88 percent of...Afif helps Qatar exorcise World Cup demons at Asian Cup
Doha, Qatar - Asian Cup hosts and holders Qatar have been on a mission to banish the painful memory of their 2022 World Cup flop and forward Akram Afif is leading the charge.Qatar lost all three of their World Cup games on home soil on their way to a first-round exit...Europe new car sales rebound in 2023: industry group
Automakers are facing a 2035 deadline set by the European Union to phase out sales of new combustion engine vehicles. Sales of hybrid cars also soared last year, up by nearly 30 percent.Record 116 tons of cocaine seized at Belgium’s Antwerp port in 2023
Vlissingen, Netherlands - Cocaine seizures at the Belgian port of Antwerp, the top gateway into Europe for mainly South American drug cartels, hit a fresh record high last year, authorities said on Wednesday.Some 116 tons of cocaine were seized in Antwerp alone, Belgian Finance Minister Vincent van Peteghem told reporters, a...Counterfeit products cost Europe $13 billion, 200,000 jobs a year
Paris, France - Counterfeit products -- mainly clothes -- cost the European economy 16 billion euros a year and result in nearly 200,000 lost jobs, the EU's Intellectual Property Office said Tuesday.The findings, based on data from 2018 to 2021, show that fakes take the biggest toll on the clothing sector,...UN wants $4.2 billion for Ukraine’s humanitarian aid in 2024
"Remember Ukraine?" UN aid chief Martin Griffiths asked as he launched the plan in Geneva. "Please do not forget Ukraine while there are many other places in the world which grab our attention." "As we go into 2024, the competition for funding is going to be more," he acknowledged, citing...Stock markets: Germany drags Europe down, Tokyo rises again
In Asia, Tokyo rose for a sixth successive day to build on last week's advances, which saw the Nikkei break above 35,000 points for the first time since 1990 thanks to a revival of Japanese inflation and a weaker yen that helps exporters.GCC telecom firms turn to Europe, Asia for expansion
Wielding piles of cash and cutting-edge technology, many Arab telecom firms are scouting overseas markets to expand business beyond home territory.EVA Air orders 33 Airbus planes
The deal could be worth as much as $8.5 billion.GCC telecom firms turn to Europe, Asia for expansion
Wielding piles of cash and cutting-edge technology, many Arab telecom firms are scouting overseas markets to expand business beyond home territory.Qatar National Bank forecasts world economic growth to be 2.9% in 2024
Doha, Qatar--Qatar National Bank (QNB) expects the global economic growth to be around 2.9 percent in 2024, roughly the same rate as last year.QNB, in its weekly commentary, said, "There is no doubt that expectations for 2024 were influenced by the experience of investor sentiment from 2023, when negative initial...Eurozone inflation rises to 2.9% in Dec mainly due to energy costs
The data supports comments by European Central Bank (ECB) chief Christine Lagarde, who has warned that Europe should remain on guard despite falling inflation.Europe stocks rise, Asia tepid as oil jumps and Bitcoin shines
Following record highs in 2023 for the likes of Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo, investors are predicting more gains as central banks prepare a series of interest-rate cuts as inflation cools. Oil prices rallied 2.5 percent on supply concerns after Iran dispatched a warship to the Red Sea in response to...China’s BYD to manufacture cars in Hungary
BYD already has operations in Hungary, including an electric bus factory.London’s transport shifts gears with TfL’s cargo bike action plan
London, United Kingdom - On a busy north London street, plumber Ben Hume-Wright zipped through the heavy rush-hour traffic to his next job by bike.Trades such as his used to rely on vans but many are now choosing to do more business using two or sometimes three wheels.Since switching his Ford...Brazilian Fluminense qualifies for FIFA Club World Cup final after beating Egyptian Al-Ahly
Two goals in the final 20 minutes in Jeddah by Jhon Arias, from the penalty spot, and then John Kennedy carried the Brazilians into Friday's final against European Champions League winners Manchester City or Japanese side Urawa Reds.Tunisian villages grapple with severe water scarcity
Ouled Omar, Tunisia - Tunisian villager Ounissa Mazhoud ties two empty jerry cans to a donkey and cautiously descends a stony hill towards the last local source of water.The North African country, in its fourth year of drought, is grappling with its worst water scarcity in years.Mazhoud -- like other women...Doha Forum debates advantages in Gulf-Europe green ties
Doha, Qatar-- Oil and gas producers in the Middle East are assessing "challenges and opportunities" available for their economies to grow while depending on hydrocarbon by working to enhance cooperation in the rapid transitions in the European energy field.The eagerness to make a transition toward clean energy and strike an...EU clinches ‘historic’ deal on AI law after long negotiations
The EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. called the deal as historic, regulating artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT. Negotiators in Brussels nailed down curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, which they said would not hurt innovation in the sector nor the prospects for future European AI...Masdar eyes Europe for growth
It wants to build a supply chain between UAE and Amsterdam.Volkswagen to reduce workforce
Volkswagen has some 675,800 employees worldwide.Asian countries score high in keenly watched PISA education survey
Paris, France - Asian countries dominated the top spots in a keenly watched survey of education capabilities published Tuesday, while levels in Europe slipped at a record pace -- and not just because of Covid.However, the report also showed that students in top performing countries were not necessarily happier.The PISA survey...Europe to splurge record $295bn on military in 2023, says official
Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 provided Europe with a wake-up call that it needed to pump more into defense to be able to confront the threat of its bellicose eastern neighbor.EU agree draft rules to protect journalists from abusive lawsuits
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on X, formerly Twitter, that she welcomed the agreement to "protect those who try to reveal inconvenient truths".Europe’s largest nuclear reactor malfunctions again
Helsinki, Finland - Finland's Olkiluoto 3, the largest nuclear reactor in Europe, stopped production on Wednesday after a test caused the plant unit to unexpectedly go offline, its operator TVO said."During the test, the plant was supposed to produce electricity normally," said Johanna Aho, head of communication at TVO.Before production was interrupted at...Saudi-backed Newcastle face Champions League reality check
Manchester, United Kingdom - Newcastle must overcome the might of Paris Saint-Germain and a mounting injury list if the Magpies' first foray into the Champions League for 20 years is not to come to a premature end on Tuesday.Damaging back-to-back defeats to Borussia Dortmund have left Eddie Howe's men sitting bottom...Nissan invests in new electric cars
Japanese auto giant Nissan will invest up to £1.12 billion.Dubai International Chamber wins over 92 businesses in first 9 months of 2023
Dubai, UAE--Dubai International Chamber has attracted a total of 92 businesses, including 15 multinational companies and 77 SMEs, to the emirate between January and September 2023.The chamber has also supported the successful expansion of 33 Dubai-based companies into global markets, either by increasing their exports or helping them to establish...