World News

At the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, taking place this week in the Saudi capital, UNWTO stressed the vital importance of education and investments as twin factors in ensuring tourism fulfils its enormous potential as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development. The high-level participation of UNWTO in this leading private sector forum further highlighted the Organization’s unique and natural ability to connect political ambitions and private sector capacity.

Africa is a major geopolitical player and boasts some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

From December 13 to 15, President Biden will host the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The three-day Washington event will bring together leaders from across the African continent to discuss bold, practical ways to strengthen ties and advance shared priorities.

OEG Offshore's Enviro-Pak division in the USA recently supported Ports America and their partnership with non-profit organization Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), in a long-established coastal restoration project, the Oyster Shell Recycling Program.

OEG supplied fifty waste compactor bags for the project to assist with the transport of pre-packaged oyster shells offshore, where they are used to build new oyster reefs.

Indians are set to receive $100bn in remittances this year, according to a World Bank report - the first time a single country has reached that number. The increase was led by wage rises and strong labour markets in the US and other developed countries.

In total, the amount of money sent back home by migrants around the world has grown by 5% in 2022. The money is a crucial source of household income in low and middle-income countries, the World Bank says.

PKN ORLEN has finalised three transactions with Aramco involving refining, wholesale and plane fuel businesses, following PKN ORLEN’s merger with Grupa LOTOS. The European investments support expansion of Aramco’s global downstream presence. Moreover, the joint development agreement of PKN ORLEN, Aramco and SABIC for the potential Gdansk project was signed. Aramco is to supply almost 45% of PKN ORLEN’s crude oil requirement under the agreement.

The leaders of New Zealand and Finland have dismissed a journalist's suggestion that they arranged a meeting because they are similar in age. At a press conference in Auckland, Finland's Sanna Marin and New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern said they met because they are prime ministers, not because they are both young, female leaders.

Fanna Maïna, a researcher with a Feed the Future lab, works with youth in Niger’s farming communities and trains students as lab technicians. Addressing the global food crisis requires sharing the harvest — and knowledge.

Scientists in Africa are doing just that. Through Feed the Future, a U.S. program to combat global poverty and hunger, scientists harness local solutions to expand local crop yields and feed more people.

Running throughout the month, Barbados marks its Independence today (November 30) as it continues its celebrations, which include sports competitions, fairs, community events and religious services.

With the Caribbean Island state splitting from its colonial rule in 1966, and further, since, braking its association with the UK-ruled Commonwealth - a year after becoming a republic -there are numerous events and activities held throughout Barbados and the diaspora, to mark the occasion, with the most notable set to be the National Independence Day Parade, in the capital, Bridgetown, featuring a large number of floats, marching bands and dancers.

Eppley Limited and Jamaica Producers Group Limited (JP Group) have formed a Barbadian joint venture called Capital Infrastructure Group Limited (CIG), which will invest in infrastructure projects across the Caribbean.

The publicly listed companies will control and manage CIG as equal partners, which will be funded by capital commitments by both firms along with anchor investor NCB Capital Markets Limited (NCBCM).

Police in India have blamed rats for destroying nearly 200kg (440lb) of cannabis seized from dealers and kept in police stations.

A court in Uttar Pradesh state said: "Rats are tiny animals and they have no fear of the police. It's difficult to protect the drug from them."

A leading advertising agency specializing in the hospitality sector is giving hotels, resorts and other companies looking for a strong start to the new year a deal that’s hard to beat. Miami-based Figment Design has announced hot Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials, including a brand refresh, website review and refresh, as well as a holistic strategic marketing plan.

H2-Industries, a global hydrogen generation, and energy storage solutions company, has signed an MoU with the Swiss-based developer of integrated renewable energy projects, Terra Sola Group AG. The agreement supports Terra Sola’s development of tailor-made, large-scale integrated solar energy programs for selected countries across Africa using H2-Industries liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) technology providing technological solutions for the storage and release of electrical power for export, use as a local industrial feedstock, or for grid stabilization and/or off-grid power availability.

China has revealed a prototype for a new high-speed Maglev train that is capable of reaching speeds of 620 kilometres (385 miles) per hour. The train runs on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power that makes it look as if the train is floating along the magnetized tracks.

The sleek 21-meter-long (69 feet) prototype was unveiled to media in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on January 13.

The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that one in three women have experienced or will experience gender-based violence (GBV) during their lifetimes.

Since the pandemic started, 38% of women have personally experienced online violence and 85% of women know someone who has been targeted for online violence, a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit found.

Members of the Rastafarian community have expressed disappointment with the recent removal of custodial sentences for possession of small amounts of marijuana. 

They are calling for full legalisation of marijuana use. During a recent demonstration outside the office of President Irfaan Ali, the rastafarians said it is time for the President and his government to begin consulting them as part of 'One Guyana'.

Rescuers in Indonesia are working through a second night to try to find survivors trapped following an earthquake in West Java. Officials put the death toll at 268, many of them children, with 151 still missing and more than 1,000 injured.

Damaged roads and the vast size of the affected area are making it difficult to locate and help victims.