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☆ Fact check: Trump falsely claims Iran didn’t fund terror groups when he was president
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They weren’t funding Hamas, and they weren’t funding anything. They weren’t funding Hezbollah,” Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said in a May interview with right-wing host Dan Bongino. Trump’s own administration said in 2020 that Iran was continuing to fund terror groups including Hezbollah. Trump could have fairly said that his sanctions on Iran had made life more difficult for terror groups (though it’s unclear how much their operations were affected). “Iran has never ceased funding many of its core proxy groups” such as Hezbollah, said Phillip Smyth, who studies Iran’s proxies.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Dan Bongino, Phil McGraw, Phil, Trump, Pompeo, Trump’s, Mike Pompeo, ” Pompeo, “ We’re, “, ”, Ali Vaez, Hanin Ghaddar, Colin Clarke, Phillip Smyth, Brian Hook, ” Hook Organizations: Washington CNN, Hamas, CNN, Hezbollah, State, Trump, Crisis, The Washington Institute for Near, Washington Post, ” Reuters, The, The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qods Force Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Hamas, Palestinian, Israel, “, Tehran, Syria, Iraq, The Stockholm, Bahrain, Yemen, Qaeda, Europe, Africa, Asia

☆ Exclusive: Legal AI startup Leya is in talks to raise new funding just weeks after raising a seed round, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

AI startup Leya is in talks to raise substantial new funding weeks after its seed round, sources say. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementStockholm-based legal AI startup Leya is already in talks to raise a substantial new funding round, weeks after it raised its seed round from US fund Benchmark. Leya, which went through Y Combinator six months after its founding, works with law firms to help them use AI to improve their operations. The startup previously received $10.5 million from Benchmark, accelerator Y Combinator, which also participated in the round, London-based VC Hummingbird, and San Francisco-based SV Angel.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, SV Angel, Business Locations: Stockholm, London, San Francisco

CNN —Munitions made in the United States were used in the deadly Israeli strike on a displacement camp in Rafah on Sunday, a CNN analysis of video from the scene and a review by explosive weapons experts has found. Footage obtained by CNN showed swathes of the camp in Rafah in flames, with scores of men, women and children frantically trying to find cover from the nighttime assault. “The warhead portion [of the munition] is distinct, and the guidance and wing section is extremely unique compared to other munitions. Asked for comment on the munitions used in the Rafah strike at Tuesday’s briefing, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters: “I do not know what type of munition was used in that airstrike. Hagari said the deadly fire which occurred following the strike was not caused solely by weapons used by the Israeli military.

Persons: –, Joe Biden, CNN geolocated, Chris Cobb, Smith, ”, Cobb, Trevor Ball, Ball, Richard Weir, Chris Lincoln, Jones, Sabrina Singh, “, Biden, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, ” Hagari, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: CNN — Munitions, CNN, Gaza Health Ministry, Israel, United Nations, Kuwait Peace, Boeing, British, US Army, Human Rights Watch, Pentagon, US National Security Council, US, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: United States, Rafah, Gaza’s, Gaza, Rafah –, Israel, Kuwait, California, Stockholm

☆ China and India still rely heavily on coal, climate targets remain 'very difficult' to achieve
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China and India have not reduced coal generation for electricity, according to a new study, making it harder for Asia's largest carbon emitters to reach their climate targets. While both Asian countries have ambitious plans to cut emissions, heavy reliance on coal — the dirtiest fossil fuel — continues to be the most reliable and affordable way of meet rising electricity demand. The highest increases came from China (+319 TWh) and India (+100 TWh), the study showed. According to the IEA, coal remains the biggest energy source for electricity generation, supplying more than one-third of global electricity. "It will be very difficult to meet targets without a rapid face down in coal.

Persons: Francis Johnson Organizations: Global, Stockholm Environment Institute's Asia Locations: China, India, Stockholm

☆ Global military spending saw its steepest spike in more than a decade, with the US vastly outspending everyone else
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Global military spending in 2023 rose to the highest levels ever recorded, analysts said. All five of the institute's defined geographical regions saw rises in military spending for the first time since 2009, with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania recording particularly large increases, it said. This, in turn, has ramped up military spending. It also highlighted Ukraine, which ranked eighth in terms of overall defense spending, following a 51% year-on-year increase. At the same time, Israel saw its defense spending rise by 24% to reach $27.5 billion in 2023, mostly due to its large-scale offensive in Gaza, SIPRI's report found.

Persons: —, SIPRI, Nan Tian, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Lorenzo Scarazzato, spender, Israel Organizations: Global, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Service, International Crisis, Getty, NATO Locations: Stockholm, Europe, East, Asia, Oceania, Ukraine, Gaza, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, China

☆ Ukraine War Helped Push World Military Spending to 35-Year High, Study Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The study, by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, concluded that global military spending reached $2.4 trillion last year — a 6.8 percent increase from 2022. “The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security,” said Nan Tian, a senior researcher at the institute, which has tracked military expenditures since at least 1988. He described an “increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape.”Ukraine, in its first full year of war with Russia, devoted $64.8 billion to its military in 2023. That accounted for 58 percent of the government’s overall spending last year and 37 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Only seven other countries spent more on military and defense costs than Ukraine in 2023, analysts found.

Persons: spender, ”, Nan Tian Organizations: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, Asia, United States, Russia

☆ Global military spending hit all-time high in 2023 after 7% jump, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The figure marked a 6.8% increase from 2022 and the sharpest year-on-year jump since 2009, the institute said in a report on military spending trends. "The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security," Nan Tian, senior researcher in SIPRI's military expenditure and arms production programme, said in a statement. Military expenditure has been rising for nine years straight, and military spending bolstered in all regions of the world for the first time since 2009, the report found. Ukraine's military spending meanwhile totaled around $64.8 billion — around 59% the amount of Russia's spending, but 37% of Ukraine's GDP, the report said. Tensions in the Middle East also significantly contributed to the overall rise in global military spending, the report said.

Persons: Nan Tian, spender, Lorenzo Scarazzato, Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: 1st Tank Brigade, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Getty Images, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Kyiv, NATO, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, Central America, Caribbean, Russia, China, U.S, East, Israel, Gaza

☆ Analysis: As Putin sails to re-election, Russia’s leader has a succession problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to sail to re-election in a nationwide vote that begins on March 15, securing a fifth term in office and a full third decade as Russia’s paramount leader. As Kremlin chairman, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would become the country's leader temporarily if Putin were to die or be incarcerated while in office. In 2008, Putin reached the end of his second presidential term, and stepped aside for a handpicked placeholder, Dmitry Medvedev. Some Russian political observers speculate that the real competition to succeed Putin is not likely until the 2030s, when Putin reaches his sixth term. Even the former president Medvedev, who lost the number two slot in 2020 when he stepped down in a government shakeup, may still have aspirations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, Joseph Stalin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin “, Joe Biden, Putin’s, …, ”, Andreas Umland, “ Putin, ” Umland, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin –, “ It’s, Umland, Mikhail Mishustin, Gleb Schelkunov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Irina Buzhor, Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev, President Kassym, Tokayev, Andrey Pertsev Organizations: CNN, Stockholm Centre, Eastern European Studies, Russian, Russian Federation, Soviet, Air Force One, United Russia, Russian Security Council, AP, Chinese Communist Party, country’s Security, Kremlin Locations: Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Kazakhstan

☆ Sweden is exactly what the West needs to counter Putin's underhand tactics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sweden this week became the newest member of the NATO alliance. On Tuesday, Hungary's parliament voted to approve Sweden's NATO membership in a move that may be exactly what the West needs to counter Putin and his underhand tactics. Sweden has accused Russia of spreading misinformation about Koran burnings to damage its bid for NATO membership. NATO has some major challengesDespite the boost from Sweden's membership, NATO still faces some of the gravest challenges in its history. "The same is true for Finland and Sweden's NATO membership."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, He's, Putin, Oscar Jonsson, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Nima Khorrami, St, Russia's, It's, Shawn Coover, Emmanuel Macron, Jonsson, Khorammi, Donald Trump Organizations: NATO, Service, Russia, Swedish Defence University, Business, Forces, Swedish Amphibious Corps, US Marine Corps, Stockholm Archipelago, Getty, Arctic Institute, Staff, US Locations: Sweden, Ukraine, Russian, Hungary's, Russia, Baltic, Europe, Stockholm, NATO, St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, USSR, Crimea, South Carolina, Western, Finland

☆ Calls grow in Europe to halt arms exports to Israel as US Senate passes aid package
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The concern around continuing arms exports to Israel comes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month ordered Israel to “take all measures” to comply with international laws on genocide. “In the government’s view, the distribution of American F-35 parts is not unlawful. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met Israeli cabinet minister Benny Gantz at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 12, 2024. Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told local media in late January that Italy had stopped all arms shipments to Israel since October 7. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Albares too said in late January that his country had also halted arms sales to Israel in October.

Persons: “, Josep Borrell, ” Borrell, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Mark Rutte, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Abir, Justin Bronk, ” Bronk, Bronk, Lockheed Martin, ”, ‘, ’ ”, Antonio Tajani, Jose Albares Organizations: CNN, United States Senate, Israel, Monday, Oxfam, Hague, International Court of Justice, Israeli, Hamas, US, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, State, Dutch, Royal United Services Institute, Israeli Air Forces, Lockheed, Netherlands Air Force, Pagella, Spanish, El, Amnesty International Locations: Israel, Gaza, Netherlands, Belgium, Brussels, Ukraine, Stockholm, Dutch, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, Israeli, London, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Italy, Spain

☆ The US ramped up arms exports by more than 50% in 2023, cutting into Russia's own weapons trade: Politico
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US increased its arms exports by more than 50% in 2023, compared to 2022, while also damaging Russia's own defense trade, Politico reported . In a fact sheet citing the numbers, the Department of State specified that arms exports rose to $80.9 billion in 2023, a 55.9% increase from $51.9 billion in 2022. "We see that because Russia's defense industry is denied the resources that come from exports, that helps to contribute to Russian strategic failure on the battlefield," she said. Resnick cited a $1.8 billion arms deal that the US struck with India last year, and "real tough decisions" in Global South countries about abandoning Russian equipment. Since the early 2010s, Russian arms exports have declined in part due to China and India's efforts to ramp up their own domestic arms production, along with earlier Western sanctions packages meant to dissuade third countries from buying Russian weapons.

Persons: Mira Resnick, Resnick Organizations: Politico, NATO, Department of State, Reuters, State Department, Department's Office, Regional Security, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Moscow, India, Global South, Stockholm, China, Russia

☆ Klarna to debut $7.99 monthly plan as buy now, pay later firm seeks new revenue sources ahead of IPO
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Swedish fintech firm Klarna is launching a monthly subscription plan in the U.S. to lock in its heaviest users ahead of an expected initial public offering this year, the company told CNBC. Buy now, pay later services such as Klarna and Affirm have surged in popularity in recent years as more Americans rely on a new, fintech-enabled form of credit. When Klarna users shop outside the firm's network of 500,000 retailers — at places such as Walmart, Target, Amazon and Costco — they pay $1 to $2 in transaction fees. "The main proposition of Klarna Plus right now is that you don't pay any service fees," Sandstrom said. "So if you love Klarna and if you love shopping at Target and Walmart, it makes a ton of sense financially."

Persons: David Sandstrom, Sandstrom Organizations: Swedish, CNBC, Nike, Instacart, Walmart, Target, Costco Locations: U.S, Stockholm

☆ In the Dream Orchestra, many musicians never played an instrument before joining
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

I think they thought I was crazy.”Many of the Dream Orchestra’s members had never played an instrument before they joined. Ron Davis Álvarez, Dream Orchestra founder and artistic directorThe small ensemble rehearsed on Fridays and Saturdays. He'd never played an instrument before joining the Dream Orchestra. Mushtaq Khorsand asked to join the Dream Orchestra after seeing how joyful his friends were during a performance. So if I wasn’t part of Dream Orchestra and (hadn’t) met Ron, I don’t where I would be,” he says.

Persons: Ron Davis Álvarez, He’d, ” Álvarez, hadn’t, they’d, Álvarez, Venezuela’s, he’d, It’s, Gustavo Bandres, “, Mostafa, ” Kazemi, Kazemi, —, –, Mostafa Kazemi, He'd, ”, Ron, Mushtaq Khorsand, ” Khorsand, Khorsand, He's, Rey, He’s, he’s, Carlos Medrano y Ritmos Ciganos Carlos Garcia, isn’t, it’s, Johan Nilsson, Tymofii Slakva, Tim, Slakva, ” Slakva, Azra Avci, Andrea Spehar, Anna Svanberg, they’ve, ‘, hasn’t, Scheherazade, Richard Meyer Organizations: CNN, Volunteers, El, El Sistema, Sistema, Orchestra, Dream Orchestra, Dream, Gothenburg Symphony, Training, YouTube, University of Gothenburg, ” Locations: Stockholm, Venezuelan, Sweden, Syria, Afghanistan, El Sistema Sweden, Gothenburg, It’s, El, Caracas, Eritrea, Albania, Malmo, Swedish, Ukraine, France, Álvarez, United Kingdom, Lebanon

☆ Good news, bad news: U.S. emissions shrank last year, but very slowly
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Evan Bush | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Carbon emissions shrank in 2023 even as the economy grew, a sign the U.S. is plodding toward a more sustainable future. "This is the first time since 2019 that the economy has grown while emissions have fallen," said Ben King, an associate director leading the Rhodium Group energy team. U.S emissions fell sharply in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, when activities were restricted, and then rebounded in the two years that followed. The Biden administration, which rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement in 2021, said it would target emission cuts of 50% to 52% by 2030. The power and buildings sectors were responsible for the 2023 emissions decline, according to the Rhodium analysis.

Persons: Ben King, Biden, King, Joe Biden's Organizations: U.S, Stockholm Environment Institute, EV, U.S . Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, Paris, Stockholm, Greenland, West Antarctica, East Antarctica, U.S

☆ A ‘thirsty’ generative AI boom poses a growing problem for Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Shaolei Ren, a researcher at the University of California, Riverside, published a study in April investigating the resources needed to run buzzy generative AI models, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. Hundreds of millions of monthly users all submitting questions on the popular chatbot quickly illustrates just how "thirsty" AI models can be. The study's authors warned that if the growing water footprint of AI models is not sufficiently addressed, the issue could become a major roadblock to the socially responsible and sustainable use of AI in the future. For Google, meanwhile, total water consumption at its data centers and offices came in at 5.6 billion gallons in 2022, a 21% increase on the year before. watch nowIt's notable, however, that their latest water consumption figures were disclosed before the launch of their own respective ChatGPT competitors.

Persons: Shaolei Ren, Ren, Eitan Abramovich, OpenAI, Somya Joshi, Microsoft's Bing, Bard, Joshi, Paul Hanna Organizations: UNITED, EMIRATES, Tech, Microsoft, Google, University of California, Uruguay's Central Union, CNT, Afp, Getty, CNBC, Big Tech, Meta, SEI, U.S ., Stockholm Environment Institute, United, Inc, Talavera de la Reina, Bloomberg Locations: Dubai, Riverside, Montevideo, U.S, Stockholm, United Arab Emirates, Talavera de, Spain

☆ Spotify ditches popular podcasts 'Heavyweight' and 'Stolen' as CEO doubles down on cost-cutting
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify is cutting two big podcasts, "Heavyweight" and "Stolen," Bloomberg reported. The podcasts in question, "Heavyweight" and "Stolen," will be canceled after completing their current seasons, the report said. Given the cancellations, the streaming giant's viral Spotify Wrapped campaign might soon be overshadowed by a new mantra: "Spotify Scrapped." "Heavyweight" was listed as one of The New York Times' top podcasts of the year and "Stolen" won a Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award. The news of the podcasts' axing comes as Spotify made its third round of layoffs this year.

Persons: Daniel Ek, —, Ek, Mason Morfit, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Organizations: Bloomberg, Analysts, Service, Spotify, The New York Times, Peabody, Spotify's Gimlet, Financial Times Locations: Stockholm

☆ Tesla’s clash with Swedish workers risks spilling over into a regional fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Danish dockworkers and drivers are threatening to stop transporting Teslas to neighboring Sweden if the carmaker does not reach a deal with striking Swedish workers within two weeks. It is the first time a labor union outside of Sweden has threatened industrial action against Tesla in solidarity with the Swedish workers. “IF Metall and the Swedish workers are fighting an incredibly important battle right now. About nine out of 10 workers in Sweden and more than eight in 10 in Denmark are covered by such agreements. At least three attempts to organize by Tesla workers in the United States have failed, mainly as a consequence of aggressive tactics by the company and weak protections for labor in the country.

Persons: ”, Tesla, Jan Villadsen, IF Metall, ” IF Metall, Anu Hietala, Elon Musk, —, “ Organizations: London CNN, Danish, IF Metall, CNN, IF, ” IF, Denmark’s, Nordic, Nordic Transport Workers ’ Federation, New York Times Locations: Sweden, Swedish, dockworkers, Finland, Norway, Stockholm, Denmark, United States

☆ Spotify to Lay Off 17% of Staff, Its Third Round of Job Cuts This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Anne Steele | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Spotify’s workforce had nearly doubled over the last three years. Photo: Emanuel Hahn for The Wall Street JournalSpotify is preparing to lay off 17% of its workforce or about 1,500 employees, as the company accelerates its profitability push. Chief Executive Daniel Ek announced the job cuts—the Stockholm-based company’s third round of layoffs this year—to staff Monday.

Persons: Emanuel Hahn, Daniel Ek Organizations: The Wall Street, Spotify Locations: Stockholm

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Many Western arms companies failed to ramp up production in 2022 despite a strong increase in demand for weapons and military equipment, a watchdog group said Monday, adding that labor shortages, soaring costs and supply chain disruptions had been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Many arms companies faced obstacles in adjusting to production for high-intensity warfare,” said Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, director of the independent institute's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program. SIPRI said the revenues of the 42 U.S. companies on the list — accounting for 51% of total arms sales — fell by 7.9% to $302 billion in 2022. Of those, 32 recorded a fall in year-on-year arms revenue, most of them citing ongoing supply chain issues and labor shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. ”However, despite the year-on-year drop, the total Top 100 arms revenue was still 14% higher in 2022 than in 2015 — the first year for which SIPRI included Chinese companies in its ranking.

Persons: ”, Lucie Béraud, SIPRI, Nan Tian, Lockheed Martin, ” SIPRI, Sudreau Organizations: STOCKHOLM, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Lockheed, Raytheon Technologies, ” Companies Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, U.S, Asia, Israel, South Korea

☆ Climate summit leader said there’s ‘no science’ behind need to phase out fossil fuels, alarming scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The president of the COP28 climate summit, Sultan Al Jaber, recently claimed there is “no science” that says phasing out fossil fuels is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in comments that have alarmed climate scientists and advocates. The future role of fossil fuels is one of the most controversial issues countries are grappling with at the COP28 climate summit. Al Jaber was asked by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and current chair of the Elders Group, an independent group of global leaders, if he would lead on phasing out fossil fuels. While some argue carbon capture will be an important tool for reducing planet-heating pollution, others argue these technologies are expensive, unproven at scale and a distraction from policies to cut fossil fuel use. “They are not going to get any help from the COP Presidency in delivering a strong outcome on a fossil fuel phase out,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, Mary Robinson, Robinson, ”, Al Jaber’s, what’s, Romain Ioualalen, Al, ” Joeri, Mohamed Adow, Angela Dewan, Rachel Ramirez Organizations: CNN, ”, Guardian, Elders Group, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, UN, International Energy Agency, IEA, Stockholm Environment Institute, Change, Imperial College London Locations: Paris, “, Abu Dhabi, Stockholm, UN, UAE

☆ With geopolitical tensions mounting, Bernstein expects 3 defense stocks to soar 20%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The rising geopolitical threats in APAC has been a driver of military spending for the Western nations. In addition, APAC countries have become more important for their own military expenditures, which present some opportunities for Western defense contractors through either exports or partnerships," they added. Quoting research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , Bernstein said that global defense spending reached a record high of $2.2 trillion last year. Why is defense spending on the rise? For instance, South Korea's defense spending is high given its longstanding tensions with neighbor North Korea.

Persons: AllianceBernstein, Bernstein, Northrop Grumman, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Asia, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Boeing Co, Dassault Aviation, U.S Locations: Asia, Pacific, U.S, APAC, Stockholm, China, North Korea, North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Soviet, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei

☆ Carbon emissions of richest 1% equal to those of poorest 66%, Oxfam report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Private jets are seen on the tarmac at Friedman Memorial Airport ahead of the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 5, 2022 in Sun Valley, Idaho. The world's richest 1% of people are responsible for around the same percentage of global carbon emissions as the 5 billion people who represent the 66% poorest, according to a report published Monday by Oxfam. The charity's analysis, conducted with the Stockholm Environment Institute, found both groups contributed to 16% of emissions in 2019. The wealthiest 10% were responsible for 50% of global emissions, it found, while the bottom 50% were responsible for just 8%. Within the top 1%, the report links one-third of the carbon emissions to personal consumption in the U.S., followed by China and the Gulf countries.

Organizations: Friedman, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Oxfam, Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Stockholm, U.S, China

UKRAINE DIVERSIONReuters spoke to around a half dozen Czech and Polish defence companies and government officials who described renewed efforts to carve out a bigger share of the African arms market as the Ukraine conflict diverts Russia's attention. Privately-held defence and civil manufacturing company Czechoslovak Group - the biggest Czech defence company - said its ability to maintain and modernize armoured vehicles using Soviet-era standards has helped it win business in Africa. ...in Poland where our stand was visited by numerous delegations from African countries that appeared here for the first time," WB Group spokesman Remigiusz Wilk said. The effort to supply Ukraine has pushed Czech companies to boost production and expand supply lines, something Czech-based independent defence analyst Lukas Visingr said has burnished the region's reputation. "The Czech arms industry is stepping up its efforts towards certain African countries still using Soviet-style equipment but who start to see Russia as a problematic supplier," Visingr said.

Persons: David W Cerny, Jiri Hynek, Filip Kulstrunk, Andrej Cirtek, Pieter Wezeman, Sebastian Chwalek, –, Remigiusz Wilk, Petr Fiala, Tomas Pojar, Tomas Kopecny, Kopecny, Lukas Visingr, Visingr, Michael Kahn, Anna Koper, Alex Richardson Organizations: Aero Vodochody, REUTERS, Western, Central, Russia Czech, Defence, Western NATO, Warsaw, Defence and Security Industry Association of, Reuters, Aero, Privately, Czechoslovak Group, CSG, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, WB Group, WB, Ivory, Thomson Locations: Odolena Voda, Czech Republic, Russia, Africa, PRAGUE, WARSAW, European, Western, Czechoslovakia, Czech, UKRAINE, Polish, Ukraine, Stockholm, China, Saharan Africa, Poland's, Poland, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Prague, Mozambique

The discussions at the Dubai International Air Chiefs’ Conference, held ahead of the biennial Dubai Air Show this week, shows the delicate balancing act the federation of seven sheikhdoms faces. The UAE maintains diplomatic ties with Israel despite widespread and growing anger in the Arab world over the civilian casualties from Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. The Air Chiefs' Conference demonstrates how those ties continue, particularly as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., an Israeli defense manufacturer, was a sponsor of the summit. Sunday's summit drew attendees from across the world, though it did not appear there were any Israeli military officials on hand. While staying away from discussing the Israel-Hamas war, U.S. Air Force Brig.

Persons: Israel, Rafael, David A, we're, ” Mineau, ”, Mineau, “, Luca Goretti, Goretti Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Sunday, United, Dubai International Air Chiefs ’ Conference, Dubai Air, Hamas, The Air Chiefs, Conference, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, Dubai Air Show, Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, Health Ministry, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Houthi, U.S . Air Force, America, American military's, Command, Italian Air Force Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Israel, Gaza, West, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, Stockholm, Qatar, Saudi, Abu Dhabi, Tehran, Sunday's, Western, China, U.S, NATO, Ukraine

☆ Nations That Vowed to Halt Warming Are Expanding Fossil Fuels, Report Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | More About Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And over the past decade, governments and businesses have made progress in weaning themselves from fossil fuels by ramping up wind and solar power, for example, and investing in electric vehicle infrastructure. Yet the report issued on Wednesday, led by researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute, found that nations of the world plan to keep increasing coal production until 2030, and oil and gas production decades beyond that. The world was also set to overshoot, by 69 percent, the amount of fossil fuels consistent with limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius. Beyond those thresholds, the world faces the danger of irreversible and catastrophic damage from climate change, scientists say. The authors partly credited nations’ nascent efforts to rein in their emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, and the rapid growth in clean energy.

Organizations: Stockholm Environment Institute Locations: Stockholm, Paris

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