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☆ Abu Dhabi is an oil powerhouse, but it also wants to be a climate tech hub
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hub71 plans to announce a new cohort later this year, and it says that applications from sustainability and climate tech startups have doubled since the last intake. “Abu Dhabi is starting to forge ahead as a leading tech cluster for climate in the region,” she said. That Abu Dhabi has thrown its weight and oil wealth behind climate tech is a key attraction for Graphmatech. “To scale up climate tech you need financial support,” Dr Mamoun Taher, its founder and CEO, told CNN. His company has engaged in discussions with key stakeholders in Abu Dhabi, including oil and gas companies.

Persons: Abu, ” Ahmad Ali Alwan, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi’s, Patricia Keating, Karim Sahib, Dr Mamoun Taher, “, “ Abu Dhabi, Taher, ” Organizations: CNN, Mubadala Investment Company, United, Organization of, Petroleum, OPEC, P, PwC, Companies, Sweden’s Uppsala University, Getty, UAE, Emirates Steel, Adnoc, Siemens Energy, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company Locations: Abu Dhabi, wean, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Abu, AFP, “ Abu, United States, Australia, Masdar

☆ Maldives to ban Israelis from entering country amid war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Sahar Akbarzai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Maldives has announced it will ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country amid its war on Hamas in Gaza. The presidential office of the Indian Ocean island nation, known for its luxurious resorts and endless white sand beaches, made the announcement in a press release Sunday. Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu resolved to impose the ban following a recommendation from the cabinet, the release said. The country’s laws will be amended, and a cabinet subcommittee will be established to oversee the efforts, the president’s office said. “Together with the government and people of Maldives, I call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to violence and unhindered humanitarian access,” the president posted on X last week.

Persons: Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Muizzu, Karim Sahib, Muizzu Organizations: CNN, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United, Getty, UNRWA Locations: Maldives, Gaza, ” Maldives, United Nations, Dubai, AFP, Palestine ”, Solidarity, Palestine, Rafah

☆ A critical climate goal may be ‘deader than a doornail,’ and scientists are bitterly divided over it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Anybody who understands the physics knows that.”Hansen’s words have heft — he is widely credited as the first scientist to publicly sound the alarm on climate change in the 1980s. Climate change is fueling storms in both the summer and winter. The year came within a whisker of breaching 1.5 degrees, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service. “For all practical purposes we are only going to be looking at 1.5 degrees in the rearview mirror,” he said. Why 1.5 mattersFew scientists will dispute that the world faces a daunting path to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.

Persons: James Hansen, Lauren Owens Lambert, I’ve, Jim, ”, Michael Mann, Hansen, Friederike Otto, “, it’s, Niño, Hurricane Idalia, Joe Raedle, ” Otto, –, Storm Daniel, Karim Sahib, Bill McGuire, ” McGuire, Chris Smith, El Niño, Mann, Samantha Burgess, Copernicus, Otto said, ’ ” Smith, “ we’ve, McGuire, Otto Organizations: CNN, Getty, University of Pennsylvania, Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute, “, United, Hurricane, University College London, University of Leeds Locations: Hampton , New Hampshire, AFP, United States, Europe, Tarpon Springs , Florida, Paris, Libya's, Derna, kilter

☆ Dubai penthouse sells for record $136 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A five-bedroom penthouse covering almost 22,000 square feet has sold in Dubai for 500 million UAE dirhams — just over $136 million — setting a new record for one of the world’s busiest luxury real estate markets. Record salesThe previous record for a penthouse sale in Dubai dates back just a few months, when an apartment occupying the top floor of the Marsa Al Arab Hotel sold for 420 million UAE dirhams (about $114 million). According to Provident Estate, the penthouse at Como Residences is the third most expensive in the world, after Penthouse D at One Hyde Park in London, priced at $237 million, and the Odeon Tower Penthouse in Monaco, priced at $440 million. Shutterstock Palm Jumeirah also boasts the first monorail in the Middle East, which opened in April 2009, and connects the Palm to Dubai's mainland. But when it comes to the asking price for a penthouse, the view is one of the key drivers.

Persons: CNN —, Nahkeel, Karim Sahib, Giuseppe Cacace, Shutterstock, Kamran Jebreili, ”, Chris Boswell, he’s, ” Boswell, “, it’s Organizations: CNN, UAE dirhams —, Jumeirah, Provident Estate, Marsa Al Arab, UAE, Como Residences, Penthouse, Dubai Marina, Getty, Burj Locations: Dubai, Como, Marsa, Hyde, London, Monaco, Burj Al Arab, Burj, Eastern Europe, Dubai's, Nakheel, AFP, Karim, Burj Al, United States, Italy, France

☆ FTX Sues Crypto Exchange Bybit to Recover $953 Million in Cash and Assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Becky Yerak | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bybit operates one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency trading exchanges. Photo: karim sahib/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesBankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX has filed a lawsuit against Bybit Fintech and two affiliates to try to claw back assets valued at $953 million that were withdrawn shortly before FTX’s November 2022 collapse. The lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., alleges that Bybit’s investment arm, Mirana, “leveraged its VIP connections to pressure FTX group employees to fulfill its withdrawal requests as soon as assets became available.”

Persons: Bybit, karim sahib, FTX, Bybit Fintech Organizations: Agence France, Getty, Bankruptcy Locations: U.S, Wilmington, Del

☆ The US Army needs tanks to win a war in the Pacific, but it knows the Abrams isn't the right tank for the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But it also knows that rivals are building weapons that are potent against the aging Abrams tank. The Army's main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, now faces two main problems. End of the Abrams eraA US Abrams tank that Iraqi officials said was destroyed in fighting south of Baghdad in April 2003. Threats to the Abrams tank's battlefield dominance, according to the Army Science Board. The Army Science BoardThe Army Science Board assessed various alternatives.

Persons: Abrams, —, China —, Eddie McCrossan, M1A1 Abrams, Scott Nelson, Charles Flynn, Bradley, KARIM SAHIB, Michael Peck Organizations: US Army, Service, Army, Pacific, Rivals, M1 Abrams, Army Science Board, ., Logistics, US Defense Department, Eddie McCrossan Tanks, Nazi, US Army Pacific, Board, for Army, sustainment, China, Abrams, Getty, The Army, Booker, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Asia, Russia, China, Fort Knox, Kentucky, Britain, America, Russo, Ukraine, East Asia, Japan, Malay, Korean, Vietnam, Kuwaiti, Fulda, East, West Germany, Baghdad, AFP, Pacific, Forbes

☆ The US is quietly warning its Middle East partners about the cost of stocking up on Chinese-made weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese arms sales in the Middle East have increased by 80% over the past decade, a result of Beijing's expanding relationships there and its willingness to deliver arms faster and with fewer stipulations than Washington. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty ImagesMiddle Eastern countries, led by the Arab Gulf states, have for decades been major buyers of US-made weapons. Chinese arms sales to the region are "substantial and expected to continue to increase," said Ahmed Aboudouh, an associate fellow at Chatham House. "But it's just one factor among many, including varying threat perceptions of Iran among the Arab Gulf states as well as varying levels of trust between the Arab Gulf governments themselves." Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: Michael Kurilla, Kurilla, Loong, KARIM SAHIB, Colin Kahl, Biden, Kahl, We're, FAYEZ NURELDINE, Ahmed Aboudouh, Aboudouh, James Hodgman, Russia's, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Emily Hawthorne, RANE, that's, Hawthorne, Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, Xi, ANDY WONG, Kahl's, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, US Central Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, Dubai Airshow, Getty, Chatham House, Pentagon, Getty Images, United Arab Emirates, Patriot, Al Udeid, Base, US Air Force, Tech, Air Defense, Turkey, NATO, East, Khalifa, UAE, US, Abu Dhabi Crown, Gulf Cooperation Council Locations: China, Washington, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, AFP, British, Saudi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, East, North Africa, Qatar, Russia, Europe, Gulf, UAE, Yemen, Ankara, Turkey, Prince, Xinhua, Khalifa, Abu, Arab Gulf, Iran

☆ 4 major fighter-jet deals could reshape the Middle East's biggest militaries for decades to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Middle Eastern countries have for decades been major buyers of advanced fighter jets. Four potential deals involving Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that the trend will continue. Four looming acquisitions by Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that this trend will not change any time soon. Egypt's EaglesEgyptian Air Force MiG-29s during an exercise in Sudan in May 2021. While the Russian jets couldn't exchange data with Egypt's US-made aircraft, Cairo hoped they could operate as an "air force within an air force" and partially redress its limited air-to-air capabilities.

Persons: Cuneyt, MURAD, Erdogan, Mehmet Kaman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, Biden, Sen, Bob Menendez, hasn't, Iran's, Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK, it's, —, Iran hasn't, ATTA KENARE, Mohammed Reza Ashtiani, Iraq's, KARIM SAHIB, Saddam Hussein's, Ali Mohammed, KARI, ASHRAF SHAZLY, Derek Seifert, Frank McKenzie, Israel, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Dassault Rafales, Dassault, Vipers, NATO Air Policing, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Getty Images, NATO, Senate Foreign Relations, SPUTNIK, Army Day, Iranian Parliament's National Security, Foreign, Iranian Defense, Rafale, ISIS, Getty Images Iraq, Thales Ground, AIM, Meteor, Egypt's Eagles Egyptian Air Force, Eagles, US Air Force, US Central Command Locations: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Poland, Ankara, Syria, Greece, Samarkand, Getty Images Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, US, Tehran, AFP, Iranian, Persian, Baghdad, France, South Korea, Czech, Iraqi, Balad, Sudan, Qatar, Cairo, Derek Seifert Egypt

☆ Solar trees could soon be charging your car
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Metal trees with a seven-meter canopy of solar panels that generate electricity may soon be coming to car parks and shopping malls in the UK. In the UK, EV charging infrastructure is rapidly growing, with more than 40,000 public charging points installed by the end of April 2023, up 37% from the previous year, according to ZapMap, an EV mapping service. SolarBotanic Trees has partnered with RAW Charging to supply co-branded trees (shown here in a rendering) as part of a network of EV charging sites. Charging upSolarBotanic Trees are likely to cost between £18,000 and £25,000 ($22,000 to $30,000), considerably more than a conventional solar panel source. Shelley notes that he is also exploring creating a solar tree solution for powering electric scooter charging hubs.

☆ A 50% rent increase? Record property demand in Dubai is creating a nightmare for some residents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Beyond the property market, Dubai's economic boom is evident in everyday life. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the Burj Khalifa in the backdrop, Sept. 16, 2022. Property prices have, too — CBRE says that selling prices are up 11.5% on average in the year to February 2023. Christopher Pike | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAccording to CBRE's research, in the year through February 2023, average Dubai rents increased by 27.7%. In the meantime, no one expects property prices to ease up anytime soon.

☆ Dubai nixes its 30% alcohol tax in a bid to attract more tourism
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Dubai Municipality has temporarily stopped collecting the 30% fee from alcoholic beverage companies for a period of one year from the beginning of 01/01/2023 to the end of 12/31/2023. The companies authorized to sell in the Emirate of Dubai have been notified of this decision," Dubai Municipality wrote in a post from its official Twitter account. It also said that personal liquor licenses, previously a requirement for all Dubai residents for purchasing alcohol in shops and costing 270 dirhams ($73.50), are now free. Some Dubai residents were unhappy about the abrupt announcement, having recently paid the full fee for their yearly license. Woman sunbathers sit along a beach in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on July 24, 2020, while behind is seen the Burj al-Arab hotel.

☆ You can take a 500-mile round-trip taxi from Saudi Arabia to the Qatar World Cup for $532
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A fixed $266 each way (1000 Saudi riyals), or $532 for the round-trip, with a maximum of three passengers per taxi. Bassel Al Nahlaoui, Careem's managing director for mobility, thinks so. To this end, contingencies have also been put in place if riders or drivers face problems or unruly behavior, Al Nahlaoui said. In case the drivers themselves face trouble from passengers, "our captains have the same access to care that our customers have," Al Nahlaoui said. Al Nahlaoui says he hopes this won't be the case this time, and that the company has amply prepared for the massive influx of people.

☆ These animals went extinct in the wild. Scientists brought them back
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-16 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

All of them went extinct in the wild – and all of them came back, thanks to reintroduction programs. One of the most iconic reintroduction success stories, Przewalski's horse went extinct in the wild in the 1960s, but were returned to the Mongolian steppe in 1992. “The less time that has passed, the more likely that environment is the same as when the species went extinct,” she says. “But you still need to address the reason why it went extinct in that environment to begin with.”Read more: This palm tree nearly went extinct. Without these projects, species such as Przewalski’s horse and the Guam rail would almost certainly be extinct in the wild.

Persons: Natasha Robinson, Sergei Bobylev, Robinson, ” Read, Karim Sahib Organizations: CNN, Conservation, Australian National University, United, United Arab Emirates, Getty Locations: Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab, AFP, Guam

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