By Jeffrey Heller | JERUSALEM JERUSALEM The Palestinian Authority told Israel on Thursday it will no longer pay for the electricity Israel supplies to Gaza, Israeli officials said, a move that could lead to a complete power shutdown in the territory whose two million people already endure blackouts for much of the day. The decision was another sign of a hardening of Palestinian Authority policy towards its […]
MANILA, Philippines — The Republic of the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam issued a joint statement following the state visit of Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah to Manila. Bolkiah is also in the country to attend the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center on Saturday. Read the full statement below. 1. At the invitation of the President of the Republic of the Philippines […]
Integrated lifestyle development establishes a new benchmark for experiential travel in the region Dubai, UAE – 27 April 2017 – Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, together with Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced plans to launch the region’s first cinema-themed concept at Aloft Dubai City Centre Deira. The concept will feature a unique […]
In a world-first, researchers have imaged electrons moving in graphene using a quantum probe found only in diamonds. The technique could be used to understand electron behavior and allow researchers to improve the reliability and performance of existing and emerging technologies. These images could reveal the microscopic behavior of currents in quantum computing devices, graphene and other 2-D materials, and be used to develop next generation electronics, […]
Lithium-oxygen fuel cells boast energy density levels comparable to fossil fuels and are thus seen as a promising candidate for future transportation-related energy needs. Several roadblocks stand in the way of realizing that vision. An engineering lab has focused on one of those roadblocks — the loss of battery power, also known as capacity fade. (via WSJ)
A Malta magistrate is investigating explosive claims of money laundering and corruption that have put New Zealand in the middle of a global cash trail from the family of Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev. President Aliyev’s daughter, Leyla Aliyeva, is alleged to have channelled more than $1.5 million to senior figures of the Malta government, including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s wife. These include alleged payments to Panama companies […]
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has partnered with the China Electronics Group Corporation (CETC) to launch a new joint centre for advanced research. Located at the UTS campus in Sydney, the Australia-China Research Innovation Centre in Information and Electronics Technologies (IET) is expected to conduct long-term research projects into information, communications, and electronics. The IET will be governed and managed by representatives of both UTS and […]
United Airlines can’t catch a break, as a giant bunny set to be the world’s largest just died on one of the airline’s planes and it’s a mystery how it happened. Hot on the heels of the recent United Airlines scandal regarding forcibly removed passengers, the airline is now in trouble again as a huge bunny died while being transported to its new “celebrity” owner. Giant Bunny […]
Thermal image showing thermal runaway of an 18650 cell with an implanted internal short circuiting device. Credit: Donal Finegan (UCL, NASA and NREL) How lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries behave under short-circuit conditions can now be examined using a new approach developed by a UCL-led team to help improve reliability and safety. The use of high energy density Li-ion batteries is ubiquitous – from powering portable electronics to providing […]
Increasingly sophisticated hackers possibly linked to a foreign nation aimed to disrupt key organisations in Saudi Arabia, the US-based cyber security firm McAfee said. It did not name the possible attacker but US intelligence officials said they suspected a link to the kingdom’s regional rival Iran after the Shamoon virus struck the Saudi energy sector in 2012. Renewed Shamoon campaigns that began late last year attacked a […]
By Valerie Volcovici | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON White House advisers and Trump administration officials will meet on Thursday to discuss whether the United States should remain in the Paris climate agreement, a White House official said on Wednesday. The meeting, which will include member of the National Economic Council and cabinet officials such as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, was scheduled for […]
Credit: CSEM / David Marchon A team of EPFL and CSEM researchers in Neuchâtel presents in Nature Energy a new astonishing method of creating crystalline solar cells with electrical contacts at the rear, suppressing all shadowing at the front. Thanks to the new inexpensive approach, the fabrication process is strongly simplified with efficiencies in the laboratory already surpassing 23 percent. In the quest for more efficient crystalline […]
PARIS France’s centre-right party, seeking to rebound after the defeat of its presidential candidate, said on Wednesday it could share power with Emmanuel Macron if he is elected, as pollsters predict, on May 7. Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, is tipped to comfortably win a run-off vote against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, but the political movement he created a year ago faces a huge challenge in the […]
ROME The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, already Italy’s most popular party, is stealing a march on its divided rivals by drawing up its policy programme a year ahead of elections. With the ruling centre-left Democratic Party embroiled in a bruising leadership battle and centre-right parties unable to agree on a leader, opinion polls give 5-Star a growing lead, which one pollster last week put as high as 8 […]
Oil prices reversed early losses on reports of the third weekly drawdown of crude stocks in the US, although analysts cautioned on waiting for further signs that Opec’s production cuts are finally tightening the market. Inventories of US crude fell by a larger than expected 3.6m barrels in the week ended April 21, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, compared with expectations for a draw of […]
Efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels are advancing on various significant fronts. Initiatives include research focused on more efficient production of gaseous hydrogen fuel by using solar energy to break water down into components of hydrogen and oxygen. Scientists have now reported a key breakthrough in the basic science essential for progress toward this goal. (via WSJ)
ACWA Power International will bid to build a solar energy project in Saudi Arabia, part of the kingdom’s $50 billion push to temper domestic oil use. Riyadh-based ACWA received a request for proposals last week from Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry to develop the 300-megawatt solar project in Sakaka, Rajit Nanda, ACWA’s chief investment officer, said Tuesday in an interview in Dubai. It’s also considering bidding for other […]
By Marton Dunai | BUDAPEST BUDAPEST Anti-government protesters have filled Budapest’s streets in recent weeks, but divisions within the opposition and weak support outside the capital mean they are unlikely to herald a serious threat to Prime Minister Viktor Orban in next year’s election. Triggered by a law targeting an international school founded by liberal U.S. financier George Soros, the rallies have galvanised broader public anger against […]
This piece originally appeared in Local Edition, our newsletter following the digital transformation of local news. Want to be part of the conversation? You can sign up here. What do you need to unlearn to stay in journalism? This week, two journalists named almost exactly the same thing. That’s not rare, but it struck me as interesting because they’re at such different points in their career. Here’s what they […]
Wednesday 03:00 BST Overview Momentum from a buoyant Wall Street carried over into Asia trading as equities rallied while bonds and oil prices continued to slide. Hot topic Stock markets across the region took their cues from Wall Street, where on Tuesday the S&P 500 neared a record closing high and the tech-focused Nasdaq closed above 6,000 for the first time. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 was […]
Government incentive programs — such as the investment tax credit (ITC) and California Solar Initiative (CSI — increased the number of commercial solar PV adoptions. Credit: Wang, Yu and Johnson One key goal for renewable energy in the United States is to promote the continued adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a clean energy workforce. Federal and state governments are […]
3rd Internet of the Things Expo (ioTx) to highlight concerns in securing smart and connected cities Hyperloop Transportation Technologies to give visitors a sneak preview of high-speed, tube-based transportation system 25 April 20173rd Internet of the Things Expo (ioTx) to highlight concerns in securing smart and connected cities Hyperloop Transportation Technologies to give visitors a sneak preview of high-speed, tube-based transportation system Dubai, UAE – As […]
One of the major culprits in capacity fade of high-energy lithium-ion batteries has now been identified by a team of researchers. (via WSJ)
Oil traders banking on a sustained market recovery in 2017 are growing impatient. As the price of Brent crude falls towards $50 a barrel, Opec, energy analysts and some of the most powerful banks in the commodities sector are urging traders to maintain their composure. After a production cut deal between the cartel and rivals such as Russia was agreed late last year, prices began 2017 $10 […]
