Author: Editor

A resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its recent 76th session recognizes the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as the first such event held in the Middle East. FIFA encourages the relevant authorities to ensure that it leaves a lasting legacy for peace and development in the Middle East. Last Saturday, the UN General Assembly unanimously welcomed Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup. The International Football Association (FIFA) announced on its website today that the UN General Assembly resolution affirms sport, especially football, plays an important role in promoting peace, development, and respect for human rights.…

According to the United States Geological Survey and Europe Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck eastern Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville region on Sunday. Around 200 km off the southern coast of New Britain island, the quake struck at a depth of 19 kilometres (12 miles) at 0205 GMT in the Solomon Sea. The earthquake caused no damage or tsunami warnings immediately. A hotspot for seismic activity due to tectonic plate friction, Papua New Guinea lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The capital Port Moresby was shook by a 6.9-magnitude quake in July 2020, but there…

Forbes magazine has published its ranking of the world’s billionaires and the richest people for the year 2022, particularly those who have fortunes that have reached or exceeded one billion dollars. It was the first time ever that Elon Musk was placed in the lead. Tesla’s stock price rose 33 percent in the past year, which increased his fortune by $68 billion. It was estimated that he is worth about US$ 219 billion. Due to a three percent drop in Amazon stocks and a substantial rise in his charitable donations, Jeff Bezos fell from number one to number two for…

At least 45 people have died after heavy rains in South Africa’s eastern coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal flooded settlements, tore apart homes, swept away roads and displaced dozens, officials said on Tuesday. In a statement, the provincial government confirmed the toll and warned that heavy rain would continue until evening in the coastal areas. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) officials say disaster management teams are evacuating people in areas where mudslides have occurred and buildings have collapsed. Home after home washed away, and several roads collapsed, hampering transportation and rescue efforts. As muddy water gushed across streets, people were…

The invasive fire ants are using the flooding in Queensland to expand their invasion into Australia, teaming up and creating floating rafts with their bodies to allow them to survive for weeks. The ants are forming rafts in flood waters according to eradication officers in Queensland. The pest uses it as one of its key survival tactics. Many ants lock their bodies tightly together, trapping air bubbles in the process to keep themselves afloat. The multi-layered structures are strong enough to keep rescued queens, eggs, larvae, and pupae safe and dry. This way, colonies can survive for weeks. Likewise, the…

The Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals said in a statement on Tuesday that Iraq ranks first in the world for sulfur reserves, noting in particular that more than 400 million tons of sedimentary sulfur reserves are found in the Mishraq fields. As reported by the media center of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, the chemical company affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals is the only one specializing in the extraction and purification of sulfur in the fields of Nineveh Governorate. More than 400 million tons of sedimentary sulfur are found in Al-Mishraq, making it the largest…

The International Monetary Fund and Lebanon have reached a tentative agreement on Economic Policies with Lebanon for a Four-Year Extended Fund Facility. However, financial experts and analysts remain unconvinced that the Lebanese political elite, widely criticized for rampant corruption, will implement the reforms outlined in the IMF program. Nasser Saidi, a finance professional and former vice governor of Lebanon’s central bank, is among those who are skeptical that such a large-scale reform will ever take place. “This is good news if the set of Monetary-Fiscal-Governance-Structural reforms including banking sector restructuring are implemented. Highly unlikely!” he wrote on Twitter. In a…

The first GMC HUMMER EV Pickups for the 2022 model year have now been produced at Factory ZERO, and customer deliveries will begin shortly. GMC’s incredible supertruck is the first of many Ultium-based consumer vehicles that will be produced as part of General Motors’ vision for an electric future. Mark Reuss, GM President, said, “This truck helped us get closer to an all-electric future with speed and agility. With our Ultium Platform as the foundation for a broad range of applications, the GMC HUMMER EV offers our customers the ultimate in capability and performance.” GMC HUMMER EV Pickup VIN 001…

In February 2022, air travel rebounded strongly from January 2022, as Omicron-related impacts moderated outside Asia. February 2022 traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 115.9% over February 2021. Compared with January 2021, January 2022 showed an increase of 83.1%. But compared with February 2019, traffic fell by 45.5%. A 60.7% increase in domestic traffic was reported in February 2022 over the year-ago period, building on a 42.6% rise in January 2022. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there were wide variations in markets. There was a 21.8% drop in domestic traffic in February compared…

The Central Bank of Egypt reported a decrease of $3.91 billion in foreign reserves for the first time in 20 months. The Egyptian pound dropped again against the dollar on the black market on 21 July 2016, extending its recent decline despite central bank efforts to close the gap between demand and supply in the dollar-starved economy. Due to a 2011 uprising that caused tourists and foreign investors to leave, Egypt’s foreign currency reserves dropped to $16.56 billion from $36 billion. As a result, the black market for dollars has drained liquidity from the banking system, while the central bank…