Wednesday, May 27

World

Restore access to all PEPFAR-supported HIV services immediately
No Comments
World

Restore access to all PEPFAR-supported HIV services immediately

IAS – the International AIDS Society – notes the decision to waive the suspension of “life-saving humanitarian assistance”, including “core life-saving medicine.” This should now ensure that HIV treatment disbursed by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) can continue across all PEPFAR-supported countries.   The Trump administration froze foreign aid funding, including to PEPFAR and, unexpectedly on 24 January, it imposed a stop-work order on existing operations. Clinic staff were sent home, distribution of ARVs bought with US funds was halted – cutting off HIV treatment for 20.6 million people. On 28 January, new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a temporary waiver of aspects of this freeze.  “Since its bipartisan creation, PEPFAR has ...
Read More
DeepSeek a ‘wake-up call’ for US tech firms, Trump says
No Comments
World

DeepSeek a ‘wake-up call’ for US tech firms, Trump says

US President Donald Trump has called the rise of Chinese company DeepSeek "a wake-up call" for the US tech industry, after the emergence of its artificial intelligence (AI) model triggered shockwaves on Wall Street.  Shares in major tech firms such as Nvidia fell sharply, with the chip giant losing almost $600bn (£482bn) in market value. What has shaken the industry is DeepSeek's claim that its R1 model was made at a fraction of the cost of its rivals - raising questions about the future of America's AI dominance and the scale of investments US firms are planning. DeepSeek has become the most downloaded free app in the US just a week after it was launched. Responding to the news, Trump said the latest developments in China's AI industry may be "a positive" for the US. ...
Read More
UAEREP Announces Call for Submissions for Sixth Cycle Grant
No Comments
World

UAEREP Announces Call for Submissions for Sixth Cycle Grant

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) has opened its 6th cycle for submissions of innovative research proposals, offering a grant of up US$1.5 million (AED5.511 million) for each winning project proposal. The grant will be distributed among up to three innovative research projects over three years. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the 7th International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF) which commenced today in Abu Dhabi. The program welcomes innovative research proposals that prioritize five core research areas: Optimized Seeding Materials, Novel Cloud Formation and/or Rain Enhancement Systems, Autonomous UAS, Limited-Area Climate Interventions, and Advanced Models, Software, and Data. His Exc...
Read More
Bankole Adeoye lauded for championing democracy, stability in Africa
No Comments
World

Bankole Adeoye lauded for championing democracy, stability in Africa

Mr Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the African Union Commission (AUC), has been commended for his outstanding role in advancing democratic governance and electoral stability across the continent in 2024.Under his leadership, the AU undertook election observation missions in 15 countries with recent successes in Ghana, Botswana and Namibia. Some co-observers told journalists that these peacefully conducted elections, demonstrating a strong commitment to electoral integrity, were impacted by Mr Adeoye’s strategic focus on political engagement and institutional strengthening.  They praised him for playing a significant role in these achievements. His leadership, they pointed out, transcended traditional election monitoring by incorporati...
Read More
Saudi Arabia to Host Regular World Economic Forum Global Meeting
No Comments
World

Saudi Arabia to Host Regular World Economic Forum Global Meeting

 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host a regular high-level World Economic Forum (WEF) global meeting in Riyadh, with the first slated for the Spring of 2026, it was announced today. The announcement was made today by His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, and BørgeBrende, World Economic Forum President, on the final day of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The global WEF meeting in Riyadh will serve as a vital platform for global leaders, experts, policy- and decision-makers from diverse fields including the public and private sectors, academia, international organizations, and civil society to convene and address the challenges defining our world.  His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim,...
Read More
WEF25: Saudi Arabia “rewriting the economic playbook”
No Comments
World

WEF25: Saudi Arabia “rewriting the economic playbook”

Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting today shared its strategy for rewriting the economic playbookduring several key sessions, including one led by the Kingdom on its economic transformation.  In the session titled ‘Saudi Arabia’s Economic Shifts’, His Excellency Mohammed A. Aljadaan, Minister of Finance, described the main forces driving the Kingdom’s transformation: “The whole nation has been mobilized behind Saudi Vision 2030. There’s a very clear vision that the people, the business community, and the government are all driving towards. We have a leadership that takes a long-term view, prepared to make tough decisions, and to be consistent.” Earlier...
Read More
: IAS warns of dire impact of global gag rule
No Comments
World

: IAS warns of dire impact of global gag rule

IAS – the International AIDS Society – warns that the reinstatement of the “global gag rule” will have dire consequences for the HIV response, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.   The rule, officially called the Mexico City Policy, prohibits foreign organizations that receive US health aid from providing, referring for or advocating for abortion services, regardless of whether non-US funds are used for these services. Within days of being sworn in as US President, Donald Trump signed an executive order that reinstated the policy. His predecessor, Joe Biden, had rescinded President Trump’s previous imposition of the policy. “The cost of reimposing this rule will be paid in hardship, human lives and a reversal of some of the most important gains in th...
Read More
PEPFAR freeze threatens millions of lives
No Comments
World

PEPFAR freeze threatens millions of lives

IAS – the International AIDS Society – warns that the immediate halting of funding to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief(PEPFAR), including a stop-work order for existing grants and contracts, places millions of lives in jeopardy. On Day 1 of taking office as US President, Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned any new government spending on foreign aid projects. This was followed by an unexpected “stop-work order” issued on 24 January, which means that funding to PEPFAR, even for existing grants and contracts, is frozen. “This is a matter of life or death,” IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn said. “PEPFAR provides lifesaving antiretrovirals for more than 20 million people – and stopping its funding essentially stops their HIV treatment....
Read More
WEF25: Saudi delegation calls for nations to put “greater good” first
No Comments
World

WEF25: Saudi delegation calls for nations to put “greater good” first

The international community must prioritize cooperation and dialogue to overcome the challenges of a fragmented world, the Saudi delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 said today. Calling for global collaboration to shape a prosperous future, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, said: “When we prioritize the greater good over narrow interests, we can work towards something that delivers for all of us. And although we will face difficult challenges this year, and in the years to come, I have to hope that we will all, as the global community, focus on working together on solving problems.” Discussing global trade,...
Read More
WEF25: Saudi foreign minister says Middle East has “opportunity to turn a page” following Gaza ceasefire
No Comments
World

WEF25: Saudi foreign minister says Middle East has “opportunity to turn a page” following Gaza ceasefire

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, today said the Middle East has an opportunity to shape a prosperous future following the Gaza ceasefire deal which came into effect at the start of the week.  “We are certainly in a region that is abundant with risk factors. But we are also in a region that has huge potential. Even with a very difficult year behind us, we have shown we can be resilient as a region and we can look to the future, whether it’s the Kingdom, the GCC countries and their ability to stay on track with their economic agendas. But also, as we see now with Syria, Lebanon, and possibly now in Gaza – there is...
Read More
//omg10.com/4/3711026