Middle East & North Africa

UAE: UN atomic chief backs nuclear power at COP28 as world reckons with proliferation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The world wants more nuclear energy as a means to fight climate change and supply an ever-growing demand for electricity, part of a generational shift in thinking on atomic power, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday.

Top world leaders talk of climate crisis at UN summit. They say they must act on fossil fuels, war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dozens of world leaders said they know the planet’s dangerously overheating and they are trying to keep it from getting worse. The next step is to turn their soaring rhetoric voiced at the beginning of the United Nations climate conference into action.

In the first of two days of the two-week summit, presidents, prime ministers and royals from nations rich and poor trotted up to the microphone Friday to lay out commitments to reduce how much their countries spew heat-trapping gases and asked their colleagues to do better.

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza resume after weeklong truce with Hamas ends

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s war with Hamas erupted again Friday, as airstrikes hit houses and buildings in the Gaza Strip minutes after a weeklong truce expired. Black smoke billowed from the besieged territory, where health authorities reported dozens of Palestinians killed and Israel dropped leaflets over Gaza City and southern parts of the enclave, urging civilians to flee to avoid the fighting.

Militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel, and fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants operating along its northern border with Lebanon.

Türkiye's central bank reserves record historic high

ANKARA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The total reserves of the Turkish central bank reached a historic high of 136.49 billion U.S. dollars as of the end of last week, according to the data announced by the bank on Thursday.

Among the reserves, 90.99 billion dollars were foreign currency reserves while 45.49 billion were gold reserves.

Since May, the bank's total gross reserves surged 38.35 billion dollars, or 38.6 percent. There has been an upward momentum in the bank's reserves since June.

China-Ethiopia seminar urges enhanced cooperation on TVET development

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Experts and policymakers attending a high-level academic exchange seminar on Wednesday on China-Africa collaboration in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and occupational standards called for enhanced Sino-Ethiopian cooperation in TVET development.

Palestine: Truce in Gaza lasts another day and more hostages are freed, but tougher talks ahead

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed at the last minute Thursday to extend their cease-fire in Gaza by another day to allow more hostages and prisoners to be released. But any further renewal of the truce, now in its seventh day, could prove more daunting since Hamas is expected to set a higher price for many of the remaining hostages.

UN weather agency says 2023 is the hottest year on record, warns of further climate extremes ahead

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.N. weather agency said Thursday that 2023 is all but certain to be the hottest year on record, and warning of worrying trends that suggest increasing floods, forest fires, glacier melt, and heat waves in the future.

The World Meteorological Organization also warned that the average temperature for the year is up some 1.4 degrees Celsius (2.5 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times – a mere one-tenth of a degree under a target limit for the end of the century as laid out by the Paris climate accord in 2015.

UAE: UN atomic chief backs nuclear power at COP28 as world reckons with proliferation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The world wants more nuclear energy as a means to fight climate change and supply an ever-growing demand for electricity, part of a generational shift in thinking on atomic power, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday.

UAE: Pressure builds to eliminate fossil fuel use as oil executive, under fire, takes over climate talks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Pressure to phase out fossil fuels mounted Thursday on the oil company chief who took over fragile international climate negotiations that opened in Dubai amid concerns about what some say is contradictory dual roles.

Pakistan: Caretaker PM arrives in Dubai to attend COP-28

DUBAI, Nov 29 (APP): Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday arrived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to attend the 28th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP-28).

Minister for Justice of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi and the Pakistani diplomatic staff welcomed the prime minister at Dubai’s Al-Maktoum airport, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

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