The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) could utilise its comparative advantage in the production of wind energy, according to the World Wind Energy Council. With sufficient investment, up to 1.4TW of offshore wind can be made available in the region, the council said in its latest report. “The significant potential of offshore wind energy indicates that there can, and should, be development in the Middle East,” the report said. The Moroccan Government has been taking “serious steps” to expand offshore wind in the region, said the report. Saudi Arabia is also looking to develop 106GW of offshore wind capacity along its eastern and western coasts.

And there's countries that we're already working with in West Africa," Brown told reporters traveling with him.Building on those relationships may "provide opportunities for us to posture some of the capability we had in Niger in some other locations," he added.Brown declined to say which countries were under consideration. "We do not expect a large military construction announcement or a significant new base to appear anywhere," the second official said.POLITICAL UPHEAVALThe changing political landscape in West and Central Africa presents a dilemma for the United States. "The U.S. had solid partners in the region," said Catherine Nzuki at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The second U.S. official acknowledged that the U.S. military was taking stock of the rapid changes. And so I don't know if the door is completely closed," Brown said.

In a significant move towards advancing its digital infrastructure capabilities, Ooredoo Group has announced its partnership with NVIDIA, marking a pivotal step in fostering the AI revolution across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This collaboration solidifies Ooredoo’s commitment to becoming a leading digital infrastructure provider in the MENA region, leveraging NVIDIA’s cutting-edge accelerated computing platform. Strengthening Digital Infrastructure Ooredoo’s strategic alignment with NVIDIA as a Cloud Partner (NCP) underscores its proactive approach to enhancing technological innovation and accelerating digital transformation. By integrating NVIDIA’s advanced AI technologies into its infrastructure, Ooredoo aims to unlock new opportunities across various sectors, including healthcare, finance, education, and telecommunications. Working with NVIDIA, we aim to meet the significantly growing demand for accelerated computing infrastructure to support advanced AI models,” said Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group CEO of Ooredoo.

South Africa qualified for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a three-wicket win via the Duckworth Lewis method over hosts West Indies in a rain-truncated Super Eights match here. Put in to bat, West Indies rode on Roston Chase's 52 off 42 balls to post 135 for 8. In reply, South Africa were 15/2 in two overs when rain stopped play. The match was truncated by three overs with South Africa being set with a revised target of 123 in 17 overs. Brief Scores:West Indies: 135 for 8 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 52, Kyle Mayers 35; Tabraiz Shamsi 3/27) lost to South Africa (revised target of 123 in 17 overs.

Breaking NewsL’Oréal Launches Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program in North AsiaThe Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program expands to the Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan Region.

The World Bank’s annual Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report is a tool for monitoring and understanding the state of flaring worldwide and the progress made towards achieving zero routine flaring by 2030. When productively used, wasted flared gas can help displace dirtier energy sources, increase energy access in some of the world’s poorest countries and provide many countries with much-needed energy security. This sets global gas flaring levels back to what we experienced in 2019. The partnership developed global gas flaring estimates based on observations from a satellite launched in 2012 and operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Read the full Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report.

Analysis: New EU sanctions target Russian gas for the first time - but could have gone much furtherBy Ian King, business presenterThe EU today launched its 14th package of sanctions against Russia - this time targeting Vladimir Putin's liquefied natural gas exports (LNG) for the first time. The measure is the latest attempt by the bloc to deny Mr Putin's regime of money as his war on Ukraine drags into its 29th month. No EU bans on Russian gas yetThe sanctions, which will kick in after a nine-month transition period, fall short of an outright ban on Russian LNG shipments. The EU followed the lead of the United States and the UK in banning Russian oil imports, with one or two limited exceptions, in 2022 after Russia attacked Ukraine. Part of the package also targets specific vessels - including an initial 27 oil tankers - that are used to get around the price cap slapped on Russian oil by the G7 countries.

West Indies vs South Africa Live Score, T20 World Cup: Aiden MarkramLot of relief to get through to the semifinal. The wicket was playing nicely after the rain break but we tried to kill the game too early. If it wouldn't spun that much then we would have used our pacers, not a lot of times when Rabada bowls only 2 overs. We have been doing really well, the bowling unit is firing and as a batting unit it is about when to take the game on. I haven't been following but whoever it might be we have to put our best foot forward.

NTT DATA Middle East and Africa, a digital business and IT services entity, has recently received a Gold Medal Sustainability Rating from EcoVadis, one of the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. Set emissions goalsIn 2021, NTT DATA launched a sustainability initiative aimed at using technology to foster a better, more interconnected future for all. It set ambitious goals to achieve net-zero emissions in its data centers by 2030, in its offices and facilities by 2035, and across its entire value chain by 2040. This recognition highlights NTT DATA’s commitment to sustainability, placing it among the top 5% of sustainable companies globally, as acknowledged by EcoVadis. We have set incredibly ambitious sustainability targets that we hold ourselves accountable to across all our operations.

Mauritania has overtaken Senegal as the main departure point for those taking on the perilous Atlantic crossing to the Spain’s Canary Islands, during which more than 5,000 people died in the first five months of this year. 95% of migrants who try to reach Spain by sea do so on Atlantic Ocean crossings from West and Northwest Africa to the Canary Islands, a new report on the world’s deadliest migration route reveals. Some 83% of the 7,270 people who arrived in the Canary Islands in January 2024 – a 1,184% increase compared to the same month in 2023 – left from Mauritania. “Currently, most migrants are departing from Mauritania with different profiles. “When a route is shut, another one opens up,” Sani Ladan, a Madrid-based migration expert said.

Seoul, June 24 (IANS) US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed "strong" support for "any measures" taken by South Korea in response to the expanding illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in phone talks with his South Korean counterpart on Monday, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Campbell "expressed strong support for any measures taken by the South Korean side in response to the security threats posed by the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a release. They also expressed "grave concern" over the deepening military ties between the two isolated states and "strongly condemned" them, the ministry said. South Korea said it will reconsider its stance on the arms supply to Ukraine, indicating a possible policy shift to providing lethal aid to Kyiv. The two sides also exchanged opinions on the outcome of the security dialogue South Korea had with China last week, the ministry added.

North Sound (Antigua), June 24 (IANS) All-round South Africa beat the hosts West Indies by three wickets via DLS method in the Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to seal a semifinal spot. South Africa have been unbeaten in the seven matches of the tournament so far and have joined defending champions England in the semifinals. In response, South Africa was given a 123 target in 17 overs via DLS method after rain interrupted the match. South Africa suffered early hiccups with the wickets of Reeza Hendricks (0) and Quinton de Kock (12) in Andre Russell's second over. For West Indies, Chase grabbed three wickets while Russell and Joseph scalped two dismissals each.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea resumed launches of balloons likely carrying trash toward South Korea on Monday night, South Korea’s military said, in the latest round of a Cold War-style campaign on the Korean Peninsula. The statement asked South Korean citizens not to touch North Korean balloons and report them to military and police authorities. North Korea has reacted to past South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts and civilian balloon activities by firing rounds across the border, prompting South Korea to return fire, according to South Korea. The trash also included jeans, a banned item in North Korea; South Korean clothes that were badly damaged, likely by knives or scissors; and other items with imitation Disney characters. Earlier Monday, South Korea, the United States and Japan issued a joint statement strongly condemning expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

We would have liked to be a lot more convincing. The wicket was playing nicely after the rain break but we tried to kill the game too early. If it wouldn't spun that much then we would have used our pacers, not a lot of times when KG bowls only 2 overs. We have been doing really well, the bowling unit is firing and as a batting unit it is about when to take the game on. I haven't been following but whoever it might be we have to put our best foot forward.

Only two overs were bowled during the South African chase and if there is no further play possible, South Africa, with five points from three games, will qualify for the semi-final while co-hosts West Indies would be knocked out of the tournament.