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WHILE investment into nuclear energy continues, especially in emerging market countries such as China, in Europe, this sector continues to dwindle in size, with some key countries sticking to plans to phase out the technology.

Concerns about safety and the environmental cost of its waste have encouraged Belgium, for example, to stick to its goal, as laid down in a January 2003 law (1), of stopping any nuclear energy production within the country by 2025, experts have told Energy World.…

A BIOFUEL research group has released a report that argues the feedstocks currently used by the world’s only refiner of bio-based aviation fuels cannot be increased to a large scale, and any significant increase would boost carbon emissions anyway. Biofuelwatch, a UK/US research and advocacy group assessing the impact of large-scale bioenergy, concludes that the model used by Paramount, California-based refinery, owned by Boston, USA-based World Energy, is “not scaleable”.…

Somalia education officials are moving ahead with comprehensive assessment of the country’s universities and colleges as this year begins. The assessment is being carried out by the ministry of education, culture and higher education’s National Higher Education Commission (NHEC), with the goal of ensuring higher education quality does not fall below unacceptable standards.…

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic sparked predictions that the shift of textile industrial capacity from China to lower cost neighbouring countries could intensify, but analysts talking to Twist International say the trend may have stalled in the past year. While production capacity of China’s textile industry has indeed in recent years shifted to south and southeast Asia, some of these transfers have not run smoothly.…

THE TOBACCO industry will be keeping a close eye on the latest set of reforms to the European Union’s (EU) chemical control legislation, which will impose new controls on accidental chemical mixtures, products incorporated chemicals and will change the tobacco products directive (TPD).…

THE ARAB Spring has had a mixed record of success as regards liberalization, but one recent bright spot has been the revolution in Sudan, which in 2018 and 2019 swept away 30 years of despotism under former President Omar al-Bashir. This rebellion, notable for its active nurturing by professional classes, has so far spawned a sustainable ‘Sovereignty Council’ government committed to democracy.…

WHEN governments talk about how to reduce the risk of terrorism, the most oft-voiced policies are security-based: detecting and cracking down on extremist cells and targeting online propaganda.

But the reality is that a more effective way of reducing societies’ exposure to criminal groups seeking to achieve political ends through violence and fear is simply to make regular life more interesting.…

The size of India’s biscuit and cookie market, valued at USD4.7 billion in 2019 by GlobalData, registered a sudden expansion during the Covid-19 related lockdown, due to a sharp increase in at-home consumption. The industry is growing at a rate of 9.7% annually, according to figures released by GlobalData, with sales moving towards healthier premium categories, such as low sugar digestive biscuits.…

The size of India’s biscuit and cookie market, valued at USD4.7 billion in 2019 by GlobalData, registered a sudden expansion during the Covid-19 related lockdown, due to a sharp increase in at-home consumption. The industry is growing at a rate of 9.7% annually, according to figures released by GlobalData, with sales moving towards healthier premium categories, such as low sugar digestive biscuits.…

Unprecedently severe bottlenecks in merchandise trades between Asia and the rest of the world caused by Covid-19 economic disruption is continuing to frustrate apparel retailers in Europe and the US. High levels of demand, port congestion and shortages of containers have been pushing up costs, with shipping rates for the Shanghai-Rotterdam and Shanghai-Los Angeles routes on January 21 being up 296% and 153% year-on-year respectively, according to UK-based maritime consultancy Drewry. …