Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages during the first phase of an emerging ceasefire agreement being finalized by negotiators in Doha, two Israeli officials said. Israel believes that most of the 33 hostages are alive, a senior Israeli official told reporters on Monday, but the bodies of deceased hostages will also likely be among…
While they continued to emphasize that officials will remain cautious until the negotiations produce a final deal to end the Gaza conflict, as of Monday, the sources said US officials believe a ceasefire agreement could very well be announced in the forthcoming last days of President Joe Biden’s time in office. Another source said that…
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday signed a bill restricting the use of smartphones at school, following a global trend for such limitations. The move will impact students at elementary and high schools across the South American nation starting in February. It provides a legal framework to ensure students only use such…
Venezuela’s foreign minister on Monday accused opponents of President Nicolás Maduro as being linked to damages at the country’s diplomatic facilities in five nations. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil in a statement said the vandalism was coordinated by grassroots groups known as “comanditos” – meaning small commandos – but he did not offer any evidence to…
Surrounded by forest-covered mountains cloaked in mist, a patchwork quilt of green farmland and steel-blue waves breaking on mangrove-strewn mudflats, Lai Chi Wo does not look like it belongs in Hong Kong. The remote 300-year-old village is one of the city’s oldest settlements — and one of its most biodiverse. Its location is no accident:…
As data breaches and cyberattacks rise, cybersecurity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are gaining traction. The term cybersecurity originated in 1989, and today is defined as the measures taken to protect a computer or computer system against unauthorized access or cyberattack threats. These measures can include people, policies and processes. The number of security incidents is increasing…
Zinc was among the best-performing base metals in 2024. It experienced a 13 percent gain, rising from US$2,621 per metric ton (MT) to US$2,979 by the end of the year. Like copper, zinc faced concentrate shortages in 2024. This situation has led to curtailments at Chinese refiners, which have been forced to compete for limited…
Rare earths prices saw some gains in May 2024, fueled by positive sentiment over consumer demand in China. While both dysprosium (Dy) and neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxides benefited from this positivity, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence notes that Dy oxides registered the largest gain, moving 10 percent high month-on-month. “This was the first-time rare earths prices had recovered…
Today’s pharmaceutical market is facing the challenges of inflation, government-imposed drug price caps and waning demand for COVID-19 vaccines. However, the industry’s major underlying drivers — higher rates of cancer and chronic diseases — are still at play. The US reigns supreme in the pharma market, both in terms of drug demand and development. In…
The pharmaceutical industry is poised for a dynamic year in 2025. A confluence of positive trends suggests a brighter outlook ahead after declining earnings in recent years. According to ZS consultant Cody Powers, lower interest rates could increase investment in biopharma, boosting research and development (R&D) into promising new indications, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and…
