News from October 2023
Blinken discusses Israel attacks with Jordan's foreign minister
By Globe Banner | Oct 11, 2023
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken engaged in a conversation with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi.
OAS condemns Nicaraguan government's actions against education and religious freedoms
By Globe Banner | Oct 11, 2023
The Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council has voiced strong condemnation of the actions by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo.
World Bank Food Security Update: Rising Food Insecurity Threatens Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goals
By Globe Banner | Oct 9, 2023
The World Bank recently released a Food Security Update, reporting fluctuations in agricultural and export price indices. The report highlights concerns about achieving food- and agriculture-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reveals that 238 million people in 48 countries face acute food insecurity.
Israel views attacks as declaration of war by Iran
By Globe Banner News Service | Oct 8, 2023
"This is not just a battle between Israel and Hamas, it is a war with Iran,” according to Israel’s former Brigadier General Amir Avivi in an exclusive interview with Globe Banner.
The Director-General of WTO admits that 20 years of negotiations on the trade aspects of cotton have failed to reach their final and main result
By Globe Banner | Oct 7, 2023
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has acknowledged that two decades of negotiations on the trade aspects of cotton have failed to achieve their intended goals. Speaking at the opening of "World Cotton Day 2023" hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna, Okonjo-Iweala called on WTO members to take decisive action on cotton at the upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference in February.
WTO economists scale back growth in global merchandise trade in 2023
By Globe Banner | Oct 7, 2023
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has revised its growth projections for global merchandise trade in 2023, indicating a downward trend. According to the latest WTO trade forecast released on October 5th, economists have scaled back the growth predicted for next year. It is now expected that the volume of world merchandise trade will only grow by 0.8% this year, which is less than half of the 1.7% increase that was forecasted in April. However, there is some hope for a recovery, as the projected growth of 3.3% for 2024 remains relatively unchanged from previous estimates.
Walgreens employees walkout between Monday and Wednesday next week
By Globe Banner | Oct 7, 2023
Walgreens, a popular pharmaceutical general store in the US, has numerous employees planning to walk out on strike next Monday and Wednesday, as reported by CNN. This is because of what the employees call burdensome prescription and vaccination expectations placed on pharmacists.
Exxon Mobil's high energy prices take their toll on consumers, the White House struggling to blame them
By Globe Banner | Oct 7, 2023
Exxon Mobil's high energy prices take their toll on consumers, the White House struggling to blame them
Monsha’at, Saudi Arabia's leading entrepreneur, participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2023
By Globe Banner | Oct 7, 2023
Monsha’at, also known as the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recently participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2023 (GEC23) in Riyadh. The congress brought together leading entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia to discuss the growth of entrepreneurship in the kingdom.
WTO Members applaud Comoros' progress in finalizing accession negotiations before MC13
By Globe Banner | Oct 6, 2023
WTO member nations commended the notable strides made by Comoros in concluding its WTO accession negotiations at the ninth session of the Working Party on the Accession of the Union of the Comoros to the WTO. The Comoros delegation reaffirmed that its committed to formally enter the WTO by signing its accession protocol at the upcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) according to a press release.
Binance, Chainalysis event highlights importance of collaboration and compliance to prevent cybercrime
By Globe Banner | Oct 6, 2023
Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, and Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm, recently co-hosted an event titled "Securing the Future of Crypto" in Seoul. The event highlighted the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors to prevent crimes related to digital assets. Members of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), who were in attendance, participated in the event.
Microsoft's latest testimony in Big Tech lawsuit fails to address consumer harm
By Globe Banner | Oct 6, 2023
Amidst what is being called the biggest tech antitrust trial since the 90s, Microsoft testified in federal court on October 2. According to live courtroom updates, there has not been any mention of Google's search engine dominance causing consumer harm.
U.S. resumes deportation flights for undocumented Venezuelans
By Globe Banner | Oct 6, 2023
The United States government has announced the resumption of direct repatriations of Venezuelan nationals who enter the country unlawfully and lack a legal basis to remain.
Binance confident of a constructive solution before mid-2024 MiCA stablecoin deadline
By Globe Banner | Oct 4, 2023
Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, has expressed its support for the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulations, calling it a positive step forward for the crypto industry. However, the exchange also highlighted the need for further clarification and engagement with regulators to ensure that MiCA achieves its intended goals.
Providing real relief for SMEs – BusinessEurope’s SME Roadshow in Rome
By Globe Banner | Oct 4, 2023
On Oct 4, 2023, BusinessEurope, in partnership with its Italian member federation Confindustria, hosted the second of its SME Roadshow events in Rome. The event featured keynote speeches from Roberta Metsola, European Parliament President, and Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Market, focusing on SMEs’ path to the twin green and digital transitions in the context of the European Commission’s recently announced SME Relief Package.Fabrice Le Saché, Chair of BusinessEurope’s Entrepreneurship & SME Committee, emphasized the importance of the Commission's proposals...
Visa program addresses global friendly fraud losses for small businesses
By Globe Banner | Oct 4, 2023
Visa has announced enhancements to its dispute program aimed at helping small businesses combat first-party misuse, also known as friendly fraud, in card-not-present transactions. These changes to Visa's Dispute Rules and Processes will provide small businesses globally with additional resources to tackle fraud, potentially resulting in savings of more than $1 billion over the next five years, according to a press release.
Thai law enforcement official: 'Binance remains an essential ally in our combat against scams and cybercrimes'
By Globe Banner | Oct 3, 2023
Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanatus Kangruambutr, Inspector of the Cyber Support Unit in the High-Tech Crime Division at Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, recently thanked Binance for its assistance in dismantling a group of criminal scammers who preyed on thousands of victims. This operation was the second recent instance in which Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, assisted Thai law enforcement in disrupting organized criminal networks.
U.S. Consulate offers services in Vilcabamba and Loja this October
By Globe Banner | Oct 3, 2023
The U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil has announced that its representatives will be available to provide notarial services and accept passport applications in Vilcabamba on October 25, 2023, and in Loja on October 26, 2023.
U.S.-Ecuador collaboration enhances healthcare facilities at Shushufindi Hospital
By Globe Banner | Oct 3, 2023
The U.S. Government has invested $1.6 million in the renovation of Shushufindi Hospital, located in Sucumbíos, Ecuador.
DG Okonjo-Iweala urges WTO members to prioritize development goals at MC13
By Globe Banner | Oct 2, 2023
During the 6th South-South Dialogue on Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Development, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized the potential of the upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) to advance trade outcomes in alignment with LDCs' development goals. Nearly 80 representatives from LDCs and their collaborators participated in the gathering to deliberate on trade and development priorities in preparation for MC13 according to a press release.