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Biomass is under threat as the leading source of renewable energy in the European Union (EU) under controversial proposals to cap use of primary woody biomass and end subsidies by the end of 2026. Bioenergy Europe figures (1) show that 69.6% of biomass energy feedstock used in Europe comes from woody biomass, which are forestry and wood industry residues with the remaining feedstock sourced 18.3% from agricultural biomass and 12.1% biowaste.…

EGYPTIAN businesses are struggling to import goods due to an ongoing shortage of US dollars, while the Egyptian pound has depreciated by over half in less than a year and inflation is in the double digits. Such issues, along with tough import requirements, has pushed businesses to resort to roundabout, sometimes illicit, means to stay afloat.…

Researchers at the University of Sherbrooke, in Québec, supported by CMC Microsystems, are helping build sensors to detect ‘dark matter’ – the unknown substance that scientists think makes up about 27% of the universe. That, combined with the equally undetectable dark energy (68% of the universe says physics research centre CERN), can be inferred by its gravitational pull on stars and planets.…

Brazil’s economy has been either contracting or sluggish for the last decade, but the country’s strong dairy sector hopes this year could be different. With a new President in charge of the most populous South American nation since January 1, business leaders say exports could revive the industry, even if the local market continues to be in poor shape.…

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has updated its Principles for the Regulation and Supervision of Commodity Derivatives Markets, the first major overhaul of this core guidance since 2011. IOSCO said the changes were designed “to provide a resilient framework for the regulation and oversight of the commodity derivatives markets”, taking account of recent market developments and international events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.…

China’s Zhongguancun Inspection, Testing and Certification Industry Technology Alliance has released a standard to promote Chinese conformity with European Union’s (EU) REACH chemical control regulation in the automotive industry. The standard proposes REACH-compliant restrictions on REACH-regulated automotive chemicals, including paints and coatings.…

US and Ireland-based autonomous vehicle (AV) technology supplier Aptiv is one of many AV initiatives using the Asian city state of Singapore as a testbed for such vehicles, related sensors and relevant electronic components. The country’s proactivity on AVs has led to four generations of autonomous vehicles being approved for eventual use by Singapore transport authorities, which include models from Audi and BMW.…

A desire to contribute to nation-building and improve standards of universities within Somalia is luring Somali intellectuals to return home to work in academia.

Professor Abdullahi Barise, the founding president of the City University of Mogadishu, said his institutions and others were welcoming this increasing number of foreign-educated Somalia lecturers and professors.…

Ford Europe’s February 14 announcement that it will axe 3,800 jobs in Europe over the next three years is designed to ensure the US major’s European arm survives as a more focused electric vehicle (EV) brand, but some experts wonder Ford can prevent this key wing downsizing further in future.…

Brazil’s biofuel industry is putting pressure on the country’s new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to make significant reversals to the laissez-faire policies implemented by his right-wing predecessor Jair Bolsonaro to boost the domestic market in 2023. The sector is concerned about a sluggish economy, which the OECD says will grow just 1.2% in 2023 (inflation stands at 5.77% – January figures).…