Saudi Arabia has secured a spot among the top 10 global markets for energy storage, reinforcing its leadership in renewable energy expansion. The milestone comes alongside the launch of the Bisha Project, a 2,000 MWh battery energy storage system—one of the largest in the Middle East and Africa. The Kingdom, through its National Renewable Energy Program, is targeting a total storage capacity of 48 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2030, with 26 GWh already tendered and progressing through various development stages.

Accelerating The Renewable Energy Transition

These projects are critical in driving Saudi Arabia’s ambitious renewable energy targets, which include generating 50% of the country’s electricity from clean sources by 2030. The Kingdom’s commitment to energy storage strengthens grid stability, ensuring a reliable power supply and optimizing the integration of solar and wind energy into the national energy mix.

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Saudi Arabia’s Position In The Global Market

According to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of rapidly expanding energy storage markets. The Kingdom plans to operate 8 GWh of storage capacity by 2025 and 22 GWh by 2026, positioning itself as the world’s third-largest market in this sector, trailing only China and the United States.

Bisha Battery Energy Storage Project

The recently launched Bisha battery energy storage project features 488 advanced battery containers with a 500 MW capacity, capable of storing power for up to four hours. The system enables charging during low-demand periods and discharging at peak times, bolstering grid resilience and ensuring backup power availability. This advancement not only enhances electricity supply management but also supports the Kingdom’s broader sustainability initiatives.

Energy Sector Transformation In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s energy sector is undergoing a significant transformation, further cementing its role as a leader in energy production and export. By the end of 2024, total renewable energy capacity across all development stages is expected to reach 44.1 GW.

Energy storage is set to play a pivotal role in this shift, enhancing grid reliability and supporting the national electricity network in managing emergency scenarios. These advancements align seamlessly with Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s blueprint for economic diversification and sustainability, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global powerhouse in the clean energy revolution.

Japan’s economy outpaced forecasts in the fourth quarter, driven by a surge in exports. However, economists caution that the numbers may not be as strong as they seem, with domestic demand still showing signs of weakness.

Key Takeaways

• Japan’s GDP grew 0.7% in Q4, exceeding the 0.3% increase economists predicted.
• Exports provided the main boost, while domestic demand remained sluggish.
• Capital spending rose by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, falling short of the 1% growth expected.
• Annual GDP growth hit 2.8%, well above the 1% forecast but driven largely by statistical revisions.
• The Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates to 0.5%, the highest level since 2008, setting the stage for further policy tightening.

A Closer Look: Real Growth Or Statistical Illusion?

Stefan Angrik, deputy director and senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, warned against reading too much into the numbers. Speaking with CNBC, he noted that the economy only appears to be expanding due to historical data revisions. Without them, Japan’s GDP would have shrunk in Q4.

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“Exports have been the key driver, while imports declined—highlighting the same weak domestic demand we’ve seen over the past two to three years. Maybe hold off on the champagne for now,” Angrik cautioned.

Looking Ahead: Caution Over Consumer Spending

Economists remain wary about Japan’s economic momentum in early 2025:

• Citi’s Katsuhiko Aiba predicts that consumption will remain weak into Q1 2025, with a full recovery likely only after Q2.
• Real wage growth is expected to stay negative, even as the government reinstates energy subsidies.
• Consumer spending saw a 2.7% jump in December, the first increase since July 2024, but prior months showed contractions of 0.4% (November) and 1.3% (October).

Despite the Q4 surprise, full-year GDP growth for 2024 came in at just 0.1%, a steep drop from 1.5% in 2023. Following the data release, Japan’s Nikkei 225 dipped 0.29%, while the yen strengthened by 0.2% to 152.02 per dollar.

With mixed signals from the economy, policymakers and investors will be watching closely to see whether Japan’s growth is truly sustainable—or just a statistical mirage.

Shein, the Chinese fast fashion juggernaut, is being forced to slash its targeted valuation in half as it prepares for a highly anticipated public listing. Once aiming for a market cap north of $60 billion, the company is now under mounting investor pressure and regulatory scrutiny, pushing its expected valuation down to around $30 billion.

Key Developments

• Shein is reportedly considering a $30 billion valuation for its London Stock Exchange debut, according to Bloomberg.
• Existing shareholders believe a lower valuation is necessary to ensure a successful IPO in the UK.
• The company still aims to go public in the first half of 2024, pending regulatory approvals in both the UK and China.
• Earlier this month, Reuters suggested Shein was willing to settle for a $50 billion valuation, a notable drop from the $66 billion it secured in 2023 fundraising rounds.

Strategic Shifts And Market Realities

Last week, the Financial Times reported that Shein’s London IPO may be delayed until the latter half of the year. The setback comes after the U.S. government eliminated a long-standing de minimis waiver, which previously allowed low-cost imports to bypass customs duties. This policy shift adds another layer of complexity for Shein, which relies heavily on cross-border e-commerce dynamics.

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With investor sentiment cooling and global trade regulations tightening, Shein’s path to an IPO is proving far less seamless than anticipated. As the company recalibrates expectations, its ability to navigate regulatory hurdles and market volatility will be critical in determining the success of its public debut.

Two films stole the show at this year’s BAFTA Awards—Conclave and The Brutalist, each securing four wins in major categories. While their triumphs set the stage for the Oscars, history suggests that BAFTA victories don’t always translate into Academy gold.

A Night Of Big Wins And Surprises

Leading the nominations race, Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, entered the night with 12 nods, followed by Emilia Perez with 11 and The Brutalist with 9. Ultimately, Conclave and The Brutalist walked away as the biggest winners, signaling their industry impact.

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One of the evening’s biggest upsets? Mikey Madison clinching Best Actress for Anora, shaking up predictions for the Oscars. Hosted by David Tennant, the ceremony kept audiences on edge, adding more uncertainty to an already unpredictable awards season.

Oscars Still Up For Grabs

If recent awards are any indication, the race for Best Picture remains wide open. The Critics Choice Awards and Producers Guild Awards both crowned Anora as the top film of 2024, while the Golden Globes split their honors, naming The Brutalist Best Drama and Emilia Perez Best Comedy. Now, with Conclave taking BAFTA’s top prize, the Oscar race is more unpredictable than ever.

Statistically speaking, a BAFTA win isn’t a guaranteed ticket to Oscar glory. Over the last decade, only two BAFTA Best Picture winners—Nomadland (2020) and Oppenheimer (2023)—went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. So while Conclave may have momentum, history warns against betting on a sure thing.

Key BAFTA Winners

• Best Film: Conclave
• Best British Film: Conclave
• Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
• Best Actress: Mikey Madison (Anora)
• Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (True Pain)
• Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez)
• Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
• Best Foreign Language Film: Emilia Perez
• Best Original Screenplay: True Pain
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Conclave
• Best Cinematography: The Brutalist
• Best Editing: Conclave
• Best Score: The Brutalist
• Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part II
• Best Documentary: Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story
• Best Animated Film: Wallace and Gromit: The Feathered Revenge
• BAFTA Rising Star Award: David Johnson
• BAFTA Fellowship: Warwick Davis

With just weeks to go before the Oscars, Hollywood remains on edge. Will BAFTA’s influence hold, or will the Academy take a different path? One thing’s for sure: this year’s race is far from decided.

Cyprus’s state budget for 2024 has shown solid performance, with revenue reaching 96% of projections and expenditure hitting 91%, according to the latest figures from the Treasury.

The 2024 budget saw a significant 16% increase in revenue, rising to €11.28 billion from €9.77 billion in 2023. This growth was largely driven by a rise in both indirect and direct taxes—up by €0.68 billion and €0.61 billion, respectively. Meanwhile, expenditure grew by 13%, totaling €13.6 billion, with the increase mainly attributed to higher loan repayments (€0.91 billion) and increases in salaries, pensions, and gratuities (€0.40 billion).

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Despite the strong revenue growth, total state revenue for 2024 amounted to €10.81 billion, or 96% of the budgeted target. This marks a slight decline compared to last year’s 102% revenue implementation rate, primarily due to lower loan disbursements and a slight reduction in indirect tax collection.

Expenditure for 2024 was in line with projections, maintaining the same 91% implementation rate as in 2023, amounting to €12.42 billion.

Key highlights include a €0.15 billion (4%) increase in indirect taxes, mainly from higher VAT revenues (€3.08 billion in 2024 versus €2.96 billion in 2023). Direct taxes also saw a notable increase, up by €0.58 billion (18%) to €3.47 billion, thanks to a rise in income tax revenues.

Loan disbursements have increased by 3%, with long-term foreign loans contributing to the rise (€1.17 billion in 2024, up from €1.14 billion in 2023).

Overall, the 2024 budget reflects Cyprus’s stable fiscal management, with robust revenue growth helping to cover higher expenditures, even as the government continues to manage its loan commitments.

In a move that’s earning Cyprus international praise, schoolchildren are playing a key role in turning used cooking oil into biodiesel. The “Tiganokinisi” or “frying pan” initiative, which has been integrated into the country’s national curriculum since 2018, is revolutionizing the recycling process, one bottle of oil at a time.

With over 80,000 students engaged annually, the project has schools acting as collection hubs for used cooking oil. The oil, sourced from homes across the island, is then filtered and transformed into biodiesel, tackling a global environmental problem: the disposal of millions of liters of cooking oil that often end up clogging drains, contaminating water supplies, and causing landfill fires.

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Xenia Loizidou, chair of the AKTI Project and Research Centre, which coordinates the initiative, explained the scale of the challenge: “The logistics are huge to collect this half-litre of cooking oil from each of our houses.” Despite the challenges, the program has already managed to capture about 10% of Cyprus’s annual 2,000-tonne cooking oil waste.

The project has also proven to be an educational goldmine. Students not only contribute to recycling efforts but are also given a say in how the proceeds are spent—funding green initiatives like photovoltaic panels, water fountains, and aromatic gardens in their schools. Over €550,000 has been allocated for these projects since the program’s inception.

In 2021, U.S. energy giant Chevron stepped in to fund the mobile science laboratory that travels to schools across Cyprus, furthering the program’s reach. “We quickly realized this was a great fit for us,” said Kristian Svendsen, Chevron’s regional manager for Egypt and Cyprus. The initiative has now visited over 500 schools, spreading awareness of both recycling and renewable energy.

With its blend of environmental activism, education, and community involvement, “Tiganokinisi” has garnered attention worldwide, winning accolades from the European Commission for social innovation and from the Global Education Network Europe for excellence in global education.

This pioneering initiative shows how Cyprus is stepping up to tackle waste while teaching a generation of students that “waste” can have value—and that value can help power the future.

Cyprus has recorded a solid 2.6% GDP growth in real terms for the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the latest flash estimate from the Cyprus Statistical Service (CySTAT).

When adjusted for seasonal and working day variations, the real GDP growth rate rises slightly to 2.9%, reflecting an overall positive economic trajectory.

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Key contributors to this growth include the “Hotels and Restaurants,” “Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles,” and “Information and Communication” sectors. However, the “Construction” sector experienced a decline, registering negative growth.

In comparison to the third quarter of 2024, the fourth quarter saw a modest 0.3% increase in GDP, further highlighting the continued strength of the Cypriot economy heading into the new year.

In a transformative leap for children’s healthcare, Cyprus is set to break ground on a new Pediatric Oncology Clinic in Nicosia, following the signing of a €10 million agreement at the Presidential Palace. The clinic, backed by the Cleanthous Foundation, promises to elevate the island’s cancer care to international standards, offering hope and advanced treatment for young patients battling cancer and hematological diseases.

President Nikos Christodoulides, who attended the agreement ceremony, hailed the project as an “investment in life, hope, and the future.” The deal was officially sealed by Health Minister Michalis Damianos, State Health Services Organisation (Okypy) President Marinos Kallis, and Maria Charalambidou, the President of the Cleanthous Foundation. The new clinic will be strategically located on state-owned land near Makarios Hospital, with Okypy overseeing its management once completed.

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This initiative is poised to make Cyprus a regional leader in pediatric cancer care. As President Christodoulides noted, with the Cleanthous Foundation’s contribution, the island could become a vital hub for the treatment of childhood cancer, extending its influence far beyond its borders. The foundation’s commitment, he emphasized, is a gift not only to Cyprus but to the entire region.

Maria Charalambidou, in her address, shared the foundation’s vision of not only providing top-tier medical treatment but also fostering a nurturing environment where children can continue to learn and grow. The clinic’s design includes dedicated research spaces, reflecting the foundation’s aim to enhance Cyprus’ role in childhood cancer research.

Okypy’s Marinos Kallis also provided important context, revealing that approximately 42 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed each year in Cyprus. Alarmingly, there has been a notable increase in thyroid cancer among adolescents, particularly girls aged 15 to 19. However, the good news is that the cure rate for childhood cancers in Cyprus stands at an impressive 100%.

This €10 million project is more than just a clinic—it symbolizes hope, innovation, and compassion for the youngest patients facing their toughest battles.

TikTok is once again available for download in the Apple and Google app stores in the US, following a delay in the enforcement of its ban by former President Donald Trump. The ban’s postponement until April 5 gives the administration additional time to evaluate the situation.

Key Developments

The decision to restore TikTok access came after Google and Apple received reassurances from the Trump administration that they would not face legal consequences for reinstating the Chinese-owned app. According to Bloomberg, US Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter outlining these guarantees.

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In an executive order signed on January 20, Trump instructed the attorney general not to take enforcement action for 75 days, providing time for his administration to determine how to proceed.

Uncertain Future For TikTok In The US

While TikTok is back on the US app stores, its long-term survival remains uncertain. If no deal is reached by early April to address national security concerns, the app may face another shutdown. ByteDance, the parent company, has insisted that TikTok is not for sale.

Legislation And Pressure On ByteDance

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Enemy-Controlled Apps Act, which passed with bipartisan support in Congress, mandates a nationwide ban on TikTok unless ByteDance sells its US operations. This law was signed by President Joe Biden in April of last year.

In late January, the app was briefly removed from US stores following the ban’s activation, impacting over 170 million American users. However, TikTok was restored soon after, following Trump’s intervention in his first hours as president. During that time, he signed an executive order allowing 75 days for a deal that would safeguard national security. Trump also suggested that the US could take a 50% stake in TikTok, a move he believed would keep the app “in good hands.”

Global electricity demand is projected to increase by 4% annually until 2027, a rate that surpasses Japan’s entire current electricity consumption. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the rapid rise in demand is expected to be mitigated somewhat by a shift toward low-emission energy sources like renewables and nuclear power.

Emerging Economies Lead Demand Growth

The vast majority of this demand growth will come from emerging and developing economies, with China playing a dominant role, contributing over half of the global increase. China’s electricity consumption is forecast to grow at a 6% annual rate through 2027, largely driven by its energy-intensive industrial sector and booming production of solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles. India is also expected to play a key role, contributing 10% of global demand growth due to strong economic activity and surging air conditioning use.

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Developed Economies Set For A Turnaround

In developed economies, such as the US, electricity demand, which had previously been stagnant, is expected to grow due to the increased electrification of sectors like transportation, heating, and data centers. However, the European Union’s outlook has been revised downward, with expected growth in 2025 now pegged at 1.6%. This reflects a weaker macroeconomic environment, and the EU may not recover to 2021 demand levels until at least 2027, despite a growth rebound in 2024.

Renewables To Meet Growing Demand

Low-emission energy sources, including renewables and nuclear power, are expected to increasingly meet global electricity demand. Solar power is forecast to become the second-largest low-emission source by 2027, after hydropower. Notably, renewables are set to overtake coal as the leading power generation source by 2025, with coal’s share in the energy mix dipping below 33% for the first time in a century, according to the IEA.