Global Scans · Politics · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Break up of traditional political structures is on the cards in many parts of the world as technology brings challenges to slow and bureaucratic decision-making. New forms of more agile democratic structures are likely to emerge.

• National governments and EU policy makers are also coming under pressure from energy-intensive industries worried that high energy prices at home and subsidies handed out abroad will undermine the transition in Europe. Energy Connects
• The JRC recently assessed the influence of the ageing population on the cancer burden by 2040, assuming that incidence and mortality levels estimated for 2022 remain stable in the next decades. EU Science Hub
• The Federal Government has backed a wind farm and big battery project in South Australia, which will supply electricity to BHP's Olympic Dam copper mine. Australian Mining
• UK government will not rush to legislate, or risk implementing 'quick-fix' rules that would soon become outdated or ineffective. TechFinancials
• The Chinese government has been actively seeking to attract foreign capital since reopening, with high-level officials highlighting the important role foreign companies will play in China's post-pandemic recovery. China Briefing News
• Wind potential is widely distributed across countries even with socio-environmental protections, although in Angola, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo wind potential is limited to smaller areas due to either low wind speeds and/or extensive forest cover. Nature
• Based on population projections, France is expected to experience moderate population growth in the coming years. Geographic FAQ Hub: Answers to Your Global Questions
• The UK government needs to rebalance its position on artificial intelligence (AI) to consider the opportunities it offers. Silicon UK
• For South Asian, Caribbean, and African populations, we estimated predicted incidence rates for SBP levels ranging from the 5th to 95th percentiles with increments of 0.1 mmHg. BioMed Central
• The African and Caribbean population in the UK shows a 20-50% lower risk of CHD but a 1.5-2.5 times higher risk of stroke compared to the other ethnic groups [1, 2, 3, 4], which is different from the USA. BioMed Central
• The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology has recently chosen a group of quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms that will offer a cost-effective way to secure satellite communications against future quantum computer threats. Scientific American
• The advice from the Government Committee is not for a scenario of population decline or a scenario of high growth, but rather for moderate growth offering the best perspective for the Dutch population in 2050. Tilburg University
• Suppliers of electric vehicles are the big winners from the Albanese government's fuel efficiency standards with one industry group saying half of all new cars will be electric by 2029 and 100% by 2035 on the proposed trajectory. The Guardian
• To address the associated energy costs, the Singapore Government launched the world's first standard for optimising energy efficiency for data centers in tropical climates, which will result in data centers gradually increasing their running temperatures from 22 °C to 26 °C and above. The Royal Society of Victoria
• The Electric Vehicle (EV) industry has hit full speed, with the UK government pledging that all new cars will be zero emission by 2035. SweetCrudeReports
• Given the potential future of zero emission propulsion, government has convened an industry taskforce to maximise investment opportunities for the UK UK manufacturing of hydrogen propulsion systems. GOV.UK
• BRICS is the acronym denoting the emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which many predict will rank among the most influential economies in the coming decade. 5Pillars
• As governments and businesses worldwide prioritise renewable energy, the demand for solar power solutions is expected to skyrocket. IPS Inter Press Service Business
• The US decision to strike inside Iraq, relayed to the Iraqi government in advance, was always a high risk since political pressure has been mounting in the Iraqi parliament for months to conclude negotiations that end with an agreement for US troops to withdraw. The Guardian
• Regulatory perspective: The Ethiopian Banking Authority Corporate governance principles for Ethiopian Banks state that an effective risk governance framework requires robust communication about risk issues, including the Ethiopian bank's risk strategy. FinExtra
• Hamad Port, which offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman - plays a vital role in diversifying Qatar's economy and making it more competitive in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 goals. Zawya
• In 2024, the health sector will continue facing challenges from increasing non-communicable diseases, the ageing population, climate change, urbanization and globalization. vietnamnews.vn

Last updated: 07 February 2024