Norway's monumental wealth fund to reassess investment in Israel
Headline: Global Food Shortages Decline, but Climate Change and Political Tensions Persist
The world saw a slight decrease in the percentage of people experiencing food shortages over the past year, according to the World Health Organization. Southern Asia and Latin America, in particular, made significant gains, with the percentage of the global population affected falling from 8.7% in 2022 to 8.5% in 2023 and 8.2% in 2024.
However, other challenges continue to loom. Child stunting and food insecurity levels have decreased, but adult obesity has risen, with more obese people worldwide than underweight ones since 2016. Asia is grappling with extreme weather as climate change makes monsoon season more erratic, and communities are struggling to adapt.
Meanwhile, political tensions and economic pressures are causing friction between nations. The US is exerting pressure on India, while its regional rival Pakistan is strengthening ties with Washington. Donald Trump has threatened 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and doubled down on his threats against India for buying Russian oil. India, however, remains defiant in the face of these threats.
In other news, Brazil's Supreme Court has put former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest ahead of his trial over an alleged coup plot. On the other hand, BP made a significant oil and gas discovery off the coast of Brazil, boosting the British major's efforts to refocus on fossil fuels and shift away from renewables.
Governments' embrace of artificial intelligence is also impacting the fortunes of certain Silicon Valley companies, and Trump is motivating drug companies to move operations to the US. Climate change has made Asia's rainy season more dangerous and unpredictable, and the US and Israeli officials are pushing for a new plan to end the war in Gaza.
In the world of finance, Norway's sovereign wealth fund has faced pressure over its Israeli holdings throughout the conflict and has recently ordered a comprehensive review of its investments in Israeli companies due to their links to the war in Gaza. This decision reflects growing Norwegian government concerns about financing businesses linked to actions considered violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank.
Elsewhere, measles is surging again, thanks to vaccine skepticism, and the European Union saw an almost tenfold annual increase in reported cases of measles to more than 35,000 in 2024. The Trump administration wants to limit the treaty to waste management, while petrostates such as Saudi Arabia and Russia want voluntary measures rather than binding caps.
Negotiations over a global treaty to curb plastic pollution resume today, but opposition from the US and other oil-producing states has dimmed hopes for success. The world's economy has been resilient, but cracks are emerging, and the US' recession risk is elevated, Goldman Sachs economists warned.
In London, just 73% of five-year-olds are vaccinated against measles, and in Bangladesh, national elections are scheduled for next February. Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco has reported a protracted decline in quarterly profit, threatening to slow the kingdom's economic transformation.
Finally, Diplomats are in Geneva for what was meant to be the final round of negotiations, after talks ended last year without conclusion. The change is driven by falling vaccination rates, with many countries having uptake of 80% or less, and the lowest rates among ethnic minorities.
- Despite the decline in global food shortages, other challenges persist, such as rising adult obesity levels and the impact of climate change on extreme weather, particularly in Asia.
- Political tensions and economic pressures are causing friction between nations, with the US exerting pressure on India and Donald Trump threatening tariffs on Brazilian imports.
- In the realm of finance and investing, Norway's sovereign wealth fund is reviewing its Israeli holdings due to concerns about businesses linked to actions considered violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank.
- The world of technology is seeing changes due to governments' embrace of artificial intelligence, affecting the fortunes of certain Silicon Valley companies, and Donald Trump is motivating drug companies to move operations to the US.
- In the entertainment and sports industry, measles is resurfacing due to vaccine skepticism, and national elections are scheduled in Bangladesh, while diplomats are in Geneva for negotiations aimed at curbing plastic pollution, facing opposition from the US and other oil-producing states.
