Automotive

Lexus posts record 2024 global sales results

Arnold Pinto 01/02/2025 0

851,214 units sold Lexus has announced its 2024 global sales results, achieving a remarkable 851,214 units sold, a 103.3% increase compared to the previous year. The company attributed the exceptional growth to strong demand in key markets such as North America and Europe, alongside a recovery

Business Markets

India’s smartphone market posts 9% revenue growth in 2024

Arnold Pinto 31/01/2025 0

Driven by premium segment According to Counterpoint’s Monthly India Smartphone Tracker, the Indian smartphone market saw a significant surge in wholesale revenue in 2024, reaching a record high with a 9% year-on-year (YoY) increase. Despite a modest 1% YoY shipment increase, totalling 153 million units, the market shifted towards more expensive devices, driving up

Aviation Travel

Global air passenger demand reaches record high in 2024

Arnold Pinto 31/01/2025 0

December ended on a high note The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed that global air passenger demand in 2024 reached unprecedented levels, marking a significant milestone for the aviation industry. According to IATA’s latest full-year and December 2024 passenger market performance report, air traffic grew by 10.4% compared to 2023, surpassing

Tech

Oman, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia get new C4IR establishments

Arnold Pinto 31/01/2025 0

Harnessing advanced technologies The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced the establishment of three new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), which will launch in 2025. Based in Muscat, Pretoria, and Riyadh, these centres will focus on harnessing advanced technologies to address critical global challenges and provide tailored solutions that meet

Defence & Security

US military to get new task force

Arnold Pinto 30/01/2025 0

To improve fighting strength In a sweeping move to refocus the US military on a merit-based system, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the establishment of a new task force designed to strengthen America’s fighting force. The newly formed ‘Restoring America’s Fighting Force’ Task Force will ensure that the US Department of Defence (DOD) […]

Space

4th Axiom Space mission set for International Space Station

Arnold Pinto 30/01/2025 0

Led by Peggy Whitson NASA and its international partners have approved Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida no earlier than Spring 2025. The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew will travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. […]

Aviation Defence & Security

Sikorsky completes ground runs of UH-60M Black Hawk

Arnold Pinto 30/01/2025 0

With GE Aerospace T901 engines Sikorsky has conducted the first-ever ground runs of a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter powered by two GE Aerospace T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE). The test, carried out by a collaborative team from the US Army and industry experts, marked a significant milestone in modernising the iconic Black Hawk fleet. The […]

Aviation

Boom Supersonic breaks the sound barrier

Arnold Pinto 29/01/2025 0

With historic flight of the XB-1 jet Boom Supersonic has made history with the successful supersonic flight of its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft, marking a key milestone in developing its Overture supersonic aircraft. The flight occurred at Mojave Air & Space Port in California, where the XB-1 became the first independently developed supersonic jet built in […]

Business Tech

DeepSeek disrupts market with budget-friendly R1 model

Arnold Pinto 29/01/2025 0

Rivalling larger AI models Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek launched its R1 model last week, causing significant disruption in the AI industry. The announcement sent shockwaves through the stock market, causing the Nasdaq to drop by 3 per cent on Monday, a decline attributed to a nearly 17 per cent loss in shares of […]

Aviation Logistics

AutoFlight’s uncrewed cargo aircraft receives production certificate

Arnold Pinto 29/01/2025 0

CarryAll production to begin The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has officially granted AutoFlight’s CarryAll unmanned cargo aircraft a Production Certificate (PC), marking a historic milestone as the world’s first production licence for a 2-ton electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. This certification paves the way for CarryAll to enter mass

Travel

Global tourism surpasses pre-pandemic levels in 2024

Arnold Pinto 28/01/2025 0

Arrivals soar to 1.4 billion International tourism achieved a major milestone in 2024, with global arrivals soaring to 1.4 billion, marking a near-complete recovery from the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The surge in traveller numbers represents a 99% return to pre-pandemic levels, with an 11% increase over 2023, equating to 140 million more […]

Aviation Business

Leonardo signs MoU with Saudi Arabia

Arnold Pinto 28/01/2025 0

To boost aerospace and defence Leonardo has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Investment (MISA) and the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) of Saudi Arabia. The MoU focuses on expanding collaboration in the aerospace and defence sectors, marking a significant step forward in the companies’ long-standing partnership. The

Markets

US imposes visa restrictions on Colombian government officials

Arnold Pinto 28/01/2025 0

Following repatriation flights dispute US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authorised a series of visa restrictions on Colombian government officials and their immediate family members in response to the country’s refusal to accept repatriation flights for its citizens. The move follows a diplomatic dispute in which Colombian President Gustavo Petro withdrew his

Business

Digital commerce spend set to reach $34 trillion by 2029

Arnold Pinto 27/01/2025 0

Driven by growth in emerging markets A new study has revealed that global digital commerce spending will surge by 65% from 2024 to 2029, reaching an estimated $34 trillion by the decade’s end. This significant growth, up from $23 trillion in 2024, is primarily attributed to the expanding digital economies in Latin America and Asia […]

Tech

Top 25 countries with the most data centres

Arnold Pinto 27/01/2025 0

US is the undisputed leader In the digital age, data centres are the backbone of the internet. They house the infrastructure that powers everything from social media platforms to cloud computing services. As of March 2024, there were 11,800 data centres globally. These facilities are essential for processing and storing vast amounts of data, and […]

Space Tech

NASA pioneers unique tyre technology

Arnold Pinto 26/01/2025 0

For Mars exploration, rovers NASA has reached a significant milestone in its quest to explore the Red Planet. It has thoroughly tested a revolutionary new tyre technology designed for its Martian rovers. Developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland in collaboration with Goodyear Tire & Rubber, the groundbreaking shape memory alloy (SMA) spring tyres […]

Business

World leaders outline bold visions for the future

Arnold Pinto 26/01/2025 0

At annual meeting 2025 in Davos Global leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos have unveiled ambitious plans and shared compelling visions for the world’s future. This year’s event, which brought together around 3,000 policymakers, business leaders, and activists, was marked by high-profile speeches, including one from US President Donald J.

Space

NASA and SpaceX to launch SPHEREx astrophysics observatory

Arnold Pinto 25/01/2025 0

In late February 2025 NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the launch of the agency’s next groundbreaking astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx, in late February 2025. The mission, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, will be carried into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space […]

Automotive

Audi unveils Q6 e-tron offroad concept

Arnold Pinto 25/01/2025 0

Ready to blaze new trails Audi is set to redefine the future of off-road electric vehicles by unveiling its new prototype, the Q6 e-tron off-road concept. The highly anticipated vehicle, which debuted during the World Cup weekend in Kitzbühel, Austria, pushes the limits of performance, technology, and design, highlighting Audi’s ambitions in the progressive off-road […]

Sustainability

Global plastic action partnership expands to 25 countries

Arnold Pinto 24/01/2025 0

Tackling plastic pollution worldwide The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), an initiative of the World Economic Forum, has reached a significant milestone by expanding to 25 countries, now representing a combined population of over 1.5 billion people. This expansion includes seven new countries: Angola, Bangladesh, Gabon, Guatemala, Kenya, Senegal, and Tanzania.