The world's largest oil exporter reported 2023 profit equivalent to $121.25 billion in a stock market filing. It's a reduction of almost 25% compared to 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine drove up oil prices. The Saudi Arabian Oil Group, often referred to simply as Aramco, on Sunday reported a 24.7% decline in profits for 2023 compared to the previous year, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine had driven oil prices well above current levels. Net income reached 454.7 billion Saudi riyals (roughly $121 billion or €111 billion) compared to profits in excess of $160 billion in 2022, the oil giant said in a filing with the Saudi stock market.  "The decrease mainly reflects the impact of lower crude oil prices and lower volumes sold, and weakening refining and chemical margins," Aramco said.    Record 2022 amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine In the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February of 2022, already rising oil prices were pushed higher still.  Benchmark Brent crude spent much of 2022 at more than $100 per barrel and peaked at almost $130 per barrel in early March. By comparison a barrel cost less than $100 for the entirety of 2023, and the price generally sat at or near this Sunday's price of just under $82 per barrel. Nevertheless, the state-owned company noted 2023's performance was eclipsed only by the previous year's. "In 2023 we achieved our second-highest ever net income," Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser said in a statement. "Our resilience and agility contributed to healthy cash flows and high levels of profitability, despite a backdrop of economic headwinds." The OPEC group of oil exporting countries tried to stimulate higher prices in 2023 by reducing production levels. First announced last April, the output reduction by Saudi Arabia, Russia and others had only a moderate and fairly fleeting impact. Oil revenue still key to Saudi pivot plans Aramco's record 2022 profits had given Saudi Arabia its first budget surplus in years.  Profits from the kingdom's vast natural reserves, which are cheap to extract as they are located close to the desert surface, are crucial to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's projects seeking to pivot away from oil sales, including major construction projects like his futuristic desert city called Neom.  The record revenues of recent years have also drawn criticism from activists, given concerns about the burning of fossil fuels accelerating climate change. On Thursday this week, Prince Mohammed transferred another 8% of Aramco shares to the country's prominent sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund (PIF).  The Al Saud royal family owns the vast majority of the company, with a small share traded on the Tadawul stock market. By revenue, Aramco is the world's second-largest company after US retail giant Walmart.  

Willingness to get married and have children continued to fall in China last year, with a significant drop also seen in the interest to raise a second child, an official yearbook on population and employment statistics for 2022 showed. Over 51 per cent of people aged between 25 and 29 in China remained single in 2022, up from 48.7 per cent for the previous year, the 2023 China Population and Employment Statistical Yearbook showed. The unmarried rate for the thirty-something age group also rose mildly, according to data based on a sample survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics in November 2022. Meanwhile, the annual fertility rate for women of childbearing age – the number of births for every 1,000 women aged between 15 and 49 – dropped from 31.27 in 2021 to 30.22 in 2022, the survey showed. The fall in China’s fertility rate was largely caused by a plunge in the number of babies born as a second child, which slumped from 13.48 to 9.58 per 1,000 women, according to the yearbook. Authorities have issued a series of incentives to encourage couples to have bigger families over the years after China introduced a three-child policy in May 2021 having officially ended its one-child policy in January 2016. Reasons for the growing reluctance to get married and have children include the high cost of starting a family and pursuit of diversity and individuality. It underscores the demographic pressure China is facing as its population shrinks and grows older, which threatens long-term economic development. Source: South China Morning Post

More people said "I do" in Germany last year, statistics show, and the country's divorce rate is also down. The number of couples who decided to tie the knot in Germany increased significantly in 2022, compared to 2021, according to figures released by the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) on Wednesday. There were 391,000 weddings in the country last year, an increase of 9.2% from the all-time low number in 2021. "A number of couples willing to get married have probably postponed their wedding until after the pandemic," according to Destatis demographic expert, Bettina Sommer.  Number of divorces in Germany decreases The number of divorces fell by 3.8% in the same period. Sommer pointed out that, except for 2019, the number of divorces have been declining in Germany since 2012. "Effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the number of divorces are still not discernible in 2022," she added. According to the statistics, about 17.7% of all divorced couples have been married for at least 25 years. On average, couples divorcing in 2022 had been married for 15 years and one month. However, 25 years earlier, the average was for 12 years and 4 months. Data showed that in 89.5% of divorces, the petition was filed with the consent of one spouse and in 6.6% of cases both spouses filed it together. But the number of divorces among same-sex couples increased 10% in 2022 compared to the previous year. Thousands of children impacted by divorce The federal data office estimated that a little more than half of divorced couples in 2022 had underage children.   A large number of them had one child, 39.7% had two and 11.2% had three children or more.  In total, around 115,800 children were affected by their parent's divorce, the federal office noted.

An EU climate report has logged the most Alpine glacier retreat of any year and the continent's hottest summer on record in 2022. It also said the world's hottest year on record, 2016, might soon be eclipsed. More glacier ice melted in Europe's Alps last year than ever previously recorded amid the hottest European summer on record, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported on Thursday.  The glaciers lost more than 5 cubic kilometers of ice (1.2 cubic miles), the organization said. It attributed this to low levels of snowfall the previous winter and then high summer temperatures and a prolonged melting period. Authorities in Austria recently reported the same phenomenon on the local level.  The report also found that 2022's summer, marked by drought and heat waves, was the hottest on record in Europe, 1.4 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the recent average from between 1991 and 2020. It said Europe had been warming at double the global average in recent years. Western European temperatures drove the trend: for countries including the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, 2022's average temperatures were the highest on record. For Germany, Belgium, Austria and others, they were the second highest. Last eight years the eight warmest on record The report also noted unusually high temperatures at both poles in 2022.  "During the latter half of February, Antarctic daily sea ice extent reached a new record low, bypassing the previous minimum reached in 2017," it said. Meanwhile, to the north in September, temperatures were 8 degrees Celsius higher than usual over Greenland. Overall, Copernicus classified 2022 as the fifth-warmest year, more than 1 degree Celsius higher than the pre-industrial era proxy figure, with the last eight years the eight warmest years on record. "The report highlights alarming changes to our climate, including the hottest summer ever recorded in Europe, marked by unprecedented marine heat waves in the Mediterranean Sea and record-breaking temperatures in Greenland," said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.  New hottest year ever in 2023 or 2024?  The monitoring group, based in Reading in the UK, said that it was also possible that the world's hottest year on record, 2016, might soon lose its crown if the El Nino weather phenomenon were to emerge for the first time in years. El Nino typically contributes to slightly elevated temperatures and reduced precipitation. The last few years' hot weather has taken place despite sister phenomenon El Nina contributing to cooler and wetter conditions. "El Nino is normally associated with record-breaking temperatures at the global level. Whether this will happen in 2023 or 2024 is not yet known, but it is, I think, more likely than not," Buontempo said. Signs of a winter drought in 2023 in Europe are already numerous, particularly in Spain and in France where authorities are warning of a tougher summer than last year. Good year for EU solar power, less so for wind Copernicus' Atmosphere Monitoring Service also reported regional record greenhouse gas emissions, specifically from wildfires caused by the hot summer.  "France, Spain, Germany and Slovenia also experienced their highest summer wildfire emissions for at least the last 20 years, with southwestern Europe seeing some of the largest fires on record in Europe," the report said.  The study also devoted some time to renewable power generation figures and the climate's effect on them, with Copernicus' deputy director Samantha Burgess saying that, "understanding and responding to the changes and variability in renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, are critical to support the energy transition to net zero."  Because of record levels of solar radiation in much of Europe, solar power generation was slightly above average potential, part of a continuing trend. By the same token, wind power potential availability was slightly below average overall.

Delhi airport has emerged as the ninth busiest airport in the world in 2022 with passenger traffic of more than 5.94 crore, according to Airports Council International (ACI) list. DIAL is the operator of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital. ACI said the list of top 10 busiest airports in the world for 2022 is topped by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL, 93.7 million passengers). It is followed by Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW, 73.4 million passengers, Denver Airport (DEN, 69.3 million passengers), and Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD, 68.3 million passengers). "Airports reinstated in the upper ranks also include Dubai Airport achieving 5th rank (DXB, 66.1 million passengers, +127 per cent), Istanbul Airport reaching 7th position (IST, 64.3 million passengers, +73.8 per cent), followed by London Heathrow Airport, Delhi Airport, and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in the 8th, 9th, and 10th spots, respectively," ACI said in a release on Wednesday. In a separate release, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said it is the only airport to figure in the top 10 list from South and South East Asia. "Delhi airport has bettered its ranking from 13th in 2021 and 17th in 2019. Delhi airport witnessed a collective footfall of passenger traffic of over 5.94 crore in 2022 as per the ACI report," it said. According to ACI, the top 10 airports for total passenger traffic, representing 10 per cent of the global traffic, witnessed a gain of 51.7 per cent from 2021 amounting to 85.9 per cent recovery vis-a-vis their 2019 results. ACI noted that preliminary figures indicate that with the resumption of international travel, 2022 global passenger traffic reached close to 7 billion, representing an increase of 53.5 per cent from 2021, or a 73.8 per cent recovery from 2019 results. Source: NDTV

Two months after winning the World Cup, Argentina's Messi has been named the best male footballer over the last 12 months, eclipsing Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. Spain's Alexia Putellas won the top women's player. Lionel Messi was named FIFA male player of the year at a ceremony in Paris on Monday on the back of his World Cup triumph with Argentina. The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the World Cup final, which Argentina won on penalties against France following a 3-3 draw after extra time. Messi beat his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, and World Cup final rival, Kylian Mbappe to the award with Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema the other contender to claim the prize. It is the second time that Messi has won the honor inaugurated by FIFA in 2016 after football's world governing body split from Ballon d'Or organizers France Football. Putellas wins women's award Spain's Alexia Putellas was named the Best FIFA women's player for 2022. She is currently recovering from a serious knee injury suffered last July which saw her miss the Euros in England. Prior to that she had scored 11 goals on Barcelona's run to the Champions League final, which they lost to Lyon.

Manabendra Saharia, a scientist, from Guwahati has been awarded the Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award 2022 by the National Academy of Science India (NASI). Manabendra Saharia  an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, has received The National Academy of Science, India (NASI) Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award in the Electronics, Computer Science, and Engineering Category for the year 2022.Manabendra completed his early days of education in Guwahati. NASI announced the recipients of their Platinum Jubilee Manabendra Saharia, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has been awarded The National Academy of Science, India (NASI) Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award for the year 2022 in Electronics, Computer Science and Engineering Category. Manabendra completed his early days of education in Guwahati. NASI announced the recipients of their Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award for the year 2022 and the list includes scientists in various fields of research at different institutions across the country, including Saharia who has previously worked in the Hydrology Lab of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research. The award carries a citation, a bronze medal and a cash reward of ₹25,000. Manabendra Saharia was recently awarded the CV Raman Young Scientist Award 2023 from the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (ISEES) for research in water sustainability. Young Scientist Award for the year 2022 and the list includes scientists in various fields of research at different institutions across the country, including Saharia who has previously worked in the Hydrology Lab of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research. The award carries a citation, a bronze medal and a cash reward of ₹25,000. Manabendra Saharia was recently awarded the CV Raman Young Scientist Award 2023 from the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (ISEES) for research in water sustainability. Source: Gplus (guwahatiplus.com)

Conquering New Zealand in New Zealand At in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, Bangladesh’s year in sports began with the miracle. After 36 defeats, for the very first time Bangladesh men’s cricket team conquered New Zealand in New Zealand, that too in Tests, the format where they are the most vulnerable. The Test began on 1 January. Tigers squad was without Tamim and Shakib, so naturally, not much was expected from them against the reigning ICC World Test Champions. But Mominul Haque’s team outclassed everyone’s expectations and scripted an upset, which according to many cricket analysts is the biggest in the storied history of the game. Pacer Ebadot Hossain was the star of the match as it was his fiery spell on the fourth day after half-centuries from Mominul, Liton Das, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Najmul Hossain Shanto in Bangladesh’s first innings that set up a landmark eight-wicket win over the Black Caps. ODI series win in South Africa After the conquest down under, the men’s cricket team went to South Africa and notched up another remarkable win. On 18 March, the Tigers won their very first ODI against the Proteas in South Africa, defeating the hosts by 38 runs. That win was enough to term the South Africa tour a success for Bangladesh. But on March 23rd, in the third and final match of the ODI series, the Tigers went one step further and sealed their maiden ODI series win against South Africa away from home. Pacer Taskin Ahmed was the star performer for Bangladesh in that series, with eight wickets in those two wins. Women’s team register maiden win in World Cup In March this year, the Bangladesh women’s cricket team began their maiden ODI World Cup campaign. Nigar Sultana’s team didn’t head into the tournament with lofty dreams. Realistically, there were only two opponents Bangladesh could target for a win in the eight-team competition– West Indies and Pakistan. Against the West Indies, Bangladesh lost by four runs in a nail-biter. However, against Pakistan, it was Bangladesh who ended up on the winning side. Bangladesh posted 234-7, their highest total in a Women’s ODI, thanks to Fargana Hoque’s 71, Nigar’s 46 and Sharmin Akhter’s 44. With Captain Sidra Ameen’s 104 Pakistan got near the target but Fahima Khatun’s three-wicket haul helped Bangladesh seal a historic nine-run win. The SAFF triumph This calendar year in September, the most joyous moment came in Bangladesh sports. At the Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu the likes of Sabina Khatun, Maria Manda, Sanjida Akhtar ran circles around their opponents with eye soothing football at the SAFF Women’s Championship. Bangladesh won all three of their matches at the group-stage, thrashed Bhutan 8-0 in the semifinal to set up a final against hosts Nepal. In the final, Krishna Rani Sarkar scored a brace and Shamsunnahar Junior scored once to help Bangladesh win 3-1 and lift their first ever women’s SAFF Championship title. What happened after the triumph, was something the country’s sports hadn’t witnessed before. The champion team arrived in Dhaka to a grand reception, with thousands flocking the airport to catch a glimpse of the golden girls. Then, the team got on an open top bus and paraded their trophy throughout Dhaka in a joyride that will be remembered forever. Defeating India at home, again After a lull in between, the men’s cricket team finished the year on a high note, defeating India 2-1 in a three-match ODI series. A star-studded Indian team arrived in Dhaka for a bilateral series after seven years at a time when the entire country was obsessing over the FIFA World Cup. The Bangladesh team then forced the countrymen to take interest to the series by defeating India in the first ODI by one wicket, thanks to a remarkable unbeaten 38 from Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s bat. Miraz didn’t stop there, as in the following match he brought up his maiden ODI century to rescue Bangladesh from 69-6 and claimed a couple of wickets, which ensured a series winning five-run win for the hosts. Source: Daily Prothom Alo

Berlin signed off on €8.9 billion in arms exports during this year, with more than a quarter of that heading to Ukraine. The intelligence service said there had been over 4,500 cyberattacks since the war began. Germany's government gave the greenlight to arms exports amounting to at least €8.9 billion ($8.48 billion) this year, making it the second-highest annual figure ever, according to the German Economy Ministry following a request from Left Party (Die Linke) lawmaker Sevim Dagdelen. Over a quarter of the weapons and military equipment sent during the course of the year has gone to Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion. Germany's coalition government had sought to reduce exports of arms after coming to power but had to change tack after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. In the face of severe criticism over the country's postwar policy of not providing lethal aid to conflict zones, the Scholz administration announced a reversal of that policy as part of the country's military and security politics "Zeitenwende" or "turning point" announced shortly after the invasion began. Germany has made deliveries worth €2.24 billion including anti-aircraft tanks, multiple rocket launches, the IRIS-T air defence system and self-propelled howitzers, among other pieces of military equipment. The official figures are expected to be announced in January. Separately, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the chairwoman of the parliamentary defense committee, told German news agency RND that the federal government needed to have a better strategy in place to deal with what was happening in Ukraine. Strack-Zimmerman also questioned the wisdom of not sending battle tanks to help Ukraine and said the decision was "not only incomprehensible, it is alarmingly short-sighted." 'Over 4500' cyberattacks since start of war — Ukrainian cybersecurity chief There have been over 4500 cyberattacks in Ukraine since the start of Moscow's invasion, according to Ukraine's intelligence service. Ukrainian cybersecurity chief Ilya Vityuk said in televised comments that Russia has been carrying out "on average more than ten cyberattacks per day." According to Vityuk, Russia's main targets were the energy sector, logistics, military facilities and government databases. The cybersecurity chief said thatKyiv has been grappling with such attacks for eight years and that it was well prepared against them. Lavrov issues ultimatum According to the Russian state-run Tass news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must meet Moscow's demands or else the matter will be decided by Russian forces. "Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories controlled by the regime, the elimination of threats to Russia's security emanating from there, including our new lands, are well known to the enemy," Lavrov reportedly said late Monday. "The point is simple: fulfill them for your own good. Otherwise, the issue will be decided by the Russian army," Lavrov added. He also accused the West and Ukraine of having a "strategic goal" with that being "to defeat Russia on the battlefield as a mechanism for significantly weakening or even destroying our country." More on the war in Ukraine Find out British historian Mark Galeotti's take on the war in Ukraine in an interview with DW. DW also takes a look at the role women have played in Ukraine, in particular the work of one woman seeking to hold those responsible for atrocities, accountable for their actions.

Four individuals and two organizations have been awarded the 'RTV-SMC-MoniMix Inspiration Award' 2022 for their special contribution towards education, ensuring health and environmental protection of the underprivileged people of the society. The medal was presented in a grand ceremony at the capital's Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka on Tuesday, December 20 in the evening. The entire event was broadcast on RTV and on RTV's YouTube channel on Friday, December 23 in the afternoon. Since 2018, 'RTV-SMC-MoniMix Inspiration Award' is being awarded every year. This is the 5th time this award has been given. The recipients of the 'RTV-SMC-MoniMix Inspiration Award' 2022 are- Jharna Das Purkayastha in the category of children's literature, Dishari, an emerging leader in the field of online education, of Manikganj in the category of youth organization, Tamanna Akter Noora from Jessore in the category of indomitable young woman, Liton Ganju from Moulvibazar in the category of education, 'Belgachi Jubo Shomaj'-- a social organization of Chuadanga got the award in the category of animal and environment protection, Nahian Mahzabeen got the award in the category of Indomitable Merit. Chairman of RTV Alhaj Morshed Alam MP said in his welcome speech that the government has taken multi-dimensional programs for the welfare and development of skills of children and adolescents, and has taken various initiatives to protect the underprivileged population. However, a large number of children, adolescents and disabled people are deprived of education, health care and cultural opportunities. However, government as well as many organizations and individuals ar working tirelessly for the welfare of children, adolescents and disabled people of the country. With the help of these social reformers, children and adolescents are empowered to break the cycle of poverty, inequality and violence. Many children and adolescents who were once deprived of the benefits are now contributing significantly to the development of Bangladesh. It is our responsibility to recognize and encourage the inspiring work of individuals and organizations involved in this noble cause nationally. Out of this sense of responsibility, like every year, we have organized 'RTV-SMC-MoniMix Inspiration Award' 2022. I congratulate all those who won Award this year. Planning Minister MA Mannan said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina our country is going to positive social and economic changes. Right now we need national unity to move forward strongly. All kinds of luxurious activities should be avoided. At the same time, it is necessary to stand by the underprivileged and low-income people. That is why I call on everyone to work together with our leader Sheikh Hasina. Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said, RTV is a private television. But it has its own characteristics. RTV carries a distinct tradition of social awareness, involvement with social activities and variety of programmes. Minister of State for Social Welfare Ashraf Ali Khan Khosru, State Minister of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh KM Khalid, Chairman of Board of Directors of SMC Waliul Islam, Acting Managing Director and CEO of SMC Taslim Uddin Khan, Acting Director of USAID Miranda Beckman,  Jasim Uddin President of FBCCI and Vice Chairman of RTV, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddique, prominent theater personality Ataur Rahman, actor Azizul Hakim and others also spoke on the occasion.