President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received director of the international development department at the French General Directorate for Armament Stephane Reb.  The parties exchanged views on the issues related to cooperation opportunities in the field of defense industry.

New global development goals now under negotiation will not help combat climate change and poverty without the political will to implement them – and creating that requires pressure from the grassroots, experts said this week.  Kenya, for instance, has made impressive progress toward adopting renewable energy.

During the meeting in Dushanbe on Wednesday, Rasulzoda expressed certainty that all the reached agreements between the two countries will be properly implemented.  Rasulzoda said that construction of major infrastructural projects in Tajikistan by Iran is the result of signing more than 100 documents and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).  

China's largest steel maker Hebei Iron & Steel Group is planning to set up ahigh-volume joint venture in South Africa.  The first phase of the project with a three-million-ton capacity will start construction in 2015and be put into use in 2017. The second phase with two million tons of capacity will startproduction in 2019. The project is expecting a total annual capacity of five million tons upon completion.

Thailand and Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Development Cooperation Program in a bid to enhance bilateral cooperation.   An agreement was made between the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA) and Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) to accept the MOU.

Britain is to set up a medical centre to treat victims of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, the international development secretary said on Monday. The 62-bed centre near the capital Freetown is planned to be open in eight weeks' time and will be built and operated by military engineers and medical staff. The worst-ever outbreak of the disease has killed 491 people in Sierra Leone, which is one of three countries at the centre of an epidemic that has claimed over 2,000 lives so far.

The UK’s Department for International Development has pledged a further £30m to help the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.  ‘The extra support from the UK government will deliver supplies urgently needed by people who have been forced to leave their homes and move to neighbouring countries.’

Under the patronage of HE Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Ministry of Economy, Global Trade Development Week 2014 will be an unprecedented gathering of business and government leaders from over 80 countries.  Global Trade Development Week is the world’s largest trade facilitation, development, investment & customs program of events.