Access to clean energy is a basic human right and ensuring equal and easy access to it is imperative considering recent climate change developments. Regardless of location, income, or social status, individuals and communities should have access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. Investments in such energy sources will drive more efficiency, by improving the quality of life in a variety of ways, promoting economic growth, and keeping the planet a clean and safe place for future generations.

The demand for clean and renewable energy is growing rapidly worldwide, and the Middle East is no exception. To address this need, the “Middle East Clean Energy” exhibition and conference are returning to Beirut for the second consecutive year, from Wednesday May 3 to Friday May 5, 2023 to provide visitors with access to the latest developments in the world of clean energy production.

Trading was muted on Wall Street early Thursday, one day after a report showed that inflation in the U.S. eased and Federal Reserve officials said they expect fewer interest rate hikes this year.

Futures for the Dow were mostly unchanged and futures for the S&P 500 inched up 0.1% before the bell Thursday.

China's exports rebounded unexpectedly to growth in March despite a decline in U.S. and European demand following interest rate hikes to cool inflation.

Exports rose 14.8% over a year earlier to $315.6 billion, recovering from a 6.8% decline in January and February, customs data showed Thursday. Imports sank 1.4% to $227.4 billion, a smaller contraction than the 10.2% slide in the previous two months.

French unions are staging new nationwide protests Thursday, on the eve of an expected ruling by a top constitutional body that they hope will derail President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform plan.

If the Constitutional Council greenlights the reform, the bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 can enter into force. Yet the body has the power to reject the text, fully or partially. Here's a look at what's at stake ahead of Friday's decision.

Al Mawarid Bank chairman and ex-Lebanese minister Marwan Kheireddine has been charged in France and slapped with a travel ban without being detained.

Billionaire Elon Musk has told the BBC that running Twitter has been "quite painful" but that the social media company is now roughly breaking even after he acquired it late last year.

In an interview also streamed live late Tuesday on Twitter Spaces, Musk discussed his ownership of the online platform, including layoffs, misinformation and his work style.

In Egypt, state-owned companies bottle water, make dry pasta and cement, and run gas stations and fish farms.

Two of the most powerful economic players in the North African country have long been the government and military. For years, they have faced criticism from economists and international lenders that this approach is stifling economic growth.

A European judicial delegation will return to Lebanon in late April, specifically after April 22, to continue its investigations in the embezzlement and money laundering case against Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, an NGO said.

Wall Street was somewhat subdued Tuesday ahead of several reports this week that could help the Federal Reserve determine whether its interest rate increases have further tempered four-decade high inflation.

Futures for the S&P 500 Dow Jones Industrial Average were each up less than 0.1% before the bell Tuesday.

Switzerland's parliament is opening a special session Tuesday to scrutinize the state-imposed takeover of Swiss bank Credit Suisse by rival UBS — and possibly considering strengthening the legal arsenal to better gird against financial blowups.

The debate could run up to three days, with expectations that lawmakers will voice — and need to iron out — disagreements over the 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.25 billion) fusion of the country's top two banks, a thunderclap for a country that prides itself on finesse and acumen in finance.