Category: 3. Business

On 10 February 2026, representatives of the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization visited the headquarters of the China-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund (CEECF) in Beijing.

During the talks with CEECF CEO Chen Zhou, SCO Secretariat Counsellor Iskander Baitasov outlined cooperation within the Organization in the trade and economy, investment and financial spheres, highlighting priority tasks related to the implementation of the decisions of the SCO Tianjin Summit (1 September 2025) and other important agreements reached by the leaders of the member states.

Special attention was paid to discuss the prospects of CEECF’s participation in the Organization’s project activities, as well as the practical cooperation with partners within the framework of the SCO Member States Investors Association and other platforms.

Chen Zhou informed about the Fund’s priorities and strategy. Established by the initiative of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Fund serves as a platform for direct investment focused on the SCO region. The CEECF expressed interest in practical cooperation aimed at establishing ties with partners and co-investors from the “SCO community” countries, aligning prospective projects with the involvement of financial capital, including those implemented in a multilateral format, as well as holding joint public events.

China-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund (CEECF) is a state direct investment platform, with the Export-Import Bank of China as its majority shareholder. The launch of the CEECF was announced by President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in September 2014 at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Dushanbe. The Fund’s priority investment areas include energy resources and downstream industries, agricultural development, logistics, infrastructure, information technology, manufacturing and other sectors. Currently the target investment capacity of the CEECF is USD 5 billion.

February 11, 2026

Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, Ontario (Feb. 10, 2025) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) today renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance cross‑border collaboration and strengthen alignment of Responsible Care® certification across the chemical industry. 

As the global chemical industry’s signature environmental, health, safety, and security initiative, Responsible Care has long served as a foundation for driving improved performance and building trust with communities, regulators, and value chain partners. Under the new MOU, CIAC will adopt the ACC Responsible Care Management System® (RCMS®)/RC14001® certification model as the exclusive pathway for CIAC member companies to meet their Responsible Care certification requirements.

This announcement deepens the longstanding partnership between ACC and CIAC by supporting shared infrastructure, expanding auditor capacity, and enhancing harmonization of Responsible Care implementation across both countries. Both organizations will work closely to provide training, implementation support, certification documentation, and coordinate outreach to member companies and auditing bodies. This alignment will also streamline and optimize processes for multinational companies operating in both Canada and the United States. By unifying certification under the RCMS®/RC14001® model, companies will benefit from a more consistent Responsible Care® framework, reducing duplicative audits, simplifying internal management systems, and ensuring clearer expectations across borders.

Chris Jahn, President & CEO of the American Chemistry Council noted, “Today’s agreement reflects our organizations’ continued, shared commitment to strengthening Responsible Care. By aligning around the RCMS® and RC14001® certification models, ACC and CIAC are reinforcing the consistent, rigorous expectations our industry embraces and demonstrating that continuous improvement, transparency, and safety leadership are the cornerstones of how we operate. Together, we’re building a safer, more competitive, and more resilient chemical industry.”

Greg Moffatt, President & CEO of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, shared, “This MOU underscores the strong collaboration between Canada and the United States in advancing responsible, sustainable chemical manufacturing. CIAC pioneered Responsible Care more than four decades ago and our members remain deeply committed to the program’s principles of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. We’re proud to deepen our partnership with ACC as we work together to advance Responsible Care and support the safe, sustainable growth of our sector.”

MIAMI, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) today declared a quarterly dividend of $1.50 per common share payable on April 3, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 6, 2026. 

“This dividend increase reflects the continued strength of our business and the momentum across our global vacation portfolio,” said Jason Liberty, President and CEO. “This step underscores our commitment to delivering meaningful returns to our shareholders while continuing to invest in the innovations and experiences that define Royal Caribbean Group.”

About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group is a leading global vacation company spanning cruise, exclusive destinations, and land-based vacation experiences. The company operates 69 ships sailing to more than 1,000 destinations across all seven continents through its three wholly owned brands -Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea – and a 50% joint venture interest in TUI Cruises which operates the Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd brands.

The Group is expanding its portfolio of private destinations from three to eight by 2028 through its Perfect Day and Royal Beach Club collections, and the company will enter river cruising in 2027 with Celebrity River Cruises. Powered by innovative brands, advanced technology, and an industry-leading loyalty program, the company has built a connected vacation ecosystem, turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.

Named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2026 list and to Forbes’ 2026 Best American Companies lists, Royal Caribbean Group is guided by its mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly. For more information, visit www.royalcaribbeangroup.com.

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Group

This study finds that current air capacity between India and the United Arab Emirates is failing to keep pace with rising travel demand, potentially reducing the economic benefits that stronger air connectivity can support.

Under existing capacity levels, up to 27% of forecast India–UAE passenger demand could go unserved by 2035. This would represent a cumulative shortfall of about 54.5 million journeys, including 13.2 million on the Abu Dhabi–India corridor alone.

The report highlights strong structural growth in India’s aviation market. Their travelling class has grown from 24% of the population in 2010 to 40% in 2024, or nearly 300 million people. As a result, air travel demand is expected to grow by 7.2% per year through 2035, adding nearly 22 million passenger journeys annually.

India–UAE air travel demand is growing rapidly, underpinned by rising incomes, expanding international trade, and increasing outbound and inbound tourism.
_{– Matthew Dass, Director of Consulting}

The study also quantifies the economic impact of the UAE–India air corridor. With current capacity constraints, GDP contributions is expected to grow at a 3% CAGR over the next five years; easing constraints could lift growth to 5.5%–7%. Doubling Abu Dhabi–India seat capacity alone could generate an additional $7.2 billion in GDP over five years and support more than 170,000 jobs per year.

Beyond immediate impacts, improved connectivity could contribute to productivity gains of up to $9 billion annually by 2035, support trade and investment, and put downward pressure on fares through increased capacity and competition.

_{*The study was commissioned by Etihad Airways and conducted by Tourism Economics.}

Insider Brief

• Infleqtion is collaborating with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder mission to fly the first standalone quantum gravity sensor in low Earth orbit, with a planned launch around 2030.
• The mission will demonstrate a neutral-atom quantum sensor that measures Earth’s gravitational field and gradients from space, enabling more sensitive tracking of mass changes in water, ice, and land than current methods.
• Backed by more than $20 million in mission funding, QGGPf builds on NASA’s Cold Atom Lab and GRACE heritage to reduce risk for future space-based quantum sensing systems with applications in Earth science, navigation, and national security.

PRESS RELEASE — Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum sensing and quantum computing powered by neutral-atom technology, announced its role as a collaborator on NASA’s Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf) mission. Led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the mission will fly the first quantum sensor capable of measuring the Earth’s gravitational field and its gradients; signals that are used today to monitor mass dynamics on the planet’s surface. The quantum instrument will be aboard a dedicated satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO). This program follows Infleqtion’s announcement to go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp X (NASDAQ: CCCX).

The QGGPf mission is designed to demonstrate quantum sensor technologies that could transform how Earth’s gravity is measured from space. The quantum sensor is designed to monitor mass dynamics across the planet’s surface, including changes in water, ice and land, while operating in microgravity, which enables longer interaction times and correspondingly improved measurement sensitivities. As a technology pathfinder, the mission will help inform the design of future science-grade instruments, representing a major step forward in U.S. leadership in space-based quantum sensing and strategic intelligence.

This project showcases what is possible when NASA and U.S. industry collaborate to push the boundaries of frontier science and technology. QGGPf builds on NASA’s long legacy of space-based gravity mapping and applies Infleqtion’s quantum engineering capabilities to enable a new class of measurement techniques designed specifically for the microgravity environment of space.

A Quantum Leap in Geospatial Precision and Strategic Sensing

With more than $20 million in contracted mission funding to date, the QGGPf mission, with contributions from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Texas at Austin, Infleqtion, Monarch Quantum, and Jemba9, will fly the first standalone quantum gravity sensor in orbit.

“Quantum sensing opens an entirely new domain for U.S. space leadership,” said Dana Anderson, Chief Science Officer at Infleqtion. “By deploying this technology in orbit, we are demonstrating the feasibility of quantum gravity sensing in space and laying the groundwork for future capabilities that can deliver unprecedented insight into our planet.”

By directly measuring subtle variations in Earth’s gravitational field, the mission aims to demonstrate technologies that will help reduce risk for future quantum gravity instruments. These future systems could enable higher-resolution insights into how underground water, ice, and natural resources shift over time, critical data for understanding planetary health, strengthening national resilience, and supporting long-term economic and security planning. The one-year mission is expected to launch in 2030.

Proven Quantum Heritage

QGGPf builds on work done by JPL and Infleqtion on the Cold Atom Lab (CAL) program aboard the International Space Station, and on NASA’s long heritage mapping Earth’s gravitational field through the GRACE mission series.

Infleqtion’s role on the QGGPf project includes the design, maturation, and integration of the quantum core of the sensor, encompassing its vacuum, laser, and control subsystems. The cold-atom system, based on ultracold rubidium atoms cooled to near absolute zero, is designed to enable direct gravity gradient measurements from space with unprecedented precision.

Accelerating Quantum-to-Space Transition

The mission further marks a significant milestone in America’s growing quantum ecosystem, showcasing how public–private relationships can accelerate the transition from fundamental research to operational capability. Beyond Earth science, quantum sensing in space will enable advances in navigation, resource management, and national security, where precision and autonomy are critical.

NASA and Infleqtion plan to complete the instrument hardware development over the next three years, followed by flight demonstration.

To learn more about how Infleqtion’s quantum technologies are enabling advances in space exploration, navigation, remote sensing, and defense, visit https://infleqtion.com/space-and-frontier/.

Pamela McDonald of Pinsent Masons was commenting after Qatar’s cabinet published its Decision of the Council of Ministers on Regulating Procedures for Filing Lawsuits Related to Government Entities, which requires public authorities in Qatar to take active steps to settle disputes before formally requesting to initiate a lawsuit.

The decision, published on 2 February in the Official Gazette, states that any “government entity must, before requesting to initiate a Lawsuit, take initiatives for reconciliation and settlement”. The decision defines a “lawsuit” as “a dispute or claim brought by or against the government entity”. 

The law imposes a statutory obligation on all government entities and public bodies to make and document settlement efforts prior to escalation. They will be required to provide all necessary documents, records, information or data in order to obtain approval from the Department of State Affairs at the Ministry of Justice to initiate the lawsuit.

Where settlement is achieved, the ministerial department will ensure parties fulfil their obligations in accordance with the agreed terms.

The law also states that, if settlement efforts are unsuccessful, the public authority must refer the request to initiate the lawsuit and also provide documents and records, including an explanation for why reconciliation and settlement was not possible.

Article 3 of the decision sets out that, after obtaining the relevant approval, the minister, head of the relevant government body or authority may initiate settlement efforts at any stage of a claim process.

There are two limitations on permission for lawsuits outlined in article 5. These state that permission will not be given if the value of the claim does not exceed QAR 50,000, or if there is insufficient documentation and evidence necessary to support the lawsuit.

McDonald, a specialist in international arbitration, said the new law was a “helpful development” in Qatar’s dispute resolution landscape and “will be attractive to prospective and current foreign investors in Qatar’s economy.”

The law is particularly crucial because government entities in Qatar often play an important role in initiating a lawsuit even where they are the defendant or respondent party. This is a result of article 2.2 of Qatar’s Arbitration Law of 2017, which requires arbitration agreements in contracts with a public entity to be approved by the prime minister to be deemed valid. 

This can result in the authority requesting the prime minister’s office for approval to arbitrate claims being advanced against it. Read in this context, McDonald says the decision’s reference to the government entity “requesting to initiate a Lawsuit” can refer to claims that a public authority wishes either to prosecute or defend.

She also said the decision is yet another demonstration of Qatar’s ongoing commitment to supporting alternative dispute resolution methods since the introduction of a dedicated mediation law in November 2021. “Helpfully, article 4 of the decision references both general reconciliation efforts as well as the use of mediation,” she added. “This further underlines Qatar’s emphasis on the importance of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution method.”