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Etihad Rail completes excavation works of all tunnels of the UAE rail Network

Etihad Rail has completed all the rail tunnels of Package D of Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The rail network will be a key element of the global supply chain, and play a vital role in sustaining the position of the UAE as a global and regional transport, shipping and logistics hub.
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The network will also support the development of the transport and logistics system, which will enhance the UAE’s journey for the next 50 years.
According to Etihad Rail, the development of the UAE National Rail Network is proceeding according to schedule. It will play a significant role in providing a modern, sustainable network that bolsters the leading regional position of the UAE.

On the completion of the work of excavation works of all the nine tunnels, which extend over 6.9 kilometers, the Ruler of Fujairah, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, visited the Sakamkam area in the emirate.

He was accompanied by officials from the emirate of Fujairah and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Rail and Board members.
Sheikh Hamad stressed the importance of the completion of excavation of all rail tunnels.
The tunnels were constructed across the Emirates of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah as part of Package D of Stage Two, two months ahead of schedule, and according to the highest standards of safety and sustainability.

The Fujairah Ruler lauded the efforts of Etihad Rail to carry out the tunnelling without impacting nearby communities, while upholding the highest measures of safety, security, sustainability, and environmental protection.
Sheikh Theyab, Chairman of the Board of Etihad Rail, expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the governments of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah and their unlimited support of the Etihad Rail project, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the UAE and a primary contributor to the national economy.
He affirmed that this achievement could not have been realized without the remarkable efforts and cooperation of all relevant authorities.
He also thanked the federal and local parties who took part in this vital stage of the project, particularly the Ministry of Interior, underlining the support it provided in facilitating the excavation operations.
He also lauded the cooperation of the communities around the UAE National Rail Network, which contributed to realizing this achievement according to plan and on schedule.
Sheikh Theyab praised the team who managed to overcome major topographical challenges while excavating the tunnels and achieved this milestone without any accidents. This serves as a remarkable addition to the exceptional record of the UAE National Rail Network in terms of safety.
The completion of the excavation of the nine tunnels recorded one million working hours. The project was supervised and carried out by more than 600 experts, specialists, and workers using the latest tunnelling machinery and modern technologies.
Etihad Rail took a series of precautionary measures to limit the noise and vibrations caused by excavation using the explosive blasting methods and their impact on nearby communities, using innovative machinery and equipment that helped overcome these challenges effectively.
Etihad Rail had recently announced the completion of the construction works for Package A of Stage Two of the UAE National Rail Network, which extends over 139 km and connects Ghuwaifat with Stage One of the project, which extends over 264 km from Habshan to Ruwais.

Read more: Fledgling UAE rail network step towards bridging the Gulf

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Russian ruble holds steady at 96 against the US dollar ahead of tax payments


The Russian ruble steadied near 96 to the dollar on Tuesday, trading in a narrow band, supported by upcoming tax payments and high oil prices.
At 0710 GMT, the ruble was 0.2 percent stronger against the dollar at 96.10 and had gained 0.3 percent to trade at 101.69 versus the euro. It had firmed 0.1 percent against the yuan to 13.13.
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Month-end tax payments, that usually see exporters convert foreign currency revenues to pay local liabilities, support the ruble, but the currency can slide early in the month once the period has passed.
The ruble has also now lost the temporary support of higher sales of foreign currency than usual by the central bank, which was selling around 21.4 billion rubles of yuan a day until the start of this week.
“At the end of the week, when the tax period ends, there is a high likelihood of the resumption of the national currency’s smooth devaluation,” said Alor Broker’s Alexei Antonov.
Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia’s main export, was down 1.1 percent at $92.23 a barrel.
Russian stock indexes were lower.
The dollar denominated RTS index was down 0.5 percent to 992.5 points.

The ruble based MOEX Russian index was 0.6 percent lower at 3,028.8 points.
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Digital, electric solutions can cut carbon emissions in office buildings by 70 pct


Retrofitting buildings using a digital-first approach is the best pathway to decarbonization, according to new research from Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation.
Buildings represent an estimated 37 percent of global carbon emissions, and as about half of today’s buildings are still likely to be in use in 2050, the sector must urgently reduce operational carbon emissions, by making buildings more energy efficient.
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The research findings show that deploying Schneider Electric’s digital building and power management solutions in existing office buildings could reduce their operational carbon emissions by up to 42 percent with a payback period of less than three years. If fossil fuel-powered heating technologies are replaced with electric-powered alternatives, and a microgrid with local renewable energy sources is installed, all-electric, all-digital buildings will see an additional 28 percent reduction in operational carbon emissions resulting in a total reduction of up to 70 percent.

Mike Kazmierczak, Vice President of the Digital Energy Decarbonization Office, the team leading the science-based research and product innovation to accelerate the energy transition within Schneider Electric’s Digital Energy division, explained that, “Tackling operational emissions is the number-one lever to decarbonize existing buildings at scale and achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050. This breakthrough research reveals that reducing carbon emissions by up to 70 percent is feasible if we transform our existing building stock into energy-efficient, fully-electrified, and digitized assets.”
The research, carried out with the global design firm WSP, is based on modeling the energy performance and carbon emissions of a large office building built in the early 2000s across various US Climate Zones. This digital approach to building renovations is, however, applicable to all building types and climates, and is, therefore, the most effective building decarbonization strategy, yielding fast results with lower ‘upfront carbon.’
Renovating through the deployment of digital technologies is not only less disruptive to daily operations, but also more effective from a lifecycle carbon perspective. Failing to rapidly decarbonize buildings could also result in stranded assets that lose value and are unattractive to both investors and tenants.
Furthermore, recent research from the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability and the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute estimates that there is a sizable potential to create new jobs through the transition to low-carbon buildings.

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UAE as a springboard for action for two priorities: Electrification, decarbonization

Schneider Electric’s first Sustainability School opens for enrolment

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UK’s cost of living crisis to significantly increase early death: Study 


The UK’s inflation-fueled cost-of-living crisis is set to “cut lives short” and “significantly widen the wealth-health gap”, according to a study published by open access journal BMJ Public Health on Monday.

Modelling conducted for the study predicted that the proportion of people “dying before their time” (under the age of 75) will rise by nearly 6.5 percent due to the sustained period of high prices.

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The most deprived households will experience four times the number of extra deaths than the wealthiest households, it forecast, with the poorest having to spend a larger proportion of their income on energy, the cost of which has soared.

The researchers studied the impact of inflation on death rates in Scotland in 2022-3, with and without mitigating measures such as government support to help cut household bills.

The collected data was then used to model various potential future outcomes on life expectancy and inequalities for the UK as a whole if different mitigating policies were implemented.

Without any mitigation, the model found that inflation could increase deaths by five percent in the least deprived areas and by 23 percent in the most deprived — coming down to two percent and eight percent with mitigation, with an overall rate of around 6.5 percent.

Overall life expectancy would also fall in each case, it added.

“Our analysis contributes to evidence that the economy matters for population health,” said the researchers.

“The mortality impacts of inflation and real-terms income reduction are likely to be large and negative, with marked inequalities in how these are experienced.

“Implemented public policy responses are not sufficient to protect health and prevent widening inequalities,” they added.

UK inflation unexpectedly slowed in August to 6.7 percent from a high of 11.1 percent, but remains the highest in the G7, fueled by coronavirus lockdowns, Brexit and the war in Ukraine.

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Bank of England set to hike interest rates to battle inflation

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