It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Health experts’ 8 recommendations for the UN Plastics Treaty
The UN Environment Programme is meeting in Geneva in August to finalise the first legally binding treaty on plastics. Health experts argue the treaty needs to go further to protect our health from toxic plastics.
A leading expert in the health impacts of plastic pollution and microplastics is calling on the UN to end the use of toxic chemicals in all plastics, cap and reduce plastic production and argues against a treaty focused on waste management and recycling, as part of an international Plastics Treaty.
Much of this pollution is linked to plastic production, use and disposal, and disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries. Alarmingly, plastic production, is predicted to grow 300 percent by 2060.
“Plastics are a health hazard around the globe, affecting numerous bodily systems and increasing rates of chronic diseases, cancers, and infertility,” says Dr Chartres.
“The United Nations Environment Assembly resolved in March 2022 to negotiate a plastics treaty that would obligate member states to end plastic production because of its danger to human health,” Dr Chartres said.
“Yet, despite the importance of health in driving efforts to manage plastics pollution, the current proposed treaty text has major gaps that put human health at risk from hazardous chemicals and plastics.”
Dr Chartres and his co-authors argue the treaty needs to:
Protect health and the environment as core treaty objectives;
Mandate consideration of health risks and impacts in all relevant treaty obligations and decisions;
Focus on capping and reducing plastic production and incentivise alternatives;
End production and use of toxic chemicals in all plastics and ensure safe, toxin-free alternatives while preventing substitution of similar hazardous chemicals;
Remove toxic releases and emissions at all stages of the lifecycle of plastics, including banning recycling of plastics that contain toxic chemicals;
Require reporting, transparency and accountability on plastic production and wastes, imports and exports (including their associated chemicals);
Use all financing mechanisms to implement the treaty, including extended producer responsibility and the ‘polluter pays’ principle;
Reject blanket exemptions, including plastics in health care – a major generator of plastic waste – while ensuring essential medicines and health products remain accessible and affordable to those who need them.
Microplastics and forever chemicals
“Plastics are made of more than 16,000 chemicals, mostly derived from oil and gas. Over 4200 are known to be hazardous, while the toxicity of the majority of the remaining is unknown,” said Dr Chartres.
This includes per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (known as ‘forever chemicals’), phthalates and bisphenols (the ‘everywhere and everyone chemicals’), and other endocrine disrupting chemicals, which can interfere with our bodies’ natural hormone systems and lead to harmful health effects. Exposure to these and many other chemicals used in plastics has been identified to increase rates of chronic disease, including cancer, neurodevelopmental harm and infertility.
Meanwhile, the healthcare industry has become increasingly reliant on single-use plastics, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Much of this plastic has gone to waste with little evidence of benefit from the shift. A plastics treaty should incentivise the health sector to promote environmental sustainability and innovations for safer materials.”
A moderately eroded fluvial sinuous ridge (FSR), with lots of small craters in it, that stands out clearly above the surrounding material. To the north east it emerges from a small valley and becomes progressively clearer to the west, until it disappears. There is a clear curve in the FSR, likely a meander. North of the FSR is a round, flat feature that was likely an impact crater which was filled with water or sediment. CTX image: MurrayLab_V01_E020_N-20_Mosaic
The discovery of more than 15,000 kilometres of ancient riverbeds on Mars suggests that the Red Planet may once have been much wetter than previously thought.
Researchers looked at fluvial sinuous ridges, also known as inverted channels, across Noachis Terra – a region in Mars' southern highlands. These are believed to have formed when sediment deposited by rivers hardened and was later exposed as the surrounding material eroded.
Similar ridges have been found across a range of terrains on Mars. Their presence suggests that flowing water was once widespread in this region of Mars, with precipitation being the most likely source of this water.
The findings indicate that surface water may have been stable in Noachis Terra during the Noachian-Hesperian transition, a period of geologic and climatic change around 3.7 billion years ago.
Noachis Terra has not been studied as extensively as other regions of Mars, in part because it contains few valley networks, which are branching erosional features that have traditionally been used to infer historical rainfall and runoff.
The study instead focuses on fluvial sinuous ridges as an alternate form of evidence for ancient surface water.
"Studying Mars, particularly an underexplored region like Noachis Terra, is really exciting because it's an environment which has been largely unchanged for billions of years. It's a time capsule that records fundamental geological processes in a way that just isn't possible here on Earth," said Losekoot.
He and his team used data from three orbital instruments: the Context Camera (CTX), the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE).
These datasets allowed the team to map the locations, lengths and morphologies of ridge systems across a wide area.
Many of the features appear as isolated ridge segments, while others form systems extending for hundreds of kilometres and rising tens of metres above the surrounding terrain.
The broad distribution and form of these ridges suggest that they likely formed over a geologically significant period under relatively stable surface conditions.
The spatial distribution and extent of the features indicate that the water source was precipitation.
"Our work is a new piece of evidence that suggests that Mars was once a much more complex and active planet than it is now, which is such an exciting thing to be involved in," said Losekoot.
The fact that the ridges form extensive interconnected systems suggests that the watery conditions must have been relatively long-lived, meaning Noachis Terra experienced warm and wet conditions for a geologically relevant period.
These findings challenge existing theories that Mars was generally cold and dry, with a few valleys formed by ice-sheet meltwater in sporadic, short periods of warming.
A moderately eroded fluvial sinuous ridge (FSR), with lots of small craters in it, that stands out clearly above the surrounding material. To the north east it emerges from a small valley and becomes progressively clearer to the west, until it disappears. There is a clear curve in the FSR, likely a meander. North of the FSR is a round, flat feature that was likely an impact crater which was filled with water or sediment. CTX image: MurrayLab_V01_E020_N-20_Mosaic
Two east-west branches of an FSR. These preserve an area where a river split and then rejoined (off image). The lower branch is heavily eroded and quite spread out, the upper branch is narrower but more clearly preserved. These may have been exposed for different amounts of time, undergone different geological processes, or represent different periods of river activity. There are remnants of an infilling material within the ridge and a meander where the branch turns back towards the lower trunk. Between the two branches is a kind of mesa, this may be a pedestal of harder material or a crater that was filled in with the same material as the FSRs.
Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_085519_1585 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Branch of an FSR in HiRISE in a merged IRB image. Horizontal layers clear in the side of the main ridge and channel infill present on top of the ridge. The layers are evidence of the ridge material being formed by sediment in a river environment.
Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_084451_1585 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Merged IRB image of a narrow FSR with a pointed top (pinnacle ridge) and a meander. The pointed top may show that this FSR has been eroded heavily for a long time until only a narrow peak remains, or it may be that only a narrow part of the original river infill has been preserved. Credit: HiRISE Image: ESP_067439_1505 NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Oblique view of part of a system of FSRs, recording multiple river tributaries, likely all active at the same or similar times. This shows rivers meandering, areas where river banks have burst and fine layers of sediment have been deposited around the river, and branching. At the top of the image is a really clear example of an area where two FSRs intersect with an infilled crater. This is likely where the river flowed into the crater, filling it up and then breaching the other side to continue through the crater and down to the bottom of the image. CTX image: MurrayLab_V01_E020_N-20_Mosaic
If you would like a Zoom link and password to watch it online, please email press@ras.ac.uk
The Context Camera, called CTX, provides a big-picture, background view of the terrain around smaller rock and mineral targets that are studied by other cameras on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. CTX makes observations simultaneously with high-resolution images collected by HiRISE and data collected by the mineral-finding CRISM spectrometer.
The High Resolution Imaging Experiment is known as HiRISE. It takes pictures that cover vast areas of Martian terrain while being able to see features as small as a kitchen table, and has photographed hundreds of targeted swaths of Mars' surface in unprecedented detail. The camera operates in visible wavelengths, the same as human eyes, but with a telescopic lens that produces images at resolutions never before seen in planetary exploration missions. These high-resolution images enable scientists to distinguish objects on Mars about 3 feet (1 metre) and to study the morphology (surface structure) in a much more comprehensive manner than ever before.
The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) was an instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft that mapped the topography of Mars using laser altimetry. It operated from September 1997 to June 2001, collecting data on the height of surface features. This data was used to create detailed topographic maps and study the planet's geology and past climate.
Notes for editors
The NAM 2025 conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society and Durham University.
About the Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science.
The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
The RAS accepts papers for its journals based on the principle of peer review, in which fellow experts on the editorial boards accept the paper as worth considering. The Society issues press releases based on a similar principle, but the organisations and scientists concerned have overall responsibility for their content.
About the Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s largest public funder of research into astronomy and astrophysics, particle and nuclear physics, and space science. We operate five national laboratories across the UK which, supported by a network of additional research facilities, increase our understanding of the world around us and develop innovative technologies in response to pressing scientific and societal issues. We also facilitate UK involvement in a number of international research activities including the ELT, CERN, the James Webb Space Telescope and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory.
Durham University is a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research based in historic Durham City in the UK.
We are a collegiate university committed to inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham and in the world.
We conduct research that improves lives globally and we are ranked as a world top 100 university with an international reputation in research and education (QS World University Rankings 2026).
We are a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive UK universities and we are consistently ranked as a top five university in national league tables (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and The Complete University Guide).
Issued on: 10/07/2025 - Two small spaceports in the far north of Europe, one in Sweden and the other in Norway, are vying to become the first on the continent’s mainland to launch satellites into space. US President Donald Trump's "America First" policies are prompting Europe to look at how it can ramp up its independent space capabilities, seen as vital to its defence.
Yemeni attack sinks Red Sea cargo ship, 19 crew members missing. / bne IntelliNews
By bnm Gulf bureauJuly 9, 2025
A Liberian-flagged cargo ship attacked by Yemen has sunk in the Red Sea, with only six of 25 people on board rescued, Houthi-controlled media Alnkkar reported on July 9.
The attack on the Eternity C, which killed at least three crew members, marks an escalation in Yemeni operations against Israel, where ships had slowly begun returning after a pause in rebel attacks.
Nearly all foreign governments do not recognise the Houthi-led government in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, apart from its main supporter in Iran. Yemen's government in exile has not controlled the country for several years.
Military spokesman for Sanaa forces Yahya Saree said in a statement that forces targeted the Greek ship Eternity C after it was heading to Eilat port, resulting in its sinking.
Saree said "naval forces targeted the ship with a guided boat and six cruise and ballistic missiles, and the operation resulted in the complete sinking of the ship," noting the operation was documented with audio and video.
He said "after the operation, a group of special forces from the naval forces moved to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide medical care for them and transfer them to a safe place," confirming the ship was targeted after refusing "calls and warnings from Yemeni naval forces."
A European Union naval mission statement said the crew had included 22 sailors – 21 Filipinos and one Russian – plus a three-member security team. Those rescued were five Filipinos and one Indian, leaving 19 people missing.
Yemen's armed forces spokesman said naval forces had targeted the ship with guided boats and six cruise and ballistic missiles as it headed towards the port of Eilat (Arabic: Um al-Rashrash).
"This operation resulted in the complete sinking of the ship and all details were documented with recorded audio and images," the spokesman said.
Yemeni special naval forces reportedly rescued some crew members after the operation, providing medical services before transferring them to a safe location.
The attack followed another assault, on the bulk carrier Magic Seas, which also sank, raising new questions about Red Sea safety.
From November 2023 until December 2024, the Houthi-backed unrecognised government controlling the Yemeni capital city targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign supporting Palestinians during the Gaza war.
The Yemeni forces stopped attacks during a brief ceasefire before becoming targets of intense US airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump.
The attacks threaten the Red Sea route that once carried $1 trillion in cargo annually and come as a possible Gaza ceasefire and US-Iran nuclear talks remain uncertain.
India unlikely to extradite former Bangladesh PM Hasina despite leaked audio
Scottish Government - Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meets with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina / Scottish Government - CC By 2.0 - Wiki
By bno Chennai OfficeJuly 10, 2025
India is unlikely to comply with Bangladesh’s request to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, despite increasing diplomatic pressure and mounting allegations surrounding her role in a deadly crackdown in 2024. The Indian government has maintained an unwillingness to extradite her even after receiving repeated formal requests from Dhaka.
According to a report by Times of India, the most recent extradition request, delivered through a diplomatic note on July 9 2025, is yet to be formally addressed by India. Hasina’s abrupt departure from Bangladesh in the wake of mass unrest that toppled her nearly 16-year premiership was a blow to India’s influence in the country.
Since then, the political situation in Dhaka has shifted dramatically, with a caretaker administration under Muhammad Yunus pursuing criminal charges against top members of the former ruling Awami League party that Hasina still officially heads. From an objective perspective New Delhi’s reluctance to engage with the extradition pleas appear rooted in a complex mixture of legal, political and strategic calculations.
While the interim government of Bangladesh has accused Hasina of crimes against humanity, including state-sanctioned killings during the extraordinarily disruptive and violent student-led protests - India is under no legal obligation to extradite her in the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty. The two countries have previously cooperated on high-profile returns of fugitives, but those cases were grounded in clear-cut criminal proceedings and reciprocal diplomatic consensus.
The current demand, by contrast, is entangled in questions of legitimacy and timing. India is also weighing the potential fallout of sending Hasina back to Dhaka, where she faces prosecution by a tribunal that her supporters and several international human rights groups have criticised for politicisation.
The tribunal has already sentenced Hasina to six months’ imprisonment in absentia in a contempt case and has indicted her on formal charges of crimes against humanity based partly on fresh evidence emerging from international media.
A leaked audio recording published by BBC Bangla, allegedly capturing Hasina instructing security forces to fire on protesters, has heightened the case’s profile. The BBC Eye Investigations unit, which compiled the report, linked the former prime minister to brutal reprisals carried out during the month-long protests in mid-2024.
According to a separate UN human rights investigation, the crackdown resulted in at least 1,400 deaths between July 15 and August 15 2024 during Hasina’s last few months in office. Dhaka has seized on the BBC’s reporting to bolster its claims, with Yunus’s administration arguing that the moral weight of the revelations demands an urgent international response.
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, described India’s position as “no longer tenable” and accused New Delhi of ignoring basic standards of justice. He said that neither regional friendships nor the strategic legacy of past cooperation could excuse what he called “the deliberate murder of civilians.” India’s leadership, however, is unlikely to be swayed by emotive appeals.
Delhi has long regarded Hasina as a reliable partner, especially on issues ranging from counterterrorism cooperation to cross-border infrastructure development. Her government’s willingness to align with Indian interests, particularly in countering Chinese influence in the Bay of Bengal, gave her an unusual degree of strategic latitude. Despite growing criticism of her increasingly authoritarian style, Hasina retained high-level contacts in the Indian security and diplomatic establishment up to the moment of her exit.
Granting her extradition now, under an interim regime whose future remains uncertain, would risk alienating Awami League loyalists and potentially complicating India’s future relations with whichever faction emerges dominant in Bangladeshi politics. Moreover, any Indian decision to extradite a former head of government would set a precedent that could echo beyond South Asia. Furthermore, extraditing Hasina would require India to be convinced that the charges against her are not politically motivated.
The international tribunal trying her is domestic in origin and has yet to gain international endorsement, unlike The Hague-based courts that handled the trials of former Yugoslav, Rwandan and more recently Philippine leaders. Without a broader international legal framework, India may find sufficient grounds to argue that extradition would be inappropriate at this stage.
India’s foreign ministry has so far limited itself to acknowledging receipt of Dhaka’s communications, without committing to any timeline or stance. The government’s silence, though criticised across the border in Bangladesh, appears to be part of a deliberate effort to avoid escalating tensions while awaiting further developments.
Even as Dhaka intensifies its campaign, support from major powers is likely to be tepid - especially as the world is focused on several other crises including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran-Israel conflict. Indian officials are likely watching closely to see whether global institutions or the UN push for action, which could provide New Delhi with political cover should it decide to revisit its position.
Ever in India’s shadow, Bangladesh needs to define its own energy path
As a country Bangladesh is at an energy crossroads. Following decades of natural‑gas dominance, its energy planners are charting a course towards a diversified portfolio, including nuclear power-use, LNG, coal-fired generation, and a nascent but ambitious renewable sector.
This multifaceted approach reflects both opportunity and challenge, fuelled by surging power demand, dwindling domestic gas reserves and pressing environmental concerns.
Nuclear: Rooppur’s promise
The jewel in Bangladesh’s emerging energy crown is the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Under construction since 2017 with support from Russia’s Rosatom, it comprises two VVER‑1200 reactors totalling 2.4 GW. Unit 1 is expected online in late 2025, followed by Unit 2 in mid‑2025.
The project, financed via an $11.38bn loan, is projected to meet around 10% of the nation’s electricity needs when complete.
While concerns over foreign debt and geopolitical leverage are voiced, especially in Western commentary on Russia’s overseas nuclear diplomacy, Bangladesh sees Rooppur as a scientific and crucial domesic leap, signalling entry into the atomic age. To this end, there is already talk of extending the site with further reactor units and perhaps a research reactor sources in the region indicate.
LNG: the expensive bridge fuel
Once the country’s lynchpin, natural gas has in recent years been drawn down from domestic fields and supplanted by costly LNG imports. As such, Bangladesh has plunged into the global LNG market, increasing its spot cargoes from 23 to 48 in 2024, with projections to spend around $50bn on LNG infrastructure and plants alone news agencies such as Reuters have reported.
The nation forged a non‑binding deal with Louisiana’s Argent LNG for up to 5mn tonnes per year (tpy) in a bid to diversify suppliers and assuage import issues. Yet this reliance hits hard. LNG prices have spiked 300% since 2021, triggering fiscal stress, underutilised capacity – an example being the Payra plant operating at only 40% or so of its potential, and environmental indignation
Critics of Dhaka’s LNG policy and use argue thay the country is entrapped by “LNG addiction” and the local Dhaka Tribune has indicated these voices highlight that the $36bn spent on LNG plants could have instead powered up renewable capacity to 62 GW.
Coal: the double edged sword
In addition to nuclear power, Bangladesh is rapidly constructing coal-fired capacity to anchor baseload generation. Payra at 1.32 GW and Matarbari at 1.2 GW are the flagship mega‑plants, built with Chinese and Japanese aid respectively.
Meanwhile, Rampal, a 1.32-GW Indo‑Bangladeshi venture, also helps underpin domestic energy security even as concerns flood environmental circles due to its proximity to the environmentally important Sundarbans – an area of mangrove forest home to around 100 Bengali tigers.
Japan’s climate‑finance intervention at Matarbari, and advanced pollution controls at Payra, however, are seen as attempts to green‑wash what is fundamentally a fossil-based project. However, analysts question whether more coal is wise. A 2025 Daily Star editorial warned that yet another coal unit would exacerbate overcapacity as baseload margin already hovers at ~61%. At the same time it would contradict environmental aims .
Renewables
Bangladesh is also making inroads into solar, wind, and off‑grid renewable models. Surprisingly, the country runs the world’s largest off‑grid solar system, serving around 20mn people. Yet utility‑scale utility growth lags: by 2021, renewables made up just 3% of generation, falling short of government targets local media reports. Much of this is attributed to land scarcity and grid constraints which have throttled expansion.
Some progress is being made though: Feni solar park (50 MW), rooftop PV mandates on schools, hospitals, and public buildings, and solar tenders totalling 5.2 GW are underway. The government has also refreshed its Renewable Energy Policy, raising targets to 20% by 2030 and 30% by 2041. Even the interim administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has mandated rooftop panels on public institutions, both to help ease monthly bills and unlock private investment.
Balancing act
Bangladesh’s Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan, whether idealistically or otherwise, envisions a future comprising nuclear, gas / LNG, coal, renewables, hydrogen, bioenergy, regional imports from India to the west and Nepal and Bhutan to the north.
But ambition often meets stark realism in Bangladesh. Domestic gas production is expected to run dry by 2033 without fresh discoveries according to reports, and LNG’s volatility pressures finances and environment in a country still lacking in funds and political stability. Coal expansion might lock in high carbon emissions while at the same time stranding assets and renewables need policy consistency, grid investment, and land‑use innovation. Even nuclear, for all its promise, is locked into large foreign‑currency debt and complex regulatory regimes.
Nevertheless, Dhaka’s diversification strategy is pragmatic. Rooppur offers a high‑intensity, carbon‑light backbone. LNG and coal sustain base‑load power while renewables scale and grid resilience improves. Regional imports help buffer against drought or monsoon-induced supply drops. Cross-border energy trading with Bhutan, India and Nepal also helps.
Charting a sustainable future
To this end, even as Bangladesh’s energy narrative may appear disordered and marked by competing priorities and financial risk, it reflects the complex realities that fast-growing economies face.
If Bangladesh can sustain its renewable momentum, claw down LNG and coal’s share, and make Rooppur a safe and financially viable success, it could truly reimagine its energy future. The nation that once burned through daily blackouts now stands at the cusp of an energy transformation - resilient, cleaner and ready for the challenges ahead.
Panama claws back financial credibility as EU removes it from high-risk list
The long-sought delisting, while not altering Panama’s fiscal policies, could have far-reaching economic implications. / pixabay
Panama has scored a major diplomatic and regulatory win after the European Parliament on July 9 formally approved the European Commission’s proposal to remove the country from the EU’s list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorist financing.
The proposal, issued by the Commission on June 10, followed Panama’s exclusion from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2023, and marks a turning point in the country’s long battle to rehabilitate its financial reputation post-Panama Papers.
The EU’s decision is based on FATF’s October 2023 evaluation and subsequent bilateral verifications. The EU cited Panama’s substantial improvements in transparency and beneficial ownership regulations, noting that the country now demonstrates effective responses to international requests regarding corporate information.
However, this is not Panama’s first attempt at delisting. In March 2024, the European Parliament rejected a similar proposal due to concerns over Panama’s maritime registry, including allegations of “ghost ships” linked to sanctioned entities in Iran and Russia. In response, the government issued Executive Decree 512 in October 2024, empowering its Maritime Authority to deregister vessels linked to international watchlists. By March 2025, over 125 flagged ships had been removed, a move viewed by Brussels as a key step in addressing legislative deficiencies.
Despite these gains, legal experts such as Carlos Raúl Moreno of GAPIFI caution that the European Parliament’s political character makes the outcome less predictable. Although no objections were raised this time, concerns remain regarding Panama’s refusal to recognise blacklists by non-governmental entities such as United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a group influential in transatlantic sanctions policy.
The delisting, while not altering Panama’s fiscal policies, could have far-reaching economic implications. Hoyos noted that the removal would facilitate foreign direct investment from EU states, citing Germany as an example where strict domestic rules had previously blocked investment in Panama due to its risk classification. It also clears the way for smoother access to international credit lines and closer regulatory cooperation.
Nonetheless, as prominent lawyer Adolfo Linares told La Estrella, the case reveals the EU’s listing mechanisms often serve dual purposes—technical and geopolitical. “These lists are not just compliance tools, but levers of influence,” he argued, accusing Brussels of applying disproportionate pressure on smaller jurisdictions under the guise of financial integrity.
AI surge sparks semiconductor facility expansion in South Korea
/ Unsplash - Markus Spiske
By bno - Jakarta OfficeJuly 8, 2025
South Korea’s semiconductor industry is experiencing a significant investment surge, driven by the explosive demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips and bolstered by strong government support. Chipmaking giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are at the forefront of this expansion, with large-scale construction projects and technology upgrades aimed at securing their positions in the rapidly growing global AI chip market.
Government steps up with billions in support
The Korean government in April announced a major boost to its semiconductor strategy, increasing planned investment from KRW26 trillion to KRW33 trillion (approximately $23.2bn), Korea Times reports. The initiative aims to build a private-sector-led innovation ecosystem and strengthen national competitiveness amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Initial funding will support infrastructure development for chipmaking hubs in Yongin and Pyeongtaek, both located south of Seoul. These sites are already central to current and future facilities by Samsung and SK hynix.
In addition, low-interest loans for the industry will be increased by KRW3 trillion between 2025 and 2027, bringing the total to KRW20 trillion. The government will also invest in large-scale R&D projects, advanced fabrication plants, and talent development programmes, including initiatives to train local specialists and attract top-tier global experts.
Samsung reignites construction of mega fab
Samsung Electronics is reportedly resuming construction at its Pyeongtaek Campus Line 4 (P4), according to The Korea Herald. The site had previously paused some phases, but activity on phases two and four is now restarting. These new lines will focus on sixth-generation 1c DRAM chips using a 10-nanometre process, essential for next-gen HBM4 chips.
Samsung Vice Chair Jun Young-hyun recently travelled to the US for talks with Nvidia, a move widely seen as an effort to secure future HBM orders and reassert Samsung’s competitiveness in the high-bandwidth memory market.
Once operational, Phase 4 of the P4 facility is expected to contribute 80,000 wafers per month, accounting for 40% of the site's planned 200,000-wafer monthly capacity. Reports also suggest Samsung may revisit its halted P5 project, which would require an investment of over KRW30 trillion ($22bn) to produce DRAM, NAND flash, and foundry chips.
SK hynix doubles down on DRAM and packaging
The Korea Herald also reports that SK hynix is also intensifying its manufacturing push. Its M15X plant in Cheongju is set to open later this year, focusing on fifth-generation 10nm-class DRAM chips for HBM4 products. The facility will have a monthly capacity of around 90,000 wafers.
In parallel, SK hynix is developing a new back-end packaging plant, named “P&T 7,” also in Cheongju. This facility will enhance packaging capabilities and improve energy efficiency for high-performance AI semiconductors.
A market on the rise
The global AI semiconductor market is expected to grow rapidly, with the Export-Import Bank of Korea projecting an increase from $41.1bn in 2022 to $133bn by 2028. This sharp upward trajectory is spurring urgent investment from both government and industry players.
South Korea’s strategy goes beyond building more fabs. It is a calculated push to stay competitive in the global AI chip race. The government is backing the sector with serious funding while letting private players lead innovation, which is a practical and forward-looking approach.
Samsung is clearly shifting focus toward high-performance memory with its DRAM and HBM investments, while SK hynix is strengthening its packaging capabilities to meet AI processing needs. Both are positioning themselves for long-term dominance in a market that is evolving fast. The key question is whether Korea can scale its foundry capacity quickly enough to challenge the current leaders. If it succeeds, the global chip map could look very different within the decade.
Rio unveils $65bn AI hub as Brazil courts global data centre investment
Brazil's renewable energy credentials are already well-established, having surpassed its target of reaching 84% renewable electricity by 2030 ahead of schedule. / pixabay
Brazil is vying to capture a substantial share of the global data centre market, as Rio de Janeiro launches an ambitious $65bn artificial intelligence hub and the federal government mulls significant tax relief measures for the sector.
The Rio AI City project, announced last week through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the city and key federal institutions including the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), aims to establish a 3-GW data centre capacity by 2032. The facility will be located in Barra da Tijuca, leveraging what Mayor Eduardo Paes described as favourable regulatory and fiscal conditions.
"We have the support of the BNDES, clean energy, a robust infrastructure of underground cables and fiber optics, and most valuable of all: human capital," Paes stated during the signing ceremony at the BNDES headquarters.
The announcement follows revelations that Brazil could attract demand for data centres worth 10 GW over the next decade, according to Igor Marchesini, special adviser to the Ministry of Finance. Speaking at the Energy Summit 2025 in late June, Marchesini pointed to Brazil's competitive advantages, particularly its clean energy matrix, which he argued sets the country apart from competitors facing infrastructure constraints, Estadao reported.
"Here we have something that only Brazil has: the matrix is clean, we won't even increase the electricity bill or increase pollution," Marchesini noted, contrasting Brazil's position with regions such as Ireland and Virginia where data centre expansion has faced public resistance over energy consumption concerns.
Brazil's renewable energy credentials are already well-established, having surpassed its target of reaching 84% renewable electricity by 2030 ahead of schedule. The country's ten-year Energy Expansion Plan projects solar capacity reaching 47 GW and wind capacity hitting 31 GW by 2030, according to the Energy Research Office's 2022 framework.
The government's optimism is underpinned by forthcoming tax incentives. A provisional measure offering 52% tax relief for data centres has been finalised and awaits transmission from the Civil House to Congress.
The tax relief forms part of a broader strategy to encourage data centre development in Brazil's Northeast region, where surplus energy capacity could help reduce regional inequalities whilst capitalising on growing global demand. Marchesini noted that many regions worldwide face seven-year waiting lists for data centre connections, presenting Brazil with a significant opportunity.
Supporting this infrastructure push, the BNDES announced plans for a dedicated fund targeting data centre and artificial intelligence projects, with initial investments ranging from $90mn to $180mn. Nelson Barbosa, Director of Planning and Institutional Relations at the BNDES, indicated the fund could eventually reach $450mn to $900mn when private investments are included.
"We are going to create a cooperation model for the BNDES that can be replicated in other cities and states," Barbosa stated, emphasising the bank's commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the sector.
The development bank has already committed $306mn to the sector since 2023, including $180mn across nine hardware-related transactions and $126mn in equity funds expected to leverage an additional $414mn in private capital.
However, industry voices have warned against regulatory overreach. Alessandro Lombardi, president of Elea Data Centers, which plans to install 1.5 GW of capacity over six to seven years, cautioned that excessive regulation could deter investment, as reported by Estadao. His company has opened its first 10-MW facility in Rio de Janeiro and is constructing an 80-megawatt centre slated for 2026 delivery.
"But if [Brazil] overdoes it with regulation, it won't attract investors. There are three bills under consideration; there should be just one, to make things clearer. There needs to be user-friendly regulation," Lombardi stated, though he expressed optimism about recent progress.
Meanwhile, the broader regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence remains in development. Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Luciana Santos highlighted the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan, which calls for $4.14bn in investments through 2028 and has 31% of proposed actions completed or underway.
"We are committed to using artificial intelligence to serve a growth project with social justice and equity," Santos stated. "Mastering AI is a crucial matter of national sovereignty in the face of changing global geopolitics."
The convergence of Brazil's clean energy edge, government support, and skyrocketing global demand for data centre capacity presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the country to emerge as a regional technology hub. But success will depend on balancing regulatory clarity with investor-friendly policies, whilst maintaining the environmental advantages that set Brazil apart from competitors facing infrastructure constraints.
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