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Pierre Failler

Professor in Economics and Director of the Centre for Blue Governance, UNESCO Chair in Ocean Governance, University of Portsmouth
Prof. Failler is the director of the Centre for Blue Governance. He holds the Unesco Chair in Ocean Governance. He has coordinated complex research projects with multidisciplinary teams for more than 25 years in Europe, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, and Pacific coastal countries (more than 40 to date) in collaboration with national research institutions and universities and a close link with policy bodies. He has recently coordinated the Blue Economy Strategy for the African Union, the Regional Action Plan for the Blue Economy of the Indian Ocean Commission, the Blue Economy Strategy of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development as well as the Blue Economy Strategy for Bangladesh, Seychelles, Guinea, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Madagascar and Tanzania. He has authored and co-authored about 160 journal articles and 350 book chapters, research reports, consultancy reports, etc. He is also a scientific evaluator for several research councils in the UK, Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.

West Africa’s plastic waste could be fuelling the economy instead of polluting the ocean: expert

Nov 15, 2023 01:44 am UTC| Economy

Plastic pollution is an urgent environmental issue, globally. Every year, about eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans. Most of the 17 west African countries have a problem managing plastic waste. Eight of...

Economy

Asian Markets Quiet as Japan Gains on BOJ Decision; Australia Eyes Rate Cut

Most Asian stock markets were closed Thursday due to the Labor Day holiday, with trading volumes remaining low. However, Japanese shares advanced after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) left interest rates unchanged at 0.5%, as...

Australia’s Gold Rush to U.S. Turns Trade Deficit into Surplus

Australia recorded its strongest three-month export performance to the United States, driven largely by a surge in gold shipments amid President Donald Trumps tariff policies. According to the Australian Bureau of...

BOJ to Hold Rates Steady Amid Tariff Uncertainty, May Cut Growth Outlook

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to keep its short-term interest rate unchanged at 0.5% on Thursday, while cutting its economic growth forecasts due to rising uncertainty from U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump....

Japan’s Factory Activity Contracts for 10th Month as Export Demand Weakens

Japans manufacturing sector shrank for the 10th consecutive month in April, as global demand softened and concerns over U.S. trade tariffs intensified. The final au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index...

Oil Prices Rebound Slightly After Sharp Drop on Saudi Supply Signals

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday following a steep decline the previous day, as investors weighed signals of potential increased output from Saudi Arabia and a weaker U.S. economic outlook. Brent crude futures rose by...

Politics

Senate Deadlocked on Tariff Rollback as U.S. Economy Shrinks

The U.S. Senate voted 49-49 on Wednesday, failing to pass a resolution aimed at reversing President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs. The tie vote came just hours after federal data revealed that the U.S. economy contracted...

U.S. Warns Iran Over Houthi Support Amid Ongoing Nuclear Talks

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Iran on Wednesday over its support for Yemens Houthi rebels, even as indirect nuclear negotiations between the two nations continue. Speaking via X (formerly...

Singapore PM Urges Support for Trusted Team Ahead of May 3 Election

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged voters to re-elect his cabinet in the May 3 general election, emphasizing the need for experienced leaders with strong ties to both the U.S. and China. Addressing 1.4...

Australia’s Labor Government Poised for Narrow Election Win Amid Trump Policy Backlash

Australias center-left Labor government appears on track to secure re-election in a tightly contested national vote this weekend, according to two opinion polls released Thursday. A RedBridge-Accent poll conducted April...

Trump Administration Open to Boosting North American Manufacturing with Canada’s PM Carney

The Trump administration is prepared to collaborate with Canadas newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen North American manufacturing, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. In a televised...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Microsoft Stock Soars on Strong Azure Growth and AI Momentum

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) surged 7% in after-hours trading after reporting stronger-than-expected Q3 results, driven by robust growth in its Azure cloud business and rising demand for AI services. Azure revenue grew 33% in...

Amazon Launches Nova Premier AI to Compete with GPT-4o and Gemini

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has unveiled Nova Premier, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, at the AWS re:Invent conference, signaling a bold push into the competitive generative AI market. Delivered through...

Xiaomi Unveils MiMo AI Model, Shares Surge 5% on Breakthrough Launch

Xiaomi Corp (HK:1810) launched its first open-source large language model, MiMo, on Wednesday, marking its official entry into the competitive artificial intelligence space. The debut sent Xiaomis Hong Kong-listed shares...

Alibaba Launches Qwen 3 AI Model Amid Intensifying China Tech Competition

Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) unveiled Qwen 3 on Tuesday, a next-generation AI model featuring hybrid reasoning capabilities aimed at boosting performance and adaptability. The move underscores Alibabas...

Amazon Enters Satellite Internet Race with First Kuiper Deployment

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has officially entered the satellite broadband market with the successful launch of 27 operational satellites for Project Kuiper, its high-speed internet initiative aimed at rivaling SpaceXs Starlink....