Category: World

Kenya is set to host its first public cloud region after iXAfrica Data Centres confirmed a partnership with Oracle, a move that places Nairobi at the centre of East Africa’s fast-expanding digital infrastructure map. The initiative, announced in January 2024, brings Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services to locally based facilities operated by iXAfrica, allowing businesses and public institutions to store and process data within the country rather than relying on offshore servers.The project marks a significant step for Kenya’s technology ecosystem,

Los Angeles — Fashion, rather than trophies alone, commanded attention at the 2026 Grammy Awards, as artists, influencers and designers turned the red carpet into a statement on evolving celebrity style, global luxury branding and the music industry’s widening cultural reach. From sculpted minimalism to revived classic tailoring, the evening underscored how awards-season fashion has become as closely scrutinised as the performances themselves.Sabrina Carpenter emerged as one of the night’s most talked-about figures, pairing her chart dominance with a carefully

Senior defence officials from Canada travelled to the United States for a formal ceremony marking progress on the F-35 fighter programme, underlining Ottawa’s commitment to the aircraft even as renewed trade and political frictions cloud the wider bilateral relationship and trigger fresh scrutiny of the country’s long-running CF-18 replacement plan.The event, hosted by Lockheed Martin at its Fort Worth, Texas facility, brought together representatives from the Royal Canadian Air Force, the manufacturer and programme partners to recognise milestones ahead of

Austria’s Supreme Court has ruled that loot boxes in the FIFA video game series do not constitute gambling under national law, holding that the mechanics require a degree of player skill and therefore fall outside the legal definition of games of chance.The judgment by the Oberster Gerichtshof, Austria’s highest civil court, addresses a long-running dispute over FIFA’s Ultimate Team mode, where players can acquire virtual packs containing randomly assorted digital items, including footballers used to build competitive squads. Claimants had

Federal immigration authorities have launched employment audits at multiple Minnesota businesses following their refusal to cooperate with workplace enforcement actions, triggering a sharp response from state and city officials who argue the move amounts to retaliation that could chill lawful commerce and labour compliance.The audits, confirmed by company executives and local authorities, are being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and its enforcement arm, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and focus on I-9 employment eligibility records and payroll documentation. At

Donald Trump has chosen former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as chair of the US central bank when Powell’s term concludes in May, signalling a sharp shift in tone at the Fed and reviving a long-running debate over the institution’s independence and policy direction.The selection places a frequent critic of the Fed’s crisis-era interventions at the helm of the world’s most influential monetary authority. Warsh, who served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, is

Pentagon negotiations with Anthropic have stalled amid a dispute over restrictions the company has embedded to prevent autonomous targeting and domestic surveillance, throwing uncertainty over a proposed defence AI contract valued at about $200 million and sharpening fault lines in Washington’s approach to military automation.Senior defence officials have pressed Anthropic to relax safeguards that block its models from selecting or engaging targets without human authorisation and from supporting surveillance activities inside the United States. Anthropic has resisted, arguing that the

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have unveiled a platform technology designed to strengthen the potency of RNA interference therapies, a field that has promised targeted gene silencing yet has struggled with delivery efficiency and durability inside cells. The work centres on improving how small interfering RNA molecules reach the cytoplasm, where they can shut down disease-driving genes with greater precision.RNA interference, or RNAi, works by harnessing a natural cellular process to degrade specific messenger RNA

Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, now confronts formal charges from Hungarian prosecutors for organising and leading a Pride march that defied a government-imposed ban under new assembly laws last June, officials confirmed this week. Prosecutors have proposed fining Karácsony without a full court hearing, accusing him of violating the law on freedom of association and assembly by staging a public gathering despite an explicit police prohibition.The legal action centres on the June 28 event in the Hungarian capital that drew

Nairobi has been chosen to host the first Gulfood360 Africa in May 2027, marking a significant expansion of the global food and beverage platform into a continent whose food economy is valued at about $567 billion. The decision, announced on the sidelines of Gulfood 2026 in Dubai, formalises Kenya as the official African host and positions the East African hub at the centre of a strategy to link African producers, processors and traders more closely with international markets.Organisers said the

BBC leadership is entering a defined transition phase after the corporation’s Board confirmed that Director-General Tim Davie will step down on 2 April, bringing to a close a tenure that spanned a period of sharp political scrutiny, digital transformation pressures and financial constraint across public service media.The Board said Rhodri Talfan Davies will assume the role of Interim Director-General from 3 April, ensuring continuity at the top of the organisation while the search for a permanent successor continues. To support

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered an immediate halt to new H-1B visa petitions by all state agencies and public universities, a dramatic step aimed at prioritising jobs for local workers and intensifying scrutiny of foreign worker hiring practices in government-funded institutions. The directive, issued on 27 January, bars these bodies from initiating or filing for new H-1B visas without written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission and will remain in place through the next legislative session, ending 31 May

US population growth slowed markedly last year as a sharp deceleration in immigration offset steady gains from births exceeding deaths, according to newly released data from the US Census Bureau, underscoring how migration flows have become the decisive swing factor in the country’s demographic trajectory.The population expanded at a slower pace than in the preceding year, reflecting fewer arrivals from abroad and a natural increase that remains modest by historical standards. Census estimates show that net international migration contributed less

Signs are emerging that President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration drive is carrying political risks, with polling shifts, street protests and unease among key voter blocs suggesting the strategy is beginning to dent public support. The administration has intensified workplace raids, expanded detention capacity and accelerated deportations while federal authorities have moved forcefully to disperse demonstrations against the sweeps, framing the approach as a necessary restoration of law and order.Polling released over the past several weeks shows a narrowing of Trump’s

France has moved to sharply restrict children’s access to social media after lawmakers approved legislation that would bar users under 15 from creating or holding accounts without verified parental consent, marking the most far-reaching national intervention of its kind in Europe.The bill, passed by the National Assembly after months of debate over online harms, places legal obligations on major platforms to prevent under-age access and to implement robust age-verification systems. Companies that fail to comply face escalating penalties, including fines

Soybean and corn futures edged higher in global trade as a softer US dollar improved export competitiveness and intensifying heat across Argentina raised questions over yield prospects, even as ample worldwide supplies continued to cap gains and keep prices well below the highs seen during 2022.Soybeans led the advance, with prices supported by currency moves that made US shipments more attractive to overseas buyers and by weather maps pointing to prolonged hot conditions across key Argentine growing regions. Corn followed,

AfricAI has secured exclusive continental rights from Micropolis Robotics to commercialise and deploy advanced autonomous robotics platforms across Africa, under a multi-year agreement that industry analysts describe as a pivotal development for robotics infrastructure on the continent. The deal prohibits Micropolis from direct sales or appointing alternative distributors in the territory, establishing AfricAI as the central execution, localisation and go-to-market partner for Micropolis’s robotics systems across industrial, security, logistics and infrastructure sectors.The pact positions AfricAI at the forefront of Africa’s

South Africa’s vast grasslands have become the testing ground for what is being described as a global first in community-led carbon markets, as farmers and pastoral groups begin to earn tradable carbon credits through regenerative land management verified under a new international standard. The initiative centres on Verra’s recently approved methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management, which allows greenhouse gas reductions and soil carbon gains from grazing optimisation and related practices to be formally quantified and credited.The move places South

A sweeping winter storm delivered an unusual alignment of heavy snowfall across five of the largest metropolitan areas on the US East Coast, marking a weather milestone highlighted by meteorologist Andrew Markowitz, known online as “Snowstradamus”. Writing on X, Markowitz said the storm marked the first instance in 3,655 days in which Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC each recorded at least six inches of snow during the same event, a span of just over a decade.The

Harare’s local authorities have escalated flood warnings and emergency preparations across the capital following prolonged heavy rainfall that has overwhelmed drainage infrastructure and triggered flash floods in multiple low-lying suburbs. Officials have urged residents and motorists to adjust travel plans, heed evacuation guidance where issued and monitor weather conditions as water levels continue to rise across a city whose ageing systems have struggled under intensifying storms.City officials, led by Acting Town Clerk Phakamile Mabhena Moyo, reported daily flash flooding

Power outages spread across large parts of the US East Coast on Sunday as a powerful winter storm pushed heavy snow, freezing rain and ice from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, disrupting daily life for millions, straining energy infrastructure and forcing widespread travel cancellations. Utilities warned that restoration efforts could take days in some areas as hazardous conditions slowed repair crews and fresh snowfall compounded earlier damage.The storm system, driven by a clash between Arctic air and moisture-laden Atlantic winds,

Rescue teams continued combing rough waters off the southern Philippines after a passenger ferry capsized and sank, leaving at least 15 people dead and more than 300 pulled to safety, according to officials coordinating the response. Several passengers remained unaccounted for as the operation entered a critical phase, with authorities warning that changing weather and strong currents were hampering search efforts.The wooden-hulled ferry went down during a routine inter-island crossing in the waters south of Mindanao, an area where ferries