Category: World

The Internal Revenue Service announced plans to furlough almost half its employees as the U. S. government shutdown extends past its initial contingency period. The move signals a drastic scaling back of tax-collection operations and invites legal scrutiny over potential permanent layoffs.Under the updated contingency plan, around 39,870 IRS staffers—roughly 53.6 per cent of its workforce—will continue to work, while the remainder will be placed on furlough. The agency has already begun sending mass furlough notices and shutting down most

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed assertions that the artificial intelligence boom is mirroring the dot-com bubble, saying the current momentum rests on strong fundamentals rather than speculation. He defended Nvidia’s recent investments in AI startups and pitched infrastructure build-out as the engine sustaining growth.During a wide-ranging interview on CNBC, Huang stated that what differentiates today’s environment from the dot-com era is the depth of demand: global hyperscale cloud firms already manage more than $2.5 trillion in business, he argued, and are

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Blykalla, evroc and Studsvik to assess the viability of co-locating small modular reactors and data centres at Studsvik’s licensed nuclear site in Nyköping, Sweden. The agreement marks a significant step in Europe’s efforts to power digital infrastructure with clean baseload energy.Under the MoU, the three organisations will form a joint steering committee to examine technical, commercial and regulatory feasibility, engage with municipalities and landowners, and draft possible power-purchase agreement frameworks. Formal

The World Bank has warned of a looming cycle of poverty in Gaza, in which child malnutrition, psychological trauma and institutional collapse could entrench deprivation across generations.The economist issuing the warning, speaking in an internal briefing that has been seen by multiple international analysts, observed that Gaza’s humanitarian emergency is evolving into structural impoverishment — a process that cannot be reversed simply by aid injections. He pointed to escalating child stunting, widespread food insecurity and a mental-health burden that will

Ethiopia has introduced its first malaria vaccine programme in Turmi, South Omo Zone, delivering the vaccine in tandem with a large-scale distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets across 58 high-burden districts. The dual approach aims to strengthen protection for children against malaria in areas of intense transmission.At the launch on 18 September 2025, the federal Ministry of Health, regional health bureaus, the Malaria Consortium, WHO and other partners were present to witness Ethiopia become the 23rd African country to adopt malaria

The Central Bank of Kenya reduced its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points today, bringing it down to 9.25 per cent, in its eighth consecutive cut as consumer inflation remains firmly within allowable limits.The move comes as Kenya’s inflation for September stood at 4.6 per cent year-on-year, slightly up from 4.5 per cent in August, but still well inside the central bank’s target band of 2.5 to 7.5 per cent. The Monetary Policy Committee said there remains room to

Turkish authorities reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining energy ties with Russia, dismissing US appeals to cut off Moscow from the country’s gas supply network. The Turkish Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, emphasised that existing contracts and technical dependencies render any abrupt withdrawal impractical.Bayraktar told CNNTurk that “we cannot tell our citizens: We have run out of gas,” adding that Turkey must ensure continuous supply from Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and other sources during the winter. He insisted Turkey would not abandon its

Port Louis: MCB Capital Markets has advised CIEL Limited in issuing a MUR 1.45 billion sustainability-linked bond, marking a milestone in African sustainable finance as the first time a diversified investment holding company has tapped this structure on the continent. The issuance was oversubscribed by 1.5 times and is credited with bringing foreign investors into the Mauritian local currency debt market for the first time through the Africa Local Currency Bond Fund.The bond ties its cost of capital to

Over 200 trekkers are currently being evacuated after a fierce snowstorm struck the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibetan region, leaving them trapped at high-altitude campsites, Chinese state media reports. Earlier, around 350 hikers had made it to relative safety in a local township, while rescue teams maintained contact with those still stranded.The affected area is the Karma Valley, which leads to the Kangshung face of Everest, and lies at an average altitude of about 4,200

Glencore has entered a 20-year agreement with Discovery Green to supply renewable energy for four of its South African mining operations, beginning 2027. The deal is expected to deliver over 290 GWh annually to mines in the eMalahleni area, replacing the bulk of their existing power demand with wind and solar energy.Under the terms of the agreement, renewable power will be delivered from Discovery Green’s contracted wind and solar farms via the national grid to Glencore’s Goedgevonden, Tweefontein and

Munich Airport reopened Saturday morning following a second shutdown in under 24 hours caused by drone activity near its runways, as Germany steps up its response to escalating airspace threats.Air traffic control first suspended operations late Thursday after multiple drone sightings prompted restrictions and cancellations. Authorities say 17 departing flights were grounded and 15 incoming flights diverted, with around 3,000 passengers left in limbo.Operations resumed Friday at 5 a. m., but fresh drone detections late that evening forced another

Botswana has become the target for a bold new data infrastructure initiative after U. S. operator ChillMine and Netherlands-based AAAS Energy inked a memorandum of understanding to develop a solar-plus-storage data centre campus near Palapye.The proposed facility, intended to support AI workloads, hyperscale operations and energy-intensive computing, will be integrated into the Leupane Energy Hub and Industrial Park. The energy backbone of the hub is planned to include a 250 MW solar photovoltaic plant and a battery energy storage system

South African equities climbed to unprecedented levels on Thursday, driven by buoyant momentum in mining and financial sectors. The benchmark FTSE/JSE All-Share Index rose past its prior peak, cementing the capital market’s status as one of the continent’s top performers this year.The rally has been underpinned by a strong commodity backdrop: iron ore, platinum, and gold all posted gains, boosting mining stocks across the board. The Public Investment Corporation disclosed that its listed equity portfolio grew by 22.5 percent

A plunge of nearly 90 percent in blockchain-related job postings across Europe underscores a stark contraction in the sector, even as industry leaders plan to rally through the 11th European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona.By one estimate, Europe went from over 100,000 jobs referencing “blockchain” in 2022 to roughly 10,000 in 2025, representing the dramatic erosion in demand. Analysts cite regulatory complexity, high energy costs, and capital flight to more permissive jurisdictions as key drivers of the decline. Meanwhile, European fintech

Elon Musk has become the first individual in recorded history to attain a net worth of $500 billion, according to the latest Forbes billionaire index. His estimated fortune stood at $499.5 billion as of October 1, driven by sharp gains in Tesla shares and upward revaluations of his other ventures.Tesla’s stock climbed nearly 4 per cent on that day, contributing over $7 billion to Musk’s wealth, and has risen more than 14 per cent year-to-date. The new milestone follows a

A U. S. government shutdown commenced at 00:01 EDT after Congress failed to enact the necessary funding bills, placing an estimated 750,000 federal employees at risk of furlough or unpaid work, according to Congressional Budget Office projections.The Transportation Department has announced that more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration will be furloughed, even as over 13,000 air traffic controllers remain mandated to continue working without immediate pay. Meanwhile, about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration staff will also be required

Governments, tech firms and international bodies are intensifying efforts to structure artificial intelligence oversight, with sharp divergence emerging between innovation-led and precaution-based models. The European Union has begun implementing core provisions of its AI Act, the United States has unveiled a sweeping federal strategy prioritising deregulation, and Asia—with China leading—has laid out a coordinated global governance agenda.The EU’s AI Act, formally effective since August 2024, is now activating its enforcement phases. From February 2025, systems deemed “unacceptable risk” have been

Passenger volume across African airlines is forecast to reach 113 million in 2025, up from 98 million in 2024—an increase of about 15.3 %, according to the African Airlines Association. With such growth, aviation stakeholders are stepping up calls to liberalise air transport across the continent to unlock further gains.A core mechanism in this push is the Single African Air Transport Market, conceived under African Union Agenda 2063, which aims to remove restrictive bilateral agreements and allow airlines more

Floodwaters unleashed by torrential rain swept through central Arizona, killing at least four people and forcing widespread evacuations and emergency declarations. Three victims were discovered in the historic mining town of Globe, where floodwaters rose rapidly and inundated downtown, while a fourth body was found near a submerged vehicle in Scottsdale.About 2.5 inches of rain fell within 24 hours in Globe, a city of roughly 7,250 residents situated 88 miles east of Phoenix. The deluge overwhelmed local drainage systems and

Law enforcement agencies are now deploying drones equipped with automated licence plate reader systems, enabling vehicles’ registration data to be captured from the air. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that firms such as Flock Safety are marketing drones with built-in ALPR capability to police forces seeking to scale up surveillance.These airborne ALPR units combine optical character recognition technology with the mobility of drones. In presentations to law enforcement clients, Flock Safety has shown how its Aerodome drone