Category: World

Air raid sirens blared across Ukraine before dawn on 28 September as waves of Russian drones and missiles struck Kyiv and multiple regions, leaving fatalities and dozens of injuries while the assault continued into the morning, according to officials.Authorities in the capital reported deaths and widespread damage across more than 20 sites, including homes, a medical facility and a kindergarten; emergency services worked through debris as thick smoke drifted near the city centre. Early casualty tallies diverged as updates

Microsoft has halted specific cloud and artificial intelligence services to a unit within Israel’s Ministry of Defence after uncovering evidence that its Azure infrastructure was being used in a mass surveillance programme targeting Palestinians. The firm confirmed that access to a subset of its subscriptions has been suspended, while non-surveillance services remain unaffected.The decision follows an investigative exposé by The Guardian, in collaboration with +972 Magazine and Local Call, which documented that Israel’s Unit 8200 had stored and analysed intercepted

A Paris criminal court has sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison, having found him guilty of criminal conspiracy tied to alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. The court’s ruling mandates that he serve time even if he appeals, underscoring the gravity attributed to his conduct.Judges determined that between 2005 and 2007 Sarkozy conspired, through close aides, to seek funding from Libya under Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. While the court did not establish that funds

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has authorised over $100 million in financing guarantees to support two flagship digital infrastructure projects in Côte d’Ivoire. The package includes a $66 million guarantee for a national data centre and $47 million for technology exports intended to digitalise the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.The deals, approved in August under EXIM’s China and Transformational Exports Program, were formally unveiled on the sidelines of the U. N. General Assembly in New York. The

President Duma Boko has declared that his government intends to secure a controlling share in De Beers by the end of October, pushing Botswana to renegotiate its position in the global diamond supply chain. The move comes as Anglo American, the majority owner of De Beers, appears ready to divest its 85 percent stake.Botswana currently holds 15 percent of De Beers and jointly operates the mining group’s largest source of supply through the Debswana venture, which contributes roughly 70 percent

African Bank has successfully issued its first social bonds, raising R700 million through 3- and 5-year securities aimed at funding small and medium enterprises. Demand exceeded supply, with bid volumes surpassing R1 billion. This marks a key step under the bank’s newly implemented Sustainable Finance Framework, which seeks to align its funding practices with environmental and social objectives.The Sustainable Finance Framework, formally adopted in August 2025, defines criteria that allow African Bank to issue green, social and sustainability bonds

Environmental analysts and transport groups have called for a major shift in Uganda’s boda-boda motorcycle sector, urging adoption of electric bikes as a means to curb greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and relieve economic burdens on riders.A health-impact modelling study led by Dr Gabriel Okello and Dr Lambed Tatah found that converting petrol-powered boda-bodas in Kampala to electric ones could lower fine particulate matter levels by about 15 per cent. That reduction is projected to translate to an

Tech companies across North America are scrambling to assess the fallout after the U. S. government announced that new H-1B visa applications will require a $100,000 fee per applicant, a steep jump from the previous cost. Critics warn the change will severely reduce access to foreign talent, while Canada is increasingly seen as a prime alternative destination.The executive proclamation, signed on 19 September, stipulates that employers must pay $100,000 when filing H-1B petitions for specialty-occupation workers who are outside the

Airports across Brussels, London, Berlin and Dublin are working to restore normal flight operations after a cyber-attack on the Muse check-in software operated by Collins Aerospace disrupted check-in, boarding pass and baggage tag services. Brussels remains the worst affected, with cancellations, delays and airport officials warning of further cancellations into Monday.Collins Aerospace, part of RTX Corporation, confirmed its check-in and baggage drop systems have suffered a “cyber-related disruption” at several select European airports. Self-service kiosks and online check-in remain functional,

A cyberattack that compromised the MUSE software of Collins Aerospace has caused delays and cancellations at several of Europe’s busiest airports, including Heathrow, Berlin Brandenburg, and Brussels. The disruption has affected electronic check-in and boarding systems, forcing manual processing and straining airport operations.The attack, which targeted a service provider used by multiple airlines, has resulted in subdued automated systems at these airports. Heathrow warned of potential delays for departing passengers while Brussels confirmed flight cancellations and Berlin reported longer wait

A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, ruling that the complaint was legally insufficient and procedurally improper. U. S. District Judge Steven Merryday criticised the 85-page document for lacking a “short and plain statement” required by the federal rules, and for including excessive laudatory language and irrelevant attacks rather than cogent legal allegations. Judge Merryday has given Trump’s legal team 28 days to file a revised complaint, limited

Lusaka remains locked in negotiations over whether the African Export-Import Bank and the Trade and Development Bank must take losses in Zambia’s debt restructuring, a matter posing a serious barrier to the country exiting default. Zambia struck a writedown agreement with its major private creditors last June after more than three years of negotiations, but failure to settle the issue with these regional lenders means the process remains incomplete.Felix Nkulukusa, Zambia’s Secretary to the Treasury, has said the

A group of U. S. Senators have filed a resolution pressing the government to formally recognise a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Led by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the measure calls for a demilitarised Palestinian state under Palestinian Authority governance based on the pre-1967 boundaries, adhering to the principles of a two-state solution.Senators Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Tina Smith, Tammy Baldwin and Mazie Hirono are among the co-sponsors. The resolution demands, in addition

The UK government announced a record-breaking inward investment package of £150 billion from U. S. companies during President Donald Trump’s state visit, with commitments aimed at clean energy, AI infrastructure, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. The deals are expected to create around 7,600 high-quality jobs across the country.Blackstone pledged the largest share of the investment with £100 billion over the next decade. Prologis committed £3.9 billion to projects at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and expansion at the Daventry International

Leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a phone call on Friday that may finalise a framework deal governing TikTok’s operations in the United States, even as tensions over tariffs and semiconductors sharpen.Senior U. S. and Chinese officials have indicated agreement on a deal which would transfer ownership or control of TikTok’s U. S. assets to American entities, meeting U. S. national security concerns, while Beijing retains certain “Chinese characteristics” linked to algorithm licensing or IP oversight.

Adamu Aliyu, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, handed himself over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in Abuja, after a Federal High Court issued a declaration that he was wanted on charges arising from contract fraud allegations. Justice Emeka Nwite made the order on ICPC’s request after investigators said Aliyu failed to respond to repeated summonses.Court documents show that Mohammed Jidda, a businessman, accused Aliyu of soliciting ₦73.6 million under

Single-family housing starts in the United States dropped by 7.0 per cent in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of about 890,000 units, marking the lowest level since April 2023, according to Commerce Department data. Permits for future single-family construction fell 2.2 per cent to roughly 856,000 units, underscoring weakening builder confidence. Overall housing starts, including multifamily units, tumbled 8.5 per cent month-on-month to 1.307 million units.Builders are struggling under a glut of unsold newly built homes and cooling