Category: World

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison surged past Elon Musk to claim the title of world’s richest person for a brief window after Oracle’s stock skyrocketed following its earnings announcement. The wealth tracker Bloomberg valued Ellison at approximately $393 billion, exceeding Musk’s $384 billion, before Musk reclaimed the lead by market close.Oracle’s earnings blew past analysts’ expectations, driven by major AI-infrastructure contracts and a robust forecast for its cloud division. Shares in Oracle jumped over 40 per cent in early trading, lifting

The United States is confronting a rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations and emergency department visits, reflecting a discernible peak in national activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on 5 September 2025 that COVID-19 activity “is peaking in many areas of the country with elevated emergency department visits and hospitalisations nationally.”Worryingly, wastewater surveillance indicates very high viral levels across multiple regions, especially in the West, South, and Southeast, even as overall respiratory illness activity remains low.  Recent weekly figures

Poland activated air defences and scrambled fighter jets after drones from Russia crossed into its airspace during overnight strikes on Ukraine, with the military confirming it used weapons to neutralise targets.The Operational Command said Polish airspace was “repeatedly violated by drone-type objects” and described an ongoing operation to identify and destroy them. Authorities placed ground-based systems and radar on maximum alert while Polish and allied aircraft patrolled affected corridors.Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the incursions triggered active engagement,

Walmart will open its first branded stores in South Africa before the end of 2025, presenting a direct entry under its own name into the African retail market. This move situates it alongside established domestic chains such as Shoprite, Woolworths and Pick n Pay, and brings it into head-to-head competition with e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Takealot. com.This expansion marks a clear shift in Walmart’s strategy: while it has long operated through Massmart—its wholly owned local subsidiary managing outlets like

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli offered his resignation on Tuesday following widespread demonstrations that saw the federal parliament building, Supreme Court and leaders’ residences torched, underlining the depth of public fury over corruption and the ban on social media.Protests erupted across Nepal amid anger at the shutdown of platforms such as Facebook, X, YouTube and others for failing to register with the government—a move widely perceived as targeting a viral “Nepo-kids” trend exposing elite privilege. At least 19 demonstrators lost their

Protesters breached Nepal’s federal parliament complex in Kathmandu and set parts of the building on fire on Tuesday, escalating a youth-led movement that has convulsed the country and prompted the prime minister’s resignation.Authorities confirmed fatalities and hundreds of injuries over two days of clashes that centred on the New Baneshwar area housing the legislature. The death toll rose to 19 after security forces used live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas as crowds pushed through barricades and overran sections

Ethiopia has officially inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, now Africa’s largest hydroelectric facility, signalling both a landmark in national development and renewed geopolitical strain along the Nile. The $5 billion project, capable of generating up to 5,150 MW, has launched with two turbines delivering about 750 MW, with full capacity yet to come online.The dam’s reservoir, now named Nigat Lake—meaning “Lake of Dawn”—floods an area larger than Greater London and ushers in enhanced flood control, irrigation potential, and hydropower

Alan Faena has unveiled his third namesake hotel in Manhattan, injecting bold theatricality and exuberance into the Chelsea skyline. Faena New York officially opened on 9 September 2025 at 500 West 18th Street, adjacent to the High Line. The lobby—described by the hotelier as “a cathedral”—features a vast mural by Diego Gravinese depicting a mythical Colossal Woman emerging from an ocean vortex, alongside a glowing gold-leaf spiral staircase, setting the tone for an exuberant stay that embraces both 1980s flair

DAKAR — Senegal now anticipates production from the Sangomar offshore oil field to reach 34.5 million barrels in 2025, up from an earlier projection of 30.53 million, the energy ministry announced. The upgraded outlook reflects stronger-than-expected performance through August, with more than 24 million barrels already produced. Senegal elevates Sangomar output forecast for 2025 marks a significant upward adjustment for the project’s full-year trajectory.Following the start of oil extraction in June 2024, Senegal secured its status as an oil-producing

Kenya Tourism Board has entered a strategic alliance with Visa that marks a bold new chapter for the nation’s tourism sector. The agreement gives the board access to Visa’s Government Insights Hub—a data analytics platform offering detailed information on travel patterns, spending behaviour, peak seasons and regional preferences. This will support sharper marketing efforts, more efficient payment systems and increased cross-border and domestic travel expenditure.The campaign’s backbone lies in smart data. By leveraging Visa’s analytics, the tourism board can tailor

The United States and European Union are ramping up economic pressure, yet sceptics say even tougher measures may fail to push Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signalled that imposing secondary tariffs on countries continuing to purchase Russian oil—coupled with coordinated sanctions—could trigger a collapse in Russia’s economy and potentially compel the president to consider diplomacy. Sanctions fall short in forcing Putin to negotiate sets the tone for the unfolding confrontation between Western economic leverage

Lagos State’s commercial capital has opened its doors to West Africa’s premier tech, AI and startup gathering—GITEX NIGERIA—positioning the city as Africa’s launchpad for tomorrow. At the event’s Lagos leg, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu underscored the city’s ambition to spearhead a future shaped by data-driven governance and inclusive digital access, while Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Hon. Dr Bosun Tijani, issued a call for continental unity in AI infrastructure and capacity building.Governor Sanwo-Olu framed Lagos as more than

Egypt and Sudan insist that discussions surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam must remain confined to the three riparian countries—rejecting calls to broaden the talks to include other Nile Basin nations. The two have signalled mounting concern over Ethiopia’s unilateral conduct, describing the situation as a “continuous threat to stability in the Eastern Nile Basin.” They warned that Ethiopia’s steps to fill and operate the dam could carry serious consequences for downstream states. The insistence is encapsulated in the phrase

European regulators have slapped Google with a €2.95 billion fine for leveraging its dominance in ad-tech to favour its own services, while President Trump has launched warnings of retaliatory trade measures—even as the €2.95 billion ad-tech sanction on Google marks the latest escalation in transatlantic friction.The European Commission’s investigation, which began in mid-2021, concluded that Google distorted competition across the 27-member bloc by prioritising its AdX ad exchange and DFP platform on third-party websites and apps—raising costs for advertisers, squeezing

European leaders face mounting urgency to address critical deficiencies in their defence structures as uncertainty surrounds the reliability of U. S. backing. Many capitals hold onto hope that Donald Trump will honour his pledged security guarantees for Ukraine, even though concrete commitments remain vague. Europe’s Defence Gaps Expose Growing Reliance on U. S. Support captures the mounting tension between Europe’s persistent reliance and its growing intent to fill capability gaps.Germany, Spain, Italy and other nations have sharply criticised the continued

Kathmandu blocked access on 4 September 2025 to 26 social media and communication platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, after they failed to register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology by a government-imposed deadline. Users attempting to reach these services have found them inaccessible, while the digital move has prompted intensified debate about regulation versus censorship.The government’s action stems from a directive issued on 25 August, which required foreign and domestic platforms to register within seven days, appoint

Nairobi forecasts steadiness in the shilling, naira and cedi for the week ahead to Thursday, even as Uganda’s shilling may firm and Zambia’s kwacha shows signs of weakness, according to trader assessments cited on 5 September 2025.Kenya’s shilling is anticipated to remain stable against the dollar, with commercial bank quotes clustered around 129.00/40 per dollar—virtually unchanged from the prior Thursday—thanks to subdued foreign exchange demand. Traders expect the shilling, naira and cedi to hold steady as projected this week.Nigeria’s naira

African Rainbow Minerals has suspended all mining activity at its unprofitable Bokoni platinum mine while it refines a scaled-down development proposal. The decision comes amid sharply declining earnings and a substantial impairment charge, underscoring the mine’s failure to deliver expected returns.ARM announced a 2.2-billion-rand impairment for Bokoni, attributing the write-down to delays in ramping up operations and a shift in mining methodology. This loss dragged the company’s basic earnings for the year ending 30 June to just 330 million

Emergency crews are fighting a serious fire that has engulfed the upper floors of a nine-storey mixed-use building at the former BBC Television Centre on Wood Lane, White City. Around 100 firefighters attended the site by mid-morning on Saturday, joined by 15 fire engines and two 32-metre turntable ladders used as water towers. A drone team is aiding the operation by providing aerial oversight, while a rest centre has been established for evacuated residents. Authorities have shut Wood Lane to

Cape Town’s CEM Africa Summit set a high benchmark in August with a three-day assembly of workshops, panels and keynotes on AI-driven personalisation, omnichannel integration and CX leadership strategies, firmly reaffirming the continent’s place in shaping customer engagement futures. Building on that momentum, Johannesburg gears up for another CX powerhouse when CEM heads to Sandton on 20 November 2025 at the NH Hotel.The Johannesburg edition will pack a one-day intensive format, delivering hands-on workshops and interactive sessions tailored for professionals

A protocol on phytosanitary standards agreed upon during President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visit to Beijing has unlocked the possibility of Zimbabwe exporting blueberries to China, the Horticultural Development Council has announced. This agreement offers local growers access to one of the world’s fastest-growing blueberry markets, although actual export volumes will depend on their ability to meet stringent sanitary conditions and manage compliance-related costs.Zimbabwe’s blueberry production is set to surge to 12,000 metric tonnes in 2025, up from 8,000 in 2024,

A surge in hunger has struck Nigeria, as sharply diminished aid inflows have forced closures of nutrition centres and blocked treatment for countless children at risk of malnutrition. Aid cuts from the United States and other Western donors have triggered an abrupt collapse in food assistance across northeast regions, particularly Borno State, the epicentre of a long-standing insurgency.In northeastern Nigeria, the United Nations’ World Food Programme has shut 150 nutrition centres during the June to November lean season. Those centres

Swiss institutions have launched Apertus, one of Europe’s most extensive fully open language models, offering a transparent alternative to proprietary AI platforms. Available in two configurations—8 billion and 70 billion parameters—it is comparable in scale to Meta's Llama 3 from 2024, yet distinguishes itself through open design, public availability, and lawful compliance. Swiss Initiative Unveils Major Open-Source AI Model, a fitting restatement of the headline, underscores this ambition.Researchers from EPFL, ETH Zurich and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre designed

Legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani died peacefully on 4 September 2025, at his home in Milan, surrounded by loved ones, his fashion house confirmed. His passing signals the close of an era for a style icon who fused simplicity with power and built a global empire from the elegance of minimalist design.Armani’s absence from the Milan Men’s Fashion Week in June marked the first time he missed one of his own shows—an indication of his declining health. That summer, he

Conor McGregor has announced his intention to run for President of Ireland in the upcoming election, marking a dramatic shift from mixed martial arts to the political arena. The election is scheduled for 24 October 2025. The victory is deeply improbable, given Ireland’s strict constitutional requirements for candidacy and growing scepticism from political observers.McGregor’s campaign relies heavily on public support rather than political endorsements. On 4 August, he launched an online petition demanding changes to Ireland’s nomination process, which mandates