Category: World

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

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