Category: World

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

A constitutional referendum in Guinea is scheduled for 21 September 2025 under the government led by General Mamady Doumbouya, with a draft constitution that would allow him to run for president, extend presidential term limits, and reshape the country’s political structures. The proposal removes a provision in the current transition charter that bars junta members from contesting elections. It introduces a seven-year presidential term renewable once, up from the existing five-year term, and establishes a bicameral legislature including a Senate. Under

Johannesburg – MTN Group has moved to broaden Africa’s AI infrastructure by initiating plans to build a network of data centres across its 16 markets, partly self-financed and partly through collaborations with U. S. and European technology firms. CEO Ralph Mupita told Bloomberg the company aims to finalise these partnerships before year-end. The first facility under this rollout is a $240 million, 9-megawatt data centre in Nigeria, named the Sifiso Dabengwa Data Centre. It is being built in two phases;

Vitol and Sunoco have taken delivery of the first U. S.-bound gasoline shipment from Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, marking a milestone in its global trade profile. The cargo, about 320,000 barrels, was loaded aboard the tanker Gemini Pearl, purchased from Mocoh Oil by Vitol and mostly resold to Sunoco, and discharged at Sunoco’s Linden facility in New York Harbor. Dangote’s refinery, the largest single-train facility in Africa with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is now proving that its fuel

Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, four of its journalists, and Penguin Random House, alleging that a pattern of false reporting and published material has severely damaged his reputation and business interests. The suit, lodged in the U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, identifies articles and a book written by Times reporters Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner titled Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune

A vast photograph of Donald Trump standing beside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been unfurled on the grounds of Windsor Castle as the president prepares for a state visit to the United Kingdom. The installation was organised by the activist collective Everyone Hates Elon, which claims the display was crowd-funded by members of the British public to draw attention to Trump’s historical connections with Epstein. The group posted that “Trump is coming to the UK to AVOID the EPSTEIN story.

Heavy downpours have unleashed destructive floods and landslides across Himachal Pradesh, killing three people when a house collapsed in the Nihri area of Mandi district and leaving widespread damage to infrastructure, property and transport. A massive landslide struck a house in Bragta village under Boe panchayat, Sundernagar subdivision, early morning when debris from an adjoining cliff gave way. Five family members were inside; two were rescued critically injured, while three were recovered dead. The Tehsildar confirmed the bodies were sent for

Germany faces a mounting environmental and safety crisis with approximately 1.6 million tonnes of unexploded munitions lying on the seabed of its North Sea and Baltic Sea waters. These ordnances—from bombs, grenades and mines to artillery shells—stem largely from post-World War II disposal practices and are now rusting away, releasing toxic substances into marine ecosystems. The Environment Ministry has launched an “immediate action programme” with a €100 million budget to locate, retrieve and safely destroy submerged munitions. The operation involves

Washington and Doha are on the verge of agreeing a substantially upgraded defence cooperation treaty following an Israeli airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders, sources say. The move signals a deepening strategic alignment as tensions in the region intensify. US diplomat Marco Rubio confirmed that both countries are “nearing finalisation” of an agreement that would strengthen joint military planning, basing, intelligence sharing and oversight of operations on Qatari territory. He described Qatar as a key mediator in the Gaza conflict and

Australian legislation banning under-16s from holding social media accounts will permit platforms to make some errors when checking age, government and watchdog officials have clarified, as new trials show limits in technology and equity in age verification. The law, passed in November 2024, comes into force on 10 December 2025, obliging “age-restricted social media platforms” to take “reasonable steps” to stop users under 16 from creating or retaining accounts. Platforms may face fines up to AUD 49.5 million should they fail

Kathmandu’s streets remain tense as Sushila Karki assumed the premiership and formed an interim cabinet, calling for unity after anti-corruption protests left at least 72 people dead and more than 2,100 injured. Violent demonstrations over corruption, nepotism and a short-lived social media ban triggered the collapse of the previous government led by K. P. Sharma Oli. Ms Karki, a former chief justice and Nepal’s first woman prime minister, appointed three ministers noted for their reform credentials: Rameshwore Prasad Khanal, Kulman Ghising

Tanzania’s Independent National Electoral Commission disqualified opposition presidential candidate Luhaga Mpina for the second time on Monday, reversing an order from two days earlier that had reinstated his nomination. Mpina, leader of ACT-Wazalendo, Tanzania’s second-largest opposition party, had his nomination papers accepted by INEC following a high-court ruling. That court decision had overturned an earlier disqualification. But the electoral commission, citing procedural irregularities, reimposed the ban. With Mpina out, President Samia Suluhu Hassan faces a much clearer path toward re-election

Malawi has welcomed several international election observer missions ahead of its general elections due on 16 September 2025, in a move intended to enhance transparency and confidence in the electoral process. The European Union, Southern African Development Community, African Union in conjunction with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, among others, have deployed teams to monitor presidential, parliamentary and local government voting, campaigning, vote counting and results transmission. The European Union Election Observation Mission, launched in Lilongwe by Chief

Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki has approved the deployment of NATO forces on Polish territory as part of Operation Eastern Sentinel, authorising foreign allied units to bolster national defences. The approval came through a decree issued by the National Security Bureau, granting permission for allied troops from other NATO member states to be stationed in Poland. The decree is classified, and precise details—such as numbers, locations, or which units will be involved—have not been made public. This decision follows a drone incursion

Frontline medical residents in Nigeria launched a five-day warning strike on Friday, demanding unpaid allowances, salary arrears and better welfare. The strike, ordered by the National Association of Resident Doctors, is a response to what the doctors call government inaction on long-standing financial and professional concerns. NARD Secretary-General Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku confirmed that work stopped at 8 a. m. across federal and state hospitals. The association insists the government must immediately pay the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, settle five months

Harare has been thrust into the spotlight over severe human rights violations linked to mining operations, as watchdog groups and local activists issue alarming reports of forced displacement, environmental destruction and labour abuse. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has accused mining firms and state actors of orchestrating “grave human rights violations” against residents in mining regions. These include evictions without proper compensation, widespread water and air pollution, physical abuse and breaches of workers’ rights. Women and girls are among the

Fitch Ratings has cut France’s long-term issuer default rating from AA- to A+, marking the lowest rating ever assigned to the country by a major agency. The outlook is stable, but the downgrade reflects mounting concerns over fiscal deficits, political instability, and France’s diminishing ability to rein in a swelling public debt. The agency flagged France’s deficit at about 5.8 per cent of GDP for 2024, far above the European Union’s 3 per cent ceiling, and said that without clear

The Trump administration has filed a motion in U. S. District Court, Maryland, to cancel the 2024 approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project established under the previous administration. It asserts that the authorisation underestimated impacts on search-and-rescue operations and commercial fisheries, and argues the permitting process was flawed under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The planned wind farm, developed by US Wind, would include 114 turbines with a capacity of approximately 2.2 gigawatts, enough to power around 718,000

Wema Bank Plc has exceeded the Central Bank of Nigeria’s minimum capital requirement for commercial banks with national authorisation by raising its qualifying capital to ₦214.7 billion, following a ₦150 billion rights issue and a ₦50 billion special placement. The rights issue, which ran from 14 April to 21 May 2025, secured the necessary approvals from both the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The CBN had issued a recapitalisation directive earlier requiring commercial banks

Namibia is stepping up sulphuric acid production to support surging output in uranium, copper and manganese mining, as two major industry players commit to scaling local supply. Green Metals Refining will build a new plant in Walvis Bay, and Vedanta aims to restart its dormant sulphuric acid facility at the Skorpion zinc operations. London-based Green Metals Refining plans an investment of US$59 million for the first phase of a sulphuric acid plant in Walvis Bay. That plant is initially expected

South African bank FirstRand has reported a 10 percent increase in full-year net income, reaching 41.82 billion rand for the fiscal year ended 30 June, despite absorbing a 2.7 billion rand pre-tax provision tied to a UK motor finance claim. The provision stems from fallout over a UK Supreme Court ruling and proposed redress scheme by Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority, aimed at motorists who allege they were misled or overcharged through dealer-arranged commissions. FirstRand said the uncertainty around the scope