- US President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he’s prepared to move ahead with “major” sanctions on Russian oil if European nations do the same. The penalties would target the energy trade that’s crucial to financing President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, particularly buyers from China and India.
- China’s market regulator has preliminarily found that Nvidia violated its anti-monopoly law, a move seen as leverage during US-China trade talks. The probe, tied to Nvidia’s Mellanox commitments, threatens fines and underscores China’s push to develop local AI chip alternatives.
- Germany will phase out fixed-price subsidies for new renewable projects, shifting to market-based support to cut costs while pursuing its 2030 and 2045 climate goals. A new plan urges grid upgrades, storage expansion, and flexible backup capacity to maintain competitiveness.
- European Central Bank Governing Council member Martin Kocher said officials stand ready to react to changes in the economic data even if inflation risks for the region are “quite balanced” at the moment. “Personally, I think they are quite balanced in terms of upward and downward potential of inflation”. With inflation close to their 2% target, officials this month left the deposit rate unchanged for a second time.
- Islamic State and al-Qaeda are gaining ground in Africa as they retreat elsewhere, cementing the continent’s reputation as the global epicenter for jihadist attacks. The groups’ affiliates killed a record 22,300 people across the continent over the past year, generating hundreds of millions of dollars through taxes, extortion and ransom, and utilize Starlink internet, drones and other technology.
- A British startup, Oxford Quantum Circuits, has installed New York City’s first quantum computer at a data center in Manhattan. It’s part of expanding US-UK partnerships that will be announced this week while Trump visits Prime Minister Keir Starmer. ChatGPT creator OpenAI and Nvidia are also planning to pledge support for billions of dollars in UK data center investments.
- Trump’s top diplomat refrained from criticizing Israel over its missile strike on Qatar last week, and said the priority is to make sure Hamas surrenders and disarms to end the war in Gaza. Marco Rubio was speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who oversaw the unprecedented attack on a Hamas compound in the Qatari capital of Doha last week.
- President Trump said he would speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, following talks between the countries to keep ByteDance’s TikTok app running in the US. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that a framework had been reached and that Trump and Xi would speak to complete the deal. Bessent said the threat of allowing the social media app TikTok to go dark in the US was what ultimately sealed a framework deal.
- About 15 years after Walmart got a foothold in Africa with the purchase of a controlling stake in South Africa’s top food and household goods seller, its failure to gain ground is prompting a change in approach. The world’s largest retailer — which sells everything from fashion and fishing rods to frozen peas and prescription medicines — is opening its first Walmart branded stores in the country, in what could become a model for a continent with the planet’s fastest-growing population.
- Denis Shtengelov built his company from the streets of his Siberian hometown more than 30 years ago into a global confectionery empire with billions of dollars in revenues. Now the businessman has become the latest face of asset seizures in Russia as President Vladimir Putin cracks down on those he sees as enemies of the state.
- The Wall Street Journal has updated a headline stating that Charlie Kirk’s shooter inscribed bullets with transgender ideology, after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said no such evidence existed. As Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate explains, the actual engravings included online memes like “Hey fascist, catch!” and the furry roleplay parody “notices bulge, OwO what’s this?”
- The Guardian reports that teachers, firefighters, journalists, Pentagon staffers, and even NFL and airline employees have lost jobs for posts mocking Kirk’s death. Among the highest-profile firings was Matthew Dowd, dropped by MSNBC after saying “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.” In a Substack post, Dowd said he was targeted by a “rightwing media mob,” adding, “Reimagining a new America starts with new eyes, leads to a new language, and will involve building new institutions.”
- “Just kill ’em.”: That was Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade’s shocking suggestion last week as he and his colleagues discussed homelessness, mental illness, and the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina train. Hilary Hanson at HuffPost reports the remark initially drew little reaction on set but went viral over the weekend, prompting outrage.
- Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, will become publisher of Drop Site News, Max Tani reports for Semafor. The fast-growing Substack outlet already has nearly 400,000 subscribers, with Nika vowing that “the verdict of history will be merciless” for media that ignore genocide or U.S. foreign wars.
- An Alaska fund has raised $3.5 million to help replace public media funding rescinded by Congress, Iris Samuels at the Anchorage Daily News reports. Despite the fundraising momentum, stations have already begun cutting programming like Alaska Public Media’s Alaska Insight amid the $15 million statewide shortfall.
- Two men have been arrested after allegedly planting an incendiary device under a news vehicle in Utah, Jeff Tavss reports for FOX 13. The FBI says the lit but malfunctioning device posed a “significant threat to public safety.”
- The Atlantic has settled a defamation suit with writer Ruth Shalit Barrett for more than $1 million, Corbin Bolies reports in The Wrap. Barrett sued after the magazine retracted her 2020 story on wealthy parents and college admissions, accusing her of misleading editors and urging a source to lie.
- CTV News anchor Beverly Thomson has died at 61 after a battle with cancer. Adrian Ghobrial and Daniel Otis note she received RTDNA Canada’s lifetime achievement award in 2024 and will be remembered by colleagues as “a trusted voice” in Canadian media.
- Apple has blocked the Daily Mail from appearing on Apple News. James Titcomb and James Warrington at The Telegraph report that the publisher has asked regulators to investigate what it calls “arbitrary and discriminatory practices.”
- Trump Says People on the Left Already Face ‘Major Investigation’ After Charlie Kirk Assassination: President Donald Trump said that people aligned with the political left are already facing investigations in the wake of the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
- Teacher suspended for allegedly showing 5th and 6th graders Charlie Kirk’s assassination video ‘numerous times,’ justifying murder.
- Man arrested for trampling Charlie Kirk memorial in Phoenix, spotted in same shirt as assassin.
- Romania condemns Moscow’s ‘irresponsible actions’ after Russian drone enters Romanian airspace.
- Trump’s tariffs were meant to restore American manufacturing pride. Instead, they have shaken up global markets and handed unexpected momentum to emerging economies.
- The US military has destroyed another Venezuelan vessel, believed to have been moving drugs to the states. Three people were killed in the strike, which took place in international waters. No evidence was provided that drugs were actually aboard the vessel.
- Malawi is off to the polls today. President Lazarus Chakwera will be attempting to hold onto power over rival/predecessor Peter Mutharika. Malawian voters face soaring inflation and crippling fuel shortages.
- The Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken its toll. Kyiv’s budget for 2026 is planned to run at an 18.4% deficit. Said Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko: “Now all of Ukraine must be in the army or for the army.”
- Donald Trump called for an end to quarterly reports for US listed companies. Instead, companies would report earnings every six months. While it might be a good idea in theory, critics warned that the delays in reporting could delay or hide malfeasance.
- Javier Milei unveiled Argentina’s 2026 budget promising fiscal balance or surplus, projecting 5% GDP growth and sharply lower inflation. It boosts healthcare, education, and pensions, but faces political headwinds after local election losses and protests over austerity measures.
- France’s financial regulator warned it may block crypto firms licensed in other European Union countries, citing lax oversight. France, Italy and Austria want the European Securities and Markets Authority to supervise major platforms amid fears of regulatory shopping and inconsistent enforcement.
- India’s festive gold demand is expected to drop 10–15% in volume as record prices curb jewellery purchases, despite rising investment interest. Lower imports could support the rupee, though high prices mean overall spending may rise even as volumes fall.
- US President Donald Trump is expected to announce economic deals totaling more than $10 billion during his trip this week to the UK, senior US officials said. The visit will include a science and technology partnership that is believed to include billions of dollars in new investment. Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are also set to unveil a defense technology cooperation agreement.
- Talk of replacing Starmer as leader of the Labour Party has spilled into the open, but the lack of a plausible replacement may keep the rebels at bay for now. Plots against the prime minister have dominated the headlines in Britain following the messy departures of his deputy, the ambassador to the US and, yesterday, his strategy chief.
- Lynn Forester de Rothschild is exploring a sale of a significant minority stake in The Economist Group, marking the first ownership shake-up in a decade at the 182-year-old magazine read by both the political and business elite. A sale process for around 20% in voting shares could kick off in the coming weeks and fetch about £200 million to £400 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
- Wall Street’s main regulator said it is prioritizing a proposal from Trump to reduce the frequency of earnings reports after the president called for an end to quarterly disclosures. The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement that it is pursuing the suggestion to “further eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens on companies.”
- A US appeals court blocked the White House from removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from her post for now. The 2-1 ruling came hours before the start of the Fed’s highly anticipated Sept. 16-17 meeting to vote on interest rates. Trump could still ask the Supreme Court to step in. Meanwhile, the Senate confirmed Stephen Miran, the president’s economic adviser, to the Fed board.
- A growing number of economists believe the Bank of England has finished cutting interest rates as policymakers struggle to contain a fresh spike in inflation.
- DStv owner Multichoice has confirmed to shareholders that it has started the major reorganisation process to enable the Canal+ takeover.
- Mall of Africa owner Attacq has seen a massive rise in earnings, with the group benefitting from the sale of 30% of Waterfall City.
- South Africa is paying more to borrow than its emerging-market peers because the slow pace of reforms is dampening economic growth, according to Moody’s Ratings.
- Johannesburg’s MMC for Human Settlements has vowed to clamp down on the rapid growth of illegal settlements.
- Far right – Downing Street has fiercely condemned Elon Musk for using “dangerous and inflammatory” language, after he told a crowd of protesters in London that “violence is coming” and “you either fight back or you die”. Police are looking for 11 people suspected of committing violent disorder at the march and have charged eight others.
- UK politics – The MP Danny Kruger has defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK, declaring the Tory party “is over” and Nigel Farage is the “new custodian” of conservatism and the political right’s “last hope” of governing Britain.
- UK news – Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who caused the death of their newborn baby after taking her to live in a tent in wintry conditions to evade social services, have each been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
- Technology – Jamieson Greer, a US trade representative, said on Monday that Washington and Beijing have struck a framework agreement on transferring TikTok to US-controlled ownership.
- Espionage – The UK government says it is “extremely disappointed” by a decision to drop charges of spying for China against two men, one of whom was a parliamentary aide. Prosecutor Tom Little told the Old Bailey that “we simply cannot continue to prosecute” Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, without giving any reason for the decision.
- International retail giant already taking over shopping malls in South Africa: Malaysian retail giant MR DIY has quietly entered South Africa as its first African market, opening two mall-based stores with plans for six by year-end, aiming to disrupt local hardware retailers.
- South Africa heading for a serious financial disaster: Despite the National Treasury’s plan to stabilise South Africa’s debt, Fitch projects that government debt will continue to rise for the next two years, reaching close to 80% of GDP in 2027.
- Say goodbye to the US dollar as you know it: In 2025, the US dollar has lost its traditional safe-haven appeal amid rising debt, Trump-era policy volatility, and investor scepticism about America’s financial health.
- Best news for South Africa’s interest rates in over a decade: A new survey shows that South Africa’s long-term inflation outlook has fallen to a record low, which could lead to more interest rate cuts and help the Reserve Bank achieve its goal of lowering the inflation target to 3%.
- South African economy stuck in survival mode: Economists warn that the South African economy will be stuck in survival mode until fixed investment recovers, but this requires fixing structural problems.
- Battle of the banks 2025: Capitec vs Standard Bank vs FNB vs Absa vs Nedbank: BusinessTech looked at the “big five” and measured their heft across 13 key metrics to determine which can truly call themselves the “biggest of the big banks”.
- Andre de Ruyter warns South Africa is on the edge of collapse: Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter warned that South Africa is on the brink of collapse, drawing parallels with the crisis that preceded the end of Apartheid.
- Joburg finishes last in major global ranking: Johannesburg has been ranked the world’s least walkable city, reflecting its high crime rate and heavy car dependency, which are symptoms of the city’s broader decline from years of mismanagement.
- End of era for DStv-owner: MultiChoice is reorganising its operations, a key condition for its acquisition by French media giant Canal+, with the first steps of the plan now underway.
- Government employees making millions as South Africa’s taps run dry: South Africa’s water boards pay their members up to R1.7 million a year and meeting fees of up to R1,818 per hour.
- Four of South Africa’s major banks say an alleged scam tactic to exploit ATM-based instant cash transfers to mobile numbers was not possible — at least not on their machines.
- South Africa has many issues to address before digital driving licences will be viable, according to World Wide Worx CEO and tech expert Arthur Goldstuck.
- Shell’s four-year fight against environmental activists over its plans to drill for oil off South Africa’s Wild Coast heads to the Constitutional Court this week.
- Trump Suggests National Emergency Declaration.
- US Conducts Strike on Another Drug Boat From Venezuela: Trump.
- RFK Jr. Names New Members to CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel.
- Trump Cannot Remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook for Now, Appeals Court Rules.
- China’s ‘Great Firewall’ Leak Suggests Dissent in the Ranks, Expert Says.
- Fancy fish: Scientists have discovered a golden shark in Costa Rica with a rare combination of skin conditions that have never been seen before.
- New heights: Armand Duplantis has achieved his 14th world record by winning a third consecutive world title for pole vaulting (6.30m).
- London levy: A tourist tax on hotels and Airbnbs could raise £250m a year for the Mayor of London to reinvest in the capital, a City Hall review has said.
- Monopoly money, but make it real: To celebrate 90 years of Monopoly – and the legendary living-room showdowns – a limited edition collectible coin is being released. P.S. don’t tell the family… they’ll raise your rent the second they hear!
- All in a day’s work: A recent report by the European Commission has highlighted the importance of “fair compensation” for skills and experience.
- Israel announced the start of its long-awaited ground operation into Gaza City, declaring “Gaza is burning”. An Israeli military official said the Israeli Defence Forces had begun the main stage of their ground operation into Gaza City where Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of residents to flee.
- A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had incited these acts – accusations that Israel called scandalous.
- The trade school student suspected of assassinating right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university is due in court to face formal charges, appearing by video feed from jail for his first public appearance since the shooting.
- Roughly two out of three Americans believe that the harsh rhetoric used in talking about politics is encouraging violence, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in the days following the killing of Charlie Kirk.
- During his four years between presidencies, President Donald Trump accused the Justice Department of unfairly targeting him and vowed revenge. His attorney general, Pam Bondi, is carrying out that directive, current and former department officials say, in ways that are breaking long-standing norms.
- Ukraine is struggling to identify war dead amid large-scale body repatriations. In the past four months, over 7,000 mostly unidentified bodies arrived from Russia, bringing the total received to about 11,744. Officials estimate it could take up to 14 months to process current remains.
- Malawi started voting in an election pitting President Lazarus Chakwera against his predecessor Peter Mutharika, with sky-high inflation and food prices at the top of voters’ minds.
- The Trump administration is on a mission to weaken China’s global network of ports and bring more strategic terminals under Western control, according to three sources familiar with the plan.
- The US central bank opens a two-day policy meeting having skirted a first-ever effort by the US President to remove a sitting Fed governor, but still facing unprecedented pressure from the White House. Dan Burns tells the Reuters World News podcast this setback for the Trump administration means that the central bank’s independence is intact, for now.
- US companies should be allowed to report earnings every six months instead of on a quarterly basis, Donald Trump said, announcing what could prove to be a major shift for corporate America. For more on markets, watch our daily rundown.
- Eli Lilly’s experimental weight-loss pill could be fast-tracked under a one- to two-month review process recently launched by the US Food and Drug Administration, several Wall Street analysts said.
- China moved into the top 10 of the United Nations’ annual ranking of most innovative countries for the first time, replacing Europe’s largest economy, Germany, as firms in Beijing invest heavily in research and development.
- New inventions often cause great excitement yet can take years to catch on. On The Big View podcast, Peter Thal Larsen talks to Carl Benedikt Frey of Oxford University about the erratic history of technology – and what it tells us about AI
- How a Texas refinery turns Amazon-destroying cattle into “green” jet fuel: A Texas refinery that supplies green fuel to US airlines has been purchasing animal fat from cattle raised on illegally cleared lands in the Amazon rainforest. Louisiana-based Diamond Green Diesel, a joint-venture between biofuels producer Darling Ingredients and petroleum refiner Valero Energy, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas that turns cattle fat – called tallow – into a cleaner alternative to petroleum-based jet fuel and diesel.
- he South African Scholar Transporters Association has urged the government to enforce stricter regulations in the sector after at least 20 pupils were seriously injured in a KwaZulu-Natal minibus taxi crash.
- The scholar transport driver who fled after crashing his unroadworthy taxi and injuring more than 20 pupils in KwaZulu-Natal was arrested and found to have only a learner’s licence, and no professional driving permit.
- Spain has vowed to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates, becoming the first of the “Big Five” countries to take such a stance amid Gaza war tensions.
- A UN commission of inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of inciting these acts. Israel has dismissed the charge as “scandalous”.
- SA entrepreneur André Pienaar accused of ‘acting improperly to rig’ $10bn contract for Amazon.
- Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have bombarded the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine with rockets.
- An Italian appeals court has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man to Germany.
- The suspect in a knife attack that killed a police officer in Mannheim, Germany, last year has been convicted of murder.
- Taiwan has launched a new civil defense handbook providing a more user-friendly revamp highlighting the urgency of strengthening a civilian response in case of an invasion by China.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned as dangerous comments by Elon Musk, who told an anti-immigration rally in London that violence is coming to Britain and urged people to fight back.
- Australia has offered to gift Papua New Guinea an extension to its Parliament House as the South Pacific island nation celebrates its 50th independence anniversary.
- Ghana has become the latest African country to accept third-country nationals deported by the U.S. This controversial practice has raised legal concerns.
- Britain’s government has summoned the Russian ambassador in London following what it calls Moscow’s “unprecedented violation” of NATO airspace.
- A rights group is urging some top-level Western comedians not to be “complicit in covering up the abuses of a repressive regime” in Saudi Arabia.
- President Trump becomes the first U.S. president to receive a second state visit as Britain faces protests over immigration and growing support for the pro-Trump Reform Party.
- Israel said it has launched its ground offensive in Gaza City. It comes as a United Nations inquiry finds that Israel’s nearly two-year war on Gaza is a genocide. Israeli leaders have denounced the report as “distorted and false”.
- Israel’s military says troops have “begun pushing into the heart of Gaza City,” renewing its call for thousands of war-weary civilians to evacuate.
- Some ancient societies in Asia appear to have smoke-dried their dead, effectively mummifying them thousands of years earlier than their Egyptian counterparts, new research has found.
- The Trump administration has added Colombia to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in nearly three decades.
- As Trump urges Israel to be “very careful” after a strike in U.S.-allied Qatar, Netanyahu calls Rubio’s visit “a clear message that America stands with Israel.”
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as close U.S. ally Qatar gathered other Arab nations’ leaders for a summit to issue a unified condemnation of last week’s Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital.
- Five people were rescued from a tourist vessel that was attacked by orcas off the Portuguese coast on Saturday, authorities said. Another four were attacked on a boat nearby.
- Christian Brueckner, a sex offender identified as the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is set to be released from a German prison.
- Addis Ababa: As increasingly frequent droughts and devastating floods are affecting agricultural productivity, leaving millions of people food insecure in Africa amid a lack of climate finance, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed USD 11 billion to support various climate-resilient and infrastructure projects in rural areas.
- A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has said the Tinubu administration is not ready to conduct a free and fair election in 2027.
- While the Liberian dollar appears to strengthen against the U.S. dollar, concerns are growing among ordinary Liberians who feel that this improvement in the exchange rate is not translating into tangible relief in their daily lives.
- Some 7.2 million Malawians cast ballots today, Tuesday, in a presidential election dominated by economic concerns, with former president Peter Mutharika leading polls against incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in what could require a runoff if no candidate achieves the required 50 percent threshold.
- Monrovia: Former Solicitor General and renowned Liberian human rights lawyer, Cllr. Taiwan Saye Gongloe has criticized the Ministry of Justice and the Executive for protecting and defending Deputy Minister for Youth Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, J. Bryant McGill, in the alleged raping of a 14-year-old minor.
- Doha, Qatar – President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has had a high level bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of the Arab and Islamic States Summit in Doha and discussed strategic cooperation and significant challenges in the region.
- The Nigerian Army says troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have neutralised eight Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Borno.
- “Underfunded, overstretched and under attack” is how the United Nation’s top aid official has referred to the UN and the support it is providing to the humanitarian sector.
- The United Nations has sounded the alarm over Sudan’s spiralling crisis, warning that deadly attacks in El Fasher, the collapse of essential services, and mass displacement are pushing millions in Darfur and beyond closer to catastrophe.
- Zimbabwe’s fragile human rights record has come under renewed scrutiny after the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) reported more than 3,000 victims of violations across the country in August painting a bleak picture of systemic intimidation, coercion and abuse.
- A Zambian court has sentenced Leonard Phiri from Zambia and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde from Mozambique to two years in prison for attempting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema.
- Systemic government corruption and brazen predation by South Sudan’s political elites have unleashed an immense human rights crisis that must be urgently addressed, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said in its latest report issued today.
- President/Chief Executive, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Aliko Dangote, yesterday, alleged that oil mafias are all out to kill his $20billion refinery the same way they killed Nigeria’s textile industry.
- Public outrage is growing after businessman Wicknell Chivayo, known for his controversial deals and displays of wealth, gifted top-of-the-range vehicles to Zanu PF officials at a cost of US$3 million. The source of his funds is once again under intense scrutiny.
- Cape Town: Families from informal settlements near Maitland cemetery say their attempts to meet with officials from the City for months have been in vain.
- A new report by the World Bank and UNICEF has revealed that despite global progress in reducing extreme child poverty, Sub-Saharan Africa has seen no improvement in the past decade, with more than half of children in the region still living below the poverty line.
- Tanzanian opposition presidential candidate Luhaga Mpina has been banned from running in next month’s election for the second time, reversing a decision made last week approving his nomination.
- Addis Ababa: Ethiopians in different regions have continued celebrating the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in colorful rallies.
- Nigeria: A gang of armed bandits have abducted over 40 worshippers in Gidan Turbe village of Tsafe Local Government Area, Zamfara State.
- The relationship between inequality and economic growth is a complex one, especially in Africa. Inequality is the result of a host of factors, including policy choices, institutional legacies and power structures that favour elites. Professor Imraan Valodia, director of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies spoke to Ernest Aryeetey, emeritus professor of Development Economics at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana about the issues.
- The sudden winding down of USAID by the Trump Administration, the linchpin of America’s annual $40 billion vast footprint in global assistance programs led to wide ranging discussion on the future of foreign aid. Africa, a major recipient of foreign aid is now in the eye of the storm as United States and Western allies continue to reduce foreign aid commitments since 2018 according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- For the first time, a British soldier has gone on trial for murder over the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre.
- Israel is forcing nearly a million Palestinians to leave Gaza City for its so-called ‘safe zone’ in al-Mawasi.
- Israel has launched a major ground offensive in Gaza City. Residents describe overnight attacks as “hell” as Israeli warplanes carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes.
- ‘Tinder Swindler’ Arrested: Israeli Simon Leviev was taken into custody at Interpol’s request after arriving at Batumi airport in the country’s south-west, Georgia’s interior ministry said on Monday.
- More than 13,000 heroin and opioid deaths have been missed off official statistics in England and Wales, raising concerns about the impact on the government’s approach to tackling addiction.
- The government of Ghana said Monday a group of 14 West Africans deported to Ghana from the U.S. has been sent to their home countries, places where lawyers representing some of the men say they face a risk of persecution or torture.
- In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been fired for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.
- Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said US-Israeli relations have “never been stronger”, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits to discuss the war in Gaza following Israel’s attack on Hamas members in Qatar.
- Orillia City Council declared a household food insecurity emergency this week after recent data showed nearly a third of households in the region were struggling to afford groceries.
- In a quiet start to the week for FX markets, EUR/USD is trading steady despite French debt being downgraded on Friday night by Fitch.
- SA Police and the Australian Federal Police officers will be undertaking a new search to find the remains of Susan Goodwin. The 39-year-old was reported missing in July 2002 from her Port Lincoln home police believe she was murdered.
- Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh were charged over comments made in a video with an Israeli content creator that allegedly included threats to Israeli patients. Ms Abu Lebdeh previously faced three Commonwealth offences.
- In an appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Patel said investigators believe Tyler Robinson also wrote a physical note saying he had the “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk” and would do so.
- The Measuring What Matters wellbeing report shows increased concern over security and access to healthcare and a stalling in Australia’s emissions reduction.
- Female mass murder is so rare that it borders on statistical anomaly. Out of 1,715 mass killings recorded worldwide between 1900 and 2019, just 105—about 6 percent—involved women, according to a 2024 study.
- Nepal is facing its most serious upheaval in years. In less than 48 hours last week, anti-corruption protests toppled the government. Demonstrators torched buildings, looted banks and shops and attacked politicians in their homes.
- The Netherlands is likely to miss its 2030 climate goal of cutting emissions 55% from 1990 levels, its main climate adviser warned. Current policies project only 45–53% cuts, with limited post-2030 plans despite a 2050 net-zero target.
- Australia’s ANZ Group will pay a record R2.78-billion (A$240 million) penalty after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission found systemic misconduct, including market manipulation in a R162-billion (A$14-billion) bond deal and charging dead clients. The settlement caps 11 cases since 2016, as ANZ admits failures and pledges cultural reform.
- BlackRock is among a group of money managers to have lost credit mandates from one of Europe’s largest pension funds, according to people familiar with the matter. PFZW, a €250 billion ($295 billion) sustainability-focused pension fund in the Netherlands, has removed BlackRock and Janus Henderson Group from its list of external managers overseeing the credit portfolio. The changes come amid a broader overhaul at PFZW, which has made clear it wants its asset managers to treat sustainability risks on an equal footing with other financial considerations.
- Citigroup’s family office clients are seeking out risky bets in private markets to drive returns, even amid heightened global trade uncertainty. Almost three-quarters of investment firms for the world’s super-rich are looking to acquire stakes directly in companies, with startups among the most popular areas, Citi found in a survey of 346 global family offices representing an average of $2.1 billion in net worth. Private equity saw the most notable bullish shift, with 36% of respondents saying they increased their allocations to the asset class over the last year, while only 10% cut back.
- US auto safety regulators opened an investigation into whether some Tesla vehicle doors are defective, citing incidents in which exterior handles stopped working and trapped children inside. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today it’s opening a preliminary evaluation of Tesla’s electrically powered door handles becoming inoperative due to issues with certain vehicles’ low-voltage batteries. While the probe specifically focuses on an estimated 174,290 Model Y SUVs, the regulator said the investigation could widen.
- Israel started a long-threatened push into the heart of Gaza City after US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat warned Hamas there’s a “very short window” for negotiations to end the war. The Israel Defense Forces said its troops have begun an “expanded” ground operation in the de facto capital of the Palestinian territory after weeks of airstrikes and incursions into the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, a United Nations-commissioned report concluded Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and called for the international community to fulfill its legal obligations to end it and “punish those responsible.”
- The EU is moving too slowly in its efforts to boost economic competitiveness, with the region “failing to match the speed” of a changing global order, former ECB President Mario Draghi said. A year after presenting a report mapping out how the 27-member bloc can leverage its economic strength into greater competitiveness and prosperity, Draghi said Europeans are “disappointed” by the pace of change in a fragmented region. Citizens see that the EU is failing to keep up with global rivals, he said.
- The euro hit its strongest level in four years as traders prepared for an interest-rate cut from the Federal Reserve this week that will cement its diverging trajectory from the ECB. The common currency climbed to its highest since September 2021 on Tuesday, gaining as much as 0.7% to $1.1847. It’s up about 14% in 2025, set for the best nine-month performance on record. The prospect of three full 25 basis-point Fed rate reductions by year-end, combined with expectations that the ECB won’t cut further, is set to narrow the gap between the two central banks’ key rates.
- US President Donald Trump signaled he was open to some concessions to the UK on trade to help ease implementation of their tariff deal ahead of a trip to the country. “They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit,” Trump told reporters today at the White House as he prepared to leave for London for a second state visit. “We’ve made a deal, and it’s a great deal, and I’m into helping them.” Britain was the first country to strike a trade deal with the US that saw it avoid some of the higher tariffs that Trump has levied on other trading partners, but the initial agreement was short on many key details, leaving those to further negotiations.
- Robert Redford, Film’s Quintessential Leading Man, Dies at 89
Robert Redford, the quintessentially handsome leading man who starred in acclaimed movies, won an Academy Award as a director and was hailed as the “godfather of indie films” for founding the Sundance Film Festival, has died. He was 89.
World News – 16 September 2025
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Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn
Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…
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November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn
Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…
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NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now
Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…
Combo Saw
Why’d the blonde math major only apply to colleges in South Africa? She wanted to attend a party school where she couldn’t fail at integrating.
Snake Eyes
Fun South African Fact: South Africa in size is three times the size of Texas and five times the size of Japan.