World News – 2 October 2025

• Supreme Court Accepts Challenge to Trump’s Fed Firing: The Supreme Court issued an order on Oct. 1 indicating that it would hear oral argument over Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook’s challenge to President Donald Trump’s…
• Here’s How the Government Shutdown Could Affect You: WASHINGTON—Congress has failed to pass a short-term funding bill by its Oct. 1 deadline, and the government has shut down.
• US Private Payrolls Unexpectedly Decline in September: Private employers unexpectedly cut 32,000 jobs in September, marking the steepest decline since March 2023 and signaling renewed weakness in the U.S. labor market.
• Trump Nominates New Air Force Chief of Staff: President Donald Trump has nominated Gen. Kenneth “Cruiser” Wilsbach, 61, to serve as the Air Force’s next chief of staff, the military branch said in a Sept. 29 statement.
• Hamas is said to be under pressure from Arab and Muslim national leaders to accept US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. The leaders argue that the need to end fighting surpasses any concern about the final details of the proposal Trump unveiled this week.
• Euro-zone inflation quickened in September, reinforcing expectations that the European Central Bank will hold rates steady after eight cuts. Consumer prices rose 2.2% from a year earlier, accelerating slightly from the previous month. ECB President Christine Lagarde said yesterday that inflation is “quite contained in both directions.”
• The US is said to be pushing for changes to global bank rules that major European lenders like BNP Paribas have benefited from. Since about three years ago, the euro zone has counted as a single domestic market for that purpose. Federal Reserve officials now want to change that, arguing that banks’ activities in Europe should be considered cross-border, people familiar said. Euro-zone officials are pushing back. A reversal would increase the risk score of Europe’s largest banks, potentially leading to higher capital surcharges under the so-called G-SIB regime. Shares of BNP Paribas initially fell on the news.
• A Congolese firm under US sanctions won a court ruling that may aid its claim to a prized tantalum deposit. But it could potentially complicate the US administration’s efforts to shore up supplies of critical minerals. The rule bolsters the claim of a unit of Cooperative des Artisanaux Miniers du Congo, or CDMC, to be the legal owner of the permit for the deposit, near the town of Rubaya. The area contains one of the world’s richest deposits of tantalum-bearing coltan ore and are controlled by a rebel army. But competition around the mining rights has intensified as the US and Congolese governments near a deal that would grant American companies access to the central African nation’s vast reserves of minerals.
• New French strikes are poised to disrupt air traffic, adding to the troubles of a nation losing its attraction as a tourist and business destination. Aviation authority DGAC has told carriers to cut 30% of their flights at Paris Beauvais airport on Thursday, when the general strike is planned to start. Things could get worse next week, when the biggest union of air traffic controllers, is calling for a strike.
• The EU is pushing ahead with a with €140 billion ($164 billion) in loans from immobilized Russian central bank assets. “When Russia chooses to attack Europe, there is a large bill to pay,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters ahead of a meeting of leaders in Copenhagen today. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last week backed the idea, while member stakes including Belgium and France want to see more details on the plan’s legal basis. Russia may retaliate by nationalizing and selling off foreign-own assets, a person familiar said.
• Italy is expected to run a budget deficit matching the EU’s ceiling of 3% of GDP already this year, people familiar say. By narrowing the deficit to that threshold, Italy could be poised to exit the bloc’s excessive deficit procedure. Besides relinquishing its earlier position as the region’s fiscal pariah, the shift could have practical benefits, for example allowing Italy to spend more on defense.
• Drug Makers Buoyed as Trump Deal Eases Worst Fears on Pricing.
• Saudi Oil Exports Surge to 18-Month High as OPEC+ Lifts Supply.
• Google Brings Gemini AI to the Home With New Cameras, Doorbell and Speaker.
• Slovak Leader Skips EU Summit, Citing Post-Shooting Health Issue.
• Starmer’s Test From Left on Show in UK Labour Deputy Contest.
• Republicans Debate Sweeping Cuts as Shutdown Grips Washington.
• A journalist was taken to the hospital after being pushed to the floor by a federal law enforcement officer outside an immigration court in Lower Manhattan – L. Vural Elibol, a photojournalist with Turkey-based Anadolu Agency, was put in a neck brace, placed on a stretcher and transported by EMTs to the hospital. According to a colleague, he has since been discharged.
• A DC Circuit panel has upheld a civil contempt ruling against Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge for refusing to reveal an anonymous source while being deposed in a privacy dispute with a Chinese American scientist.
• Boston’s GBH announced the launch of a $225 million fundraising campaign to offset the end of federal funding for public media.
• Senate Rejects Funding Plan to Reopen Government: WASHINGTON—Hours into a government shutdown, the Senate again blocked a pair of rival stopgap bills to fund the government, amid a partisan standoff that shows no signs of easing. The…
• 13 Million Acres of Federal Coal Available for Lease: The Department of the Interior (DOI) is putting up millions of acres of federal lands for coal leasing purposes, in line with President Donald Trump’s push to restore energy dominance.
• What Happens to Social Security During Government Shutdown: The government has shut down after lawmakers failed to break a deadlock and pass a stopgap spending bill.
• PERUVIAN JOURNALISTS PETITION FOR PROTECTION: In a statement, nearly 300 reporters condemned recent attacks by public officials and demanded additional safeguards from the justice system, after a verbal threat by Lima’s mayor against veteran reporter and ICIJ member Gustavo Gorriti rocked the journalism community.
• CRYPTO EXCHANGE GARANTEX LIVES ON DESPITE SANCTIONS: A new report by Transparency International Russia found the ostensibly shuttered exchange continues to operate through Telegram-based services that facilitate cross-border payments.
• SYRIA BRIEFLY DETAINS PROMINENT ACTIVIST: Nine days after launching a virtual museum that documents crimes by the Assad regime against prisoners, activist and journalist Amer Matar was arrested and confined overnight by Syrian authorities.
• Watchdog report finds overwhelming majority of IRS employees fired by DOGE for performance had no documented issues.
• Canada to announce new foreign interference watchdog to fight transnational repression.
• ‘Predator’ spyware firm Intellexa resurgent after US sanctions.
• New US bill aims to clamp down on money laundering through art holdings.
• VP Vance calls out Schumer, Senate Dems for holding Americans ‘hostage’ amid Govt. shutdown.
• Netflix hit with subscription cancellations after Elon Musk urges boycott over ‘trans-friendly’ LGBTQ+ kid’s show.
• North Carolina: 6 Beach houses collapse as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda hit near Atlantic shore.
• During intense anti-ICE demonstrations outside the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, journalist Katie Daviscourt was assaulted by a female Antifa agitator carrying a Palestinian flag. The attacker swung the flagpole like a baseball bat, striking Daviscourt directly in the face. The blow caused significant swelling and bruising around her eye, leaving her visibly injured in the aftermath of the attack.
• A Netflix children’s animated program titled Dead End Paranormal Park openly promoted transgender identity as part of its storyline, sparking significant backlash from conservative commentators. Critics argued that these themes were intentionally inserted into children’s entertainment to influence cultural norms surrounding gender identity.
• European Union leaders are examining a new coordinated defense initiative focused on constructing a continent wide drone wall to counter repeated airspace violations by Russia.
• Senior Sinaloa Cartel member says Trump’s policies have made criminal activities more difficult.
• Walmart to remove synthetic dyes from store-brand foods by 2027.
• Trump admin finds 44% of immigrants in Minneapolis area committed immigration fraud.
• D Vance slams Dems for shutting down government to get benefits for illegal immigrants —Maxine Waters says she wants ‘healthcare for everybody’.
• Jane Goodall, the primatologist-turned-conservationist who was famous for her work with chimpanzees, passed away yesterday at age 91. Jane was a pioneer in her field and inspired countless others to pursue climate activism and conservation.
• Israeli forces boarded several Gaza aid flotilla boats and took the activists onboard to an Israeli port on Wednesday. Video footage shows one of the high-profile activists, Greta Thunberg, surrounded by soldiers.
• Air Canada is attempting to bribe customers into filling more seats by giving them free booze at the back of the plane, as North American airlines face passenger pushback over fees for extra baggage and legroom. This could work wonders in South Africa.
• Youth-led anti-government protests in Morocco turned deadly after two people were killed and others injured as security forces opened fire to prevent a group from stealing their weapons and storming their facility. Morocco is the latest country to face Gen-Z anti-government protests.
• Hackers linked to ransomware group Cl0p are bombarding Google executives with extortion emails, claiming Oracle data theft. Google says evidence is thin, volume is high and the truth is murky – leaving execs guessing whether they’re being scammed or owned.
• Universal and Warner are reportedly tuning up landmark AI licensing deals, eyeing micropayments for AI-made music. Startups and giants like Google and Spotify are in the mix, while lawsuits over copyright loom in the background.
• Japan’s Sanae Takaichi, vying to be Japan’s first woman PM, pitches “crisis management investment” – funnelling state cash into AI, semiconductors, food, energy and defence. She promises growth with discipline, but her big-spending stance could hit fiscal reality checks.
• Spar hits reset: The grocery giant sold its Switzerland stores to cut debt and focus on home turf. Net debt dropped nearly 30% after the deal closed on 8 September.
• Orion Minerals is asking big investors for about R57-million (A$5-million) to help fund its work.
• Neale Hill, president of Ford Motor Company Africa, told Reuters on the sidelines of an auto conference on 1 October that the company has been forced to reduce its operations from three shifts to two, following a drop in demand for its Ranger.
• According to a report published this week by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, southern Malawi faces an “atypically early start to the lean season”.
• Because medical devices are sold for medical purposes, they require regulatory oversight to ensure that they are safe to use and work as intended. But in South Africa, this regulatory oversight is not yet fully in place, and you can’t always trust that devices do what they claim to do.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz lashed out at Viktor Orban during a gathering of EU leaders in Copenhagen, accusing the Hungarian prime minister of derailing talks on the bloc’s security needs. Separately, Moscow is said to be drafting a plan to nationalize and sell off foreign-owned assets in retaliation for any European moves to seize Russian holdings abroad.
• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also in the Danish capital, where he’ll announce that the UK will no longer automatically allow refugees granted asylum to stay indefinitely or reunite with their families. It’s a delicate balance for Starmer’s Labour Party, which is bleeding support to the anti-migrant Reform UK.
• Chinese carmakers grabbed a record 9.8% of Europe’s hybrid-vehicle sales in August. BYD, SAIC Motor’s MG and others have targeted the continent’s growing market for electrified vehicles, putting pressure on incumbents like Volkswagen and Stellantis. In other auto news, Renault and China’s Chery are said to be in talks to partner in South America.
• French unions are holding a new round of anti-austerity protests today, with walkouts planned in sectors including education and transport, though they are expected to be less disruptive than the Sept. 18 protests. Air traffic disruptions should remain limited, with high-speed trains and the Paris metro expected to run normally.
• Coronavirus – The government has won its legal claim against a company linked to the Conservative peer Michelle Mone for the return of millions of pounds paid for personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic. PPE Medpro, which filed a notice to appoint an administrator this week, was ordered to return £122m.
• Immigration – People granted asylum will no longer be given “the golden ticket” of resettlement and family reunion rights, Keir Starmer said, amid deepening concerns from charities that his words are demonising refugees.
• Gaza – A number of boats from a pro-Palestinian flotilla have been boarded by Israeli forces roughly 75 miles off the coast of Gaza, as the vessels attempted to breach the maritime blockade of the war-torn territory and bring aid.
• Science – Autism should not be viewed as a single condition with a unified underlying cause, according to scientists who found that those diagnosed early in childhood typically have a distinct genetic profile to those diagnosed later.
• Conservation – The world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91, her institute has said. Greenpeace described her as “one of the true conservation giants of our time”.
• Pregnant mothers in Gaza are denied the basic right to dream about their child’s future. Each day is consumed by the struggle to survive, unsure whether they or their baby will live to see tomorrow. It is unbearable that this unconscionable violence continues.
• Argentinian president Javier Milei’s programme of axing public services won the glowing praise of Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch, and others on the right – but now his project is collapsing, they have gone curiously silent. Aditya Chakrabortty has an excellent column on the lessons for the rest of us.
• In times of war, countless families struggle to maintain ordinary routines under impossible circumstances. I was deeply moved to see how this is unfolding in Ukraine in this beautiful piece on how life continues to find a way amid the most brutal violence.
• Government procurement stories are usually dry and technical, but the Covid VIP lane scandal would make even the most level-headed person’s blood boil.
• Four Caribbean countries have launched a historic EU-style free movement agreement, which politicians anticipate others in the region will soon join. Officials hope the deal will stem the flow of skilled professionals leaving the region for North America and Europe.
• Andre de Ruyter reveals how the government silenced South African business leaders: Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said the government’s attack on business leaders who criticised policies like BEE has been effective in silencing others who share the same views.
• New South African bank taking on Capitec off to a flying start: OM Bank has seen strong early interest in its offering, with it converting around 1,000 Money Account clients a day since its launch.
• Say goodbye to Eskom as you know it: Eskom is undergoing a major transformation to create “The Eskom of the Future”, as it gears up for competition in an open electricity market.
• South Africa hit with new disaster from the United States: A US accord that grants more than 1,800 products from 32 African nations duty-free access to the world’s biggest market expired Tuesday night, with South Africa set to be hit hard.
• Private solar power is beating Koeberg: Private rooftop solar power supported more of South Africa’s electricity demand than the country’s sole nuclear power station in the first six months of 2025.
• Suspended UIF commissioner paid R1.4 million to sit at home: UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping has been suspended for over a year on full pay after being implicated in R5 billion of unlawful expenditure.
• South Africa’s most important city is collapsing in front of everyone’s eyes: Johannesburg’s water and electricity infrastructure is collapsing, with large parts of the city experiencing regular outages.
• One decision can save South African homeowners over R650,000: Property experts urged homeowners to keep their bond repayments as they were before the series of repo rate cuts, since this strategy could save them hundreds of thousands in interest and shave years off their bond term.
• South Africa can win big from two-pot system: The two-pot retirement system has the potential to significantly boost South Africa’s savings rate, expand investable assets, and drive long-term economic growth.
• The ultra-wealthy are flocking to this South African suburb: For the ultra-wealthy, rare and highly desirable properties in scarce locations are increasingly outperforming traditional investments.
• Startling statement from Renergen about its helium production: Renergen has once again failed to produce and sell helium. This time, it gave a startling excuse for this failure.
• The White House published an executive order yesterday declaring any armed attack against Qatar a threat to the US. President Donald Trump pledged to use all necessary means—including the military—to defend the energy-rich nation, marking an unprecedented arrangement between the US and an Arab state.
• Taylor Swift releases her 12th studio album tonight at midnight ET. “The Life of a Showgirl” is slated to include 12 songs. Swift is Spotify’s most-streamed artist and one of the bestselling musicians of all time, with over 200 million records sold worldwide. Her 2023-24 Eras Tour grossed over $1B—the highest-grossing music tour in history. The 14-time Grammy-winning artist is also the first and only person to have won four Album of the Year awards. She holds 80 records in all, according to Guinness World Records, including the greatest seismic activity caused by a music concert (equivalent to a 2.3-magnitude earthquake for her July 22-23, 2023, Seattle show).
• Colorado officials to review 2005 death of author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson at the request of his widow; Thompson’s death was initially ruled a suicide.
• Department of Energy takes 5% stake in Lithium Americas and its Nevada mining project, considered key to reducing US reliance on Chinese lithium for battery development.
• Scientists confirm complex organic molecules in geysers on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, offering further evidence the moon is habitable; Enceladus’ underground oceans have long made it a prime candidate to host life beyond Earth.
• Paleontologists analyzing 430-million-year-old fossil determine leeches emerged 200 million years earlier than previously thought, with the earliest species feeding on marine creatures instead of blood.
• US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq +0.4%) as weak private payrolls data spurs further rate-cut bets.
• Attorneys general from five states sue Zillow, Redfin over alleged scheme to stifle online rental market competition; challenge follows similar FTC antitrust suit.
• Supreme Court allows Lisa Cook to remain as Federal Reserve governor, will hear arguments in January on whether President Donald Trump can fire her from the independent agency.
• Trump administration freezes $26B for Democratic-leaning states—roughly $18B for NYC transit projects and $8B for green energy projects in 16 states—acting on threat to target Democratic priorities during government shutdown.
• United Nations Security Council approves creation of 5,550-person force to help Haiti suppress gang violence; mandate for smaller and underfunded UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police expires today.
• Israeli navy intercepts flotilla seeking to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
• Three alleged Hamas members arrested yesterday on suspicion of plotting attacks against Israelis and Jews in Germany are set to appear in court today.
• States Begin Standing Up to CCP Overreach, Transnational Repression.
• Supreme Court Will Hear Oral Argument Over Trump’s Fed Firing.
• Trump Admin Allows Oil and Gas Permits, Freezes Renewables in Shutdown.
• Archaeologists have uncovered breathtaking 12,000-year-old rock carvings in Saudi Arabia’s desert – life-sized camels, gazelles, ibex and more etched high into the cliffs. Far from mere decoration, these monumental artworks likely guided ancient travellers to precious water sources, revealing both incredible skill and deep connection to the land.
• The UK’s high streets and markets have long been the backdrop of daily life – from Saturday veg runs to window-shopping and quick coffee catch-ups. But in recent years, boarded-up shopfronts and dwindling footfall have raised questions about their future. Now the government is promising a revival, with new funding and local powers on the table.
• Harmonious habitats: UNESCO has added an area the size of Bolivia to the scientific initiative finding new ways of balancing nature conservation with sustainable livelihoods.
• The doctor will see you now: As of yesterday, all GP surgeries in England are required to offer online appointment bookings.
• Spenny snaps: Time to download those pics from 2016 – Snapchat has announced it will start charging for storing photos and videos after a 12-month grace period.
• Gusty gale: The first named UK storm of the season – Storm Amy – will reach gusts of 80mph by the end of the week.
• Fur-real advice: TfL has highlighted ways that pets can be taken on the Tube and Overground network in this new video.
• Israeli forces have intercepted 39 boats carrying aid and foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, to Gaza, leaving only one vessel still sailing towards the Palestinian enclave, the flotilla organizers said.
• French police have arrested the captain and first officer of a sanctioned tanker suspected of operating for Russia’s “shadow fleet”, authorities said, after the navy boarded the vessel which may have been involved in recent drone incidents around Denmark.
• British police said four people had been injured after a car was reportedly driven at pedestrians and one person stabbed near a synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, and that officers had shot the suspected offender.
• Demonstrators in more than 240 locations around France are due to stage more protests and strikes, the CGT union said, to demand the government scraps looming budget cuts.
• Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, has died at the age of 91.
• President Donald Trump’s administration froze $26 billion for Democratic-leaning states, following through on a threat to use the government shutdown to target Democratic priorities. The shutdown also means more pain for US farmers as it will delay access to federal farm loans.
• As she has done several times recently, liberal Justice Elena Kagan sounded the alarm after another bold emergency action by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority again let Trump carry out one of his policies without taking the usual time or deliberation to review its legality.
• The Trump administration is pursuing deals across up to 30 industries, involving dozens of companies deemed critical to national or economic security, according to more than a half dozen people familiar with the talks.
• Investors have anticipated for weeks the risks of a US government shutdown to markets. Now that it is here, they are hoping it will be brief. A shutdown that lasts at least several weeks could cause confusion about the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy path as the central bank will be without government data that helps guide its decisions.
• In India’s Gujarat, eating meat or seafood is frowned upon, but in the state’s dusty industrial town of Vithalapur, hotels with names like Osaka Palace are churning out ramen and tempura – all to please the Japanese auto engineers and managers who now reside in them.
• The dollar fell to near a one-week low as traders weighed the impact of a US government shutdown, while poor jobs data boosted expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates two more times this year.
• Online fast-fashion retailer Shein plans to open its first bricks-and-mortar shops in France in November under an agreement with department store owner Société des Grands Magasins, a move that sparked criticism from French retailers.
• The European Union’s financial risk watchdog called for urgent safeguards on stablecoins only partly issued in the bloc, echoing a warning from the European Central Bank, which is worried that their failure could induce a run on reserves.
• The Supreme Court will rule whether Donald Trump can fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook in a test of the president’s powers over the central bank. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explore the consequences for the US economy and markets if the Fed loses its independence.
• The best-run municipalities in South Africa: Three municipalities received a clean audit outcome for the eleventh consecutive year, while another extended its streak to 14.
• Warning to people who use SARS eFiling: The Office of the Tax Ombuds says most fraudulent transactions resulting from hijacked eFiling profiles range from amounts under R10,000 to up to R100,000.
• Banking CEO sends a warning to South Africa: The expiry of a trade pact that gave African countries preferential access to the US market will hurt companies and result in job losses, according to FirstRand Chief Executive Officer Mary Vilakazi.
• Eskom pulls the wool over South Africans’ eyes: Energy expert Anton Eberhard said Eskom would not have made a profit if it had not got a R64 billion bailout from the government.
• Major carmaker cutting back operations in South Africa: American carmaker Ford has scaled back its South African operations, confirming the retrenchment of nearly 500 workers across its plants in Pretoria and Gqeberha.
• South Africa sitting on a ticking time bomb: IRR CEO John Endres warned that South Africa is sitting on a ticking time bomb, and the only way to defuse it is economic growth.
• Say goodbye to Eskom as you know it: Eskom is undergoing a major transformation to create “The Eskom of the Future”, as it gears up for competition in an open electricity market.
• You can now buy a Harley-Davidson bakkie in South Africa: South Africans can now order a variety of bespoke American pickup trucks, including one from Harley-Davidson.
• Mandela, 3 other South Africans detained by Israeli special forces as Gaza flotilla ‘attacked’.
• The City of Cape Town has said that threats against and attacks on staff members have become far too commonplace. One incident this week involved a motorist and an official. Arrested for drunk driving, the driver failed to comply with the officer’s instructions and became aggressive, resulting in SAPS and law enforcement officers being called to help.
• Advocate Terry Motau has clarified that his decision to step aside as chief evidence leader of the Madlanga Commission was due mainly to budget concerns. He said the budget of R147-million allocated to the commission by the Department of Justice was simply not enough for the task at hand.
• British police have said four people were injured after a car was reportedly driven at pedestrians and people were stabbed near a synagogue in Manchester. Officers shot the suspected offender.
• The captain and first officer of a sanctioned tanker, suspected of operating for Russia’s “shadow fleet”, have been arrested by French authorities after the navy boarded the vessel, which may have been involved in recent drone incidents around Denmark.
• The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged an official complaint with the Office of the Public Protector today, calling for a full investigation into suspected maladministration by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Board regarding the awarding and management of seven multi-year refurbishment contracts worth a combined R7.5 billion.
• Trump and Hegseth Gathered U.S. Military Leaders for an “Embarrassing” Rant: Defense officials were shocked at the cost and danger of assembling the military’s top officers to listen to meandering tirades.
• Mohsen Mahdawi Faces Conservative Judges as Trump Administration Tries to Lock Him Back Up: The Republican-appointed judges could influence future rulings on defendants’ rights amid Trump’s free speech crackdown.
• Judge Finds Rubio and Noem Intentionally Targeted Pro-Palestine Activists to Chill Speech: The unusual ruling delivered a searing rebuke to the Trump administration on grounds of violating the First Amendment.
• Ignoring Court Ruling, Trump Sends Troops to Portland to Break Imagined Antifa “Siege”: Trump’s order to send the Oregon National Guard to Portland appeared to surprise Pentagon officials.
• Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Security Contractor Hires Trump-Linked Lobbyists: The deal came weeks before Trump unveiled a peace plan for Gaza that could leave the security contractor’s business model under threat.
• Trump Administration Conjures Up New “Terrorist” Designation to Justify Killing Civilians: The U.S. military justified the slaughter of alleged drug traffickers by claiming links to “designated terrorist organizations.”
• Hegseth Attack on “Beardos” Targets Troops on Race and Religion, Military Sources Say: Hanafi Muslim and Nordic pagan service members told The Intercept Hegseth’s new policy was exclusionary to their beliefs.
• The Trump Administration Is Arguing It Can Hold Dreamers Indefinitely: Immigration experts warn the Trump administration is trying to keep a DACA recipient in detention so her protected status expires.
• The growing trend of holistic wellness saw the rise of Dry January, encouraging cutting out alcohol to offset the indulgent festive season. This has now evolved to include Ocsober, where people commit to staying sober in October as a way to reset their bodies and embrace healthier, alcohol-free alternatives.
• South Africa’s major metropolitan areas are grappling with a firefighting crisis that threatens public safety across the country’s most densely populated regions.
• Private rooftop solar power supported more of South Africa’s electricity demand than the country’s sole nuclear power station in the first six months of 2025.
• The Courier Guy says it was not offline on Tuesday, but experienced an outage on its website due to a DNS problem with its hosting provider.
• Several large drones have appeared over military bases and some of Denmark’s biggest airports, including Copenhagen’s, only then to vanish into the night sky.
• Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia – Hopes for dozens of students feared trapped in rubble at a collapsed boarding school have turned to anguish as authorities shift their focus from rescue to recovery.
• Morocco — Anti-government demonstrators in Morocco filled the streets for a fifth straight night on Wednesday, as protests over the state of public services descended into deadly violence.
• Tropical cyclone BUALOI (named “Opong” in the Philippines) made landfall over the eastern Samar Island, central Visayas, central Philippines on late in the afternoon (UTC) of 25 September with maximum sustained winds of 102 km/h (tropical storm).
• Radios across Haiti were abuzz on Wednesday with the news that the U.N. Security Council had approved the creation of a so-called gang suppression force to help the troubled Caribbean country.
• As of 1 October, authorities reported 36 deaths, 21 people missing and 147 injured after severe flooding, landslides and wind damage across northern and north- central Viet Nam. · Around 154,807 homes are damaged or roofless and about 57,915 are flooded.
• There are 56 reported deaths and 201 injuries, mostly in Bogo City, Medellin, and San Remigio as per Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), 12:00 noon report. Figures are still subject to verification.
• Pope Leo XIV has for the first time waded into an abortion dispute roiling the U.S. Catholic Church.
• Scaffolding set up for a Virgin Mary festival at an Ethiopian church collapsed, killing dozens and wounding more than 200, state media say.
• Investors from Saudi Arabia are looking to acquire JSE-listed Barloworld, with a R23 billion deal possibly completed in two weeks.
• Johannesburg’s water and electricity infrastructure is collapsing, with large parts of the city experiencing regular outages.
• The Spar Group is set to acquire Aptekor after getting the go-ahead from the Competition Commission.
• Capitec has increased the size of its credit book, as the bank looks to capitalise on South Africa’s informal economy.
• The Office of the Tax Ombudsman has published draft recommendations to SARS to change its tax refund verification processes to combat eFiling profile hijackings in South Africa.
• South Africa is confronted with three significant hurdles: pervasive poverty, stark inequality, and soaring unemployment, which is one of the highest in the world.
• The government has promised to make sure every primary school in England will have a library by 2029.
• FBI Director Kash Patel announces break with anti-Semitism watchdog amid outrage over description of Charlie Kirk.
• An Israeli air strike has killed journalist Yahia Barzaq, who was known for his creative portraits of newborn children.
• Police vehicles were filmed ramming into protesters as anti-government demonstrations escalated in Morocco on Tuesday.
• Members of Moroccan security forces and civilians reported hurt as youth antigovernment protests turn violent.
• Vancouver-based Lithium Americas is developing one of world’s largest lithium mines in northern Nevada.
• Concerns are growing over Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been without external electricity for over a week.
• Canada’s last captive whales will remain at the Marineland zoo and amusement park for now after the federal government denied its request to ship 30 belugas to China.
• Thousands have joined protest marches in several Serbian towns reflecting persistent resistance to autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic’s rule despite a government crackdown.
• Pope Leo XIV is taking aim at skeptics who he says “ridicule those who speak of global warming.”

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