World News – 6 October 2025

• More Than 8,600 People Arrested in FBI Campaign.
• European Drugmakers React Quickly to Changing Policies From Washington: The U.S. tariff policy and its unmatched pharmaceutical market are pulling European drugmakers to invest more heavily, from new manufacturing plants to U.S. stock listings and discount pricing deals.
• New Coal Leases Awarded in Alabama, Utah: The Trump administration’s drive to boost United States’ coal production is gaining momentum with coal lease bids awarded in Alabama and Utah, new mine permits issued in Tennessee and Wyoming,…
• US Ambassador to China Signals US Won’t Capitulate to Beijing on Taiwan Policy: U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue reiterated in an Oct. 1 media appearance that U.S. policy on Taiwan hasn’t changed, following reports that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping…
• White House Official Says Layoffs Will Start Soon If Shutdown Talks Go Nowhere: A top White House economy official, Kevin Hassett, said Sunday that layoffs to the federal workforce could occur quickly if negotiations with Democrats to reopen the government don’t lead to…
• Putin Warns US Relations Could Be Destroyed.
• Trump Calls Cartel Members “Terrorists.” They’re Armed With Bullets From a U.S. Army Factory.
• ICE Targets Unaccompanied Immigrant Children, Offering $2,500 Payment for Deportation: On Friday, ICE kicked off a scheme to offer thousands of dollars to unaccompanied children as young as 14 in exchange for agreeing to be deported.
• Billionaire David Ellison installed conservative ideologue Bari Weiss atop CBS News, dropping any pretense of independence at the network.
• Sunrise Movement, Founded to Fight Climate Change, Pivots to Fighting Trump: As Trump targets his critics on the left, Sunrise says it needs to battle authoritarianism to protect the climate.
• Trump Declares He Can Wage Secret Wars Against Anyone He Calls an Enemy: “The Trump administration is saying that one person — the president — now decides if the United States is going to war.”
• MAHA Slams “Corporate Capture” by Food and Pharma Giants — While Trump Strips Regulations: RFK Jr.’s rhetoric can appeal to desperate parents in a broken health system. But experts say his policies only hurt children.
• The Latest FCC Censorship Push No One Is Talking About Targets Incarcerated People: Brendan Carr is advancing a plan to choke communications for those of us who use cellphones to expose abuses in prison.
• The United Police State of America Has Arrived: The lines between local, state, and federal law enforcement and the military have blurred.
• South African Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe is alleged to be in a romantic relationship with her special adviser, whom she appears to be shielding from disciplinary charges.
• Hamas will be attending peace talks with Israel in Egypt. Although the Israelis continued to assault Gaza, it appears as though both parties will be present.
• The Trump administration said it will begin large-scale layoffs if the president decides that shutdown negotiations with Democrats are “absolutely going nowhere”. As the government shutdown entered its fifth day, there were very few signs of progress.
• France has announced a new cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The cabinet is aimed at securing a 2026 budget approval in a parliament that is quite fragmented at present.
• The CEO of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Ayanda Wakaba, was fired on 28 September 2025 after an unresolved dispute over the spending of a multimillion-rand empowerment fund granted to the province by the national Treasury.
• France’s fifth PM in two years, Sébastien Lecornu, has named Macron ally Roland Lescure finance minister amid a brewing budget crisis. Rivals threaten no-confidence votes unless he breaks from Macron-era austerity, testing France’s fragile centrist minority government.
• OPEC+ will hike output by 137,000 barrels a day in November, reversing months of production cuts. The move signals a bid to regain market share — and appease US pressure for cheaper oil ahead of an election year.
• Sanae Takaichi (64) came out top to lead Japan’s ruling party on 4 October, putting her on course to emulate her hero, former British leader Margaret Thatcher, and become Japan’s first female prime minister. Fun fact – as a student, she rode a motorbike and played drums in a heavy metal band. Now she’s making noise as she shakes things up.
• Tongaat Hulett remains in rescue mode – 33 months and counting.
• Brent climbed above $65 after OPEC+ agreed to raise production by a modest amount, staving off traders’ fears of a super-sized increase. Gold advanced to an all-time high and Bitcoin hovered near its recent peak as investors remained bullish on risk appetite.
• Japanese equities got a huge boost after the country’s ruling party elected pro-stimulus lawmaker Sanae Takaichi to become the next leader. The Nikkei 225 surged more than 4% while the yen weakened past 150 per dollar and hit a record low against the euro.
• Israel and Hamas are set to begin negotiations in Egypt on a possible swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Donald Trump expects talks to last “a couple of days.”
• Drama in France. President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to leave his cabinet largely intact sparked backlash from French opposition parties, undermining PM Sebastien Lecornu’s chances of surviving a critical week in parliament. Roland Lescure was named finance minister.
• Lagarde Says French Presidency Is ‘Terrible Job,’ Not for Her.
• UK to Introduce Limits on Protests After Synagogue Attack.
• Trump hasn’t been shy about wanting a Nobel Peace Prize, which is set to be announced on Oct. 10. He’s mounted an aggressive public and behind-closed-doors lobbying effort that appears to have intensified in recent days.
• Repairs appear to have tamed recurring sewage spills at Kings Beach just ahead of summer, but environmentalists warn that other vulnerable sites across Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa need urgent attention.
• Ex-Eastern Cape officials sentenced for R230,000 ‘Christmas Party’ fraud: A lavish ‘Christmas party for the elderly’ turned out to be a front for fraud – now four former Eastern Cape officials are paying the price.
• Israel-Gaza war – Negotiators arrived in Cairo before talks on Monday expected to focus on the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a broader end to the war, as Israel continued strikes on the Palestinian territory, killing 63 people in 24 hours.
• Protest – Civil liberty groups have expressed concerns at plans outlined by the home secretary to hand police greater powers to restrict protests as organisers of mass demonstrations against the banning of Palestine Action pledged a “major escalation” of their campaign.
• China – Chinese officials threatened retaliation should the UK government target parts of its security apparatus under foreign influence rules soon after the Guardian reported it was under consideration.
• Syria – The battle-ravaged country is holding its first parliamentary elections since the fall of its longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, in a tentative step towards democratic polls that have been criticised as biased in favour of interim leaders.
• Utilities – Millions of households in England face the prospect of even bigger water bill increases than originally expected, as the competition regulator prepares to give a preliminary verdict on industry spending plans as soon as this week.
• Big petrol price cuts on the cards for South Africa: South African motorists can expect significant fuel price relief in November, driven by a stronger rand and easing global oil prices.
• South Africa heading for a financial crisis: South Africa’s stagnant economy and rising government spending have driven debt to unsustainable levels, with interest costs outpacing economic growth, putting the country on the brink of a financial crisis.
• Eskom searching for R112 billion: Eskom has turned its focus on energy affordability, with the goal to achieve billions in cost savings over five years and keep future tariff increases inflation-linked.
• Remgro CEO warns about expropriation without compensation in South Africa: Remgro CEO Jannie Durand warned South Africa will face severe consequences if expropriation without compensation occurs in the country.
• Toyota South Africa CEO’s fix for high car prices: Toyota South Africa CEO Andrew Kirby has called for revising taxes on locally made vehicles to reduce prices and enable carmakers to better compete with cheaper Chinese contenders.
• Ekurhuleni land expropriation without compensation is about politics, not the poor: With a history of incomplete and abandoned mega-housing projects, the city of Ekurhuleni’s expropriation of the Driefontein farm is more about setting a legal precedent than creating housing, according to Sakeliga CEO Piet Le Roux.
• Big changes for DStv: While DStv subscribers are generally unaffected by the Canal+ buyout of Multichoice, they should get ready for a content shakeup.
• Prominent South African asset manager signs major BEE deal: In a landmark BEE deal, 36ONE Asset Management is selling a 22% stake in its firm to a consortium led by MI Capital to advance youth education and empowerment in South Africa.
• South Africa playing with fire: South Africa issued a flight permit to a Russian aircraft operator sanctioned by the US, saying it was unaware that the company had been blacklisted.
• These jobs are on the chopping block in South Africa: Changing economic conditions, market shifts, and advances in technology and AI mean that millions of jobs will disappear over the coming years, and some careers are on the chopping block.
• Andre de Ruyter’s warning about South Africa: Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter warned that South Africa’s race-based policies and close relationship with rogue nations drive investors away and hurt the country’s economic growth.
• South Africa’s largest asset manager suspends investment chief: Africa’s biggest money manager suspended its Chief Investment Officer Kabelo Rikhotso with immediate effect after claims of misconduct were made against him in a whistleblower report.
• Chery wants to build cars in South Africa: China’s Chery is in discussion with several automakers in South Africa about sharing plants with them to manufacture its vehicles.
• Judge Blocks Trump’s Deployment.
• Trump Says Another Drug Boat Hit by US Airstrikes Off Venezuelan Coast.
• California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Certain Health Care Facilities.
• China Helping Russia Target Ukraine With Missile Strikes: Ukrainian Intelligence.
• Journalist Bari Weiss is expected to be named editor in chief of CBS News today, ending weeks of speculation over the outlet’s future under new parent company Paramount Skydance. Paramount will also reportedly pay $150M to acquire Weiss’ news media startup, The Free Press.
• Rite Aid has shuttered all remaining stores, the company revealed Friday. The announcement ends a 63-year run for what was once the US’ third-biggest pharmacy chain.
• Egypt reopened the tomb of Amenhotep III Saturday after more than two decades of renovation. The announcement comes weeks before the country is set to open its massive Grand Egyptian Museum on Nov. 1.
• Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” sells 2.7 million copies on its opening day and 1.2 million vinyl albums in the first week, a modern-era (1991-present) record.
• Study reveals enzymes and process that allow ants to ferment milk into yogurt; most modern yogurts rely on two bacterial strains during production (More)
• Mushrooms evolved the ability to produce psilocybin—the psychoactive substance in magic mushrooms—in two different ways.
• Scientists use AI tool to map how an antibiotic known as enterololin helps treat Crohn’s disease while leaving the rest of the gut microbiome unaffected; approach accelerates research process from years to months.
• US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 +0.0%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.3%); the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish jobs report for October amid federal government shutdown.
• OPEC+ countries announce an increase in oil production next month by 137,000 barrels per day, amid concerns of a potential supply glut in the fourth quarter.
• Bitcoin price jumps to record high of over $125.7K following September’s Federal Reserve rate cut.
• US Supreme Court begins its new term today.
• President Donald Trump authorizes 300 National Guard troops to Chicago after an armed woman rams her vehicle at federal officers, is shot by Border Patrol.
• Federal judge temporarily blocks deployment of National Guard to Portland, Oregon.
• Israel and Hamas negotiations begin today in Egypt, after Hamas agrees to elements of a US-proposed peace deal.
• Hot air balloons shut down Lithuanian airport.
• Spanish shipwreck off Florida’s coast has $1M in treasure.
• Oxford University has honoured Mākereti Papakura, the first Indigenous woman to study there, with a posthumous MPhil in Anthropology. She dedicated her life to preserving Māori language and culture through her groundbreaking work The Old Time Māori.
• Two of the UK’s biggest airports are looking to grow. Gatwick’s northern runway has received government development consent, clearing the way for construction, while Heathrow has submitted “shovel-ready” plans for its long-debated third runway. Ministers have framed both as part of a wider plan to modernise infrastructure and boost connectivity.
• New research has found that only 67% of women feel comfortable asking for a pay rise.
• The finalists for the Earthshot Prize 2025 – a competition that recognises people who’ve come up with ideas to help tackle issues affecting the planet – have been announced.
• Dame Sarah Mullally will become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the history of the Church of England.
• Finding fungi: UK citizen scientists have discovered 300 new locations of the rare, candy-coloured pink waxcap.
• France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned barely 14 hours after appointing his new cabinet, after allies and foes alike threatened to topple his government, driving French stocks and the euro sharply lower. Follow live.
• Hamas officials arrived in Egypt ahead of talks with Israel that the US hopes will lead to a halt in fighting and the freeing of hostages in Gaza, with Washington’s top diplomat saying the next days are critical.
• This round of Gaza talks will have to deal with difficult questions – like who governs the Strip after the war ends. Maayan Lubell joins the daily Reuters World News podcast for more. If you’re a Spotify user, you can watch the episode as a brand-new video podcast.
• Right-wing activists are lining the streets of Dublin with Irish tricolour flags in a campaign that is dividing communities and fuelling a bitter debate about immigration.
• A federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s administration from sending any National Guard troops to police Portland, a setback for the president as he seeks to dispatch the military to cities over the objections of their Democratic leaders.
• The US government shutdown entered its sixth day with Republicans and congressional Democrats still at an impasse and the White House threatening to ramp up pressure by ordering mass layoffs of federal workers.
• The Chinese embassy in Manila hired a marketing firm that ran fake social media accounts praising China, undermining the Philippines’ security alliance with the US, and criticizing Western COVID vaccines.
• Sanae Takaichi came out top in a male-dominated race to lead Japan’s ruling party, putting her on course to emulate her hero, former British leader Margaret Thatcher, and become her country’s first female prime minister.
• Scientists Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for “their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”, the award-giving body said.
• Blocked from the US market, Chinese self-driving technology firms are accelerating their push into Europe, setting up headquarters, striking data deals, and road-testing – prompting alarm from local rivals over competition concerns.
• US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. could deliver a policy win for the Trump administration in just a few months after the Food and Drug Administration enlisted GSK to help it fast-track approval of a decades-old drug to treat an autism-related disorder.
• Canadian defense, construction and metal mining shares stand to benefit as Ottawa commits to increased military spending and the speeding up of major infrastructure projects that could boost the economy, investors say.
• Oil prices rose more than 1% after OPEC+’s planned production increase for November was more modest than expected, tempering some concerns about supply additions, though a soft outlook for demand is likely to cap near-term gains.
• Gucci’s “see now, buy now” approach for the first collection from new designer Demna, harnessing a buzz around the brand to draw shoppers back to its stores after years of lackluster sales, is showing some early success, data shows.
• J.P. Morgan upgraded its stance on the euro zone to “overweight” from “neutral”, noting that the equities in the region have become more attractive after several months of underperformance and policy support.
• The luxury residential estate in South Africa ranked as one of the best in the world
  This estate previously won an award for the ‘Best Leisure Development in the World.’
• Toyota CEO’s sends a message to government, and legal battle brewing in R4.2 billion Pretoria estate.
• 94% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot tell the time or read simple sentences for meaning: A recent, wide-ranging study revealed that most children in Africa lack basic skills, such as telling time using a clock or reading a simple sentence and explaining its meaning.
• FNB is ruining eBucks: An FNB user who was on Level 4 thanks to fairly easy criteria at the start of the year will drop down to Level 2 in November 2025.
• South Africans saying goodbye to TV licences: The South African Broadcasting Corporation recorded a slight improvement in TV licence revenue collection in the 2024/25 financial year.
• End of an era for Mweb: Mweb has vacated its Cape Town offices, with staff working entirely remotely. The property was also sold to the City of Cape Town, and rental agents are currently seeking a new tenant.
• R268 billion ‘hidden’ giant coming after Checkers, Pick n Pay, and Woolworths: South Africa’s formal independent retail and wholesale sector is a R268 billion powerhouse, increasingly competing with South Africa’s traditional retail giants.
• The rand should be at R11.30 to the US dollar: Despite having a fair value as low as R11.30/USD, the rand is significantly undervalued due to a substantial risk premium driven by controversial domestic policies, contentious international alignment, and the resulting trade risks.
• South Africa heading for a financial crisis: South Africa’s stagnant economy and rising government spending have driven debt to unsustainable levels, with interest costs outpacing economic growth, putting the country on the brink of a financial crisis.
• Political parties Rise Mzansi, Build One South Africa (BOSA), and the GOOD Party have announced the formation of a new political party.
• President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to set a refugee admissions cap at 7,500 people this fiscal year, a record low that prioritizes white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity, three people familiar with the matter said.
• Late poet and author Don Mattera’s son laid to rest. The Don Mattera Legacy Foundation (DMLF) mourns the passing of Donny Mattera.
• South Africa’s best technical and vocational students and teachers will take part in the 2025 National Skills Competition from 8–9 October in Johannesburg.
• The South African E-hailing Association says new e-hailing regulations will harm already-exploited individual drivers, while international ride-hailing companies continue to operate unchecked.
• Toyota South Africa CEO Andrew Kirby has called for revising taxes on locally made vehicles to reduce prices and enable carmakers to better compete with cheaper Chinese contenders.
• Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency says it is the country’s deadliest disaster this year. Rescuers are expected to complete their search for 13 victims trapped under the rubble by the end of the day.
• The IMF projects Zimbabwe’s economy will expand 6% in 2025, rebounding from 1.7% in 2024, as agriculture and gold exports strengthen.
• Israel and Hamas are due to begin indirect talks in Egypt today, aimed at implementing Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Hamas has agreed to parts of the 20-point plan – including the release of Israeli hostages – but hasn’t accepted all the conditions.
• A federal judge on Sunday night blocked the Trump administration from deploying hundreds of out-of-state National Guard troops to Oregon, even as President Trump turned to the Texas guard in a wild hunt for military forces to send to Democratic cities.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used his nightly video address to criticize the lack of international response as western Ukraine and other areas attempted to recover following a series of Russian aerial strikes.
• Two thirds of climate funding for Global South is loans as rich countries profiteer from escalating climate crisis. New research by Oxfam and CARE Climate Justice Centre, published today, finds developing countries are now paying more back to wealthy.
• Tuesday will mark two years since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war.
• Hurricane Priscilla was strengthening Sunday in the Pacific Ocean, off the southwestern coast of Mexico.
• Talks around the logistics of a hostage-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas begin Monday in Egypt.
• An expert warns that South Africans must understand that the imminent rollout of the AARTO Act will have major consequences for South African motorists.
• Storm Amy has affected many parts of the UK, with strong winds and heavy rainfall leading to travel disruptions and event cancellations.
• Israel and Hamas set to hold indirect talks on Monday to discuss a US-led initiative largely accepted by both sides.
• Rescue teams search for survivors in Indonesia as the boarding school collapse death toll rises to at least 40.
• Protesters both for and against Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa have rallied in the capital Quito.
• Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the opposition of trying to overthrow his government.
• More than 600 couples have married simultaneously in Asunción, Paraguay.
• The 190th Oktoberfest has come to a close, wrapping up the world’s largest folk festival with the traditional Bavarian marksmen’s gun salute in Munich, after a bomb threat closed it for hours last week.
• Students at the University of Cape Town have accused the institution of serving them food contaminated with insects and mould.
• EWN reports that the case against alleged underworld boss Nafiz Modack and 14 others has been postponed again – to 13 October – following a lengthy six-month recess. The delay was caused by the presiding judge’s unavailability.
• Giving Liz Truss a run for her money, France’s new – or new former – prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned after less than a month in office, hours after announcing his cabinet line-up.
• Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi are the winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on peripheral immune tolerance.
• Rescuers have pulled more bodies from a collapsed Indonesia boarding school, taking the number of people killed in the disaster to 63.
• The federal government shutdown entered its sixth day on Monday, with both sides seemingly entrenched. Mr. Trump has focused on blaming Democrats and repeating his threats to carry out mass firings of federal workers.
• On behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa extends his warm congratulations to Professor Peter Mutharika on his electoral victory in the Republic of Malawi’s general elections of 16 September 2025.
• During the fortieth week of 2025, a total of 20 disaster events were reported across the ASEAN region, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and wind-related incidents affecting Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
• In the wake of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck North Cebu on the night of September 30, World Vision Philippines is providing psychosocial support and lifesaving essentials to children and families in the hardest-hit areas.
• The French stock market tumbled on Monday, the euro fell and investors drove France’s borrowing costs to near record levels after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stepped down after less than a month in office.
• Republican and Democratic lawmakers at an impasse on reopening the federal government provided few public signs Sunday of meaningful negotiations taking place to end what is about to be a six-day shutdown.
• Swiss and Spanish activists from an international flotilla that attempted to deliver aid to Gaza last week said they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention by Israeli forces.
• For millions of South Africans, the struggle for water, electricity or safety has become routine. The queues for basic services grow longer, while those in power grow richer.

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