World News – 9 September 2025

Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam was inaugurated in Ethiopia today.
Rupert Murdoch’s family succession drama ends (widely considered inspiration for the hit TV show Succession) as his son Lachlan cements control of Fox and News Corp. Three other Murdoch siblings will receive R19-billion ($1.1-billion) each from stock sales, and a new family trust worth R58-billion ($3.3-billion) will be established.
Ethiopia inaugurates its R87-billion ($5-billion) Grand Renaissance Dam, Africa’s largest, promising power for millions and regional exports, today. But Egypt fears drought-era water cuts, Sudan demands binding rules, and years of failed talks leave the Blue Nile dispute dangerously unresolved.
Indonesia’s R52-billion ($3-billion) plan to import 1 million dairy cows aims to back President Prabowo’s free meals pledge for 83 million children and mothers. But slow imports, fiscal constraints and pressure on unqualified businesses raise doubts over delivery and dairy self-sufficiency.
Brazil’s Lula calls for BRICS unity against tariffs.
Russian businesses are gloomy: 57% expect slowdown, only 28% foresee recovery. Credit shortages plague 74%, while 90% scrambled for new suppliers. Despite wartime growth in 2023–24, surging inflation and record-high 21% interest rates now squeeze Russia’s economy into retreat.
Paris prosecutors have launched a criminal probe into Philips over its 2021 recall of 15 million sleep apnea devices, citing potential aggravated fraud and safety failures. With 104 complaints in France and billion-dollar US settlements, legal risks mount.
Brazil’s largest meat company, JBS has begun tagging cattle in the Pará state, delivering 123,765 ear tags toward a 2 million goal with NGO support. With 26 million cattle, the massive effort could reshape Amazon deforestation monitoring as stricter tracking laws loom.
Supreme Court Rules 6–3 on Restrictions Over Federal Immigration Operations in LA.
Border Czar Says ICE Will Target More Businesses: The Trump administration has plans to target more businesses with immigration enforcement operations after it carried out one at a Georgia Hyundai plant and detained hundreds of illegal immigrants.
Appeals Court Upholds $83 Million Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Case: A federal appeals court on Sept. 8 upheld a civil jury’s finding that President Donald Trump must pay magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defamation.
Popular UK holiday park unveils plans for pools and lazy river in huge upgrade.
Trump shares condolences to family of Ukrainian refugee brutally stabbed on Charlotte train: ‘There are evil people, and we have to confront that’.
Trump donates family Bible to D.C. museum, pledges to defend prayer rights in public schools: ‘America was founded on faith’.
Trump praises RFK Jr.’s unique perspective following contentious Senate hearing: ‘I like the fact that he’s different’.
Suspect shot dead in Brooklyn after slashing female NYPD officer’s face with butcher knife at police precinct.
Homan: Expect imminent immigration enforcement operations ‘In most sanctuary cities across the country’.
Vance teases potential 2028 bid: ‘I’m just going to keep working hard’.
Internal WH communications reveal Biden outsourced pardons to VP Kamala Harris.
Shamila Batohi leaves behind a divided legacy, with search for NPA successor yet to start.
House Democrats have released the birthday letter given to Jeffrey Epstein by Donald Trump. Signed by Trump allegedly – but with the White House denying that it was his – the letter details a bizarre missive to his “pal” wishing “May every day be another wonderful secret”.
Nineteen people were killed in Nepal in two cities as the “Gen Z” protest over a social media ban turned violent. Protesters, mostly younger generations, stormed the parliamentary grounds before police fired teargas and rubber bullets. The ban has since been lifted.
Norway’s minority Labour Party is expected to win the country’s election, according to forecasts on Monday night. Norwegian elections this year focused on rising living costs and wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The real-life “Succession” by the Murdoch siblings has come to an end. Rupert Murdoch’s politically conservative son Lachlan will inherit the iron grip on the media empire, including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. Three other siblings will receive a measly $1.1-billion each.
France has bid adieu to its fourth prime minister in just over three years: François Bayrou, a 74-year-old tractor-driving centrist (who claimed to be a great consensus-builder), has been ousted after just nine months on the job for failing to do the thing he promised: find agreement in the French parliament.
Politics – A trove of leaked data from Boris Johnson’s private office reveals how the former prime minister has been profiting from influence he gained in office in a possible breach of ethics and lobbying rules. The files reveal Johnson lobbied a senior Saudi official he had met while in office and received more than £200,000 from a hedge fund after meeting Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro.
UK news – A series of senior female Labour MPs have dropped out of contention to replace Angela Rayner as the party’s deputy leader, as a compressed timetable for nominations and worries about a potentially toxic atmosphere narrowed the field.
US news – House Democrats released an image of a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that appears to bear the signature of Donald Trump, the very same note the president had denied writing after reports of its existence were published earlier this year.
Film – Hundreds of film industry figures, including Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo and Ava DuVernay, have pledged not to work with Israeli film institutions they say are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”.
Nepal – At least 19 people have been killed during protests in Nepal over a government ban on dozens of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and X.
A Banksy painting of a judge beating a helpless protester using a gavelwas painted on the walls of the Royal Courts of Justice some time over the weekend but has since been covered up.
Guardian: “Revealed Johnson traded PM contacts for business deals”.
Times: “Visa threat to states not taking back migrants”.
FT: “Countries failing to take back migrants threatened with retaliation over visas.”
Express: “‘Shocking’ toll of 500,000 sick days at tax office”.
Mirror: “How much tax do you pay, Nigel?”
Telegraph: “‘Four in five NHS hospitals failing’”.
Daily Mail: “Just seven miles apart, but there’s still a chasm between the warring Princes”.
Sun: “I’m cop who set Maddie suspect free.”
i: “Labour left plots revenge on Starmer.”
African leaders are meeting this week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Africa Climate Summit, ahead of November’s Cop30 climate conference. The meeting opens amid hopes that the continent is on the brink of a green revolution.
ANC policies have failed South Africa’s economy: South Africa’s economy is imploding after 15 years of policy mismanagement, collapsing infrastructure, and poor service delivery, with the government responding reactively instead of making fundamental reforms.
South Africa faces a new Eskom-sized crisis: A severe water crisis in South Africa could negatively impact the country’s economic growth as significantly as the height of Eskom’s load-shedding.
Big electricity price changes coming for South Africa: South Africa’s Electricity Ministry is reviewing electricity pricing to make it more affordable and increases more predictable, with a plan expected to be tabled to Cabinet early next year.
Iconic South African resort and casino under serious pressure: While Sun City has seen an increase in revenue, the resort is struggling with profitability, which its parent company, Sun International, hopes to turn around with ongoing refurbishments.
Big changes for Uber and Bolt in South Africa coming as soon as next month: The Department of Transport is getting ready to implement new laws in South Africa that will fundamentally change how e-hailing operators like Uber and Bolt operate in the country.
Two major malls moving away from Eskom in South Africa: The malls are preparing to switch on what they believe could be the country’s largest commercial hybrid power systems.
Eskom’s unsolvable R100 billion problem: Municipal debt to Eskom has reached R100 billion, and new interventions have so far failed to make a dent.
Eskom’s CEO would have been fired if it were listed on the JSE: Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said the R100 billion in unpaid municipal debt to Eskom would have cost CEO Dan Marokane his job if the utility were listed on the JSE.
New luxury development coming to Cape Town: A new 35-unit luxury apartment and penthouse development, Cantabella, is launching in Cape Town’s Gardens, offering premium amenities, and strong investment returns.
Rand rally brings good news for interest rate cuts in South Africa: The rand’s recent strength, driven by a weaker US dollar and investor demand for South African bonds, is boosting prospects for interest rate cuts later this year.
Major South African bank gets a new CEO: Standard Bank has appointed David Hodnett as CEO of its local business, The Standard Bank of South Africa.
SPAR exits Switzerland as part of strategic shift to core growth markets, strengthening balance sheet and positioning for future growth. The transaction, valued at CHF 46.5 million, reduces group debt by approximately R2.7 billion and enhances financial flexibility.
Walmart launching in South Africa. US retail giant and Massmart owner Walmart plans to open its first branded stores in South Africa in 2025.
The SABC’s debt collectors are sending SMS messages to people whose TV Licences are in arrears, offering “deals” with ambiguous language and issuing threats about “trace alerts” being placed on them.
SpaceX, the Elon Musk-backed company that owns the Starlink satellite internet network, agreed to acquire wireless spectrum from EchoStar Corp. for about $17 billion (R297 billion), allowing Charlie Ergen’s beleaguered telecommunications company to resolve an overhanging regulatory probe and pay down debt.
Shell facing court battle in South Africa: Shell and the Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources hope to overturn a High Court Ruling preventing the oil company from drilling off the west coast.
The Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday that it has ramped up immigration raids in Chicago. The crackdown, called Operation Midway Blitz, comes amid a Supreme Court ruling allowing a similar operation in Los Angeles.
The French parliament yesterday ousted Prime Minister François Bayrou in a 364-194 vote, marking the second collapse of President Emmanuel Macron’s government in nine months. Macron’s minority government has struggled to build consensus on how to rein in the country’s more than $3.9T debt.
The French parliament yesterday ousted Prime Minister François Bayrou in a 364-194 vote, marking the second collapse of President Emmanuel Macron’s government in nine months. Macron’s minority government has struggled to build consensus on how to rein in the country’s more than $3.9T debt.
Former President Barack Obama, Conan O’Brien among winners at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmys ahead of this Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards.
“SNL” Season 51 cast set with Michael Che, Ego Nwodim, and Kenan Thompson among the returning veterans.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” hauls in $194M at the global box office, best-ever opening weekend for a horror film.
Rick Davies, lead singer and cofounder of Supertramp, dies of cancer at age 81.
OpenAI to back first full-length animated film for theatrical release; “Critterz” targets 2026 debut at Cannes Film Festival.
Researchers uncover brain circuits controlling the release of growth hormones during sleep; compounds support bone and muscle development during childhood and metabolic levels in adults.
Low-cost “nanosieve” detects and sorts plastic waste smaller than the width of a human hair; device allows for cheap pollution monitoring in oceans and waterways.
US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +0.5%) as investors await key inflation reports Thursday.
Supreme Court allows President Donald Trump to temporarily remove Federal Trade Commission member.
Robinhood shares rise 15.8% following announcement that online brokerage will join the S&P 500, replacing Caesars Entertainment Sept. 22.
SpaceX enters $17B deal to buy spectrum licenses from EchoStar to enhance Starlink’s 5G connectivity; EchoStar shares rise 19.9% on the news.
Jury selection begins in the trial against alleged would-be assassin of President Donald Trump; defendant is accused of attempting to kill then-candidate Trump at his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course in September 2024.
The House Oversight Committee receives documents as part of its probe into the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case; tranche includes letter President Donald Trump allegedly wrote for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
Federal appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll’s $83.3M judgment against Trump.
Two Palestinian gunmen kill at least six people, wound 12 others at a bus stop in northern Jerusalem.
President Donald Trump pressures Hamas to accept US-led ceasefire deal as Israel threatens to ramp up Gaza offensive.
Wedding crashers steal $60K from California newlyweds.
Appeals Court Rules on Trump Layoffs: The decision was 2–1, with a dissent from fellow Circuit Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin.
Education Department to Issue Guidance Protecting Right to Prayer, Trump Says.
DHS Launches New Immigration Enforcement Operation in Chicago.
US Lawmaker Impersonated in Cyber Campaign, Suspects Chinese Hackers.
Cuomo Rejects Mamdani’s Claim He’s Trump’s Choice in NYC Mayoral Race.
Veterans and military spouses are discovering renewed purpose through the Veteran Farmer Training Program in partnership with Armed to Farm. Together they learn sustainable agriculture and hands-on farming. Tilling the soil brings peace and structure, transforming past service into community-minded cultivation.
New figures from KPMG and REC show the steepest rise in UK candidates seeking jobs for nearly five years. At the same time, permanent job recruitment has edged up slightly, suggesting that while competition remains high, those who are successfully hired may be stepping into roles that offer more stability and security.
Life-saving system: Martha’s rule, which lets NHS patients request a review of their care, has been rolled out across hospitals in England.
#trendingTikTok: One in three Europeans now use TikTok, the short form video content company has said.
Banksy’s back: A new politically-charged Banksy mural has appeared outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
Every day we’re trufflin’: A black truffle has been successfully grown on the Isle of Bute in what is thought to be a first for a UK island.
Musical medicine: Scientists have discovered that listening to soft music can alleviate motion sickness. One to test out on the commute home?
Israel’s military ordered Gaza City residents to evacuate ahead of a new offensive, after Israel warned it would step up its military attacks in the strip in a “mighty hurricane” if Hamas does not free the last hostages it holds. The evacuation orders caused panic and confusion.
Norway’s minority Labour Party government won a second term in power, while the populist right achieved its best-ever election result, official results showed. The ballot was dominated by concerns over rising living costs and wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking his fifth prime minister in less than two years after opposition parties united to oust center-right Prime Minister Francois Bayrou over his unpopular plans for budget tightening. Meanwhile, the ‘Block Everything’ protest movement adds to Macron’s woes.
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned as anti-corruption demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew and clashed with police, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban.
Ethiopia officially inaugurates Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, a project that will provide energy to millions of Ethiopians while deepening a rift with downstream Egypt that has unsettled the region.
President Donald Trump’s allies have pressed to charge Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and two other prominent political foes with a crime that the federal government rarely prosecutes, a Reuters review of eight years of court records shows.
Democrats in the House of Representatives made public a birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein more than 20 years ago, though the White House quickly denied its authenticity.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told sailors and Marines on a warship off Puerto Rico that they were not deployed to the Caribbean for training but instead sent to the “front lines” of a critical counter-narcotics mission.
Many South Korean workers were sent to the US on questionable documents despite their misgivings and warnings about stricter US immigration enforcement before last week’s raid on a Hyundai site, according to workers, officials and lawyers.
European shares edged up to a one-week high, as optimism from a wave of merger deals partly offset political uncertainty in France’s no-confidence vote. For more on markets, watch our daily rundown.
The level of US employment for the 12 months through March could be slashed by as many as one million jobs when the government publishes its preliminary nonfarm payrolls benchmark estimate, economists predicted.
Short sellers have made their biggest bets in more than a decade against Kering, data reviewed by Reuters shows, adding to the pressure on incoming CEO Luca de Meo to restore confidence in the French luxury group’s finances.
Rupert Murdoch has settled the bitter family battle for control of his media empire, cementing his conservative son Lachlan’s grip on Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. Dawn Chmielewski tells the Reuters World News podcast what the deal means for the future of the Murdoch dynasty.
Apollo, Blackstone and KKR raised billions from deep-pocketed institutions. Now they’re targeting the $145 trillion held by individuals. In this episode of The Big View podcast, iCapital CEO Lawrence Calcano explains the opportunities – and the risks.
Heroes and villains: Russia braces for eventual return of its enormous army: Russian wife killer Azamat Iskaliyev had served less than a third of a nine-year murder sentence – for stabbing his spouse to death in his car in the summer of 2021 because she wanted a divorce – when he was freed and pardoned by Russia in return for fighting in Ukraine.
British street artist Banksy has painted a mural on London’s High Court depicting a judge beating a protester, possibly in reaction to the arrest of hundreds of demonstrators supporting banned group Palestine Action.
Pentagon Official: Trump Boat Strike Was a Criminal Attack on Civilians: A current DoD official and many military legal experts say the U.S. attack on a boat in the Caribbean near Venezuela broke international law.
Trump’s DOJ Wants to Deprive Trans People of the Right to Self-Defense: The Justice Department’s interest in stripping trans people of Second Amendment rights would expose vulnerable communities to more danger.
She’s Challenging an AIPAC Democrat. A National Progressive Group Wants In.: Past challengers to California Democrat Rep. Jimmy Gomez have run up against big spending from special interest groups.
Democrats Have a Gerontocracy Problem. The Crypto Industry Is Using That to Its Advantage.: Veteran Rep. Brad Sherman is a major crypto skeptic — and industry insiders are supporting his youthful primary opponents.
Trump Escalates Assault on Chicago With “Operation Midway Blitz”: DHS announced a new ICE operation targeting Chicago on Monday, days after President Trump likened his assault on the city to the Vietnam War.
Zohran Mamdani Won’t Defund the Police. The Movement Can Grow With Him Anyway: It wouldn’t be savvy politics to push to cut police funding. Adams and Cuomo know that.
The Only Way to Save Money on Medicaid Is to Let People Die: Politicians, like New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, like to say that kicking healthy people off Medicaid saves money. That’s bullshit.
Department of War Doesn’t Defend its Web Streams From Hackers: The Pentagon publicly posts the stream keys to its Facebook, YouTube, and X channels, exposing livestreams to account takeovers.
Are Trump’s Middle East Envoys Pushing Lebanon Into Another Civil War?: An American plan to disarm Hezbollah is creating tension — with Israel waiting in the wings.
Anglo’s next trek is to Canada as it merges with Teck to form top-tier copper producer
Walmart is officially opening in South Africa, with its first branded stores set to open before the end of the year.
The Madlanga Commission has launched a public hotline for anonymous tip-offs on corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system before its hearings next Wednesday in Pretoria.
Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned after violent anti-corruption protests have left at least 19 people dead and more than 100 injured. He cited the worsening unrest and political instability as reasons for stepping down to resolve the crisis and facilitate a political solution.
The International Criminal Court has begun hearings to finalise 39 charges against fugitive Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The proceedings could set a precedent for other high-profile suspects at large, like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Supreme Court Rules 6–3 on Restrictions Over Federal Immigration Operations in LA.

World News – 9 September 2025

Letter to the Editor

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

About Guest

World News – 9 September 2025

Share this:

Letter to the Editor

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

About Guest

Reader Interactions

Comments