The Chairman of the Gates Foundation and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has stated that Africa’s future will be shaped by the investments it makes in its young population. Speaking on Wednesday as a panelist at the Gate Foundation’s Goalkeepers event in Lagos, Gates emphasised that Africa’s youthful demographic offers a unique advantage — but only if proper investments are made in health and education. “The amazing thing about Africa…

Trump Revives Travel Ban: 12 Countries Barred From Entering U.S., Including Seven African Nations In a sweeping and controversial move, U.S. President Donald Trump has reinstated a travel ban for 12 countries, citing national security concerns and the need to protect American interests. The executive proclamation, signed late Wednesday, marks a revival of one of Trump’s most contentious policies from his first term in office. The ban, which takes effect…

The UK Home Office is facing renewed allegations of racism and discriminatory immigration practices following its refusal to grant a visit visa to Samuel Onyekachi Ibeawuchi, a prominent Nigerian security entrepreneur, and his family. Critics say the decision is part of a broader, racially motivated clampdown on Nigerians seeking to visit the UK.

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination” and accusing Congress of driving the United States into financial ruin. The scathing remarks, posted on Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) platform, have intensified divisions within the Republican Party, just as the controversial bill moves to the Senate for final negotiations. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand…

The U.S. dollar showed minimal movement on Wednesday as investors turned their attention to upcoming U.S. employment data.

In a fresh controversy casting doubt on Donald Trump’s approach to Russia, a top State Department official appointed by the president has come under scrutiny for dismantling a key U.S. counter-disinformation unit—while maintaining ties that lead uncomfortably close to the Kremlin. Darren Beattie, the acting Under-Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, oversaw the shutdown of the U.S. government’s Russian disinformation watchdog known as R/FIMI, despite his own past praise…

Vietnamese firms are set to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with U.S. partners to purchase $2 billion worth of American agricultural products, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on Tuesday. The agreements are part of broader efforts to strengthen trade ties and secure a new bilateral trade deal. The deals come amid trade tensions that saw the Trump administration impose a 46 per cent reciprocal tariff on Vietnamese goods as a…

In a sweeping rollback of environmental protections, the Trump administration announced Monday it would eliminate federal safeguards on millions of acres of Alaska’s  wilderness, exposing the area to oil drilling and mining in a renewed push for energy dominance. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, speaking from Alaska alongside Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, confirmed the reversal of a December 2024 executive order by then…

Millions of South Koreans are heading to the polls in a historic snap presidential election, following the dramatic impeachment and removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The former conservative leader now awaits trial on rebellion charges, stemming from his abrupt and widely condemned attempt to impose martial law last December. The election, one of the most consequential in the country’s democratic history, has exposed deep political rifts and civic unrest,…

Renowned AI expert Yoshua Bengio has unveiled a new non-profit organisation aimed at creating safe, transparent artificial intelligence systems capable of detecting and preventing rogue AI behaviour. Named LawZero, the initiative seeks to address growing concerns about autonomous AI agents that could act deceptively or resist human control. Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal and one of the so-called “godfathers of AI,” will serve as president of LawZero.…

Mount Etna, Europe’s largest and most active volcano, erupted on Monday morning, releasing a vast plume of ash, gas, and volcanic rock into the skies over Sicily. The dramatic event, which began at approximately 11:24 a.m. local time, was captured on surveillance cameras and closely monitored by Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). The eruption produced a pyroclastic flow, a fast-moving and highly dangerous surge of hot gases,…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that his government would determine its defence capability requirements before committing to any increase in military spending, responding to a U.S. request for Australia to raise its defence budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP. “What you should do in defence is decide what you need your capability and then provide for it,” Albanese told reporters. He emphasised that his government had…