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Wed, Dec 24, 2025 03:36 PM All times are UTC

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Power vacuum in west Africa’s Sahel: 3 ways China could fill the gap as west exits

| Insights & Views

With France fast losing its influence in west Africas Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum? The Sahel region covers 10 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia,...

Modern slavery and climate change: how extreme weather fuels forced labour and unwanted marriages

| Insights & Views

Weather-induced disasters that are the result of climate change are increasingly affecting societies. One area that hasnt been explored much yet is how extreme weather events are creating conditions for a rise in modern...

Green hydrogen is a clean fuel, but South Africa’s not ready to produce it: energy experts explain why

| Insights & Views

Every day, millions of engines and factories burn fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas that traps heat in Earths atmosphere and contributes to climate change. Now imagine a clean fuel that does not...

Healthcare in Africa on brink of crisis as US exits WHO and USAid freezes funds: health scholar explains why

| Insights & Views

US president Donald Trump has taken a series of decisions that have delivered body blows to the global management of health. He has announced that the US will leave the World Health Organization. And a 90-day freeze has...

How Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan influenced today’s multi-sensory museums

| Insights & Views

In recent decades, museums and galleries have made a sensory turn when it comes to designing displays and engaging visitors. Museums like the Metropolitan in New York offer multi-sensory activities so visitors so can...

Lawlessness and disorder: The hypocrisy of Donald Trump’s exile threats after the Jan. 6 pardons

| Insights & Views

In 2020, in response to the riots that followed the murder of 46-year-old Black man George Floyd, Donald Trump declared himself the president of law and order. During the same speech, he threatened to use the military to...

Generative AI, online platforms and compensation for content: the need for a new framework

| Insights & Views

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has put the issue of compensation for content producers back on the table. Generative AI offers undeniable benefits but raises familiar fears tied to disruptive...

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Economy

Asian Stock Markets Trade Flat as Holiday Liquidity Thins and BOJ Minutes Watched

Asian stock markets traded mostly flat on Wednesday as subdued year-end trading volumes and holiday-thinned liquidity limited investor activity across the region. With Christmas and New Year holidays approaching, many...

US and Japan Fast-Track $550 Billion Strategic Investment Initiative

The United States and Japan have agreed to accelerate coordination on their Strategic Investment Initiative, a major bilateral framework backed by a $550 billion fund established under the two countries tariff agreement....

Japan Plans $189 Billion Bond Issuance as Record Budget Signals Expansionary Fiscal Policy

Japan is preparing to issue new government bonds worth approximately $189 billion to help finance a record-breaking national budget for the next fiscal year, according to a draft budget reviewed by Reuters. The move...

BOJ Minutes Reveal Growing Debate Over Interest Rate Hikes and Inflation Risks

Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymakers actively debated whether to continue raising interest rates toward levels considered neutral for the economy, according to minutes from their October policy meeting released on Wednesday....

Gold Price Breaks $4,500 as Safe-Haven Demand and Rate Cut Bets Fuel Rally

Spot gold surged past the key psychological level of $4,500 per ounce for the first time on Wednesday, marking a historic milestone for the precious metal and reinforcing its status as a preferred safe-haven asset. The...

Politics

Anutin Charnvirakul Named Bhumjaithai PM Candidate Ahead of Thailand’s February Election

Thailands caretaker prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul has been officially selected by the Bhumjaithai Party as its candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general election scheduled for February 8. The decision comes...

EU Condemns U.S. Visa Ban on European Figures, Warns of Firm Response

The European Commission has strongly criticized the United States over its decision to impose a visa ban on five European individuals, including former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, calling the move unjustified and...

Zelenskiy Urges High-Level Talks With Trump as Ukraine, U.S. Near 20-Point Peace Framework

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for a direct meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve the most sensitive elements of a potential peace agreement with Russia, particularly issues related to...

U.S. Signs $2.3 Billion Global Health MOUs With Four African Nations

The United States has signed four new global health memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia, reinforcing its long-term commitment to strengthening global health security...

U.S. Discusses Migrant Transfer Plan With Palau Despite Lawmaker Opposition

The United States has renewed discussions with Palau over a controversial proposal to transfer third-country nationals to the Pacific Island nation, despite clear resistance from Palaus lawmakers earlier this year....

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the enforcement of a new state law that would have required app stores and developers to verify users ages, marking a significant legal win for major technology companies and digital...

FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has welcomed Instacarts decision to end its artificial intelligence-based price testing, a move that follows weeks of consumer backlash and regulatory scrutiny. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson...

John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training

Investigative journalist John Carreyrou, widely known for exposing fraud at Silicon Valley blood-testing startup Theranos and for authoring the bestselling book Bad Blood, has filed a new copyright infringement lawsuit...

Italy Fines Apple €98.6 Million Over App Store Dominance

Italys competition authority has imposed a 98.6 million ($115.53 million) fine on U.S. technology giant Apple and two of its subsidiaries, citing alleged abuse of a dominant market position related to the distribution of...

Moore Threads Unveils New GPUs, Fuels Optimism Around China’s AI Chip Ambitions

Moore Threads Technology Co Ltd (SS:688795), often described as Chinas potential alternative to NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), attracted investor attention after unveiling a new lineup of graphics processing units at...