Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema took a commanding lead in the general election, putting him on course to secure a second term at the helm of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer. With more than half of the constituencies having reported following last week’s polls, official results showed Hichilema securing roughly 58% of ...
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Senegal raises fuel prices to keep subsidy costs in checkSenegal raises fuel prices to keep subsidy costs in check
Senegal raised fuel prices by 7% in order to contain the cost of subsidies, underscoring Africa’s vulnerability to foreign energy shocks like the one sparked by the Iran war. The government has spent nearly all of its full-year allocation for fuel subsidies already, after oil prices surpassed the $85 benchmark ...
Progressive Democrats eye Israel policy shift in 2027Progressive Democrats eye Israel policy shift in 2027
Capitol Hill progressives are homing in on the “Block the Bombs Act” as they prepare for a potential overhaul of Israel policy under a Democratic majority. The legislation would block certain weapons transfers to Israel and is cosponsored by more than a third of House Democrats. Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. ...
Can Democrats afford to take on Big Tech? Or to leave it alone?Can Democrats afford to take on Big Tech? Or to leave it alone?
The News Juleanna Glover, a longtime adviser to CEOs navigating Washington, DC, and onetime adviser to Elon Musk, spent the summer of 2020 texting Musk’s phone number to everyone she knew in Joe Biden’s campaign. The Tesla CEO had started to grouse on X about the Democratic nominee, and she ...
OpenAI funds new think tank projectsOpenAI funds new think tank projects
OpenAI is announcing the winners of its call for grant proposals to study the economic and societal impact of artificial intelligence, and to develop solutions to address disruptions. According to details shared first with Semafor, recipients include US-based organizations across the political spectrum, like the American Enterprise Institute, the Progressive ...
Ghana’s Genser Energy plans expansion after raising over $500MGhana’s Genser Energy plans expansion after raising over $500M
The News A Ghanaian energy company has raised more than half a billion dollars to fund ongoing natural gas-based power projects and pursue new opportunities in West Africa. Genser Energy secured a €456 million ($527 million) credit package arranged by three of South Africa’s top banks First Rand Bank, Absa ...
New Chinese model adds to AI competitionNew Chinese model adds to AI competition
Chinese AI startup Zhipu said its new GLM-5.3 model outperformed Anthropic’s Mythos 5 in a key cybersecurity benchmark and closed the gap on coding capabilities, marking the latest Chinese open-weight model to claim parity with the Western AI frontier. Following its last release in June, Zhipu, also known as Z.ai, ...
US to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln, leaving Pacific without carrierUS to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln, leaving Pacific without carrier
US President Donald Trump dismissed reports of poor living conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, escalating a fight in Washington over the aircraft carrier’s record 260-plus-day stretch at sea. Multiple sailors have reportedly attempted to jump overboard during the deployment, which was extended to support the Iran war. The US’ ...
Europe’s heat strains global food supplyEurope’s heat strains global food supply
Europe’s latest summer heat wave risks worsening already-fragile global food security. Though hunger worldwide has fallen in recent years, restrictions to trade through key global chokepoints as well as fears of an unusually intense El Niño threaten that progress. In Europe, higher-than-usual temperatures and a lack of rain have left ...
Amodei addresses AI backlashAmodei addresses AI backlash
Anthropic CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei pushed back Saturday against criticism that his messaging around AI — that it could centralize power and produce mass job displacement — has stoked the growing backlash against the technology. In rare social media remarks, Amodei acknowledged AI firms “haven’t yet delivered on our ...