Daily SumUp

Commemorating 60 years of Israeli-German... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed it killed 200 soldiers in an attack on a Burkina Faso army base this week, according to an NGO that tracks armed groups’ online activity.The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told the news agency Reuters. Although there was no official toll, three Djibo residents told Reuters that dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In southwest China, in Chongqing, surrounded by rivers and mountains, AI City is being built. A city chosen as a focus of inspiration for the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, networking and Big Data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, it is correct that China has made AI education mandatory in schools starting September 1, 2025. This policy requires all students, from primary school (age 6) through university, to receive a minimum of eight hours of AI instruction per year. The goal is to cultivate AI literacy across the board, not just for future engineers, but for all students.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China urged parties involved in Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison's sale of Panama Canal ports to exercise "caution" Thursday, warning of legal consequences should they proceed without clearance from Beijing.The Hong Kong firm's attempt to sell most of its port operations to a US-led consortium was first announced in March after weeks of pressure from Donald Trump.The US president has refused to rule out military intervention to "take back" the crucial waterway -- which was handed over to Panama in 1999 -- from alleged Chinese control.Beijing has criticised the sale of the assets to a group led by giant asset manager BlackRock, opening an investigation into the deal to ensure it is handled lawfully.CK Hutchinson underlined on Monday that "the transaction would never be carried out in any illegal or non-compliant manner". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump’s claim that historically Black colleges and universities won’t have to worry about federal funding cuts under his administration barely lasted days before being proved false.I wrote about the president’s vow to protect HBCU funding last week, after sports commentator Stephen A. Smith (whose coziness with the MAGA movement I’ve documented here) asked Trump a somewhat fawning question about HBCUs during a NewsNation town hall. The background here is that HBCU leaders have openly fretted about what the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the Education Department and its assault on diversity initiatives could mean for the sustainability of their schools.After touting Trump’s previous “contributions” to HBCUs, Smith asked the president whether HBCUs should be concerned about the federal government reducing their already slim budgets, and Trump responded “not at all” before going on a misinformation-filled, self-aggrandizing rant falsely portraying himself as a savior of HBCUs. Just two days later, the White House released a budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year that would cut tens of millions of dollars from Howard University’s budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The French president answered questions from high-profile figures, union leaders, influencers and ordinary citizens on prime-time television on Tuesday to outline his plan for the rest of his term in office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro thanked his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, and Special Presidential Envoy Richard Grenell for the return of Maikelys, a two-year-old girl who, according to relatives and local authorities, was separated from her mother before boarding a repatriation flight in April.“I must thank Ambassador Rich Grenell, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, for his efforts, and (…) I must also thank President Donald Trump,” said Maduro, who received the girl along with her mother and grandmother, Yorely Bernal and Raida Inciarte, at the Miraflores presidential palace.Maduro’s government announced on Wednesday the arrival of the two-year-old in Venezuela, who was received at the Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía International Airport by the First Lady, Cilia Flores, and the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello.The little girl, who the Venezuelan government said was “kidnapped” by the United States, arrived on a flight from Texas operated by Omni Air International, which carried 226 migrants, the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) reported.According to Cabello, Venezuelan authorities were unsure about the minor’s arrival, which is why her relatives were not at the airport.Maikely’s mother, Yorely, was deported from the US to Venezuela weeks ago, and her father, Maiker Espinoza, was among the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador in March. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a rare public appearance, former prime minister Imran Khan’s sons — Suleman Khan (28) and Qasim Khan (26) — called attention to their father’s incarceration.Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023, protests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new rocket engine tested in New Mexico on Wednesday could help the Pentagon make faster weapons and one day even speed up commercial flights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heart of the US oil boom is slowing... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The White House on Wednesday announced that it has secured economic commitments worth at least $1.2 trillion from Qatar, including a historic deal for Boeing jetliners.President Donald Trump was in Qatar on the second stop of his Middle East trip and the White House said he "signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion." That figure includes "economic deals totaling more than $243.5 billion between the U.S. and Qatar."The White House said that Boeing and GE Aerospace landed a deal with Qatar Airways worth $96 billion to acquire up to 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 777X aircraft, which are powered by GE Aerospace engines. That marks the largest-ever order for Boeing's widebody aircraft, as well as the largest-ever 787 order. The White House said the deal "will support 154,000 U.S. jobs annually," which would total more than 1 million jobs over the production and delivery cycle for the deal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. has a preliminary agreement with the United Arab Emirates to allow it to import 500,000 of Nvidia's most advanced AI chips per year, starting in 2025, two sources familiar with the situation said, boosting the Emirates' construction of data centers vital to developing artificial intelligence models.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NASA's Secret Plan to Nuke the Moon?... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has said his administration is now exploring the possibility of normalising relations with Syria - his comments coming shortly after he met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces ended the decades-long dictatorship of the Assad family.The extraordinary encounter, unthinkable just months ago, was short but significant."I think he has got the potential," Trump remarked after his meeting in Riyadh, 37 minutes long, with the former Syrian fighter formerly linked to al-Qaeda.The $10m US bounty on his head was only lifted in December. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has continued his tour of the Middle East with a stop in Qatar, marking the first time a United States president has made an official state visit to the Gulf country.But just before he boarded Air Force One to fly into the Qatari capital of Doha, Trump made history in another way: He took his first-ever meeting with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Istanbul to attend Thursday’s direct talks with Ukraine, according to a directive published by the Kremlin late Wednesday.Instead, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led previous rounds of failed negotiations with Ukraine in early 2022, was named head of the Russian delegation. He will be joined by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU).The order also names a group of expert advisers, including senior officials from the Foreign and Defense Ministries and the presidential administration.Moscow had previously hesitated to confirm delegates for the negotiations in Istanbul, which Putin unilaterally announced during a surprise conference in the early hours of Sunday as a counteroffer to Western-backed calls for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canadians were not "impressed" by the UK government's invitation to US President Donald Trump for a second state visit.The newly elected Carney told Sky News that the UK's invitation earlier this year did not help Canadians, who were facing repeat comments from Trump about making Canada the 51st US state."To be frank, [Canadians] weren't impressed by that gesture... given the circumstance," he said. "It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty."Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited Trump to come to the UK for a visit during a meeting at the White House in February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bullying only leads to self-isolation, Xi says day after US-China tariff truce Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why did the US and China slash tariffs – and what’s next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world's largest airline pilot union does not support SpaceX's proposal to boost annual Falcon rocket launches from 50 to 120 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and environmental groups and commercial fishing interests are concerned about negative impacts on wildlife and the nearshore Atlantic Ocean ecosystem.SpaceX officials seek to modify the company's Federal Aviation Administration license to launch more rockets from Launch Complex 40, where the company sends up Falcon 9 rockets. SpaceX also proposes to build a new 280-foot-diameter concrete landing zone for rocket boosters near the launch pad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

State Department says there were at least 11 fugitives from justice in Cuba, some of whom faced terrorism-related charges Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After condemning Russian aggression, Pope Leo XIV may make Ukraine one of his first foreign visits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump expected to meet Syrian leader after announcing he will lift sanctions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Iran will hold talks in Istanbul on Friday with European parties to their now-moribund 2015 nuclear deal, two European and an Iranian diplomatic source said on Tuesday, The talks among senior diplomats come as both sides seek to position themselves ahead of an expected fifth round of U.S.-Iranian negotiations in the coming days. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Microsoft on Tuesday said that it’s laying off 3% of employees across all levels, teams and geographies, affecting about 6,000 people.“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.The company reported better-than-expected results, with $25.8 billion in quarterly net income, and an upbeat forecast in late April.Microsoft had 228,000 employees worldwide at the end of June. On Tuesday Washington state said the company was reducing headcount tied to its Redmond headquarters by 1,985 people, including 1,510 in office.In total, it’s likely Microsoft’s largest round of layoffs since the elimination of 10,000 roles in 2023. In January the company announced a small round of layoffs that were performance-based. These new job cuts are not related to performance, the spokesperson said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Macron says France does not want to unleash 'World War III' over Ukraine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Foreign investment in the UK fell below France for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, revealing the failure of successive governments to attract funds from overseas since the 2016 Brexit vote.France gained 50% more projects since 2014 to take the lead on the European leader board, while the UK has seen its number fall. It secured 853 foreign-direct investment (FDI) projects last year, according to the EY Attractiveness Index – behind the 1,025 projects registered in France and ahead of Germany’s 608. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia’s newly created company responsible for driving AI innovation across the Kingdom and globally, today announced plans to invest $5 billion-plus in a strategic partnership to build a groundbreaking “AI Zone” in the Kingdom. This first-of-a-kind AI Zone will bring together multiple innovative capabilities, including dedicated AWS AI infrastructure and servers with world-class semiconductors, UltraCluster networks for faster AI training and inference, AWS services like SageMaker and Bedrock, and AI application services such as Amazon Q to advance Saudi Arabia’s mission to be a world leader in AI.AWS previously announced and is currently building an AWS infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia that will become available in 2026. Amazon is investing US$5.3 billion (approx. 19.88 billion Saudi riyal) in Saudi Arabia to develop this new region for AWS. The new AI Zone announced today is an additional investment to grow global and local demand for advanced AI services in the Kingdom, and is part of AWS’s long-term commitment to bring its world-class infrastructure and services to Saudi Arabia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anyone who's owned an Apple device since 2014 may be eligible to receive part of a $95 million class action lawsuit, which accused the tech company's famous voice assistant of spying on users.The lawsuit, Lopez v. Apple, was filed in a California federal court in 2021 by users who allege their private conversations were being recorded by their Apple devices after unintentionally activating Siri. Although a settlement has been reached, Apple has denied the allegations made in the complaint, according to the legal notice obtained by USA TODAY."If you owned or purchased a Siri-enabled device and experienced an unintended Siri activation during a confidential or private communication between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024, you should read this Notice as it may impact your legal rights," the legal notice states. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump has defended the White House plan to receive a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar to be used as America's Air Force One presidential plane."They're giving us a gift," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday, adding that he would be "a stupid person" if he did not accept it.In an earlier statement, a Qatari spokesman said it would be "inaccurate" to refer to the plane as a gift. He said the transfer of an aircraft for "temporary use" was under discussion between the two countries.The news comes as Trump is set to visit Qatar this week as part of the first major foreign trip of his second term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

اردو میںIn EnglishPresident of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss strategic cooperation and plans for the coming days. The Head of State thanked President Erdoğan for his personal contribution and Türkiye's constructive role in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump on Monday floated the possibility of traveling to Turkey this week to attend scheduled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.“I would fly there if I thought it would be helpful,” Trump said during an unrelated news conference on drug pricing. The president is traveling this week to the Middle East for a series of meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is to meet the Islamist leader of Syria amid reports a Trump Tower could be built in Damascus as part of desperately-needed investment.Despite still being designated a terrorist by the US, Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to hold talks with the president in Riyadh on Tuesday, hosted by Mohammed Bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince.The meeting, on the opening day of Mr Trump’s visit to the Middle East, could offer a lifeline to the country’s new regime.The 42-year-old Syrian leader has reportedly offered Mr Trump investment opportunities, including a Trump tower in Damascus, and is seeking US sanctions relief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Within days, things are going to happen in Gaza — things you’ve never seen before," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the War Wounded Forum on Monday. According to a handout, the prime minister met with wounded soldiers for an hour and a half and listened to the soldiers’ stories of heroism and injury.Netanyahu's statement comes after Israeli sources have signalled IDF readiness to expand combat operations in the Gaza Strip.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a meeting with wounded IDF soldiers this evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “within days, things are going to happen in Gaza. Things will happen that you have never seen before until now,” numerous Hebrew news outlets report.The meeting was held with the forum “Wounded Soldiers for Victory,” which was established about two weeks ago with the aim of promoting the “destruction of Hamas,” according to a Ynet report.In the hour-and-a-half-long meeting, Netanyahu listened to the soldiers’ accounts of their combat injuries and said to them that, while he is “giving a chance” for the return of the hostages, if these efforts do not succeed, the fighting will be intense and “to the end,” says Ynet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A volcano in central Philippines erupted on Monday, spewing plumes... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kanye West has explained the motivation behind his new song Heil Hitler, linking the controversial release to ongoing personal frustrations over custody of his children and frozen financial assets.In a social media post shared on May 8, 2025, the rapper said the track was fueled by anger. “These people took my kids from me and they froze my bank account,” West stated, adding, “I had so much anger inside me.”The explanation followed the release of a music video for Heil Hitler, which West shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account. The video features a group of shirtless men draped in animal skins, chanting in a scene interpreted by many viewers as glorifying Adolf Hitler. The imagery has drawn widespread backlash for its provocative symbolism and allusions to fascist ideology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Cena never thought it would happen to him. But then he got the call — twice. The spots on his skin were cancerous.Cena’s first skin spot was discovered on his chest — in the area of his left pectoral muscle — during a routine visit to the dermatologist. It was promptly removed and sent for testing. His second spot was noticed a year later on his back, in the area of his left upper trapezius muscle.“I received the phone call twice, ‘Hey, you’ve got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous,’” Cena recalls. “That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his country will respond strongly to what he describes as a future "terrorist attack", after four days of military exchanges with neighbouring Pakistan."This is not an era of war, but this is also not an era of terror," Modi said in his first public address since days of intense shelling and aerial incursions, carried out by both sides, began.These followed a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, for which India blamed a Pakistan-based group. Islamabad has strongly denied backing the group in question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE, has issued directives to grant golden visas to nursing staff employed by Dubai Health who have served for more than 15 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Ukraine to take part in "direct talks" on 15 May, hours after European leaders urged Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. In a rare televised late-night address from the Kremlin, Putin said Russia was seeking "serious negotiations" aimed at "moving towards a lasting, strong peace". On Saturday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Kyiv with other European leaders to put pressure on Russia to commit to an unconditional ceasefire, starting Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said Moscow would "have to think this through" - but warned that "trying to pressure us is quite useless". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a drubbing in the local elections and with migrants continuing to cross the Channel in small boats, the government is set to unveil its plan to reduce migration numbers on Monday.But the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has given a sneak preview of some details today – saying there will be further restrictions on low-skilled migration and the end of the care worker visa for overseas recruitment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration is set to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family that will be retrofitted and used as Air Force One during the president’s second term, two people familiar with the agreement told CNN.President Donald Trump embarks Monday on his first major foreign trip, which includes a stop in Doha, Qatar.Given the massive value of a Boeing 747-8, the move is unprecedented and raises substantive ethical and legal questions. A Qatari official said the plane is technically being gifted from the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon, describing it more as a government-to-government transaction instead of a personal one. The Defense Department will then retrofit the plane for the president’s use with security features and modifications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in person in Turkey on Thursday.It comes after he said his team were "ready to meet" Russian representatives following Vladimir Putin suggestion of peace talks, subject to an unconditional ceasefire starting on Monday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A single vote in a Quebec riding has brought Canada's Liberal Party one seat closer to holding a majority in parliament.A judicial recount in the Terrebone riding declared Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste the victor with 23,352 votes, ahead of Bloc Québécois incumbent Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who received 23,351.The result gives the Liberal Party 170 seats in the House of Commons, two seats shy of the 172 required for a majority.In a statement on social media, Auguste thanked the citizens of Terrebone for their trust and promised to "get to work". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google is launching a new film and TV production initiative called "100 Zeros," a partnership with Range Media Partners, to co-produce and fund projects, including feature films and TV series. The goal is to integrate Google's technology and platforms into filmmaking and to promote a positive view of technology to young audiences through entertainment, according to Business Insider. This initiative aims to boost the adoption of Google's tech, including AI and spatial tools, by the creative community... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sunday that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would force Israel to take “unilateral actions,” following announcements by several countries that they plan to take such a step.“There have been talks about an initiative to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state... any attempt to do so unilaterally will only harm future prospects for a bilateral process and will push us for unilateral actions in response,” Saar said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pope Leo called for an “authentic, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, as well as a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. He also called for humanitarian aid to be provided “to the exhausted civilian population” in Gaza. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.