Daily SumUp

Ghana is set to become a major player in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies through a landmark partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Ghana-UAE Innovations and Technology Hub—a transformative project aimed at accelerating digital transformation and positioning Ghana as a tech powerhouse on the continent.The ambitious initiative, spearheaded by the UAE’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), will see the development of a 25 square kilometre innovation district in Ningo-Prampram, serving as a regional base for AI engineering, business process outsourcing (BPO), knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), and machine learning tailored to Africa’s unique data needs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that China was “credibly preparing” to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, vowing the United States was “here to stay” in the region.The Pentagon chief made the remarks at an annual security forum in Singapore as the administration of US President Donald Trump spars with Beijing on trade, technology, and influence over strategic corners of the globe.China’s embassy in Singapore blasted the speech, accusing Washington of escalating tensions in the region and “profiting from creating risks of war”.Trump has launched a trade war with China since taking office in January, has sought to curb its access to key AI technologies and deepened security ties with allies such as the Philippines, which is engaged in escalating territorial disputes with Beijing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An elderly man called emergency services to report the death of his wife. A coroner arrived and officially declared her dead, prompting the funeral service to be called. However, once the woman was placed in the coffin, she suddenly opened her eyes and began breathing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

French court to rule on suspects in Pierre Noizat crypto kidnapping attempts... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Suspects In Crypto Kidnapping Plots To Face Judges In France... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four billion people, about half the world’s population, experienced at least one extra month of extreme heat due to human-caused climate change from May 2024 to May 2025, scientists say. The extreme heat caused illness, death, crop losses, and strained energy and healthcare systems, according to the analysis from World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saudi Arabia will send its top diplomat to the West Bank this weekend, Palestinian officials said, in what would be the highest-level Saudi visit to the area since it was occupied by Israel in 1967.Hussein Al-Sheikh, vice president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), told CNN that an Arab ministerial delegation led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan will arrive in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday to meet PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift buys back the rights to her first 6 albums. Taylor Swift announced on Friday via her website that she had acquired the rights to her master recordings, which include previously released music, music videos, concert films and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump's administration can temporarily revoke the legal status of over 500,000 migrants living in the US, the US Supreme Court ruled on Friday.The ruling put on hold a previous federal judge's order stopping the administration from ending the "parole" immigration programme, established by former President Joe Biden. The programme protected immigrants fleeing economic and political turmoil in their home countries.The new order puts roughly 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela at risk of being deported. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The introduction of mandatory gender testing is aimed at competitive fairness and safety. It also focuses directly on Algerian Olympic champion Imane Khelif. World Boxing on Friday announced the introduction of mandatory gender tests for both male and female fighters who want to compete in sponsored competitions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump will host a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, following Musk's announcement that he is leaving his government role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China hits back after Trump claims it is 'violating' tariff truce... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia has proposed holding the next round of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2 with a view to achieving a sustainable peace settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sol remembers her first kill for a Mexican cartel: a kidnapping she committed with a handful of other young recruits that twisted into torture and bled into murder. She was 12 years old.Sol had joined the drug cartel a few months earlier, recruited by someone she knew as she sold roses on the sidewalk outside a local bar. She started as a lookout, but rose fast... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Elon Musk launched into his government crusade with a chainsaw in hand at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, few in Washington understood just how disruptive his tenure would become.But three months later, as the billionaire entrepreneur is set to step down from his role as the most visible face behind the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he leaves behind a complicated legacy that includes thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies, and frequent clashes with top members of the Trump Administration. Musk also leaves Washington well short of his goal of reducing federal spending by $1 trillion, only having cut around $175 billion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Golden Dome system pressed ahead by the United States and its other actions to deploy space-based weapons will heighten the risk of triggering a space arms race, said a Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday.At a press conference, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, criticized such acts for violating relevant principles of the Outer Space Treaty."The U.S. actions will once again open the Pandora's box," Zhang said. "This proves again that no country has done more than the United States in militarizing the space and making it a battlefield."China urges the U.S. side to stop expanding its military build-up in space and to take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability, he said. ■ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, a series of groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in Guatemala have revealed extensive, previously unknown Maya cities and structures, including some that were 3,000 years old. These finds, many of which were enabled by innovative technologies like LiDAR, paint a more complex picture of Maya civilization than previously imagined.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov calls German Army Plans “very worrying”.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States will “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese students studying in the country, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced, as the administration of President Donald Trump continues its crackdown on foreign students enrolled at higher education institutions.Rubio announced the shock move in a post on X, as well as a State Department statement published late on Wednesday, titled “New Visa Policies Put America First, Not China”.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised the decision, saying it “seriously damaged” the rights of Chinese students. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk’s startup xAI is paying Telegram $300 million to roll out its Grok chatbot.Telegram will also earn 50% of the revenue from xAI subscriptions that are sold on the platform.Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said he and Musk struck a yearlong partnership that “strengthens Telegram’s financial position.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk has criticised one of the signature policies of Donald Trump, marking a break from the US president who he helped to win re-election in 2024.Last week, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed what Trump calls his "big, beautiful" bill, which includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a pledge to increase defence spending. It will now head to the Senate.Musk was enlisted as Trump's cost-cutting tsar - ending funds for US foreign aid among other projects - before announcing he would step back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mexico is set to hold elections for appointing all judges, a historic move aiming to reform the judiciary.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today the EU is putting forward a new strategy for a stable and secure Black Sea region. This Strategy aims to boost connections and growth, by linking Europe with the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and beyond. Amidst Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the strategy will also reinforce the EU's geopolitical role as a reliable actor in the Black Sea region.The EU will forge closer cooperation with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Türkiye, Armenia and Azerbaijan and take forward regional cooperation on connectivity. A number of these countries have chosen to pursue the path towards EU accession or closer alignment with the EU. Today's strategy seeks to bring tangible benefits to Black Sea partners and the EU by investing in and deepening key mutually beneficial partnerships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A South African mother has been sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who vanished over a year ago. A witness testified the child was sold to a traditional healer for $1,100. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chilean government has released a report aimed at reconciling decades of tension and conflict with the Mapuche, Chile’s largest Indigenous group. The report follows long-standing accusations by the Mapuche against both Chile and Argentina of historical genocide and systemic marginalization.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Czech Republic on Wednesday accused China of being responsible for a "malicious cyber campaign" targeting a network used for unclassified communication at its Foreign Affairs ministry, but China rejected the accusations.China's embassy in Prague called on the Czech side to end its "microphone diplomacy". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Walmart set to open 5 stores and 1 new Sam's Club: Here's where.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Telegram established a partnership with Elon Musk's xAI to provide the Grok generative artificial intelligence program on the messaging service for one year, Telegram's CEO announced Wednesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In exchange for implementing Grok across its platforms, Telegram will receive $300 million in cash and equity, plus 50 percent of the revenue from xAI subscriptions sold via Telegram, Telegram's chief Pavel Durov announced on X, the former Twitter.Grok will be accessible on Telegram this summer, Durov said.The terms of the deal may appear unbalanced, but the transaction allows xAI, which in late March acquired Musk's X platform, to have access to Telegram's customers, which Durov estimated has more than one billion users.Generative AI businesses have been aiming to grow their user base in order to recover revenues after huge investments in the state-of-the-art technology.xAI in February released the latest version of its chatbot, Grok 3, which the billionaire hopes will find traction in a highly competitive sector contested by the likes of ChatGPT and China's DeepSeek.Grok 3 is also going up against OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT -- pitting Musk against collaborator-turned-arch rival Sam Altman.Grok is accessible on the X platform, but with limitations on non-paying users. The premium service costs $40 per month, or $395 per year.Durov has faced judicial action in France after clashing with French authorities over illegal content on his popular messaging service, including claims that France interfered in Romanian elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia is continuing to work on the draft memorandum setting out the principles of a possible future peace accord to end the conflict in Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a call with US President Donald Trump earlier this month, said that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord.Putin said the memorandum would define the principles of a possible settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement and details about a possible ceasefire.Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the work was continuing on the Russian draft and that once the document was ready it would be handed over to Ukraine.US-led efforts to force peace negotiations between the neighbors have failed to reach a breakthrough and left Trump frustrated with both sides.Swarms of drones are being launched by both sides while fierce fighting is underway along key parts of the front.Moscow on Tuesday accused Kyiv of increasing air barrages with the aim of disrupting peace talks and said its own massive assaults on Ukraine were a "response" to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia."Kyiv, with the support of some European countries, has taken a series of provocative steps to thwart negotiations initiated by Russia," Moscow's defense ministry said... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump's administration has ordered US embassies around the world to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as it prepares to expand social media vetting of such applicants.An official memo said social media vetting would be stepped up for student and foreign exchange visas, which would have "significant implications" for embassies and consulates.It comes during a wide-ranging Trump crackdown on some of America's most elite universities. He sees these institutions as too left-wing - accusing them of failing to combat antisemitism when pro-Palestinian protests have unfolded on campuses.Responding to the move, China called on the US to protect international students. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A federal judge ruled the department’s DOGE team could access sensitive financial information on millions of Americans, but must be vetted and trained first.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano resumed its sporadic eruption on Sunday, shooting lava hundreds of feet into the air and releasing huge plumes of ash and other volcanic material into the skies.The activity started around 4:15 p.m. local time and lasted for several hours, according to a status report from the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.Lava fountains from the mountain's north vent reached heights of more than 1,000 feet, before stopping around 9:45 p.m. local time, the observatory said. At the south vent, the lava fountains reached heights of more than 800 feet and stopped around 10:25 p.m., according to the observatory. Lava flows remained within Kilauea's summit caldera, and did not affect any residential areas, the observatory said.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hamas says it reached ‘general framework’ for permanent truce; Israeli official rejects the claim as propaganda; report says Hamas ‘under pressure like never before’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia will announce the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in the nearest future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. The neutral status of Ukraine remains one of Russia's key demands in the peace negotiations, he emphasised. This comes after weeks of stalled peace negotiations US President Donald Trump tried brokering since February this year. The Kremlin will announce the next round of direct talks between the two warring neighbours, Lavrov told a security summit in Moscow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli airstrikes target Yemen airport as Netanyahu warns Houthis, Iran.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has galvanized unprecedented diplomatic rebukes from European and British leaders, signalling a potential turning point in international responses to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New State Department guidance on visa applications is adding to uncertainty for America's international students, who have faced intensifying scrutiny from President Donald Trump's administration.In a cable sent Tuesday to U.S. embassies and consulates, Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students as the department prepares guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media. Existing appointments may be kept and will proceed under current review guidelines, the cable said.University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh student Vladyslav Plyaka was planning to visit Poland to see his mother and renew his visa, but he doesn’t know when that will be possible now that visa appointments are suspended. He also doesn’t feel safe leaving the U.S. even when appointments resume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness's divorce is one key step closer to being official.Furness, 69, has filed for divorce in New York almost two years after the former couple announced the amicable ending of their marriage in September 2023. The Daily Mail was first to report the news. Furness' lawyer, Elena Karabatos, also submitted filings relating to the duo's settlement, health care coverage and medical child support, PEOPLE has learned. Jackman, 56, and Furness, who wed in 1996 after meeting in 1995, share two children: son Oscar and daughter Ava. The filings indicate the terms of the Australian actors’ divorce are uncontested and will only need a sign-off from a judge. A rep for Furness did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prosecutors have confirmed for the first time the full list of 21 charges Andrew and Tristan Tate will face when they are returned to the UK, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.The Crown Prosecution Service said that it had authorised the charges against the brothers in 2024, before an extradition warrant was issued to bring them back from Romania.The two British-Americans are under investigation in Romania, facing a number of charges, which they deny - and the CPS said "the domestic criminal matters in Romania must be settled first".The CPS's charging decision came after it received a file of evidence from Bedfordshire Police about allegations made in the UK.The CPS said Andrew Tate, a 38-year-old influencer and former kickboxer, faces 10 charges connected to three alleged victims, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK hits peak feebleness on Israel–Gaza, SURGEON SAYS.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has threatened to strip Harvard University of $US3 billion in grant money, accusing the school of antisemitism and liberal bias.He also called for a list of foreign students to assess potential security concerns and warned more funding could be reviewed.The move is part of his broader campaign against elite institutions in the country as he goes after what he sees as left-leaning power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brazil's Lula released after treatment for inner ear issue... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Man arrested after a car collides with pedestrians in Liverpool city centre during Liverpool's trophy parade; the police believe this to be an isolated incident and it is not being treated as a terrorist event Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European Central Bank president criticized the US president over his claim that the bloc was formed to 'screw' the United States. Trump made the comments earlier this year as he threatened to hit the EU with hefty tariffs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fuel tank fire on Monday halted production at Ecuador's largest oil refinery, sparking the evacuation of nearby residents as a giant plume of smoke billowed from the facility. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A clip showing Brigitte Macron appearing to shove the French president in the face went viral, with local media reporting that the Élysée Palace initially decried the video as "fake". It was later corrected, though Macron downplayed the moment as 'horsing around' with his wife. Online reactions though have been negative, either proclaiming the moment shows domestic violence or mocking the incident. Vedika Bahl goes through what we know in Truth or Fake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SE Asian leaders meet China's Li and Gulf states to bolster ties... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chimps are human, gene study implies.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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