The ministerial summit, running from September 8 to 11, operates under the theme of leveraging artificial intelligence and communications networks for African structural transformation. South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook is scheduled to deliver opening addresses alongside leadership delegations from the African Development Bank Group. Delegations will focus on combining South Korean technological manufacturing expertise with African human capital and critical mineral reserves. Korea Africa chart new course AI digital infrastructure strategies as continental planners seek to bridge an estimated $400 billion annual development financing deficit.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, with sales set to begin October 23. The new model opens to a 7.6-inch inner screen and carries a 5.4-inch outer display. U.S. prices start at $1,999 for 256GB of storage. Preorders begin October 16 across more than 70 countries and regions. Apple powers the iPhone Duo with the A20 Pro chip, also used in the iPhone 18 Pro models. The company rates mixed use across both screens at up to 24 hours per charge.
The iPhone 18 Pro camera system adds four selectable aperture settings to control lighting and depth of field. Its main camera supports apertures of f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. The system also includes 48-megapixel Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras. New Pro controls allow adjustments to aperture, shutter speed and white balance inside the Camera app. Users can also view a histogram while composing photos or videos.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for a state visit to Germany. An official reception followed, including a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour. The visit marks the first state visit to Germany by a UAE president. Sheikh Mohamed is in Germany for meetings with the country’s senior political leadership. The UAE president traveled with a senior delegation covering foreign affairs, trade, industry, defence, national security and advanced technology. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will receive Sheikh Mohamed at Villa Borsig on Thursday as the official program continues. The two presidents will hold talks with their delegations after the ceremonial welcome. Germany’s government says their talks will cover economic relations, the strategic partnership and regional peace and stability.
Gold prices edged higher on Thursday as a softer U.S. dollar supported bullion before fresh U.S. inflation data. Spot gold rose 0.3% to $4,414.28 an ounce by 0419 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.1% to $4,457.20. The early gain kept spot gold above $4,400 after a sharp reversal during Wednesday’s trading. Gold had initially moved lower before finishing that session more than 1% higher.
News
The Houbara Breeders Support Initiative serves existing houbara production projects and people planning to establish new breeding facilities. It offers specialist training, technical guidance and access to established breeding expertise. The program also sets requirements covering animal welfare, biosecurity and responsible facility management.
The international measure focuses directly on the widely utilized Mercator map projection, which was originally developed in the 16th century by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation purposes. While effective for nautical direction, the mathematical scaling of the Mercator model progressively exaggerates landmass sizes farther from the equator while compressing regions near it. According to documentation published by the United Nations General Assembly, these technical distortions continue to permeate modern educational textbooks, news media broadcasts, digital mapping platforms, and official government publications worldwide.
Business
Gold prices edged higher on Thursday as a softer U.S. dollar supported bullion before fresh U.S. inflation data. Spot gold rose 0.3% to $4,414.28 an ounce by 0419 GMT. U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.1% to $4,457.20. The early gain kept spot gold above $4,400 after a sharp reversal during Wednesday’s trading. Gold had initially moved lower before finishing that session more than 1% higher.
The Panama Canal may reduce daily ship traffic to about 29 vessels in February or March 2027 if drought conditions continue, its new administrator said. Ilya Espino de Marotta took office on Sept. 7 and raised the possibility as El Niño pressures reservoir levels. The canal needs freshwater from rainfall-fed lakes to operate its locks. The Panama Canal Authority has already begun staged capacity cuts after below-expected precipitation across the watershed.
German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen AG agreed on Monday to sell its Osnabrück assembly plant to Israeli private equity firm Aurelius Capital and the German state of Lower Saxony. Under the preliminary agreement, the new owners will convert the vehicle manufacturing site into a dedicated security and defense production facility. The strategic transaction marks the first major industrial conversion of a German car factory to supply military hardware amid ongoing structural reorganization across Europe’s automotive sector. Israel Aurelius German state to take over VWs Osnabrueck plant defense projects to supply air defense equipment for European security markets.
Egypt’s net international reserves rose to a record $57.2145 billion at the end of August 2026. Reserves have increased by about $920.6 million during August, extending a series of monthly gains in 2026. The latest reading takes Egypt’s official foreign reserves above $57 billion for the first time. Remittances from Egyptians working abroad also reached a record level during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, with inflows of about $47.3 billion.
The ministerial summit, running from September 8 to 11, operates under the theme of leveraging artificial intelligence and communications networks for African structural transformation. South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook is scheduled to deliver opening addresses alongside leadership delegations from the African Development Bank Group. Delegations will focus on combining South Korean technological manufacturing expertise with African human capital and critical mineral reserves. Korea Africa chart new course AI digital infrastructure strategies as continental planners seek to bridge an estimated $400 billion annual development financing deficit.
Fuel costs remained a major source of price pressure during the month. Petroleum product prices climbed 14.2% from a year earlier, though the increase slowed from July. Diesel prices jumped 19.6%, while gasoline prices rose 11.5%. Petroleum products added 0.54 percentage point to annual consumer price growth. South Korea relies heavily on imported energy, leaving domestic fuel costs sensitive to changes in global energy markets.
Semiconductor exports, the primary driver of national trade performance, soared 209% year-on-year to an all-time high of $46.65 billion. Growth in chip shipments was fueled by sustained capital expenditure programs among major global technology operators expanding data center networks and enterprise AI hardware deployments. The performance marks the third consecutive month in which semiconductor export volumes exceeded the $40 billion threshold. Additional information distributed by the Yonhap News Agency highlighted that computer product exports expanded 419.5% to $6.24 billion amid elevated global NAND memory pricing.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation put real gross domestic product at ₹81.36 lakh crore for the quarter. That compared with ₹75.46 lakh crore in the same period a year earlier. Nominal GDP reached ₹88.27 lakh crore, up 10.3% from ₹80 lakh crore. Real gross value added, another measure of economic activity, increased 8.2% to ₹73.82 lakh crore. Nominal GVA rose 11.5% to ₹80.53 lakh crore.
Manufacturing grew 9.2% during the quarter, while financial, real estate and professional services expanded 12.1%. Agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing grew 3.6%. Household consumption increased 7.1%, maintaining its role as a major component of domestic demand. Investment also strengthened, with gross fixed capital formation rising close to 12% from a year earlier. Its share of nominal GDP reached 34.3%, compared with 31.4% in the corresponding quarter last year.
Technology
Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, with sales set to begin October 23. The new model opens to a 7.6-inch inner screen and carries a 5.4-inch outer display. U.S. prices start at $1,999 for 256GB of storage. Preorders begin October 16 across more than 70 countries and regions. Apple powers the iPhone Duo with the A20 Pro chip, also used in the iPhone 18 Pro models. The company rates mixed use across both screens at up to 24 hours per charge.
Sports
The shortlist includes players from leading clubs across Europe and other major competitions. Paris Saint-Germain has one of the strongest contingents in the men’s field. Its nominees include Dembélé, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice, Michael Olise, Lautaro Martínez and Sadio Mané also earned places. France Football administers the Ballon d’Or and applies a season-based assessment period to each edition.
Automotive
The restructuring strategy, formally named the Future Package, was negotiated between the executive leadership of Porsche and the General Works Council in coordination with the metalworkers union IG Metall and the employers association Südwestmetall. Executives emphasized that workforce reductions will be executed through socially responsible mechanisms, including expanded partial retirement programs, voluntary severance packages, and natural demographic attrition. Management explicitly ruled out compulsory redundancies through 2035, while extending existing site guarantees for five years. In exchange for labor concessions, the automaker committed 2.1 billion euros in capital investments dedicated to upgrading its assembly plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and its research facility in Weissach.