Iranian drivers have long had some of the cheapest petrol in the world. But with the economy under pressure after months of war, authorities are hiking the price for its heaviest users.

The policy comes as competition intensifies between the United States and China for access to critical minerals.

INFOGRAPHIC/EYEWITNESS MEDIA. By PATRICK MAYOYO Wealth in 2026 is no longer simply a measure of money in the bank. It is a reflection of technological power, global business empires, political influence, royal heritage, sporting fame and ownership of some of the world’s most valuable assets. From Silicon Valley to royal palaces, luxury estates and private islands, extraordinary fortunes continue to shape the way people live, invest and influence the world around them. The ranks of the ultra-rich have also reached unprecedented levels. Forbes’ 2026 annual billionaires list counted 3,428 billionaires with a combined fortune of $20.1 trillion, with technology entrepreneurs dominating the upper reaches of the rankings. At the top are familiar names such as Elon Musk, whose interests span electric vehicles, space exploration and artificial intelligence, alongside technology giants including Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang. Their fortunes can fluctua...

A session at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. PHOTO/UNCCD. By PATRICK MAYOYO The African Development Bank has committed to work with partners to mobilise funds for the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar. The commitment came on 24 August as African ministers, development partners and international organisations participating in an event titled Scaling the Great Green Wall through Continental Integration and the AU GGWI Strategy (2024-2034) and co-organised by the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank and the UN, voiced calls to scale up GGWI. Participants also welcomed the AU’s adoption in 2024 of the Great Green Wall Strategy and Ten-Year Implementation Framework (2024–2034), which provides a roadmap to expand the initiative into a continental platform for land restoration and ...

In tonight's edition: An Egyptian TV presenter is among a dozen people a court has sentenced to death on drug charges. But first: a South African high court rejects a former defence minister's bid to have a corruption case against her dropped. Plus the very first Pan-African Architecture Biennale opened its doors on Monday in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Frequent water and power cuts, long queues for bottled water, poultry farms destroyed by the heat: these have been the scenes across Tunisia this summer as millions of people were affected by shortages in electricity and water. Our Observers say this is the result of years of underinvestment in infrastructure while the Tunisian president, for his part, blames "deliberate and planned acts of sabotage”. 

African companies expanding into new markets face growing compliance costs arising from fragmented data protection laws, cross-border transfer requirements, cloud infrastructure and regulatory obligations. Early planning can reduce both financial and operational risks.

Africa’s young workforce gives the continent a major demographic opportunity, but aggressive automation of entry-level work could weaken the pipeline of future managers, analysts and specialists. Employers can capture AI productivity gains while preserving apprenticeship, mentoring and real-world decision experience.

Mahoning County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 38-year-old Canfield man Sunday after he forced his way through a crowd toward Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair, knocking down volunteers and two elderly attendees before troopers intervened. The suspect, Patrick Havas, was found carrying two handguns, a Taser and a set of brass knuckles, […]

Jamaica is set to file a petition with King Charles III on Monday seeking an advisory opinion on the legality of slavery in Jamaica and whether Britain has a legal obligation to provide redress for the harm it caused. The petition, being taken to London by a Jamaican delegation led by Culture Minister Olivia Grange, […]