Trump says Huang’s resignation is ‘sad’ as Nvidia faces controversy
Donald Trump, the US President, has described Jensen Huang’s resignation as a sad development, expressing concern over the implications for America’s position in the global artificial intelligence race. Speaking on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump said the United States would be in a difficult position if it lost its competitive edge over China in artificial intelligence.
Trump recalled presenting Huang, Nvidia’s co-founder, with the National Medal of Science during an October summit in Washington, before commenting on his reported predicament. “What a horrible thing that is. That’s so sad to see that happen,” he said.
The president also addressed allegations of Chinese espionage involving artificial intelligence, arguing that intelligence gathering between the two countries was mutual. He said the United States also monitored China, describing such activities as longstanding features of their rivalry.
Nvidia, one of the world’s most valuable technology companies, has become central to the global AI industry through its advanced semiconductor chips. Its shares have risen sharply during the AI boom, climbing from about $30 five years ago to around $170, despite recent market concerns over allegations involving Huang and possible regulatory changes.
US envoys meet Zelensky in Dublin after Putin talks in Moscow
Donald Trump, the US President’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have arrived in Dublin for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow over efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff said a new round of trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States had been agreed with Putin. He also indicated that European representatives would participate in the next discussions, describing their involvement as important to the peace process.
However, prospects for an agreement remain uncertain as Moscow continues to demand territorial concessions and Ukrainian neutrality, conditions Kyiv has resisted. The latest discussions follow two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi focused on post-war European security arrangements.
Tensions have also emerged over Ukraine’s access to Starlink’s military-grade satellite service, Starshield. Zelensky said on Thursday that renewed restrictions were affecting Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian jet-powered drones, warning that decisions treating Ukrainian territory as though it did not belong to the country raised serious concerns.
Democrat Scott Colom becomes Mississippi’s first Black senator in more than a century
Democrat Scott Colom has won Mississippi’s US Senate election, becoming the first Black politician from the state to serve in the Senate since Blanche Bruce left office in 1881. His victory marks a significant political breakthrough in a state that has traditionally favoured Republican candidates.
Colom secured 49.2 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, who received 48.7 percent. Fewer than 5,000 votes separated the candidates out of nearly one million ballots counted, with Hyde-Smith conceding defeat and congratulating her opponent.
The 43-year-old’s victory was particularly unexpected because Mississippi was not considered competitive until the final weeks of the campaign. President Donald Trump won the state by more than 22 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Colom celebrated his victory at Tougaloo College, where he thanked supporters for their backing. His election also comes as Democrats strengthen their position in the 100-member Senate, with the party expected to hold 55 seats, while the outcome of the Alaska race remains undecided.
Russian warship hit by Ukrainian drone in Gulf of Finland
A Russian warship has been attacked in the Gulf of Finland in what could mark an expansion of Ukraine’s drone operations into a strategically important Baltic Sea shipping corridor. Finnish officials confirmed the incident, although the extent of damage and possible casualties remains unclear.
Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, said it targeted the Russian vessel Naro-Fominsk as part of a wider drone operation against the Ust-Luga oil export facility on Russia’s Baltic coast. The vessel is a Buyan-M class missile corvette capable of carrying Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles.
Martin Herem, Estonian Defence Minister said the attack occurred at about 5:30am on Wednesday, adding that smoke was seen coming from the vessel before it headed towards St Petersburg. Russia has not provided details of the incident, while reports of possible damage to other military assets remain unconfirmed.
The attack has raised concerns about the security of civilian maritime traffic in the narrow Gulf, which is used by oil tankers and commercial vessels and contains important undersea data cables. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the Baltic Sea remained safe, with no immediate threat to shipping.
UAE truck crash kills 14 as 23 vehicles collide in Fujairah
At least 14 people have been killed and 30 others injured after a truck lost control and triggered a 23-vehicle crash in Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates. The accident involved five trucks and occurred at the entrance to the eastern emirate shortly before midnight, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
The ministry said the truck collided with another vehicle before overturning and striking several others caught in slow-moving traffic. The impact caused the truck to catch fire, with flames spreading to other vehicles and resulting in multiple fatalities.
Fujairah Police said emergency responders transported the injured to hospitals, while DNA testing was being conducted to identify victims whose bodies were badly affected by the fire. The deceased included Emirati nationals and Indian citizens, according to police and the Indian consulate.
Authorities said half of those injured had been discharged after receiving treatment, while the remaining victims continued receiving medical care. Police, paramedics and civil defence teams remained at the scene as investigations continued into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Uganda investigates suspected poisoning after four schoolgirls die
Ugandan police have launched an investigation into the suspected poisoning of four schoolgirls in Kampala after they reportedly fell ill from eating oranges shared by another pupil. The girls, aged between nine and 11, died on Tuesday, prompting authorities to cordon off their school as a crime scene.
According to Ta’aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre, eight pupils ate the oranges, after which five began vomiting. Four of the children later died, while the fifth remained in hospital receiving treatment.
Police arrested the school’s head teacher to assist with investigations and said detectives would visit the village where the oranges were reportedly obtained. Post-mortem examinations are being conducted to establish the exact cause of the deaths.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about food safety and health standards in Ugandan schools. Some grieving parents have also questioned the school’s handling of the emergency, while authorities have promised further information as investigations progress.
MSF raises alarm over missing Ebola funds as DR Congo outbreak worsens
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned that hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to combat Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo are failing to reach frontline workers, leaving the response severely underfunded despite the scale of the outbreak.
In a report, the organisation said healthcare workers were going unpaid, lacked adequate training and faced shortages of essential medical supplies. Some ambulances had also run out of fuel, while frontline personnel struggled to access the equipment needed to contain infections.
The warning comes as DR Congo records more than 11,000 confirmed Ebola infections and over 5,400 deaths since the outbreak was declared in May. Africa CDC previously reported that about $700 million of the $962 million disbursed to organisations implementing the response remained unaccounted for, raising concerns about financial oversight.
MSF has called on the Congolese government and United Nations agencies to strengthen accountability and ensure funds reach areas with the greatest needs. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba has also demanded greater transparency from aid organisations, saying only 22 per cent had submitted details of their activities to the ministry.
ANC dismisses calls for Ramaphosa to resign after election losses
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has dismissed suggestions that President Cyril Ramaphosa is under pressure to resign as party leader following the ANC’s poor performance in last week’s municipal elections.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said on Thursday that Ramaphosa had the support of the party’s leadership and was not being pressured to step down. She also dismissed a report by local news outlet TimesLive suggesting that the president had considered resigning following the election results.
The ANC secured about 31 percent of the vote, down from 46 percent in the 2021 municipal elections, marking its weakest performance in the country’s democratic era. The result has left several major cities, including Johannesburg, without a clear majority, making coalition agreements necessary to form local governments.
Former president Thabo Mbeki criticised Ramaphosa over the party’s electoral performance, arguing that he and other ANC leaders should resign. Ramaphosa is expected to leave the party leadership when his second five-year term ends, with the ANC scheduled to elect a successor in December 2027.
South Africa’s citrus exports fall as Iran war disrupts shipments
South Africa’s citrus exports declined by 1.5 per cent in 2026 as disruption linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran and adverse weather conditions affected shipments and production, according to the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa.
The country’s citrus growers exported 201 million cartons during the season, down from 204 million in 2025. Exporters faced difficulties accessing Middle Eastern markets, which typically account for about 20 per cent of shipments, amid container shortages and longer shipping routes to destinations including Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Flooding across the Western and Eastern Cape also damaged orchards in key production areas, further affecting output. South Africa is the world’s second-largest citrus exporter by value after Spain, with the sector generating 44.9 billion rand ($2.7 billion) in export earnings in 2025.
Growers are also preparing for the impact of South Africa’s exclusion from the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act, which previously provided duty-free access to a market accounting for about 5 per cent of its citrus exports. The industry faces additional pressure as it navigates higher shipping costs and uncertainty in international trade.
Libya repatriates 602 migrants to Chad amid crackdown on irregular migration
Libya’s eastern security authorities have repatriated 602 migrants to Chad following security operations targeting people accused of entering the country irregularly, as the authorities intensify efforts to control migration and border movements.
Abdulmenam al-Ghomati, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry agency responsible for tackling illegal migration, said the migrants were apprehended in different locations before being returned to Chad on Wednesday. He said the operation formed part of a broader campaign focused on protecting the country’s territory and borders.
The arrests took place in areas controlled by the Libyan National Army, led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, which holds authority over eastern Libya and large parts of the south. The authorities said the operation also targeted people who had attempted to cross into Libyan territory illegally.
Libya has remained a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East in search of better opportunities in Europe. Since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country has been divided between rival administrations, complicating efforts to manage migration and secure its extensive borders.
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Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
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