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Business

From abundance to aridity — El Niño poses threat to SA’s summer grain crop

Following a strong harvest, South African farmers prepare for a challenging summer grain season, with rising El Niño conditions threatening severe late-season drought and heatwaves.

  • El Niño conditions intensifying threat to SA's summer grain crop
  • Eastern regions have good soil moisture from prolonged summer rainfall
  • El Niño expected to bring severe late-season drought and heatwaves

World

Senior Kenya Prisons officer found dead in car in Juja

A senior Kenya Prisons Service officer was found dead inside his car at an open field behind Spur Mall in Juja, Kiambu County.

  • Senior Kenya Prisons officer Eric Kiarie Wainaina found dead in car
  • 40-year-old Senior Superintendent of Prisons discovered unresponsive
  • Police investigating possible suicide, considering traumatic work environment

World

Saxony-Anhalt: Digesting the AfD's landmark election win

With well over 40% for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Saxony-Anhalt has witnessed a landmark election night. DW's reporters were on the ground.

  • AfD party wins >40% of Saxony-Anhalt vote in landmark election
  • Ulrich Siegmund and party leaders celebrate clear mandate
  • 1,800 police deployed to maintain order post-election

Business

Asia-US container rates rise, tanker rates ex-USG soften as Asia port congestion intensifies

Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US were mostly higher this week while rates for liquid chemical tankers ex-US Gulf were mostly softer, all while schedule reliability is…

  • Asia-US container rates rise to 7,800/FEU, highest since mid-2022
  • Tanker rates from US Gulf to Asia soften, chemical rates lower
  • Port congestion in Asia intensifies due to three named hurricanes

Finance & Markets

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Announcement Admission to Parallel Listing on Euronext Athens and Equity Offering in Greece of up to €112.2 Million

Star Bulk Carriers Corp., an international maritime shipping company based in the Marshall Islands specializing in the transportation of dry bulk commodities, hereby announces that it is undertaking…

  • CEO Petros Pappas plans to purchase up to €6.0 million worth of new shares in the offering.
  • New shares will be offered to non-U.S. persons through offshore transactions under Regulation S.

World

Mysterious ‘Virgin Mary’ image draws thousands to Kisii village

It began with an ordinary wall. There was nothing remarkable about the wall at a modest home in Emenwa village, Nyamache, Bobasi, Kisii County—until villagers began claiming they could see the…

  • Thousands flock to Emenwa village in Kenya to view mysterious 'Virgin Mary' image on wall.
  • Locals and visitors debate image's religious significance, some see resemblance to Virgin Mary.
  • Phenomenon sparks debate on faith, pareidolia, and supernatural occurrences.

Culture

Fukushima’s Old Farming Rituals Come to Life in Haga Hideo’s Photography

During the 1950s the photographer Haga Hideo captured traditional folk festivals in Fukushima Prefecture. Now the memories in his work have come back home, with the presentation of his photographic…

  • Haga Hideo, 101-year-old photographer, documented Fukushima's farming rituals.
  • His photography focused on New Year's straw object ritual and rice deity.
  • Iwaki City Museum preserves Haga's photos to teach regional heritage.

Tech

TiVo Will Start Charging Fees For Its Automatic Commercial Break-Skipping Feature 'SkipMode'

TiVo is notifying customers about changes to "one of its longest-standing and most popular DVR features," reports the blog Cord Cutter News: Starting November 2, 2026, the current version of SkipMode…

  • TiVo will discontinue free SkipMode feature on November 2, 2026
  • Manual 30-second skip button will remain for commercial skipping
  • Premium Auto Commercial Skip service will cost extra monthly fee

Health & Medicine

One quarter of Australian kids are ‘developmentally vulnerable’ when they start school. Quality childcare can catch them up

Children who are developmentally behind do not have the thinking, social and emotional skills needed for learning and getting along with their peers.

  • Nearly one quarter of Australian children start school developmentally vulnerable.
  • High-quality childcare programs in Victoria and Queensland help catch children up.
  • 2022 study shows significant improvements in resilience, self-regulation, language, and IQ.
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