Author: Grace Johnson

Germany’s small- and medium-sized businesses are showing signs of renewed optimism. A recent survey by Creditreform found that sentiment among the country’s Mittelstand has turned slightly positive for the first time since 2022. The business morale index climbed to 0.1 in 2025, up from -4.8 in 2024, signaling a cautious but notable shift toward confidence. Experts say the improvement reflects stabilizing economic conditions and better expectations for growth. Small firms, which form the backbone of Germany’s economy, play a crucial role in employment and innovation. A rise in sentiment could indicate stronger investment plans and hiring intentions in the coming…

China has condemned the United States after Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese goods. Beijing called the move “a textbook case of double standards” and warned it could introduce countermeasures if Washington escalates. A spokesperson for China’s commerce ministry said the country “does not want a trade war, but will never back down from one.” Trump reignites confrontation with Beijing Trump reacted angrily after China tightened export rules for rare earth materials. He accused Beijing of becoming “hostile” and attempting to hold the world “captive.” The former U.S. president even hinted he might cancel an expected…

A major transition is coming for computer users everywhere. Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on Tuesday, 14 October. After that day, millions of computers will lose critical security updates. Without them, hackers and malware could more easily attack vulnerable systems. Microsoft urges users to upgrade to Windows 11 for free, but many older devices will not meet the system’s stricter hardware requirements. Nathan Proctor, senior director at the US consumer group PIRG, warns that the move could create serious problems for both consumers and the environment. Millions still rely on Windows 10 every day Windows remains the…

In Sengawacho, a quiet suburb of Tokyo, the Ben Thai restaurant has only four bottles of Asahi Super Dry left. Owner Sakaolath Sugizaki hopes for more soon, but her supplier is saving stock for larger clients. Japan’s biggest brewer, Asahi, shut down most of its 30 factories after a crippling cyber-attack froze its computer systems and halted production. Breweries Restart but Systems Stay Down Asahi has reopened several facilities, including six major breweries, but its IT systems remain offline. Employees now process orders and deliveries by hand — with pens, paper, and fax machines. The switch to manual operations has…

“This technology is our future threat,” warns Serhiy Beskrestnov as he studies a newly captured Russian drone. It is unlike anything he has seen before. Driven by artificial intelligence, it can find and strike its targets entirely on its own. Beskrestnov, a consultant to Ukraine’s defence forces, has examined countless drones since the invasion began. But this one is different. It neither sends nor receives radio signals, which makes it impossible to jam or detect. Both Russian and Ukrainian militaries are now testing artificial intelligence in combat. They use it to locate enemy units, analyse intelligence, and clear mines—tasks once…

Elon Musk has settled a $128 million lawsuit brought by four of Twitter’s former senior executives, now part of his rebranded company X. The case revolved around severance payments the executives said Musk withheld after taking control of the platform in 2022. Fired executives claim Musk broke contracts The group, which included former CEO Parag Agrawal, said Musk dismissed them without cause and refused to pay the severance guaranteed in their contracts. In a court filing, their lawyers wrote, “The parties have reached a settlement, and the settlement requires certain conditions to be met in the near term.” The terms…

Gold has smashed through the $4,000 (£2,985) mark for the first time in history. Investors are pouring money into the precious metal as fears over global politics and economic stability escalate. The surge marks gold’s strongest rally since the 1970s. Prices have jumped by nearly a third since April, when US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs disrupted world trade and unsettled markets. Shutdown turmoil deepens investor anxiety The US government shutdown, now in its second week, has intensified unease across financial markets. Analysts say delays in vital economic data releases have left investors uncertain about the state of the economy.…

“Half of my life is on this app and now they expect us to pay for it.” That line has become the rallying cry of furious Snapchat users. The platform’s plan to charge for saving old photos and videos has sparked widespread anger and accusations of greed. Charging to remember In September, Snap — the company behind Snapchat — announced that users with more than five gigabytes of saved Memories will soon need to pay. For many, those photos and videos represent milestones, friendships, and moments they never wanted to lose. Now, users say the company is putting a price…

For decades, the United States has dominated the global technology market. Now China is determined to shift that balance. The world’s second-largest economy is investing billions in artificial intelligence and robotics. Its main goal is to develop advanced chips that can compete with the best in the world. Last month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warned that China was only “nanoseconds behind” the U.S. in chip development. Beijing is pushing to close the gap and reduce its dependence on imported technology. DeepSeek Sparks China’s AI Revolution In 2024, the Chinese startup DeepSeek stunned the global tech scene by launching a competitor…

A global plan for food and the future By 2050, everyone on Earth could have enough nutritious and culturally familiar food while protecting the environment. That is the vision of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems. The report says a “planetary health diet,” combined with better farming methods and less food waste, could feed 9.6 billion people sustainably. Over 35 countries contributed to the findings, which show that global food-related emissions could drop by more than half if nations cooperate. Currently, food production, processing, and transport generate about 30% of greenhouse gases. Most of the…