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Al Jazeera

Lacking equipment, but not ambition: Gaza students try to keep up with tech

Gaza’s IT sector was once considered the hope for enclave’s disenfranchised youth. Now, it is mostly in ruins.Deir el-Balah, Gaza – A handful of electronic components, a few wires and a basic programmable circuit board are enough to bring a group of curious children around a table in central Gaza to learn about robotics.Students at The Next Gen Team: Rising Robotics Engineer Project in Deir el-Balah learn how to integrate sensors into alarm systems, study robotics, understand how motors and drive units work, as well as get firsthand experience with programming.The children’s research could save lives in the future. The robotics and early warning systems they are working on could make way for bigger developments such as early detection of gas leaks and fires or help rescue workers access hard-to-reach areas, such as victims trapped under rubble.Today’s lesson will also teach students the sciences of the future and help them keep pace with technological advancements happening outside Gaza’s borders.Before the war, students had access to schools, universities, incubators and training programmes to pursue an interest in technology.With much of that infrastructure now destroyed or damaged during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, there are few places and tools for students to work with.But their interest in robotics and will to learn are helping them maintain their skills and ambitions for the future, something they hope will be of benefit when the bombs stop falling on Gaza.Hamza al-Atrash, 16, is a student taking part in the “Next Gen” project and learning how electronic components can be used to develop robots and early-warning systems. To do this, he is using an Arduino controller – a programmable circuit board which connects sensors – and some other electronics.Students work with what they have, but a shortage of equipment and electricity outages make studying a challenge.“We have capabilities and aspirations that we want to develop, and we try to take advantage of every available opportunity for learning and training,” Hamza tells Al Jazeera.Hamza hopes the skills that he and his cohort learn in class will benefit his community and provide new opportunities for young people in Gaza.“The lack of devices and equipment doesn’t mean we’ll stop. It pushes us to look for solutions and make the most of the simple tools we have,” he said.The challenges facing these students are part of a wider disruption to Gaza’s technology and innovation sector.Before the war, Gaza had several incubators that supported technology projects and startups. Bahaa al-Masri, head of the training team for the Early Warning Systems and Robotics Project, said it provided a rare bit of hope for children and young adults in the besieged enclave.“These incubators provided an environment for training and development. They helped innovators and entrepreneurs turn their ideas and projects into prototypes and ventures,” he told Al Jazeera.The war severely damaged this ecosystem: training spaces were lost, equipment difficult to find, and students and innovators left with limited opportunities to experiment and develop their ideas.Although challenges remain, the trainers are continuing their mission of educating budding tech experts in Gaza.“We have a generation of students who possess genuine passion and talent in technology and digital systems,” he told Al Jazeera. “They need the environment and tools to develop these abilities and turn their ideas into projects that can serve their community and their future.”The near-collapse of Gaza’s technology sector has coincided with the widespread destruction of the education system, with schools, universities and research facilities repeatedly targeted by Israel during the war.Preliminary estimates from the Government Media Office in Gaza put direct losses to the education sector at approximately $4bn. Seventeen higher education institutions have been completely or partially destroyed since October 2023, preventing about 620,000 high school students and 90,000 university students from continuing their education.Approximately 20,228 students and 830 teachers and educational staff have also been killed, along with 194 scientists, academics and researchers.For students seeking to enter technical fields, the loss of such educational facilities and teachers means fewer opportunities to gain practical experience and hone their skills.Before the war, the IT industry was one of the promising sectors of Gaza’s economy and a rare source of foreign income, said Ahmad Abu Qamar, an economic affairs specialist and board member of the Palestinian Economists Syndicate.It was also an opportunity for employment for thousands of university graduates entering a job market with high unemployment, with roughly 80 percent of its economic activities directed towards foreign markets.Abu Qamar estimates that the IT sector now runs at less than 25 percent of pre-war levels, while more than 70 percent of IT companies in Gaza have completely or partially halted operations.

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Kahawa Tungu

Leadership and Growth: How Guerassim Nikolov Balances Innovation with Operational Discipline

In high-growth industries, innovation is often treated as the primary driver of success. New platforms, new products and rapid market entry dominate leadership conversations. Yet organisations that grow fastest are often those most vulnerable to instability. Without operational discipline, early momentum can quickly become fragility.This tension between creativity and control has defined much of Guerassim Nikolov’s leadership career across sports, gaming and entertainment. As founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of SportPesa, and through earlier ventures in lottery, casino and gaming operations in Bulgaria, Armenia and Kenya, Guerassim Nikolov has built businesses in environments where growth is inseparable from regulation, compliance and operational risk.Rather than treating discipline as a brake on innovation, he has positioned it as the condition that makes innovation scalable.“When you’re operating in regulated markets, speed alone is never a strategy,” says Guerassim Nikolov. “If the foundations aren’t in place, growth just magnifies the problems.”This philosophy became particularly visible when SportPesa launched in 2014. The digital sports and betting sector was expanding rapidly across Africa and parts of Europe, yet regulatory frameworks were tightening and evolving. In Kenya, for example, oversight by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) was increasingly active, particularly as public scrutiny of gaming intensified.Instead of prioritising customer acquisition at all costs, expansion decisions were paired with deliberate investment in governance structures, local compliance expertise and operational reporting systems. Compliance teams were established early. Licensing procedures were approached methodically. Responsible gaming policies were embedded before aggressive scaling.The 2019–2020 regulatory changes in Kenya, which included tax adjustments and stricter enforcement measures across the betting sector, reinforced this approach. Several operators publicly struggled to adjust to the shifting environment. For Nikolov, the period validated earlier investments in internal controls and fiscal planning. Rather than reacting impulsively, the organisation focused on recalibrating operations within the revised framework.“Regulation will always evolve,” he notes. “The question is whether your business is built to adjust without panic.”That capacity to absorb policy change without structural breakdown reflects operational discipline designed from inception. It also demonstrates that in regulated industries, resilience is often the most powerful form of innovation.Nikolov’s background prior to SportPesa reinforced these lessons. In Bulgaria and Armenia, casino and bingo operations operate under strict licensing regimes. In Kenya, lottery and gaming businesses face oversight not only from licensing bodies but also from revenue authorities and public policy scrutiny. These environments require precise record-keeping, auditable systems and clear accountability chains.“In these industries, discipline isn’t bureaucracy,” says Guerassim Nikolov. “It’s what protects the business when conditions change.”McKinsey research shows that high-performing growth organisations embed governance and performance discipline early, allowing innovation to scale without destabilising operations. Leaders who delay operational structure often pay for it later through compliance failures or reputational damage.For Nikolov, leadership is about sequencing ambition correctly. Structure precedes scale. Governance supports creativity. Control enables growth.In fast-moving digital markets, the difference between momentum and sustainability lies in operational design. Guerassim Nikolov’s leadership demonstrates that innovation thrives most reliably when it operates inside strong institutional foundations rather than in spite of them.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel

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Al Jazeera

Hegseth kicks off ‘Send Me Tour’ amid Iran war backlash

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has kicked off his ‘Send Me Tour’ in Texas, invoking the biblical words, “Whom shall I send?”, a reference to Isaiah’s declaration, “Here am I. Send me.” The military outreach comes as Hegseth’s net favourability fell to a record low of -24 points amid growing public frustration over the Iran war.

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Google News — Sports

Big pitching questions loom for Crew in home stretch of regular season

Big pitching questions loom for Crew in home stretch of regular season MLB.comProjecting the Brewers’ 2026 NLDS Roster: Pitching Plan and Final 26th-Man Battle Brewer FanaticBrewers' biggest flaw heading into MLB postseason revealed by ESPN sportingnews.comBrewers' Fatal Flaw Should Be Crystal Clear Ahead Of The Playoffs Yahoo Sports4 burning questions the Brewers must solve in the home stretch of the 2026 season Dairyland Express

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Al Jazeera

Denmark says ‘binding’ US deal on Greenland won’t compromise sovereignty

Trump has wanted a foothold in Greenland for some time, as a strategic battle unfolds for supremacy in a warming Arctic.Denmark has hailed a “binding” deal by United States President Donald Trump to give Washington “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and bar Russian and Chinese military bases from the Arctic territory.But Denmark and Greenland – an autonomous Danish territory – said on Saturday that any deal with the US would not compromise Greenland’s sovereignty, and the two countries would sign the agreement next week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.“A long period of uncertainty will hopefully be replaced by a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, and thereby our shared security within NATO and Europe – while respecting the [Danish] Kingdom’s red lines,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a social media post.Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly insisted that Washington needed to control Greenland for strategic reasons, alarming NATO ally Denmark and sparking fierce pushback from the alliance.Key details of the agreement ⁠have not been made public, including the scale of the US military presence in the self-governing Danish territory and whether any formal power over foreign policy and resources would be ceded to Washington.Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement “recognises Greenland’s interests” and is “to the benefit of us all”.Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it is “great for NATO and Europe”, as it “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area”.“I don’t know exactly what the agreement is or what has been signed. But whenever the US and Trump are mentioned, I have mixed feelings. I’m not entirely comfortable with how much attention Greenland has right now,” Soren Kreutzmann, a 29-year-old hairdresser, told the AFP news agency.“We hope the leaders have made a good agreement, because our country needs to be protected, both from the air and sea. Denmark had not given that enough attention for many years,” said Bibbi Kleist Jepsen, a 64-year-old educator.Trump, who had previously said the US needs “ownership” of Greenland, announced that Washington would immediately start building up a large military presence in the territory.“From now on, no US adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval”, he said.Trump has repeatedly warned of Russia and China trying to establish a foothold in Greenland as a strategic battle unfolds for supremacy in the warming Arctic region. The State Department left no doubt that they would not be allowed to do so.“This agreement guarantees that China and Russia cannot have a base in Greenland, they cannot send troops to Greenland and the necessary mechanisms are in place to prevent investment in sensitive sectors,” a State Department official said.

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Citizen Digital

Uganda suspends military ties with Turkey in row over Museveni critic

Army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni's son and widely seen as his father's likely successor, has repeatedly clashed with Turkish authorities over efforts to extradite Fred Lumbuye. Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni speaks to the people of Butambala during the campaign season on December 20, 2025. Photo/MuseveniUganda's army said Saturday it had suspended military cooperation with Turkey over demands that Ankara hand over a prominent political blogger and fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni.Army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni's son and widely seen as his father's likely successor, has repeatedly clashed with Turkish authorities over efforts to extradite Fred Lumbuye.The political commentator faces 15 criminal charges, including incitement to violence, spreading false information and computer misuse.On Friday, thousands of Ugandans affiliated with the Patriotic League of Uganda, a civic and political pressure group associated with Muhoozi, protested outside the Turkish embassy in the capital, Kampala."The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has with immediate effect suspended all and any Defence and Military cooperation with the Republic of Türkiye," army spokesman Chris Magezi said in a statement.The two countries have maintained close defence ties for nearly a decade, covering military training, arms and surveillance equipment, technology transfers and cooper...

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The National

UAE official source responds to claims that Israel was warned of October 7 attack

A UAE official source has responded to claims that Abu Dhabi warned Israel of an imminent Hamas attack in the weeks before October 7. With the Israeli elections fast approaching, the issue has become a major issue for politicians campaigning on the issue of security.Responding to a recent query from The National, a UAE official source pointed to the fact that the "UAE discusses security matters with other countries through the relevant entities, and does not discuss such details at the level of national leaders".

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Al Jazeera

Canadians warm to EU ‘associate membership’ proposal

From work and study to trade, Canadians see new possibilities in closer ties with the European Union.Some Canadians are already embracing their newfound European identities after the European Union floated the potential for “associate member” status amid the trade war with the United States.“Telling my boss I don’t need to show up for work today cuz I’m [European],” an X user joked as talk of closer ties between Canada and the EU spawned a flood of memes about everything from cigarettes for breakfast to generous European vacation time.“If Canada joins the EU I’m taking [seven] weeks off work next summer,” wrote another user.Canada is not joining the EU, but the prospect of a new kind of relationship with Europe had been kicking around for days.It comes after Canada and the US’s trade war broke out as negotiations failed to head off US President Donald Trump’s threatened 50 percent tariffs on nearly $20bn worth of Canadian products, including machinery, textiles and hockey sticks. Back-and-forth retaliatory measures have resulted in both sides slapping new tariffs on each other.Canadian officials initially pushed back on news reports of the “associate membership” possibility with the EU.Then, on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the proposal public. By Thursday, Canada’s own vision was becoming clearer.Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed von der Leyen’s ambition, describing what he wanted as an “alliance for the future” spanning critical minerals, defence, artificial intelligence, energy, digital trade, research and financial services.He also called for making it easier for young Canadians and Europeans to work, study and live on either side of the Atlantic.“Canada and Europe are each strong,” Carney told EU legislators. “Europe and Canada are stronger together.”In response to the talks of closer economic relations, Trump threatened to take action against the EU if it moves forward with von der Leyen’s proposal of associate membership for Canada.“If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things,” Trump told reporters, calling the proposal “laughable”.Whatever the partnership is ultimately called, getting closer to Europe appears to have broad support at home.An Abacus Data survey conducted from September 4 to 9, before the proposal was officially confirmed, found 81 percent of Canadians supported closer integration with the EU while remaining outside the bloc, including making it easier for transatlantic trade, travel, work and study. Eighty percent backed deeper cooperation on foreign policy, defence and economic priorities, up six percentage points since February.David Coletto, founder and CEO of Abacus Data, said he did not expect those numbers to have shifted significantly now that the conversation has turned to “associate membership”.He said the support makes more sense against a striking shift in how Canadians view the United States. Positive impressions of the EU have risen to 71 percent, while just 21 percent now have a positive view of the US.“Canadians overwhelmingly [feel] still angry and a sense of betrayal over how the Trump administration has approached the Canada-US relationship,” Coletto told Al Jazeera.Flight attendant Donna Gordon welcomes closer ties. She was among several people Al Jazeera spoke to in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on Thursday.She said they made sense given “the state of our negotiations with the United States right now, or lack thereof”. Having travelled frequently to Europe for work, she said she had seen its “efficiency” and “innovation” firsthand.She was particularly excited about what closer ties could mean for younger Canadians, including greater opportunities to study and work in Europe.For Riyad Choy, that possibility was one of the biggest draws. The Canadian who works for a tech company in New York said greater freedom to live and work in Europe was particularly appealing.“I would love to have the opportunity,” he said. “I want to be able to have that freedom of movement.”While older Canadians were more likely to prioritise trade and security, 38 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds polled by Abacus listed study, training and research among their top priorities for a closer EU relationship.“The thing that most people in Canada and I think a lot of people around the world are just seeking more agency, more control to make choices for themselves,” Coletto said.For many Canadians, Europe may feel like a natural place to exercise that choice.Asked which side they had more in common with in terms of values, way of life and outlook on the world, 56 percent chose countries in the EU. Only 16 percent chose the United States.Peter Van Driel is a hydrogeologist whose father is Dutch Canadian and who previously lived in Germany. He described Canada as culturally “sort of in between” Europe and the United States, pointing to differences in healthcare, gun laws, parental leave and vacation time.

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The Straits Times

Man charged in US boy’s disappearance after 33 years

The disappearance of 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr in 1993 shocked Prince George’s County in Maryland and prompted a large search by law enforcement.NEW YORK – When 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr hopped on his bike on May 24, 1993, near his Maryland home, it was the last time his family saw him.The disappearance of George, who was also known as Junior, shocked Prince George’s County in Maryland and prompted a large search by law enforcement, including the FBI. Volunteers also joined the search.Now, investigators say they have arrested a 61-year-old man, Joseph Lynch, who has been charged with second-degree murder, rape and other sexual abuse charges in connection with George’s disappearance.Another person, a 47-year-old man, whom Lynch also sexually assaulted, admitted to beating George to death, authorities said.That unidentified man has not been charged, the Prince George’s County Police Department said. The county state attorney’s office would not comment on Sept 18.“We held on to hope for 33 years,” said Virginia Burdynski, George’s sister, at a news conference on Sept 17. “This is not what we prayed for.”Investigators got a break in the case after a witness, the 47-year-old man, stepped forward in June and said he was with George and Lynch at the time of the boy’s disappearance.Lynch physically and sexually assaulted the witness on the day that George disappeared, according to a statement of charges.On that same day, Lynch forced the witness to sexually assault George while Lynch watched, the statement said.The witness told investigators he could not direct his anger toward Lynch and instead targeted George, who was younger and smaller, the statement said.“The witness admitted repeatedly punching and kicking the victim until the victim stopped moving,” the statement said. “The witness recalled observing blood coming from the victim’s head and believed that the victim was dead or had been fatally injured.”Lynch retrieved a knife, tarp and rope and rolled George inside, the statement said.Lynch and the witness carried George’s body to a location in Prince George’s County and disposed of him, the statement said.“Taken together, the suspect’s actions before, during and immediately after the offences establish that he was an active participant in the continuous course of criminal conduct that resulted in the victim’s death,” the statement said. NYTIMES

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Google News — Sports

Neal Shipley maintains one-shot edge over Ben Kohles entering final round of Biltmore Championship Asheville

Neal Shipley maintains one-shot edge over Ben Kohles entering final round of Biltmore Championship Asheville PGA TourNeal Shipley fires 6-under-par 65; maintains 1-stroke lead in Asheville The Lufkin Daily NewsShipley holds onto 1-shot lead over Kohles the Biltmore Championship Asheville ESPNShipley Surges to Biltmore Lead Amid FedExCup Survival Race golfpost.comNeal Shipley, the second-round leader at 15-under, exchanges a fist bump during the Biltmore Championship Asheville at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove on Sept. 18, 2026. Martinsville Bulletin

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