Daily SumUp

Commemorating 60 years of Israeli-German...

An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed it killed 200 soldiers in an attack on a Burkina Faso army base this week, according to an NGO that tracks armed groups’ online activity.The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told the news agency Reuters. Although there was no official toll, three Djibo residents told Reuters that dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed.

In southwest China, in Chongqing, surrounded by rivers and mountains, AI City is being built. A city chosen as a focus of inspiration for the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, networking and Big Data.

Yes, it is correct that China has made AI education mandatory in schools starting September 1, 2025. This policy requires all students, from primary school (age 6) through university, to receive a minimum of eight hours of AI instruction per year. The goal is to cultivate AI literacy across the board, not just for future engineers, but for all students. 

China urged parties involved in Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison's sale of Panama Canal ports to exercise "caution" Thursday, warning of legal consequences should they proceed without clearance from Beijing.The Hong Kong firm's attempt to sell most of its port operations to a US-led consortium was first announced in March after weeks of pressure from Donald Trump.The US president has refused to rule out military intervention to "take back" the crucial waterway -- which was handed over to Panama in 1999 -- from alleged Chinese control.Beijing has criticised the sale of the assets to a group led by giant asset manager BlackRock, opening an investigation into the deal to ensure it is handled lawfully.CK Hutchinson underlined on Monday that "the transaction would never be carried out in any illegal or non-compliant manner".

Donald Trump’s claim that historically Black colleges and universities won’t have to worry about federal funding cuts under his administration barely lasted days before being proved false.I wrote about the president’s vow to protect HBCU funding last week, after sports commentator Stephen A. Smith (whose coziness with the MAGA movement I’ve documented here) asked Trump a somewhat fawning question about HBCUs during a NewsNation town hall. The background here is that HBCU leaders have openly fretted about what the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the Education Department and its assault on diversity initiatives could mean for the sustainability of their schools.After touting Trump’s previous “contributions” to HBCUs, Smith asked the president whether HBCUs should be concerned about the federal government reducing their already slim budgets, and Trump responded “not at all” before going on a misinformation-filled, self-aggrandizing rant falsely portraying himself as a savior of HBCUs. Just two days later, the White House released a budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year that would cut tens of millions of dollars from Howard University’s budget.

The French president answered questions from high-profile figures, union leaders, influencers and ordinary citizens on prime-time television on Tuesday to outline his plan for the rest of his term in office.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro thanked his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, and Special Presidential Envoy Richard Grenell for the return of Maikelys, a two-year-old girl who, according to relatives and local authorities, was separated from her mother before boarding a repatriation flight in April.“I must thank Ambassador Rich Grenell, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, for his efforts, and (…) I must also thank President Donald Trump,” said Maduro, who received the girl along with her mother and grandmother, Yorely Bernal and Raida Inciarte, at the Miraflores presidential palace.Maduro’s government announced on Wednesday the arrival of the two-year-old in Venezuela, who was received at the Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía International Airport by the First Lady, Cilia Flores, and the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello.The little girl, who the Venezuelan government said was “kidnapped” by the United States, arrived on a flight from Texas operated by Omni Air International, which carried 226 migrants, the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) reported.According to Cabello, Venezuelan authorities were unsure about the minor’s arrival, which is why her relatives were not at the airport.Maikely’s mother, Yorely, was deported from the US to Venezuela weeks ago, and her father, Maiker Espinoza, was among the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador in March.

A new rocket engine tested in New Mexico on Wednesday could help the Pentagon make faster weapons and one day even speed up commercial flights.