Gunmen attack South African house party

Police are investigating whether a rival feud or murder-for-hire was behind the shooting, noting some victims were on a crime watch list. South Africa has one of the highest violent crime rates globally, with low prosecution rates and cases taking a long time to go through courts. The army was deployed earlier this year to assist police in areas where officers cannot safely operate, temporarily reducing violent crime.

Governments must control domestic policies, stay ahead of inflation, and get on top of their debt issue as shocks push debt levels up.

The IMF's policy advice is to respond to borrowing market shocks with lower borrowing, potentially lower spending, and tax rises.

The war in Iran disrupted oil supplies, fueling inflation and raising interest rates, which makes it more expensive for governments to service debt. UK interest on government debt in August was the highest since monthly records began in 1997, and US debt has doubled to over $40 trillion in a decade.

Governments face political difficulty in cutting spending, and raising interest rates further to stabilize prices is unpopular as it increases mortgage rates. Policy reform encouraging private sector investment is needed because governments lack the cash to boost economic growth.

There are concerns that investors might not realize expected returns from AI investments because so much money is being funneled into infrastructure like data centers.

The industry may have exaggerated its abilities to boost performance and profit, which remains to be seen.

China is building AI data centers in Inner Mongolia at remarkable speed to utilize wind and solar resources and catch up with the US. Some farmers fear their land and way of life will be lost to data centers, while others praise the leadership for raising living standards.

US export controls have not stopped Chinese labs from catching up in AI, and Beijing sees no incentive to collaborate with America unless Washington offers something to sweeten the deal.

There is motivation for US and China to talk about AI in command and control and warfare, but agreements are unlikely anytime soon.

Films with female screenwriters generated 34% higher median profits than those with all-male writing and directing teams, showing no financial logic to the disparity. Risk-averse studio financing is enforcing the status quo of underrepresenting female filmmakers, even when there is more money to be made.

New techniques like thermal imaging and ground-penetrating radar show there are chambers and corridors behind Tutankhamun's tomb, not sheer bedrock. It is not impossible that the hidden chambers house Queen Nefertiti's tomb, though that was posited around ten years ago. Advanced non-invasive techniques allow researchers to unwrap mummified bodies and explore tombs remotely without moving a single brick.

Tigrayan forces have entered and taken control of the main airport in Mekelle, signaling a major escalation amid increasing tensions and drone strikes. Seven rebel armed groups recently announced an alliance to try to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Tigrayan forces accuse the federal government of breaching the peace deal, while the government accuses them of forging alliances with other armed actors and Eritrea.

The president dissolved the cabinet and stripped away guardrails from the 2018 peace agreement, allowing him to install a caretaker government of loyalists. The caretaker government is a brilliantly engineered trap that gives the president's faction absolute control, leaving no room for opposition participation.

The executive could push through controlled elections or cite logistical failures to indefinitely extend the mandate, exacerbating conflict.

Court papers accuse Brian Seaver of an intense campaign of threats against the estate, including launching a podcast to ruin Dolly's brand.

Seaver disputes the characterization, stating the messages were two guys rage talking and crying while grieving, and nothing he said was a threat.

The estate claims Seaver's threats have caused them to lose lawyers and employees, and some staff have taken out private security.

The planet was discovered by observing gaps in the disc around a young star and confirming its presence using coronography. The planet has literally just formed and is still hot, possibly grabbing dust and gas, which helps scientists understand if planet formation models are correct.