By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 11:02 GMT, 27 December 2025 | Updated: 11:05 GMT, 27 December 2025

Scientists have found eating one burger a week – rather than cutting meat out of people’s diets altogether – could be ‘environmentally good’ for the planet.

Academics at the University of Edinburgh found that cutting meat consumption down by a whopping 90 per cent in the UK would dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gases produced by raising cattle.

But giving meat up altogether could have a negative impact on the UK’s biodiversity – because insect and butterfly populations, needed to feed birds and bats, are greatly sustained by cow dung.

Researchers found for example that the manure produced by a single 700kg cow can nurture enough insects to feed 30 swallows. 

Alfy Gathorne-Hardy at the University of Edinburgh told The Times: ‘The normal way we look at meat production is saying, “how much can we afford within our environmental limits?” 

‘And what we’ve been realising is some meat has a really clear positive role to play.

‘That’s why we’re trying to change the narrative from “how much can we afford” to “how much do we need”.

Mr Gathorne-Hardy admitted the finding that ‘some meat is environmentally good’ would be ‘annoying’ to vegans.

Scientists have found eating one burger a week – rather than cutting meat out of people’s diets altogether – could be ‘environmentally good’ for the planet

Researchers found that the manure produced by a single 700kg cow can nurture enough insects to feed 30 swallows

He also risked the ire of farmers by suggesting 4million of the current 13million hectares used for beef production could be used to grow beans instead, in a bid to reduce levels of methane, a greenhouse gas emitted by cows and sheep. 

His research aimed to discover the optimum number of cow pats needed to sustain biodiversity.

The research also found that bats – which were recorded on infra-red cameras during night hours – were four times more likely to feed in fields with cow dung than in cow-free fields. 

They were 12 times more likely to visit the field if cows were also present.

The University of Edinburgh’s findings add to a body of research that supports the argument consuming smaller quantities of meat could have environmental benefits.

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Eat a burger a week to help save the planet, scientists say in ‘vegan-annoying announcement’- because ‘some meat is environmentally good’

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In 2025, we published 37 editions of the Digital Nomads column. We spoke to diasporan African professionals across tech, finance, law, privacy, venture capital, and a growing class of location-independent workers who move frequently.

The internet often describes the world as a ‘global village.’ In practice, borders are less fluid, limiting movement for many in the Global South. Job applications still filter by geography. At embassies, in job interviews, Africans still need to make a painstaking case for why they deserve access and opportunities to build a life away from home.

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s not that the system has become fairer, but that Africa’s workforce have become more deliberate. Mobility requires planning, capital, loads of paperwork, and trade-offs. The location-independent lifestyle rarely happens by chance, especially for average earners.

If you’re thinking about global mobility in 2026, here are a few rules and lessons to keep in mind as you plan:

Rule 1: Nobody just travels

Movement begins long before the airport. It starts with sorting visa hassles, flight routing, and housing math. It involves choosing where to be based not on aesthetics, but on access.

Many African founders we spoke to moved abroad with a clear purpose. In our reporting on first-time African founders going global, two founders relocated to cities where investors, accelerators, and partners were concentrated, while keeping teams and markets rooted on the continent. In that instance, travel became directional, not exploratory.

Amaka Amaku’s experience shows how intentional this can be. By securing a Benin passport, the Nigerian travel content creator unlocked visa-free movement across several French-speaking countries in West Africa and parts of Europe. That single document changed how easily she could move, who she could meet, and which opportunities were worth pursuing. Mobility was no longer constrained by Nigerian passport limitations. It became a tool she could deploy.

Other nomads structured their lives around hubs. One digital nomad we reported on used Dubai as a base to explore other regions in Southeast Asia. The city’s residency options, flight connectivity, and tax structure made it a practical launchpad for frequent work and pleasure trips, he told us in September. In 2025, travel still requires budgeting and planning, but having a stable base reduces friction.

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Rule 2: Visas are career infrastructure

The most ambitious professionals we encountered plan visas the way others plan promotions. Skilled worker permits. Digital nomad visas. Investor pathways. Each option comes with constraints that quietly shape careers.

Skilled worker visas across several countries open a clear path to residency abroad, but some of them can also be distressing. Our reporting captured this through the experience of a tech worker who relocated to the UK from Rwanda after securing a role at a global tech company. When he was laid off in early 2025, his job loss immediately became an immigration emergency. His visa was tied to his employer. Without a new sponsor, he had 60 days to leave the UK.

After weeks of interview runs and crippling uncertainty, he eventually secured a job and another sponsor. 

Several other visa types also opened access to career upgrades. The most common one we saw was the student visa. Several African nomads, including Mark Irozuru (a UK-based DevOps engineer), Motunrayo Adebayo (a US-based tech privacy analyst), Oghenerukevwe Odjugo (an Australia-based equity analyst), and Jephte Ioudom Foubi (a tech consulting business owner in Portugal), all of whom we spoke to, relied on these visa types to access global markets. These visas became launchpads for their global careers.

Digital nomad visas also became more sought-after, especially in countries like South Africa. In countries rolling out these visas and adjacent entrepreneurship programmes, location-independent workers could live legally without employer sponsorship, provided they meet income thresholds. It unlocked Western influx into countries like South Africa and opened access to East African countries, such as Kenya and Rwanda, attracting tech workers from other countries on the continent.

Investor mobility routes served yet another purpose. Founders and investors tapped business-grade visas to access global markets like the US. 

Rule 3: Remote work did not erase inequality

Global hiring specialists told us plainly that location still plays a major role in how Africa-based remote workers are paid and levelled. Remote roles may be global, but compensation bands often remain regional. Africans working remotely from the continent frequently earn less than peers doing identical work elsewhere, though a few still break through the ceiling.

Migration does not automatically fix this. Several recruiters noted that it is common for African professionals relocating abroad to accept lower titles or pay cuts to re-enter competitive markets. For example, a senior developer taking mid-level roles, or a DevOps specialist stepping back, because their experience does not yet include large-scale AI infrastructure or hyperscale cloud systems common in Western firms.

African tech professionals who break through these ceilings, either working remotely from Africa or migrating abroad, do so by stacking scarce skills, building visible track records, or positioning themselves in roles where credibility outweighs location. Others combine migration with targeted upskilling, accepting short-term regressions to unlock longer-term mobility. The ceiling exists, but it is not absolute.

Rule 4: Less-crowded paths unlock new careers

Everyone doesn’t compete in the same lane.

As global tech roles became saturated, some professionals deliberately moved sideways into emerging or underserved fields. Tech privacy is one such path. Evolving regulatory complexity, compliance demands, and jurisdictional nuance created a space for specialists who could operate across borders.

Motunrayo Adebayo’s career illustrates this shift. Her move into tech privacy was not about escaping inequality or competing harder. It was about choosing a lane where demand outpaced supply. As privacy regulations tightened globally, her expertise became portable. The work travelled easily across jurisdictions, and her career expanded with it.

In 2025, two global recruiters told us that niche roles in demand are great relocation opportunities for skilled African professionals willing to specialise, particularly in markets like site reliability engineering (SRE), cloud and AI systems, and other unique roles in growing sectors, like pet-tech.

Rule 5: Africa remains the market

Leaving home does not mean disengaging.

Founders building for African markets quickly learned that distance creates blind spots. Cultural nuance, regulatory interpretation, and user behaviour cannot be fully abstracted. Successful operators built structures to stay close. 

Oluwaleke Fakorede’s approach with GoWagr, a startup that allows users to predict real-life outcomes and earn money, made this explicit. Fakorede moved to the US on the H-1B visa before transferring to the O-1, setting him on a path to permanent residency. Yet while operating from the US, leadership remained split across geographies. Decision-making stayed anchored in Nigeria through his co-founders, who understood local behaviour, payments, and regulatory ambiguity.

The goal was not to return permanently, but to remain informed continuously.

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Milton Tutu, whose marketing career led him to settle in three African countries within five years, emphasises this. Tutu set up the groundwork for Selar’s expansion into Kenya in 2024 and relocated to the country in the same year. He says, “There is nothing as good or better than being present in the markets that you want to expand to.”

You can change countries as a nomadic African founder, but you cannot outsource context. The same is true when investing in Africa, especially as a foreign investor coming to the market. Global mobility plays a huge role in how these firms invest, and several investors who spoke to us said they only commit capital after spending significant time on the ground, building local relationships, and understanding regulatory nuances that cannot be learned from pitch decks or short visits.

For them, mobility is not about flying in and out. It is about being present long enough to see how deals actually work, who makes decisions informally, and where risks and opportunities really sit in Africa’s tech ecosystem.

Rule 6: The goal is choice

Across these stories, one pattern held. Global mobility is about control and stacking up choices for longterm careers, lifestyle, and access.

Some people moved to access opportunities. Others moved so they could decide when not to. Digital nomad visas, investor routes, second passports, and hybrid careers expanded the menu of options, but none removed the need for planning.

Adebayo Aderohunmu’s journey reflected this clearly. His mobility was slow, intentional, and designed around sustainability rather than speed. Travel supported his work. It did not replace it.

Mobility today is not an identity. It is a hedge. A way to reduce dependence on a single labour market, passport, or system.

For Africans building global careers now, the work is not about being everywhere. It is about being able to choose where to be and when.

We would love to hear what you think about this edition of Digital Nomads and stories you’d love to see us explore. Share your thoughts and ideas with us here.

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Apple is seeking to overturn a landmark £1.5bn court ruling on behalf of millions of UK customers, which found the company overcharged them for years in its App Store.

The iPhone maker has applied to the court of appeal to challenge a verdict that campaigners heralded as the start of a “tidal shift against big tech”.

It is one of a cluster of cases heading towards trial in 2026 as consumers realise the mounting cost of paying up to 30% commission – what campaigners call the “Apple tax” – on apps and in-app purchases, which more people rely on for activities from fitness to dating.

The appeal, if allowed, involves one of several class action suits against Apple and Google in which consumers, small businesses and entrepreneurs are demanding over £6bn in combined compensation. The class action cases use an opt-out system that means millions of people can be represented at once in claims of breaches of competition law.

“It’s definitely a tipping point,” said Dr Rachael Kent, an academic at King’s College London who won the £1.5bn case against Apple on behalf of 36 million UK consumers. “People are pushing back against the harms from digital worlds, which they have to be living in and through every day and the financial implications of that,” she said.

Apple said most apps are subject to a 15% commission, and the App Store helps drive the UK’s digital economy. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Kent added that the win in October still felt “a bit pinch me”. If Apple’s appeal fails, every person in the UK who made App Store purchases between 2015 and 2024 could be entitled to a payout.

In the suite of class action cases, Apple and Google are accused of overcharging British consumers and developers in their app stores and, in the case of Apple, of “trapping” and overcharging customers with its iCloud data storage service.

Instead of up to 30%, Apple should be charging commission of 17.5% when selling apps and 10% on in-app purchases, while app developers should pay 10%, the competition appeal tribunal found in Kent’s case.

Another of the cases is being brought by Barry Rodger, a law professor at the University of Strathclyde, on behalf of more than 2,000 app developers who he argues are collectively entitled to up to £1bn in compensation.

“Small and medium-sized app developer businesses have suffered as the result of excessive profiteering by the App Store and Google Play,” he said. His case alleges Google Play has charged “excessive, arbitrary and discriminatory commissions” against developers, with the makers of dating and games apps particularly affected.

His suit is expected to reach trial at the competitions appeal tribunal in October 2026, and will be jointly managed with a claim for about £1bn on behalf of 19 million Google Play customers, who are alleged to have been overcharged. That case is being brought by the consumer activist Liz Coll and accuses Google of “excluding competition and/or charging an unlawfully high level of commission on digital purchases”, breaching competition law.

Coll said: “These types of large collective proceedings are new in the UK, but I’m really excited about the potential of the Kent decision to not only make people aware they were paying too much for apps through opaque commission but also that there is now a clear route to getting that put right. Where we need consumers to get really active now is in claiming back the money they’re owed.”

A Google spokesperson said: “Android provides more choice than any other platform and our fees are the lowest of any major app platform. We’ll defend these cases vigorously.”

A class action has also been brought on behalf of Google Play customers. Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters

Google argues that the class action cases seek to upend a system that has lowered prices and increased choice and that, if successful, would make downloading and using apps on Android phones more complicated and less safe.

And in the largest of all the claims, November saw the consumer campaign group Which? announce a £3bn claim against Apple over its iCloud services, claiming it is “trapping” customers with Apple devices into using it.

Apple called the Which? claims unfounded and said no customers are required to use iCloud. The company said it strongly disagrees with the ruling in Kent’s case over the App Store, and the tribunal took a flawed view of the “thriving and competitive app economy”, with other platforms providing “vigorous competition”. It said most apps are subject to a 15% commission, and the App Store helps drive the UK’s digital economy, facilitating billings and sales of over $55bn (£41bn) in the UK in 2024.

Kent said that people are “waking up to the harms of digital life and how it can be detrimental mentally, physically and financially”.

“There is a tidal shift that is happening against big tech,” she said. “Consumers are looking at all of the tools that they have to use every day. Covid really accelerated our reliance on technology and many of us went from using five apps in a week to perhaps 10 apps in a day to manage food shopping, food delivery, retail, fitness and diet tracking, keeping in close communication with friends and family, much more social media, increased screen time.

“A big part of the last six years working the case has been about educating people that this is actually happening. That’s what tech giants and marketeers like Apple are so brilliant at. It’s creating an ecosystem where we are foreclosed into decision making and we don’t even realise that this is actually how it’s happening.”

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Ceramic fragments found near a site believed to be the last resting place of Noah’s Ark could prove the biblical boat really did exist.

Prof. Dr Faruk Kaya of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University said the pieces were found close to the alleged Ark outline at the Dogubayazit site on Turkey’s Mount Ararat, according to Turkish media.

The fragments were uncovered during road construction near the Durupinar Formation in Agri province, a boat-shaped geological structure that has been at the centre of Noah’s Ark claims for decades.

Academics involved in the research said the ceramic material points to human activity in the region during the Chalcolithic period, roughly between 5500 BC and 3000 BC, a timeframe that some scholars and believers associate with the era traditionally linked to the Biblical figure of Noah.

Prof Dr Kaya said: ‘The ceramic fragments show that there was human activity in this region during the Chalcolithic period, between 5500 and 3000 BC.’

The fresh revelations have also prompted renewed calls for the site to be formally protected, amid concerns that visitors are removing stones and fragments as souvenirs.

Prof Dr Kaya said: ‘This formation and its surroundings must be protected, and the removal of stones, rocks or similar material from the site must be prevented.’

He warned that tourists had been taking material from the area, including stones bearing markings, potentially damaging what researchers believe is an important archaeological and religious heritage site.

Ceramic fragments found near a site believed to be the last resting place of Noah’s Ark could prove the region was settled by humans at the time of the Great Flood

The fragments were uncovered near the Durupinar Formation in Agri province, a boat-shaped geological structure that has been at the centre of Noah’s Ark claims for decades

Prof Dr Faruk Kaya (pictured), of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, said the pieces were found close to the alleged Ark outline at the Dogubayazit site on Turkey’s Mount Ararat, according to Turkish media 

The Durupinar Formation was first identified on 11th September 1959, by Captain Ilhan Durupinar, a Turkish surveying engineer who spotted the structure while mapping eastern Anatolia from an aircraft operated by the Turkish Armed Forces.

Heavy rain and earthquakes later eroded surrounding earth, exposing more of the formation’s outline.

The structure has long drawn attention because of its boat-like shape and its proximity to Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak, which has been associated with the Ark in Christian tradition for centuries.

The Bible’s Book of Genesis states that Noah’s Ark came to rest on the ‘mountains of Ararat’ after a flood that submerged the Earth for 150 days.

Biblical measurements describe the Ark as 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high, dimensions that some researchers argue broadly correspond to the scale of the Durupinar site.

Prof Dr Kaya said the dating of the pottery broadly aligned with traditional estimates of Noah’s lifetime.

He said: ‘This period roughly coincides with the time in which Prophet Noah is believed to have lived.’

Scientific interest in the area has intensified in recent years. 

The Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark Research Team was formally established in 2022 through a collaboration between Agri Ibrahim Cecen University and Istanbul Technical University, bringing together experts in geophysics, chemistry and geoarchaeology.

Rock and soil samples collected from the formation were analysed in laboratories at Istanbul Technical University.

Researchers said the results indicated that sustained human life in the region was possible from the Chalcolithic period onwards, adding further basis to the claim that it could be the real-life Biblical site.

The pottery fragments discovered during the recent roadworks are being viewed as a notable development, as ceramics are widely regarded by archaeologists as one of the clearest indicators of human settlement.

Prof Dr Kaya said: ‘There is no other structure like this identified anywhere else in the world,’ describing the formation as unique in both scale and shape.

He also raised concerns about natural threats to the site, warning that landslides – particularly during spring rains – were eroding both sides of the formation and accelerating damage.

As part of wider preservation efforts, Prof Dr Kaya suggested that a dedicated Noah’s Ark museum or research centre should be established near Mount Ararat, arguing that similar themed attractions already exist in countries such as the United States, the Netherlands and Hong Kong.

MOUNT ARARAT

Many believe that Turkey’s Mount Ararat, the region’s highest point, is where the Noah’s Ark and its inhabitants came aground thousands of years ago.

In 2010, a group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers set out on an expedition to explore the region and find the vessel’s remains.

After a few weeks, they claimed to have found wooden specimens from an ark-like structure 4,000m (13,000 ft) up the mountain.

The team claimed they carried out carbon dating on the wood, which proved it was 4,800 years old, around the time the Ark is said to have been afloat.

Although considered a historical event, most scholars and archaeologists do not believe in a literal interpretation of the Ark story.  

Nicholas Purcell, a lecturer in ancient history at Oxford University told MailOnline the claims were the ‘usual nonsense’.

‘If floodwaters covered Eurasia 12,000ft [3,700 metres] deep in 2,800BC, how did the complex societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia, already many centuries old, keep right on regardless?’

 Talking back in 2010 when the claims were first made, Mike Pitt, a British archaeologist, said the evangelical explorers had yet to produce compelling evidence.

He said: ‘If there had been a flood capable of lifting a huge ship 2.5 miles [4km] up the side of a mountain 4,800 years ago, I think there would be substantial geological evidence for this flood around the world. And there isn’t.’

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A study has laid bare the shocking true cost of climate change as heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and storms cause havoc around the world.

The 10 most costly climate disasters alone cost the world more than $120 billion (£88.78 billion) in 2025, according to a report from Christian Aid.

Each was made significantly more likely and more devastating by the effects of human-caused climate change.

And scientists warn that these calculations only reflect insured losses, with the true cost of climate-influenced disasters likely to have been even higher.

America took the brunt of the damage this year as the Palisades and Eaton wildfires swept through Los Angeles in January.

This devastating fire alone caused more than $60 billion (£44.4 billion) in damages and killed 40 people.

This was followed by the cyclones which struck Southeast Asia, causing $25 billion (£18.5) in damage and killing more than 1,750 people across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Malaysia.

The researchers also highlighted 10 less costly but equally shocking climate disasters, including the destructive wildfires which struck the UK this summer.

The 10 most costly climate disasters cost the world more than $120 billion (£88.78 billion) in 2025. The most damaging were January’s Los Angeles Wildfires, which caused more than $60 billion (£44.4 billion) in damages and killed 40 people

Scientists have gathered a vast amount of evidence showing a clear, incontrovertible connection between a warming climate and more intense climate disasters.

It is not that human-caused climate change creates extreme weather events, but it does make them more likely to occur and more intense when they do.

Dr Davide Faranda, Research Director in Climate Physics in the Laboratoire de Science du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE), who was not involved in the report, says: ‘The events documented in this report are not isolated disasters or acts of nature.

‘They are the predictable outcome of a warmer atmosphere and hotter oceans, driven by decades of fossil fuel emissions.’

In this report, researchers have tallied the total costs of the biggest disasters that have been intensified by the changing climate.

Even though extreme weather events in rich countries where property prices are higher typically incur greater costs, the worst-affected countries have been poorer.

Of the six most costly climate disasters in 2025, four hit Asia for a combined cost of $48 billion (£35.5 billion).

That includes devastating floods which struck China in June and August, killing more than 30 people and creating $11.7 billion (£8.6 billion) of damage.

Four of the six most costly climate disasters were in Asia, including cyclones that struck Southeast Asia, causing $25 billion (£18.5) in damage and killing more than 1,750 people. Pictured: People flee flood waters in Hat Yai, Southern Thailand 

China experienced some of the most severe flooding in recent history, as rising waters killed more than 30 people and created $11.7 billion (£8.6 billion) of damage. Pictured: Flood-affected areas in Congjiang, southwestern China

Throughout 2025, China was hit by devastating floods in regions where such weather was previously unheard of, as unusually high rainfall followed months of drought.

This year also saw the Caribbean face the ‘storm of the century’ as Hurricane Melissa made landfall over Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas, costing at least $8 billion (£5.9 billion).

Since hurricanes are driven by warm ocean waters, humans’ continued creation of planet-warming greenhouse gases directly contributes towards making these storms more frequent and more powerful.

In a cooler world without climate change, a Melissa–type hurricane would have made landfall once every 8,000 years, according to research.

But in today’s climate, with 1.3°C warming, it has become four times more likely – with such an event now expected once every 1,700 years.

Professor Joanna Haigh, an atmospheric physicist from Imperial College London, who was not involved in the report, says: ‘These disasters are not “natural” – they are the inevitable result of continued fossil fuel expansion and political delay.

‘The world is paying an ever-higher price for a crisis we already know how to solve. While the costs run into the billions, the heaviest burden falls on communities with the least resources to recover.’

However, no inhabited continent on Earth was unaffected by climate disasters this year.

Jamaica was hit by the ‘storm of the century’ as Hurricane Melissa made landfall, costing at least $8 billion (£5.9 billion). Pictured: Destroyed houses in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica

Scientists say that climate change warmed the waters over which Hurricane Melissa (pictured) formed, making the deadly storm four times as likely 

Besides the 10 most destructive events, Christian Aid also analysed 10 other extreme weather incidents that have lower financial cost but are equally concerning.

Chief among these are the enormous wildfires that burned through large parts of the UK in late summer this year.

Across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, fire crews responded to the highest number of wildfire incidents on record, with over 1,000 separate outbreaks by early September.

Early estimates suggest that more than 47,000 hectares (184 square miles) of forest, moorland, and heath were burned – the largest annual area since records began.

In June, the Carrbridge and Dava Moor blaze consumed 11,000 hectares (42.5 square miles) of land to become the UK’s first recorded ‘mega fire’.

According to climate and wildfire researchers, the increased intensity and frequency of these blazes were a direct product of climate change.

An exceptionally wet winter followed by one of the hottest, driest springs on record led to an unusually large amount of dead, dry plant matter that fuelled the fires.

Likewise, the report points to the Iberian Wildfires, which were caused by record-breaking extreme temperatures.

Outside of the 10 most expensive events, the report also tracked a number of notable climate incidents. These included the record-breaking wildfires, which destroyed 47,000 hectares (184 square miles) of forest, moorland, and heath in the UK. Pictured: Wildfires rage in the Isle of Arran, Scotland 

Spain and Portugal were also hit by the Iberian Wildfires, which were caused by record-breaking extreme temperatures. Pictured: Fires burning in Vesu, Portugal 

Weeks of extreme heatwaves, with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F), combined with low humidity, created explosive fire conditions.

These fires consumed 383,000 hectares (1,480 square miles) in Spain and 260,000 hectares (1,000 square miles) in Portugal – about three per cent of the country’s land.

Preliminary estimates suggest that these fires caused direct economic losses of $810 million (£600 million).

Scientists estimate that climate change made this event around 40 times more likely and increased the intensity of fire conditions by about 30 per cent.

The report also analysed Japan’s year of extreme weather, after the country was battered by back-to-back snowstorms and heatwaves. 

Unusually heavy snowstorms and winds killed 12 people and destroyed several houses at the start of the year, followed by the hottest summer ever recorded, with average temperatures 2.36°C (4.25°F) above the average.

Scientists call this phenomenon ‘climate whiplash’, and research shows that it is likely to become more common as climate change alters global weather patterns.

The most costly climate disasters in 2025

1. Palisades and Eaton Fires, USA: $60 billion 
2. South & Southeast Asia Cyclones, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam, Malaysia: $25 billion
3. Seasonal flooding, China: $11.7 billion
4. Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas, $8 billion 
5. Monsoon season flooding, India and Pakistan: $5.6 billion 
6. Typhoons, Philippines: $5 billion 
7. Drought, Brazil: $4.75 billion 
8. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Australia: $1.2 billion 
9. Cyclone Garance, Réunion: $1.05 billion 
10. Texas floods, USA: $1 billion 

Source: Christian Aid, Counting the Cost 2025: A year of climate breakdown

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French startup Ÿnsect shot into the spotlight when “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr. touted its merits on the Late Show during Super Bowl weekend 2021. Now, nearly four years later, the insect farming company has been placed into judicial liquidation — essentially bankruptcy — for insolvency. 

The company’s demise is hardly a surprise, as Ÿnsect had been embattled for months. Still, there is plenty to unpack about how a startup can go bankrupt despite raising over $600 million, including from Downey Jr’s FootPrint Coalition, taxpayers, and many others.

Ultimately, Ÿnsect failed to fulfill its ambition to “revolutionize the food chain” with insect-based protein. But don’t be too quick to attribute its failure to the ‘ick’ factor that many Westerners feel about bugs. Human food was never its core focus. 

Instead, Ÿnsect focused on producing insect protein for animal feed and pet food, two markets with very different economics and margins that the company never quite chose between.

That indecision extended to its M&A strategy. In 2021, Ÿnsect acquired Protifarm, a Dutch company raising mealworms for human food applications, adding a third market to the mix. Even as the company announced the deal, then-CEO Antoine Hubert admitted it would take a couple of years for human food to represent just 10% to 15% of Ÿnsect’s revenue. 

“We still see pet food and fish feed being the largest contributor to our revenues in the coming years,” Hubert declared at the time. In other words, Ÿnsect was acquiring a company in a market segment that would remain marginal for years — at a time when the startup desperately needed revenue growth.

And revenue was the problem. According to publicly available data, Ÿnsect’s revenue from its main entity peaked at €17.8 million in 2021 (approximately $21 million) — a figure reportedly inflated by internal transfers between subsidiaries. By 2023, the company had racked up a net loss of €79.7 million ($94 million).

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So how did a company with such meager revenue raise over $600 million? The answer wasn’t hype-driven crossover funds paying ambitious multiples during the 2021 funding frenzy. Instead, Ÿnsect attracted impact-focused investors like Astanor Ventures and public investment bank Bpifrance that bought into a compelling sustainability vision.

Its pitch to them was simple — offering an alternative to resource-intensive proteins like fishmeal and soy. That same thesis also attracted significant capital to competitors like Better Origin and Innovafeed, and it seemed promising.

But the vision collided with market reality. Animal feed is a commodity market driven by price, not sustainability premiums. In a perfect world, insect protein would be fully circular, with insects fed on food waste that would otherwise go to landfill. But in practice, factory-scale insect production typically ends up relying on cereal byproducts that are already usable as animal feed — meaning insect protein just adds an expensive extra step. For animal feed, the math simply wasn’t working.

Ÿnsect eventually recognized this. Pet food proved to be a different equation: it is less price-driven than animal feed and a far better market for insect protein, even with competition from other alternative proteins such as lab-grown meat. By 2023, the company refocused its strategy on pet food and other higher-margin segments, with Hubert citing broader economic pressures. 

“In an environment where there is inflation on energy and raw materials but also on the cost of capital and debt, we cannot afford to invest loads of resources in markets which are the least remunerative (animal feed), while you have other markets where there is a lot of demand, good returns and higher margins,” Hubert said at the time.

The 2023 pivot to pet food came too late. By then, Ÿnsect had already committed to a massive, capital-intensive bet that would ultimately doom the company. That bet was Ÿnfarm, a “giga-factory” in Northern France that the company billed “the world’s most expensive bug farm.” Built for insect production at scale, the facility consumed hundreds of millions in funding — money spent before Ÿnsect had proven its business model or figured out its unit economics.

To oversee Ÿnfarm’s launch, Ÿnsect brought in Shankar Krishnamoorthy, a former executive at French energy giant Engie. When that move to pet food failed to save the company, Krishnamoorthy replaced Hubert as CEO.

Ÿnsect then shut down the production plant it had acquired from Protifarm and cut jobs. But shuttering one facility while operating a giga-factory built for the wrong market couldn’t solve the fundamental problem.

For Professor Joe Haslam, who teaches a course on Scaling Up in the MBA Program at IE Business School, “Ÿnsect’s struggles are not a mystery and not mainly about insects. They are the result of a mismatch between industrial ambition, capital markets, and timing, compounded by some execution and strategy choices.”

The fact that Ÿnsect failed doesn’t mean the entire insect farming sector is doomed. Competitor Innovafeed is reportedly holding up better, in part because it started with a smaller production site and is ramping up incrementally.

For Prof. Haslam, Ÿnsect exemplifies a broader European problem. “Ÿnsect is a case study in Europe’s scaling gap. We fund moonshots. We underfund factories. We celebrate pilots. We abandon industrialization. See Northvolt [a struggling Swedish battery maker], Volocopter [a German air taxi startup, and Lilium [a failed Germany flying taxi company],” he said.

The failure has prompted some soul-searching. Hubert himself co-founded Start Industrie, an association advocating for policies to support French industrial startups — a recognition that Europe needs more than just funding to build the next generation of deep-tech companies.

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Two girls are pictured behind an armed soldier in the small village, that was destroyed by Boko Haram on December 19, 2022, in Ngarannam, Nigeria. | Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images

President Donald Trump rang in Christmas Day by ordering airstrikes against two ISIS camps in Nigeria. The strikes, involving more than a dozen Tomahawk missiles fired from a Navy ship, came shortly after Trump vowed retaliation against ISIS, which allegedly carried out deadly attacks against US troops and civilians around the world last week.

But Trump has been talking about military action in Nigeria, specifically, since November, when he vowed on social media to go “guns-a-blazing” into the country if its government failed to prevent the persecution of Christians.

In his post announcing the strikes on Christmas, Trump accused ISIS of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”

It’s the latest example of how the Nobel Peace Prize aspirant and advocate of “America First” foreign policy is more than willing to use military force to accomplish his foreign policy goals, and to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, when doing so aligns with his domestic political priorities. 

In this sense, the actions in Nigeria are similar to the ongoing military build-up around Venezuela, where military strikes on land may still take place in the immediate future. In both cases, the president appears to be contradicting his frequently expressed opposition to military interventionism, but these are interventions linked to the priorities of his political base: in one case, keeping drugs and migrants out of the US. In another, protecting Christians. 

As we get deeper into Trump’s second term, it’s becoming increasingly clear that MAGA is not immune from the temptation to go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. 

What is actually happening in Nigeria? 

The problem Trump is talking about here is a real one. The hardline Islamist terror group known as Boko Haram and its offshoots have waged a brutal insurgency against the Nigerian state in the northern part of the country since 2009, committing numerous high-profile massacres and kidnappings, including the 2014 Chibok schoolgirl abduction that attracted a global media campaign. A Boko Haram splinter group has been fighting under the ISIS banner since around 2016.

This isn’t the only religious conflict going on. Recent years have also seen a wave of clashes and attacks between predominantly Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities in Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria. The Nigerian military has been fighting the insurgency for years, but President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been accused of ignoring the plight of Christians, in particular, and the military campaign has been hampered by widespread corruption and alleged human rights abuses.  

In addition, several Nigerian states have some of the world’s most draconian blasphemy laws, which critics say are disproportionately enforced against Christians. Atheists and members of minority Muslim sects have been persecuted as well, though. 

Trump’s sudden interest in Africa’s most populous country was likely motivated less by any particular event there — these are all longstanding issues — than by developments in Washington. Though it doesn’t get a ton of mainstream media attention, the plight of Christians in Nigeria has been a galvanizing issue for evangelical Christians in the US in recent years. When I went to see former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speak in Washington in 2022, the event was repeatedly interrupted by protesters. On Truth Social, Trump has cited numbers from a report from the international Christian rights NGO Open Doors stating that of the 4,476 Christians killed for their faith globally in 2024, 3,100 were in Nigeria. 

This also isn’t the first time Trump has taken an interest in the issue. When Buhari visited the White House during Trump’s first term in 2020, the president pointedly asked him, “Why are you killing Christians in Nigeria?” During Trump’s first term, the US added Nigeria to the State Department’s list of Countries of Particular Concern for violations of religious freedom. The Biden administration controversially removed Nigeria from the list in 2021, just before a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the country, which is viewed by the US as both an important counterterrorism partner and a major political and economic player in Africa. 

So it was not surprising to see Trump’s initial Truth Social post in November that he was returning Nigeria to the CPC list. 

The bipartisan US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan federal watchdog appointed by Congress and the White House, had been urging him to do so, as had recent legislation introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz. (R-Tex.), who has been consistently outspoken on the issue.  

Mohamed Elsanousi, one of the USCIRF commissioners, told Vox that the commission welcomed Trump’s announcement and his highlighting of the killing of Christians, but added, “there are also violations and killings of Muslims and African traditional religion practitioners. So we would have loved for the President to mention all the other communities that are facing the same kind of persecutions as well.”

Humanitarian intervention, MAGA style

Trump suggested there may be more strikes, tweeting, “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”

Still, an extended counterinsurgency campaign in Nigeria seems unlikely. While hardly a pacifist, Trump prefers quick interventions that promise decisive victories and carry little risk of quagmire or US casualties. None of that applies in Nigeria. It’s probably relevant that the Nigerian government is not viewed particularly favorably by the Trump administration for a number of reasons, including its refusal to accept deported migrants from the US and its criticism of Israel over the war in Gaza.

It’s notable that despite Trump’s earlier threats and allegations targeting Nigeria’s government, these strikes were carried out in coordination with that government, according to statements from both capitals. This is, therefore, more in keeping with the “over-the-horizon” counterterrorist strikes the US regularly carries out in coordination with allies in various countries rather than the invasion by force of Nigeria that Trump’s statements last fall suggested.

US troops have been involved in training and assistance missions with Western African countries, including Nigeria, for two decades now. Though the future of those missions is uncertain as more countries in the region turn toward security partnerships with Russia and as US foreign aid cuts hamper US efforts to try to stabilize countries where insurgencies are thriving.  

It’s worth pointing out that in August, the administration approved $346 million in arms sales to the government it is now accusing of allowing the wholesale killing of Christians and of perpetrating its own human rights abuses. There are very good reasons to suggest the US should rethink a strategy of security assistance to Nigeria — it has plainly failed to put down Boko Haram’s insurgency — but little reason to believe US airstrikes will be much more effective.

Trump’s own statements suggest that he also believes this. In his speech in Saudi Arabia in May, he criticized past administrations for “intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.” Addressing military commanders in Quantico in September, he vowed to restore “the fundamental principle that defending the homeland is the military’s first and most important priority” and argued that “Only in recent decades did politicians somehow come to believe that our job is to police the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia, while America is under invasion from within.”

And yet now he’s putting the US military into the middle of a dizzyingly complex ethnic conflict in an African country that few in the US really understand. 

It’s yet more evidence that for all his America First messaging, Trump is essentially a globalist: someone who believes the US plays an indispensable role on the world stage, and should play a role in solving global crises, including those with little relevance to America’s narrowly defined national security interests. But the big difference between Trump and the liberal internationalists or neoconservatives who came before him is the degree to which his foreign interventions are aligned with his domestic political priorities.  

That can mean throwing US economic might behind a MAGA-friendly party in an Argentinian election or the trial of an ally in Brazil. It can mean revamping US refugee policy so that it predominantly helps white South Africans. It may soon mean a regime change campaign in Venezuela couched in the rhetoric of drug and migration policy. And in the case of Nigeria, it means reviving the supposedly discredited notion of humanitarian military intervention — but only in a case where it aligns with the priorities of one of Trump’s important constituencies. 

In previous years, the grisly scenes emerging from El Fasher, Sudan in recent months, might have prompted a debate about the necessity of American military intervention. Don’t count on it in today’s Washington.

Update, December 26, 2025, 12:10 pm: This article was originally published in November after President Donald Trump made his initial comments threatening military action in Nigeria, and was updated to reflect the airstrikes on December 25.

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In recent years, people have been increasingly looking for new ways to form platonic connections, as loneliness and social isolation have become more prevalent.

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General went so far as to label this issue a public health crisis. Remote workers, who miss the everyday interactions found in an office, and younger individuals eager to create their adult social circles based on shared interests and hobbies, are among those seeking meaningful friendships.

Thanks to online dating apps, the stigma associated with finding connections online has largely faded away. This has welcomed a new wave of apps focused on fostering friendships and building local communities.

According to estimates from Appfigures, over a dozen local-focused friendship apps have collectively generated approximately $16 million in consumer spending in the U.S. so far this year. Some notable examples include Timeleft, Meet5, and Bumble’s BFF. Additionally, these apps have garnered approximately 4.3 million downloads thus far in 2025.

The apps aim to provide a less awkward solution than, for instance, approaching a stranger at the gym or local café and trying to strike up a conversation. These platforms clearly indicate that everyone using the app is looking for the same thing — friendship, not romance — making it much less intimidating to initiate conversations.

From major players like Meetup to newer ones like 222, there are plenty of apps that cater to the growing demand for meaningful friendships. We’ve compiled a list of them for you to try out.

222

Image Credits:222 (screenshot)

The app 222 is an iOS-only social events platform that facilitates in-person meetups by pairing a group of strangers based on their personality test results. The app sends invitations to nearby public social events, such as wine bars and comedy clubs. There is then a vetting process, and selected participants are notified on the day of the event. A bonus for those who feel socially anxious: You’re allowed to bring a plus-one. 

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The service charges a $22.22 curation fee or a monthly subscription for the same price.

BFF

Image Credits:Bumble

Dating giant Bumble is among the more established players to enter the friendship space, launching its friend-finding feature in 2016, which then spun out into a stand-alone app in 2023. The friend-making app has recently undergone a significant redesign, with an increased emphasis on facilitating group meetups, catering to users’ desires to grow their social circles.

BFF is available for free download on iOS and Android devices.

Clyx

Image Credits:Clyx

Clyx is another emerging app in the group-based social networking landscape, with a strong focus on discovering local events. The social platform helps users find community events by integrating data from platforms like Ticketmaster and TikTok. Additionally, Clyx allows users to upload their contact lists, helping them see which events their friends plan to attend. The app also includes a feature that recommends other users to connect with at these events.

As of now, Clyx operates exclusively in two cities: Miami and London. However, it has plans to expand to additional areas in the near future, with New York City and São Paulo at the top of the list. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Les Amís

Image Credits:Les Amis

Les Amís is a friendship app tailored for women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ individuals that leverages AI to match users based on similar interests and encourages participation in local events, such as pottery classes, book clubs, and wine tastings. Matches are made every Monday, allowing users to chat and plan meetups later in the week. 

Available on iOS and Android, Les Amís serves cities across Europe, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Paris, and Stockholm. In the U.S., the app is available in Austin and New York, with plans to expand to Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles.

The app uses a paid membership model that varies by city, with fees of $70 in New York and €55 in Amsterdam.

Meetup

Image Credits:Meetup

The local event-discovery platform has been around since 2002, helping millions of users connect with others who share similar interests. Users can RSVP to events; join groups that cater to a variety of hobbies, professions, or social causes; and create their own groups and events. They can also chat with group members and post updates and photos from gatherings. 

Meet5

Image Credits:Meet5

This European community-building app recently launched in the U.S., targeting users over 40 who want to meet new people in their area and participate in group activities such as picnics, concerts, and hiking. Notably, in a short time, there have been around 777,000 U.S. downloads so far across the App Store and Google Play Store, according to Appfigures estimates.

Pie

Image Credits:Pie

Pie is another one of the newer social apps on the market. It features an AI-driven quiz designed to predict which users are most likely to be compatible with each other. Each person who RSVPs to a Pie event takes a brief personality assessment, and the algorithm organizes attendees into groups of six, who are then added to a group chat within the Pie app, allowing them to interact with each other before the event.

Currently, the app is only available in Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco. Users can download Pie from the App Store and Google Play Store.

Timeleft

Image Credits:Timeleft

Timeleft is a relatively new platform that helps you organize weekly dinner dates with groups of strangers. The app uses a special algorithm to match you with others, taking into account your age, gender, and personality. Users are matched with four other people, but they only learn minor details about them the night before, including their occupations and zodiac signs.

Dinners take place at a selected restaurant on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. To help everyone break the ice, the app offers a game with conversation starters. After dinner, there is an after-party at a local bar.

Users can book dinners online or through the app. In terms of pricing, it varies depending on the country and restaurant. Users pay for a ticket up front and are responsible for covering their own dinner and drinks. 

Wyzr Friends

Image Credits:Wzyr Friends

Wyzr Friends is an activity-based friendship app designed for adults 40 and older, catering to empty nesters, those who are divorced, and other users seeking to connect with like-minded individuals. Users can thumbs up or down potential friends and arrange in-person activities based on shared interests, such as going to the movies or hiking. 

It’s available on iOS and Android devices in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mexico.

Mmotion

Image Credits:Mmotion (Image has been modified)

Mmotion is a newly launched friendship app that blends location tracking with social discovery to help users connect with people nearby and explore new bars and restaurants in their area. Upon joining, users can participate in interest-based groups—such as hiking, basketball, or art—view a map of active users, and send messages to those nearby. The app also highlights new places on the map, making it easy to find a restaurant or venue to try.

Mmotion is currently only available to users in New York City on iOS and Android devices. Users must first submit an application to be considered.

This story was updated after publication.

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Trust Wallet has pledged to cover roughly $7 million in customer funds lost in a Christmas Day exploit, its founder, Changpeng Zhao, confirmed on the social platform X. The sudden breach has rattled part of the crypto community. Still, Zhao’s swift assurance aims to steady nerves and restore confidence in the popular self-custodial wallet.

The incident unfolded on December 25, when a compromised version of the Trust Wallet browser extension was used to drain assets from users’ wallets. 

Early investigations suggest the malicious code was active in version 2.68 of the extension, prompting unauthorised transfers across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Bitcoin and Solana. Within hours, on-chain data showed funds being siphoned away to unknown addresses, with losses quickly approaching $7 million.

In a post on X on Friday, Zhao emphasised that “user funds are SAFU,” using the popular crypto industry acronym for Secure Asset Fund for Users. He said Trust Wallet will reimburse affected users for their losses. The team is continuing to investigate exactly how the attackers were able to upload and distribute the compromised extension.

Chinpeng Zao

The wallet provider also described the breach as limited to the browser extension. Trust Wallet urged users to disable the compromised version immediately and update to the fixed release, version 2.69, available via the official Chrome Web Store.

Mobile app users and those using other extension versions were reportedly not affected.

How the Trust Wallet exploit played out

Security researchers and on-chain analysts have begun piecing together a timeline of the attack. Initial signs of preparation by the threat actors date back to early December, according to cybersecurity firm SlowMist. Their reporting indicates that malicious code was embedded into the extension build before going live, suggesting a carefully planned exploit rather than a simple automated attack.

Once live on Christmas Day, the compromised extension collected sensitive user data, including seed phrases, and transmitted it to a remote server controlled by the attackers. Victims who imported a seed phrase into the extension saw their wallets drained in a matter of minutes, even if they had followed common security practices.

Across the crypto community, on-chain sleuths flagged hundreds of wallets affected by the breach. The rapid movement of assets through mixing services complicated efforts to trace stolen funds, making recovery efforts challenging.

The broader market felt the shock of the news, coming at a time when crypto prices were already under pressure. Despite the relatively modest size of the loss compared with massive exchange hacks this year, the incident has drawn fresh scrutiny to browser-based wallet infrastructure and supply chain security.

Meanwhile, Zhao’s public promise to cover the losses was intended to reassure users that the incident would not result in personal financial loss. His message emphasised that affected funds will be reimbursed from Trust Wallet’s reserves, and that the issue appears to be confined to the compromised extension.

Some industry observers have raised questions about how the malicious version passed through review and was distributed via official channels.

There are early suggestions that the breach may involve a supply chain compromise or even insider knowledge, given how the altered code was able to slip into the official release. These suggestions have sparked debate across forums and social platforms, with some users voicing concerns about internal controls and review processes.

Trust Wallet has responded by prioritising the release of the patched extension and asking users to update immediately. It has also been recommended that those affected generate new seed phrases and migrate assets to secure environments.

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Tens of thousands of airline passengers are being warned to brace for major delays as federal officials say US airports have been overwhelmed by the holiday travel rush.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued eight separate airspace flow restrictions on Friday, which affect nearly every major air traffic control center in the US, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Miami.

The widespread series of Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs) will impact almost any major airport in the US or Canada flying to Florida or the Caribbean on Friday, one of the busiest travel days of the year, with some delays reaching over six hours.

Specifically, the FAA is slashing the number of planes allowed to take off and enter certain busy sections of airspace to prevent any dangerous situations of overcrowding as hundreds of flights all head to the same destinations.

Hourly limits have been set on how many flights can cross the FAA’s Flow Constrained Area (FCA) boundaries, specific zones over or around the US created by the agency marking flight routes which they expect to be too busy with holiday travel.

Friday’s zones include flight routes over the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea leading to southern Florida, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, St Lucia, Aruba region, Mexico, and San Diego.

Between 3pm and 6pm, the FAA expects the average delays to be the worst, with some routes over Mexico and the Dominican Republic expecting peak delay times exceeding three hours.

Maximum delays for flights traveling through the FCA over Florida will reach a staggering 398 minutes, or more than six and a half hours Friday afternoon.

A holiday traveler waits for her flight amid major airport delays due to high volumes of flyers during the Christmas travel week (Stock Image)

Travelers at San Francisco International Airport stand in long lines waiting for flights. Over eight million people are expected to fly during the final two weeks of December

Most of the travel restrictions began Friday morning and are scheduled to last until between 6pm and 10pm ET tonight.

Other major US travel regions being affected by the Monday restrictions include Salt Lake City, Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Denver, Oakland, Kansas City, Memphis, Minneapolis, and Seattle.

Several major airports throughout Canada have also been impacted by the FAA’s holiday travel announcement, including Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport.

Contributing to the overcrowding over Florida are the record 122million Americans who were expected to travel during the final two weeks of December. Over 8million of those holiday travelers will be flying, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). 

In their annual report, AAA revealed that Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami were the top three domestic destinations for holiday travelers this year.

Meanwhile, Cancun, Mexico and the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana were the top travel getaways internationally this week.

As of 12pm, over 3,600 flights entering or exiting the US have been delayed. Over 1,300 have been cancelled, with some forced to postpone due to a major winter storm expected to slam the US East Coast Friday night.

The FAA has also issued ground delays at Aspen/Pitkin County and Eagle County Regional Airports in Colorado, Witham Field in Florida, and Southwest Florida International Airport due to issues with ‘volume,’ or overcrowding.

Hundreds of flights to Florida and the Caribbean have been delayed Friday due to overcrowding at airports throughout the US and Canada heading to these destinations (Stock Image)

For travelers heading to the airport on Friday, AAA recommended flyers regularly check their flight status before leaving home and also sign up for airline alerts.

Travelers are also urged to arrive at the airport early, allowing at least two hours for domestic flights and three hours if you’re leaving the US.

Due to the massive crowds expected at airports throughout the US, passengers should also pack smart and keep any vital medications, chargers, and a change of clothes in their carry-on bags.

With delays and potential cancellations now expected to increase throughout the day, flyers should also go over their chosen airline’s policies on rebooking flights and refunds for any cancelled trips.

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Naware founder Mark Boysen first tried killing weeds with drones and a 200-watt laser.

He’d been noodling on ideas for a startup with some friends, and thinking about how his family in North Dakota had lost three members to cancer, something they suspected may be related to chemicals in the groundwater. Finding a chemical-free way to kill weeds seemed like a solid option.

But the laser was a dead end. There’s too much risk of starting a fire, he told TechCrunch in an interview. After a lot of trial-and-error prototyping with ideas like cryogenics. The solution he settled on — which he showed off earlier this year at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — is steam.

Boysen’s company has developed a system that uses computer vision to spot weeds in lawns and fields and golf courses, and kill them with nothing but vaporized water. It can be attached to mowers, or tractors, or even ATVs. At the moment, Naware is flexible, and Boysen is visibly eager for his idea to spread fast — much like the weeds he’s trying to kill.

In a world of agentic AI and billion-dollar software companies, Naware stands out as a classic garage startup story. Boysen said his team first tested the use of steam by ordering a “rinky dink” garment steamer off of Amazon. After that, they ordered seven more.

“They’re not real industrial,” Boysen said he quickly realized. “And so there’s a lot of research helping to develop that, to get to the point of: ‘how do we make this effective and make it repeatable so it can scale?’”

Developing the steamer tech was one challenge, but the bigger one may have been identifying the weeds, Boysen said. It’s well-established that artificial intelligence software can be trained to accurately recognize objects or patterns, but the “green-on-green” problem was tough, he said — especially because the software has to recognize the weeds in real-time while the rig is prowling over a lawn. (And yes, it’s using Nvidia GPUs.)

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He thinks they’ve gotten there, though. He said Naware is targeting companies that do lawn care for athletic fields and golf courses, and claims his company can save customers like that “anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000 on chemicals alone.”

On top of that, he said customers will save money by not having to pay for people whose only job is to spray those chemicals. Naware has been doing paid pilots to test and dial in the product, but Boysen’s pitch has already attracted prospective partners, he said.

“We’re going after the strategic partnerships. We’re in discussions with $5 billion companies that do equipment manufacturing that are interested in our product. And we’re a couple conversations into that — I can’t say their name, but you’ll figure it out,” he laughed.

Success, Boysen said, will take three things: those partnerships, securing patents, and funding. Boysen has been bootstrapping Naware for now, but said he’ll open its first fundraising round in the coming months.

“I’ve got to get a funding round that just crushes anybody else trying to think about it” he said. “I’ve got to deliver the promise that I can kill weeds, and it’s effective. And we’ll make it work. I’m not concerned about that.”

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A few days ago, I was watching a friend of mine play Genshin Impact when I saw a loading screen pop up. The art was beautiful, to be honest, almost to the point of it looking fake. So I asked him if it was AI-generated, and he responded: ‘Nah, this isn’t Expedition 33‘.

If you know Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you know it recently won big at the Indie Game Awards – until it got disqualified this week for using generative AI despite a strict ban. Rules are rules, but it does make you wonder: if AI can slip into a space built on human originality and even win awards, how long before everyone quietly adopts it?

🌐 Nigeria might be getting a new subsea cable

Nigeria is in talks with Google to build a new subsea cable, and if it happens, it could finally ease the country’s long-standing internet fragility. Combined with the recently launched 2Africa cable, the pressure is now on other infrastructure players to step up. It’s not flashy, but it could quietly make Nigeria more resilient and easier to plug into the global digital economy.

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📱Apple will allow third-party app stores on iOS in Brazil

For what feels like the umpteenth time this year, Apple’s walled garden is getting chipped at – this time in Brazil. The company now allows third-party app stores and alternative payments, giving users more choice and developers a fairer shot. It’s a quiet shift, but one that keeps nudging the iPhone toward a more open and competitive app ecosystem.

🕵🏾‍♀️ Crypto theft hit a record high in 2025

Crypto theft hit a record $2.7 billion in 2025, with North Korean hackers behind some of the biggest breaches, including a $1.4 billion heist at Bybit. Investors and platforms are now facing the reality that even mainstream exchanges aren’t immune, forcing a rethink of security and trust in digital assets.

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Techloy Weekly is our flagship newsletter that brings you the most important technology news and insights across the world’s largest emerging markets from trusted sources. If you are looking for deeper insights into the technology industry, with data-led startup news and funding deals, engaging charts, and career data, become a Techloy premium member today to access all of our coverage. This week’s edition was written by Louis and edited by Kelechi.

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Updated

December 26, 2025

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Latest industry data by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that Nigerian internet subscribers used 1.2 million terabytes of data in November 2025. 

According to the data, internet usage increased by 1,085 terabytes to 1,236,544.10 terabytes from 1,235,459.47 terabytes of data in October 2025. The figure illustrates the increasing surge in internet adoption and the amount of time Nigerians spend online. 

However, the reason is not far-fetched. The data revealed that as data usage increases, Nigerian internet subscribers are also surging.

As of November 2025, the subscriber base stood at 144.8 million, representing a 1.5% increase from the 142.6 million subscribers reported as of October 2025. Breakdown shows that 144.2 million are connected via mobile, 313,713 via ISP, 238,496 via Voice over IP (VoIP), while 83,417 are connected via fixed wired.

The scenario presents a mixed situation for Nigerian internet subscribers. For many in 2025, the network has often marked by slow data speeds and dropped calls, leading to frustrations and a negative impact on daily activities. 

Meanwhile, the Quality of Experience (QoE) and performance report recently launched by the NCC aims to give Nigerians an overall perception of the network that works in their environment. 

Broadband penetration crossed 50%, though still short of the target

On a positive note, broadband subscribers and penetration continue to increase, signalling improved telecoms infrastructure. In November 2025, the data showed that broadband penetration stood at 50.58% from 49.89% in October.

While this has now crossed the halfway mark, it’s still short of the 70% broadband penetration target set under the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020-2025).

Also, broadband subscribers increased from 108.6 million in October to 109.7 million in November. 

In terms of broadband penetration, the federal government has been making moves to improve telecoms Infrastructure and drive quality networks. For instance, the Project Bridge, an initiative to deploy a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic backbone, aims to revolutionise Nigeria’s digital infrastructure. 

In another recent development, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), revealed that Nigeria is in talks with Google to lay a new subsea cable. It signals the government’s intent to drive digital infrastructure.

While the investment seeks to strengthen the digital and connectivity backbone, it’s needed to help transform Nigeria into a digital hub in Africa and support the vision for a $1 trillion digital economy. 

Also Read: Nigeria has 177.4 million telecoms subscribers as of November 2025.

Despite tariff adjustments, internet data usage increased in Nigeria

Internet usage has witnessed a significant surge in Nigeria following the adjustment of telecom tariffs by 50%. This, in turn, saw mobile network operators (MNOs) increase both voice and data prices.  MTN, Airtel and Globacom rolled out new data subscription prices. They also increase voice call prices from N11 per minute to a range of about N15.40 to N16.50 per minute. 

The data revealed that since April 2025, when MNOs adjusted their data plans, internet usage has increased month-on-month from 983k+ in April to 1.2 million in November 2025. 

Also for MNOs, the adjustment has seen their voice and data revenue gain weight.

For instance, MTN Nigeria, in its financial statement for the nine months ending September 2025, revealed that active data users rose 12.8% to 51.1 million. Its data traffic expanded by 36.3% while average usage per user increased by 20.8% to 13.2 GB per month.

In Airtel Nigeria’s H1 2025 financial report, its voice revenue grew by 34.7% in constant currency to $268 million, driven by voice average revenue per user (ARPU) growth of 25.7%. Data revenue grew by 62.4% to $357 million from $229 million, fueled by the surge in data customers and data ARPU growth of 12.2% and 46.6%, respectively. 

For telecoms operators, the tariff adjustment raised their earnings and was also pushed by an increase in internet subscribers and broadband penetration, despite a shift in voice and data prices. 

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A British anti-disinformation campaigner told by the Trump administration that he faces possible removal from the US has said he is being targeted by arrogant and “sociopathic” tech companies for trying to hold them to account.

Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), is among five European nationals barred from the US by the state department after being accused of seeking to push tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.

Ahmed lives lawfully in Washington DC with his American wife and daughter, meaning he is at risk of deportation. Late on Thursday a court granted him a temporary restraining order to block any attempt to remove him from the US or detain him.

Ahmed told the Guardian he believed he had been singled out for his work seeking greater accountability and transparency for social media and AI firms, which has led to Elon Musk’s X unsuccessfully suing CCDH.

Ahmed, who is a friend of Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, said it was another attempt to deflect accountability and transparency.

“This has never been about politics,” he said, adding that his organisation had worked successfully with the first Trump administration and would do so again if asked.

“What it has been about is companies that simply do not want to be held accountable and, because of the influence of big money in Washington, are corrupting the system and trying to bend it to their will, and their will is to be unable to be held accountable,” he said.

“There is no other industry, that acts with such arrogance, indifference and a lack of humility and sociopathic greed at the expense of people.”

The former European internal market commissioner Thierry Breton is among those to have been hit with a visa ban. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

As well as Ahmed, the state department has barred the former EU commissioner Thierry Breton. It accused the five people of leading “organised efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetise and suppress American viewpoints they oppose”.

Sarah Rogers, an official at the state department, posted on X: “Our message is clear: if you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.”

The sanctions are being seen as the latest attack on European regulations that target hate speech and misinformation. Campaigners in the UK have said the British government could be targeted further if the Trump administration steps up its attacks on tech regulation.

Ahmed, who began his career working with Labour politicians in Westminster, said he had not yet formally received any notification from the US government, and that he believed its case against him was unfounded. “I’m very confident that our first amendment rights will be upheld by the court,” he said.

The next court hearing, due on Monday, is expected to confirm the protective order that prevents the US government from detaining him, said Ahmed, who spent Christmas away from his wife and infant daughter amid the legal battle.

He said this was “a rational thing for us to do, given that in every other case to date where someone has had a green card withdrawn in the last few months, they have been arrested and detained and often spirited hundreds or thousands of miles away from their friends, family and support networks.”

The CCDH has previously angered Musk over reports chronicling the rise of racist, antisemitic and extremist content on X since he took it over. Musk tried unsuccessfully to sue the CCDH last year before calling it a “criminal organisation”.

More recently, the CCDH released a report warning about harmful answers produced by the latest version of ChatGPT when asked about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.

“We’ve seen that social media and AI companies are increasingly under pressure as a result of organisations like mine,” Ahmed said. “No one likes being exposed as mendacious or hypocritical, but they call their friends in government or they call their pitbull litigation lawyers and start suing.”

Ahmed said it was particularly jarring to be targeted given that hate speech and misinformation was increasingly a bipartisan issue, raised as a concern by some Republican politicians as well as Democrats.

He said he was nonetheless ready to respond with a swift legal response when he heard the news. “When you take on the world’s biggest corporations and when you’ve had the experiences we’ve had, being sued by the world’s richest man, you dissociate and compartmentalise immediately.”

There had been a cost already, he said. “Nothing I’m going through compares to any of the parents I sit with who’ve lost their children,” Ahmed said. “I chose to take on the biggest companies in the world, to hold them accountable, to speak truth to power. There is a cost attached to that. My family understands that.

“The only time I felt any sadness at all is last night when my wife told me that our child said her sixth word, and then I cried a bit.”

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Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition. 

Here is the full list of the cybersecurity Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.

AIM Intelligence 

What it does: AIM offers enterprise cybersecurity products that both protect against new AI-enabled attacks and use AI in that protection. 

Why it’s noteworthy: AIM uses AI to conduct penetration tests of AI-optimized attacks and to protect corporate AI systems with customized guardrails, and it offers an AI safety planning tool. 

Corgea 

What it does: Corgea is an AI-driven enterprise security product that can scan code for flaws as well as find broken code intended to implement security measures such as user authentication.  

Why it’s noteworthy: The product allows the creation of AI agents that can secure code and works with, it says, any popular language and their libraries. 

CyDeploy 

What it does: CyDeploy offers a security product that automates asset discovery and mapping of all the apps and devices on a network.  

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Why it’s noteworthy: Once the assets are mapped, the product creates digital twins to sandbox testing and allows security orgs to use AI to automate other security processes as well. 

Cyntegra 

What it does: Cyntegra offers a hardware-plus-software solution that prevents ransomware attacks. 

Why it’s noteworthy: By locking away a secure backup of the system, ransomware doesn’t win. It can restore the operating system, apps, data, and credentials in the minutes after an attack.  

HACKERverse 

What it does: HACKERverse’s product deploys autonomous AI agents to implement known hacker attacks against a company’s defenses in “isolated battlefield.” 

Why it’s noteworthy: The tool tests and verifies that vendor security tools actually work as advertised.  

Mill Pond Research 

What it does: Mill Pond detects and secures unmanaged AI. 

Why it’s noteworthy: As employees adopt AI to assist them in their jobs, this tool can detect AI tools that are accessing sensitive data or otherwise creating potential security issues in the organization. 

Polygraf AI 

What it does: Polygraf AI offers small language models tuned for cybersecurity purposes. 

Why it’s noteworthy: Enterprises use the Polygraf models to enforce compliance, protect data, detect unauthorized AI usage, and spot deepfakes, among other examples. 

TruSources 

What it does: TruSources can detect AI deepfakes, be they audio, video, images. 

Why it’s noteworthy: This tech can work in real time for areas like identity authentication, age verification, and identity fraud prevention. 

ZEST Security 

What it does: AI-powered enterprise security platform that helps infosec teams detect and solve cloud security issues. 

Why it’s noteworthy: Zest helps teams speedily keep up with and mitigate known but unpatched security vulnerabilities and unifies vulnerability management across clouds and apps.

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