Business & Tech News
Meta Moves to Reduce Poor Performing Staff:
Meta, the social media corporation that owns Facebook and Instagram, has indicated that it intends to shed around 5% of its global workforce, as the company looks to remove “low performers faster”. A memo to staff, issued by CEO, Mark Zuckerberg stated that he had made the decision to speed up the firm’s regular performance-based cuts in anticipation of an “intense year”. Zuckerberg said that Meta would look to “backfill” the roles later in the year. Meta employs approximately 72,000 people globally, did not indicate the effect of the cuts by region. According to the memo, job cuts in US will be announced by 10 February, with those affected outside the US to be announce later. “This is going to be an intense year, and I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams,” Zuckerberg said.
Moon Lander Modules Launched:
SpaceX has launched its Falcon9 rocket from Cape Canaveral last night, in a flight that will see the launch of two “Lunar Landers” launched from Falcon9. The lunar landers are from separate space exploration companies who are looking to jumpstart business on the moon. The combination of payloads was devised to share the costs across both exploration groups, but will each be taking separate roundabout routes to landing and separate explorations that are expected to take several months. Lunar newcomer Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is undertaking 10 experiments for NASA using itsBlue Gost Lunar Lander 1 module that is scheduled to make its landing in early March. The second is from Tokyo-based ispace, whose first lander crashed into the moon two years ago. They will be utilising its Hakuto-RM2 Resilience Lander module which includes a rover on board with a scoop to gather up lunar dirt for study.
Neuralink Implants Improved with Third Implant Confirmed:
In a Live briefing streamed on X, Elon Musk stated that “We’ve got … three humans with Neuralinks and all are working well,” Musk said the company has upgraded the devices with more electrodes, higher bandwidth and longer battery life. He commented that Neuralink hopes to implant the experimental devices in 20 to 30 more people this year. The first patient who received an implant around a year ago, who was paralyzed after a spinal cord injury, described how it helped him play video games and chess. The second recipient — who has a spinal cord injury and received the implant last summer — was shown playing video games with the help of the device and learning how to use computer-aided design software to create 3-D objects.
Market News
Currencies:
The US Dollar has softened this morning after the last week’s surge, and is currently trading at 1.029,42 against the Euro, at 1.22236 against the Pound, and slightly down at 156.84 against the Yen. The Rand has clawed back more ground this morning and currently trading at R18.87 to the dollar.
Commodities:
- Gold prices are up in trade today, with the price currently at $2,683 per ounce. With Silver also gaining while copper is trending level. Copper is currently at 4.2992 and Silver at 30.033
- Platinum prices have dropped further and is currently trading at $931, while Palladium prices are currently trading at $936.50
- Brent prices have dropped from the highs this week, and currently trading at $80.07 currently with WTI also trading downwards at $77.85 currently.
- Cocoa futures have gained some traction today with prices currently at $10 921 per ton.
- Coffee prices have dropped this morning, and at $3.21.84 per pound currently.
Crypto Currencies:
- Bitcoin has continued its upward trajectory this morning, and is currently trading at $97282.
- Ether prices are at $3232.81 currently.
(All prices quoted at approximately 10H45 – Central African Time)
Other News in Africa Today
Illegal Miner Rescue Continues in South Africa:
South African rescuers have brought out 36 bodies of deceased illegal miners and 82 survivors, that were underground in a closed gold mine in Stilfontein, in the North West province of South Africa. The rescue operation over two days utilised a steel cage lowered into a mine shaft at the mine. According to a statement by local police, the survivors would be facing illegal mining and immigration charges. After nine bodies were recovered on Monday, 27 more were brought out from deep underground on Tuesday, police Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said in a statement.
Hundreds more survivors and dozens more bodies are believed to still remain in the mine, according to a miner’s rights group that showed footage on a mobile phone brought out of the mine on Monday. Rescue operations, which involve lowering the metal cage to more than 2km, and is anticipated to continue for days. Police said they would provide a daily update on numbers.
Sudan Civil War Crises Continues:
Around 120 people are believed to have been killed in an artillery shelling attack this week. The attack by unknown forces, occurred in the Dar-Salam area of the Sudanese city of Omdurman, which is situated across the Nile from the capital of Khartoum. The Ombada Emergency Response Room, an emergency volunteer group, said the death toll was provisional, indicating that the number of victims is likely understated. Rescuers say medical supplies are running low as health workers struggle to manage treatment of the increasing numbers of people with injuries from the bombardments.
The civil war in Sudan is now Africa’s largest domestic conflict that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and seen millions of residents unhoused and in need of aid simply to survive. Sudan’s civil war, has been waged for a period of almost two-years without a clear path to creating a ceasefire. In the past month there has been a concerted offensive in Omdurman by government forces in an attempt to regain control of the region. Rebel RSF fighters are pushing back from positions in two neighbourhoods. Residents on both sides of the Nile have reported shelling across the river, with bombs and shrapnel regularly striking homes and civilians.