Business News Today
Gmail To Provide Delivery Tracking Tab
Gmail is rolling out a new “Purchases” tab that gives users a quick overview of their upcoming package deliveries, Google announced on Thursday. The tab will allow them to access all their purchase-related emails in one place, even from past orders and shipments. They indicate that Gmail will still show packages that are set to arrive within 24 hours on top of users’ inboxes. The new tab however will simply bring all of your purchase information together under one view. The new tab will help users track all of their shipments in a more efficient way, according to Google.
The feature will be rolling out today on mobile and web to users around the world with personal Google accounts. Google also announced that it’s updating the Promotion category in Gmail to allow users to sort by “most relevant” promotion emails. The company says this will make it easier for people to see deal updates from brands they care about the most. Plus, Gmail will nudge users about upcoming deals and timely offers.
Spotify Launches CD Quality Lossless Music Streaming
Spotify is launching high-quality, lossless music streaming support for premium account holders after years of anticipation for the service. The company first talked about a top tier quality streaming service in 2021, which would offer CD-quality audio. The development however has faced multiple delays, driven by licencing issues Last year, CEO Daniel Ek said that the company was in the “early days” of launching lossless streaming support. Now the company is finally releasing support for up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality streaming — a format that preserves the original audio quality without compression — for paid users. The company said lossless streaming will be rolling out to users in over 50 countries by October, while subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the U.S., and the U.K. are already getting access.
EV Sales Growth Cools With China Leading the Growth Drop
Global sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles grew year-on year by 15% in August, marking the slowest rate of growth since January 2025, and reflecting tougher market for Vehicle sales. The data was provided by market research firm Rho Motion today. China’s EV sales growth, which averaged a 36% growth per month in the first half of 2025, plunged to only 6% in August. However, China sales are still expected to recover in Q4 of the year, with new funds expected to become available via China’s subsidy schemes and the usual seasonal sales growth over the last quarter, according to Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester.
China is the global leader for new vehicle sales and accounts for more than half of global EV sales, which in Rho Motion’s data include battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. China’s overall car sales growth slowed to the weakest in seven months in August. China’s BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, last week cut its 2025 global sales target by as much as 16%.
Breaking News Shorts:
- Cryptocurrency firm Gemini Space Station raised $425 million in an initial public offering yesterday, pricing its stock above a marketed range of $24-$26. The company led by the billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss sold around 15.2 million shares for $28 apiece. The price range was raised from $17 to $19 earlier this week due to strong investor demand.
- The European Central Bank kept its three key interest rates unchanged, with the deposit facility at 2.00%, the main refinancing rate at 2.15%, and the marginal lending rate at 2.40%, as expected. Inflation remains close to the 2% medium-term target, and the outlook is broadly unchanged from June.
- Equities in India climbed 182 points, or 0.2%, to 81,731 in morning trade on Friday, gaining for the fifth straight session and hitting their highest level since August 21. The BSE Sensex tracked an overnight rally on Wall Street, buoyed by optimism over potential Fed rate cuts at next week’s meeting.
- China has berated Mexico’s planned tariff hike on Asia-made vehicles, particularly Chinese cars, increasing from 20% to 50%. “We hope Mexico will be extremely cautious, and think twice before acting,” the Ministry of Commerce said, emphasising that “China and Mexico are mutually important trade partners” and expressing concern over potential harm to bilateral economic ties.
- Silver climbed 1% toward $42 per ounce on Friday, marking a new 14-year high as firm expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut next week supported buying. US data on Thursday showed consumer prices rising 0.4% in August, the fastest pace in seven months, while producer prices unexpectedly declined earlier in the week.
Markets by Numbers
Currency markets today indicate the Euro is trading stronger against the US dollar at 1.17273 and the Pound is trading at 1.35572. to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 147.44 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently at R17.36 to the US dollar.
Commodities:
- Gold futures prices are trending higher today, and are currently trading around $3653.35 per ounce.
- Copper prices are trading marginally higher this morning, with prices currently at $4.6181
- Silver futures prices have surged over 1.3% today hitting a 14-year high, and is currently trading at $42.075
- Platinum futures are trading over 1.2% higher this morning, and are currently trading at $1399.70 heading towards the $1400 mark, While Palladium prices are trading 1.2% higher this morning and currently at $1221.50
- Brent crude oil prices are currently trending lower today, and currently at $65.93, with WTI trading at $61.90
- Cocoa futures have clawed more of this week’s losses this morning, and are currently at $7308.53 per ton.
- Coffee futures have climbed by over 0.8% today, and are currently at $400.53
Crypto Currencies:
- Bitcoin prices are currently trending fairly flat today, and trading at $115452
- Ether prices have gained over 1.4% today and are currently at $4524.84
- $Trumpcoin is trending upwards today, and currently around $8.92
(All prices quoted at approximately 07H45 Central African Time)
Other Headline News in Africa Today
Child Hunger Disaster in South Africa’s Eastern Cape
At the South African Human Rights Commission hearing into the malnutrition crisis in the Eastern Cape yesterday, details of an unfolding crises of child malnutrition were provided. SAHRC commissioner Philile Ntuli stated in her opening remarks that “We are meeting in solemn and urgent circumstances.” “This is not a symbolic hearing,” she said. The commission indicated the failure of government to address the matter with urgency, and addressing the failure of policy implementation timeously. “We want to secure clear accountability … This is not a natural disaster. It is a failure of the state.” Ntuli stated.
Health Department records show that 973 children who had severe acute malnutrition died in facilities around the country, the Director-General of the national Department of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, told the commission. The hunger crises has peaked despite the 1.8 million people in the Eastern Cape province alone, who were receiving the child support grant to the value of R 1,068 per month. The statistics were provided by Director-general of the Department of Social Development, Peter Netshipale, who said that in the Eastern Cape alone as of August 2025, this province has the highest number of children receiving the child support grant.
