Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a staggering number of children are being forced into mine work due to poverty, with many working in hazardous conditions to extract valuable minerals such as coltan, tin, and tungsten. The situation is particularly dire in the eastern Congolese city of Rubaya, where 15-year-old Mishiki Nshokano is one of the children who has been working in the mines for four years to support his family.Nshokano's story is a heart-wrenching example of the desperation that drives children to work in the mines. With his father passing away in a landslide at a mining site in 2022, Nshokano had to drop out of school to help his family survive. He now works as an artisanal miner, earning a meager $4 a day, which he sends home to his mother to help them get by.The DRC government has laws prohibiting child labor, but the informal mining sector remains largely unregulated. According to the United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the DRC has made minimal progress in eliminating the worst forms of child labor, with an estimated 40,000 children working in mines across the country.The situation in Rubaya is further complicated by violence between the Congolese army and various armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The Congolese government has accused the M23 of using women and children for looting activities, but observers note that child miners have been an issue in eastern DRC long before the M23 occupied the area.As the DRC and the US sign strategic agreements to exchange minerals for security guarantees, concerns are growing about the human cost of mineral mining. The UK-based organization Global Witness has called for businesses and governments to consider the human impact of mineral mining, highlighting the need for greater accountability and regulation in the industry.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was welcomed by UK's King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, marking the first state visit by the leader of Africa's most populous nation in nearly four decades.The visit, which concludes on Thursday, highlights the deep cultural and commercial links between the UK and Nigeria, with trade between the two countries currently at a record high.During the visit, Tinubu and his wife were greeted with artillery salutes and shown items from the UK's colonial rule of Nigeria, which ended in 1960. A lavish state banquet was also held in their honor.The Nigerian presidency described the visit as a 'renewed chapter' in UK-Nigeria relations, reflecting a shared commitment to 'advancing trade and strengthening diplomatic ties'.Tinubu is also expected to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and members of the Nigerian community in the UK. Notably, the visit went ahead despite a deadly bombing in northeastern Nigeria's Borno State on Monday, which killed 23 people and injured over 100.

Pep Guardiola was given the opportunity to engage in pre-match mind games with rival coach Mikel Arteta ahead of Manchester City's meeting with Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday. However, he chose not to take the bait.Instead, Guardiola shifted the focus to global issues, stating, “Look what’s happened around the world. We have an incredible chaos and nobody moves one finger. Everything is behind the scenes. The world is going to collapse and still we are here talking about dark arts.”This comment recalled a previous flashpoint between the teams in September 2024, when Arsenal's tactics drew criticism from several City players following a 2-2 draw. Midfielder Bernardo Silva described Arsenal's players as pushing “the limits of what was possible to do,” while defender John Stones said they “break up the game which upsets the rhythm.” Full back Kyle Walker, no longer at City, referred to Arsenal's perceived tactics as “dark arts.”Guardiola praised Arsenal's evolution and “solidarity,” noting they are in contention to win four trophies this season as the Premier League leader by nine points and having advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and FA Cup. He described Arsenal as an “exceptional team” and acknowledged the challenge they pose.Arteta, who previously worked under Guardiola at City from 2016-19, acknowledged that their relationship “had to” change due to their current roles as rivals. However, he expressed his enduring respect for Guardiola, citing his “inspiration” since he was young.

Movsar Evloev from Russia has secured a significant victory over Lerone Murphy at UFC Fight Night 270 held at the O2 Arena. Despite receiving a point deduction for a foul, Evloev managed to edge out a majority decision win over Murphy. This triumph likely sets him up for a highly anticipated featherweight title shot against champion Alexander Volkanovski.The bout was a clash of styles, with Evloev, known for his wrestling, attempting to showcase his striking abilities, while Murphy displayed impressive defensive skills on the ground. Evloev successfully took the fight to the mat in the third round but Murphy quickly regained his footing.In the fourth round, Evloev committed a foul with a kick to Murphy's groin, resulting in a point deduction. However, Evloev intensified his grappling attack in the final round, which proved sufficient for him to secure the win, with two judges scoring the fight 48-46 in his favor and the third judge scoring it a draw 47-47 after accounting for the deduction.This victory marks a significant milestone for Evloev, positioning him for a potential title fight against Volkanovski. For Murphy, it was his first career defeat in the UFC.

Real Madrid will host Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, March 22, in a highly anticipated La Liga match. The home side aims to stay in touch with league leaders Barcelona, who currently hold a four-point lead and face Rayo Vallecano earlier in the day. If Barcelona wins, Real Madrid will be seven points off the summit. Los Blancos are coming off a strong performance in the Champions League, where they defeated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate in the last 16. Vinicius Junior scored twice in the second leg, helping his team progress to the quarterfinals. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, are fourth in La Liga and have a game in hand over third-placed Villarreal. They are also into the last eight of the Champions League and will play Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final. Diego Simeone's side are seeking to cause an upset against their city rivals and avenge their 5-2 drubbing in the first league meeting in September. The two teams have a long and intense rivalry, with 242 meetings between them. Real Madrid have won 124 matches, while Atletico have won 60, and 58 games have ended in draws. Atletico are unbeaten in their last six league games against Real Madrid, with four of those games finishing in draws. In terms of team news, Kylian Mbappe is set to start for Real Madrid alongside Vinicius Junior, while goalkeeper Thibault Courtois will be out for about six weeks due to a muscle injury. Andriy Lunin will deputise in goal. For Atletico, goalkeeper Jan Oblak is a major doubt due to a hip problem, and Juan Musso is likely to start between the sticks.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL), the country's top domestic T20 cricket tournament, will take place in empty stadiums due to the recent surge in oil prices. The decision was announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, citing a fuel shortage caused by the Middle East conflict.The league, set to start on Thursday, will now be hosted in only two cities: Lahore and Karachi. The opening match will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The PCB has also cancelled the opening ceremony that was scheduled to take place in Lahore.Pakistan is facing soaring oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East, prompting the government to advise citizens to restrict their movements. Naqvi stated that it wouldn't be feasible to have 30,000 people in stadiums daily while people are being asked to limit their travel.The PCB will refund tickets to fans who had purchased them and will also compensate franchise owners for the loss of revenue from gate receipts. Naqvi apologized to the four cities – Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, and Peshawar – that will no longer host PSL games this season.Several foreign players, including Australians Jake Fraser-McGurk and Spencer Johnson, South African Ottneil Baartman, and West Indian Gudakesh Motie, have pulled out of the PSL due to personal reasons. The PCB consulted with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the PCB patron, and the eight franchises before making the decision to stage the games without spectators.

Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia dominated the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing his fourth consecutive win and taking the lead in the championship standings.Starting from the second position on the grid, the 27-year-old Italian rider quickly seized the lead and maintained it throughout the race, marking his second win of the year after triumphing at the Thailand Grand Prix earlier in the month.The race saw track degradation concerns and scorching temperatures, prompting a reduction in the race distance from 31 laps to 23, announced just before the start. Bezzecchi's teammate, Jorge Martin, finished second, while VR46's Fabio Di Giannantonio secured third place, holding off defending champion Marc Marquez.Bezzecchi attributed his victory to adjustments made to his riding style and the efforts of his team, who worked tirelessly to improve the bike's performance after a challenging Friday practice session. He dedicated the win to his friend Roberto Lunadei, a mechanic who passed away in a road traffic accident the previous week.With this victory, Bezzecchi now leads the championship standings by 11 points over KTM's Pedro Acosta. The MotoGP action will shift to the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, scheduled for March 27-29.

Real Madrid fought back to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling Spanish capital derby on Sunday, courtesy of a brace from Vinicius Jr. The win keeps Alvaro Arbeloa's side within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.Atletico's Ademola Lookman opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a slick counterattack, but Vinicius Jr equalized from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after David Hancko tripped Brahim Diaz. Federico Valverde then put Real ahead 2-1 with a goal capitalizing on a Jose Maria Gimenez error.Nahuel Molina silenced the Bernabeu stadium with a thunderous 30-metre strike in the 66th minute, but Vinicius Jr restored Real's lead with a cracking solo effort six minutes later. Despite Valverde's red card for an inexplicable challenge, Real held firm to secure the win.Arbeloa praised his side for showing 'pure Real Madrid mentality' to emerge with a difficult win, while Atletico boss Diego Simeone said his side deserved more from the game.

Inter Miami achieved a stunning comeback victory over New York City FC (NYCFC) on Sunday, winning 3-2 in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match. Lionel Messi scored his 901st career goal, contributing to the team's first MLS win since March 7.The match began with Gonzalo Lujan scoring his first career MLS goal for Inter Miami in the fourth minute. However, NYCFC quickly equalized with a spectacular free kick by Nicolas Fernandez Mercau in the 17th minute.NYCFC took the lead in the 59th minute through Agustin Ojeda, assisted by Maxi Moralez. But Messi intervened, scoring a crucial goal in the 62nd minute after his shot deflected off NYCFC's Hannes Wolf and past keeper Matt Freese, tying the game at 2-2.The decisive moment came in the 74th minute when Micael dos Santos Silva headed home a beautiful cross from Noah Allen, securing the win for Inter Miami. Despite NYCFC's efforts to equalize, Inter Miami's goalkeeper Dayne St Clair made a crucial save in stoppage time to preserve the victory.This win brings Inter Miami to 10 points (3-1-1), while NYCFC also sits at 10 points (3-1-1) but now with their first defeat of the season.