Leaders of West African countries signed an agreement allowing the construction of a gas pipeline that will connect Nigeria with Morocco. This decision was made at the summit of the regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
According to a joint statement by Morocco's hydrocarbon and mining agency ONHYM and Nigeria's state oil company NNPC, this pipeline is intended to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The gas will originate from Nigeria and West Africa, pass through 13 West African countries, and reach Morocco.
The statement also specified that out of the total capacity of 15 billion cubic meters per year, 15 billion cubic meters will be directed to European and Moroccan markets via an existing pipeline connecting Morocco with Spain. The next stage of the project involves establishing a 'project company' in Casablanca and a governing body headquartered in Abuja, after which investors will be attracted and a final investment decision will be made.
According to sources, construction is planned to begin in 2028, with the first gas deliveries expected in 2031. This project was first proposed during the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Abuja in 2016, and its total cost is estimated at approximately 27 billion dollars.
Volkswagen announced a recall program affecting 150,290 vehicles sold in the Brazilian market. The recall is due to a fault detected in the parking brake lever.
The models included in this recall are Polo, Polo Track, Tera, Nivus, T-Cross, and Virtus. Owners must take their cars to the manufacturer's dealerships for an inspection. If the problem is confirmed, the part will be replaced at no cost to the consumer.
The campaign covers vehicles manufactured between May and October 2025, encompassing some of the company's best sellers in the national territory.
As detailed by Volkswagen, the fault lies in the parking brake lever, which is the component responsible for locking the car when parked. Although the driver can engage the handbrake and have the impression that the system is correctly locked, the internal lock mechanism may fail.
This failure creates the risk of the vehicle moving unintentionally, especially when stopped on inclines or sloped surfaces. The manufacturer warns that such unexpected movement can result in accidents, causing material damage and injuries to occupants and third parties.
The affected compact models use the traditional cable-operated parking brake system, unlike electronic brakes. For this reason, its operation depends entirely on the mechanical integrity of the lever. The repair consists of checking the assembly and, if the defect is found, completely replacing the part.
The large volume of involved cars is linked to the MQB-A0 modular architecture, shared by the six participating models. Since these vehicles use common components and suppliers, the manufacturing defect was specifically located in the mechanical parking brake lever, a standardized part used across this line of compacts.
The list of vehicles covered by the recall includes:
The inspection and subsequent replacement of the parking brake lever will be offered free of charge to owners, in compliance with Brazilian legislation. Volkswagen estimates that the procedure will take about two hours.
Service is already available at all authorized brand dealerships, but prior scheduling is necessary to optimize workflow in the workshops. Vehicle owners can confirm if their car is under recall using the chassis number and schedule the service through the official Volkswagen website or by calling the service center at 0800 019 8866.
Volkswagen also emphasizes that owners who do not complete the recall will be prevented from renewing the vehicle's annual licensing. This restriction is part of the Brazilian traffic system and aims to ensure that any safety flaws pointed out by manufacturers are properly corrected.
A small increase in tariffs has occurred at several toll plazas on national highways (NH) and expressways across the country. This change resulted from the Delhi High Court's decision to reinstate the use of a linkage factor for converting the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series when reviewing user charges.
Toll plaza operators reported that the increase ranges from 2 to 5 percent, depending on the vehicle category. In most cases, the toll for private cars has not increased. One official noted that this does not affect vehicles with an annual FASTag pass, and even for those without one, the increase is minimal. The government merely reinstated the linkage factor for fee review.
Typically, the government reviews toll fees annually in April. However, following observations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) regarding the government's linkage factor—stemming from the change of the WPI base year from 2004-05 to 2011-12 for toll fee revision—the Ministry of Road Transport used the old rate linkage factor (2004-05) in September 2025. This led to a reduction in toll fees, and even the review in April of this year was conducted using the old rate.
Nevertheless, highway operators challenged the ministry's decision in the Delhi High Court, and the court ruled in their favor. Subsequently, in accordance with the court's order, the ministry decided on June 29 to use the 2011-12 linkage factor. According to one toll operator, the increase introduced in April 2025 has been restored, and rates have been revised since this April.
The Federal District Police initiated an operation named 'Operação Infiltrados' against a criminal group that stole 7.76 million from a bank in Brazil. Furthermore, the investigation involves suspicions of obstructing justice and unauthorized access to confidential information, according to the Federal District Police statement.
According to investigative data, the suspects gained access to secret data of Caixa clients and beneficiaries to carry out electronic theft of funds. The corporation's announcement indicates that the group utilized the involvement of public officials and other suspects to hinder potential investigations and leak privileged information.
Investigative bodies also discovered support from individuals linked to illegal lotteries. The operation involved about 120 agents with the support of the Special Operations Group for Combating Organized Crime of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (Gaeco) to execute 25 search and seizure warrants. These warrants were carried out in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, Niterói, and Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro state, as well as in Indaiatuba and Salto, in the inland region of São Paulo.
Caixa Econômica Federal issued a statement reporting joint work with the Federal District Police and cooperation in investigations and operations against fraud and scams. The bank emphasized that it continuously monitors its products, services, and banking transactions to identify and investigate suspicious cases. The state bank also notified that it possesses security strategies, policies, and procedures to protect the data and operations of its clients, as well as specialized technologies and teams to ensure the security of its processes and service channels.
