Africa: Africom Expands Counterterrorism Push As U.S. Pursues Converged Security and Economic Agenda
Nairobi — The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) says it is intensifying cooperation with African partners to confront a growing terrorist threat, increasingly linking security efforts with economic development and long-term regional stability. Speaking during a digital press briefing, AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson said militant groups affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaida continue to…
Thousands without power in freezing Ukraine as renewed Russian strikes continue
Ukraine’s leader says regions including Kyiv and Kharkiv are among those suffering the most from blackouts as a result of recent attacks.
TymeBank officially rebrands to GoTyme Bank
Cheslyn Jacobs, CEO of GoTyme Bank South Africa. TymeBank has officially transitioned to GoTyme Bank, marking the next step as part of the global Tyme Group. In a statement today, the branchless bank also unveiled a new GoTyme banking application. The name change came after TymeBank, which now serves over 20 million customers, became the…
East Africa: War Crimes, Election Repression
Nairobi — Concerned Governments Should Act Against Abusive Forces, Press for Civic Space Civilians in Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia are bearing the brunt of abusive armed conflicts in which the warring parties frequently and often deliberately target them, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2026. Governments across the region have clamped…
Africa: Statement from Ambassador Jamieson Greer on the Reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act
Washington, DC — Today, President Trump signed into law legislation that reauthorizes the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program through December 31, 2026, with retroactive effect to September 30, 2025. “AGOA for the 21st century must demand more from our trading partners and yield more market access for U.S. businesses, farmers, and…
Greek coast guard ship and migrant speedboat collide, killing at least 15 people
A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel off the eastern Aegean island of Chios has killed at least 15 people, the coast guard said late Tuesday, while a search and rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter and divers was underway for potentially missing people. The bodies of…
Most business owners don’t worry about IT
The author, SevenC MD Graeme Millar Most small business owners don’t think about IT as often as they do about customers, cash flow, staff, suppliers and deadlines. IT sits quietly in the background, assumed to be working. And most of the time, that assumption holds. Until it doesn’t. When something goes wrong, it’s rarely dramatic…
African Elections – Will the AU Remain Chronicler Rather Than Referee?
The AU’s response to the 2025 elections shows that it prioritises procedure over political competitiveness and democratic substance. Africa’s 2025 polls reveal a growing disjuncture between electoral activity and democratic performance, even as the African Union (AU) seeks to improve its election monitoring activities. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance mandates the AU…
Southern Africa: Grave Rights Abuses, Impunity Persist
Johannesburg — Regional Bodies Should Press Governments to Respect Rights, Promote Accountability Southern African countries committed serious human rights violations throughout 2025, creating vicious cycles of abuse and impunity, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2026. Security forces in Angola, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe used excessive and at times lethal force, and…
Gorton and Denton by-election tests Labour’s grip on heartland voters | Elections News
Internal rifts, growing support for smaller parties are challenging Labour’s dominance in Greater Manchester. A by-election in northern England that should have been routine for the governing Labour Party is instead becoming a test of how fragmented British politics has become. Voters in the Gorton and Denton constituency of Greater Manchester are set to cast ballots…