South Africa’s digital trajectory gets a boost with U6 GHz spectrum allocation. On 24 July 2026, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) published the National Radio Frequency Plan 2026 (NRFP 2026), formally allocating the full U6 GHz band, 6 425MHz-7 125MHz, for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) use. This decision, which incorporates 700MHz of…
The eruption of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2026 sparked a major crisis. Transmissions and deaths are skyrocketing, and no vaccine is currently available. This virus is notably prevalent in settlements and communities for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and communities. This happened too…
Microbial ecology (the study of how tiny microbes interact with each other and their environment) underpins the health of every ecosystem on Earth. The microbes living in soil recycle nutrients, support plant growth and help ecosystems respond to environmental change. In this explainer, microbial ecologist Marc Van Goethem tells us why microbes are critical to…
Federal prosecutors want to throw the book at former FBI Director James Comey in their seashells-based case — including his own crime novel. In court filings defending their controversial criminal case against the frequent critic and target of President Donald Trump, prosecutors in North Carolina say Comey’s book “FDR Drive” bolsters their argument that a…
Meta will start charging South African businesses for the replies they send customers on WhatsApp from 1 October, ending an exemption that has made customer service on the platform free since November 2024 – but with six weeks to go, it has not said what those replies will cost. The charge applies to service messages…
A single New York Times article on a disaster generated an additional $500,000 in official aid. That’s just one of the findings on the critical role a free press plays in saving lives, according to a new UN report released on Tuesday. Key points A free press is critical to saving lives, mitigating the impacts…
(Geneva/New York, 19 August 2026): 2025 set another grim record for violence against aid workers, with 907 colleagues killed, injured or kidnapped, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said today on World Humanitarian Day. While the death toll decreased slightly to 350 last year, the overall level of violence did not ease:…
Canada and the US are finalising a highly anticipated trade deal, with President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney touting it as a success. Trump said the proposed deal will be welcome by US farmers and manufacturers, while Carney said it will secure “the best terms” for Canada’s strategic sectors and provide certainty on…
As Anthropic prepares for a landmark initial public offering, Wall Street is looking unusually far into the future to value the artificial intelligence startup. Bankers and institutional investors are calculating the company’s enterprise value based on projected 2028 revenues of $190 billion to $200 billion. By anchoring valuation models to metrics two years out, underwriters…
Mogadishu, Somalia — The Federation of Somali Trade Unions, led by Secretary-General Omar Faruk Osman, met AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene and delegation in the capital, Mogadishu. The meeting focused on Somalia’s implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and the role workers and trade unions can play in Africa’s broader economic integration continentwide. FESTU emphasized creating decent…
