The Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho (IEC) has earned a prestigious continental accolade after the Electoral Integrity Global Report 2025 ranked Lesotho fourth in Africa for the quality and credibility of its electoral processes. According to the statement released by the Commission, the ranking affirms the significant progress Lesotho has made in strengthening the administration,…
Reddit has launched a challenge in Australia’s highest court against the nation’s landmark social media ban for children. The online forum is among 10 social media platforms which must bar Australians aged under 16 from having accounts, under a new law which began on Wednesday. The ban, which is being watched closely around the world,…
Vodacom South Africa has given its post-paid customers notice that it will increase prices at above inflation, citing high network management costs and “inflationary pressures” as reason. “Vodacom South Africa can confirm that from 1 February, a price adjustment will be applied across all contract packages. To minimise the impact on customers, this will translate…
New York — With more than three weeks still to go to the end of the year, the number of journalists and media workers killed worldwide in 2025 already equals 2024’s record figures, data gathered by the Committee to Protect Journalists shows. Led by Israel’s attacks on journalists in Gaza, Iran, and Yemen, the number…
FAJ and its affiliated journalist unions and associations continue to document intimidation, arbitrary detention, online harassment, censorship and physical attacks against journalists across the continent. These violations do not only endanger individual media professionals. They also undermine the public’s right to information, which is central to human rights and democratic accountability. When journalists are silenced,…
The U.S. imposed sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday, as well as half a dozen ships accused of carrying oil from the country, as President Trump looks to inflict further pressure on the South American nation. The new sanctions target Franqui Flores, Carlos Flores and Efrain Campo. Also included in…
2025 hasn’t treated all artificial intelligence stocks the same. From Google to Uber and less-well-known companies such as Constellation Software and Chegg in-between, analysts are weighing in on which international tech stocks will soar or stumble in the year ahead. The assessment comes as 2025 wraps up – a year characterised by an unprecedented wave…
New York — Statement by UNICEF as countries move to introduce social media bans for children “Across the globe, governments are debating how young is “too young” to use social media, with some introducing age-related restrictions across platforms. “These restrictions reflect genuine concern: children are facing bullying, exploitation, and exposure to harmful content online with…
The United States is seeking to introduce stricter digital-screening rules for millions of visitors entering the country under its Visa Waiver Program, proposing mandatory disclosure of social media activity spanning the past five years. A new public notice issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicates that the planned update to the Electronic System…
New Delhi is deepening economic ties with Moscow, despite pressure from Washington. India is hedging between energy security and strategic partnerships. Despite pressure from the United States, it has continued buying cheap Russian oil and has recently strengthened economic ties with Russia — from trade to weapons and critical minerals. But this is a delicate…
