In August 1602, more than 1 100 investors – from wealthy merchants to ordinary craftsmen – subscribed to the world’s first initial public offering. The Dutch East India Company, the VOC, raised Gld6.4-million to build a maritime trade network stretching from Amsterdam to the East Indies. On 12 June 2026, SpaceX raised US$75-billion in the…
A new international coalition launched in Geneva on Tuesday is setting out to make sure children’s safety and rights are not an afterthought as artificial intelligence reshapes how they learn, play and grow up. The Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence brings together governments, UN agencies, tech companies, civil…
UN cultural agency UNESCO has launched a global consultation process to inform its Draft Guidance on Fair Compensation for News, particularly as online platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly rely on journalistic content. The initiative comes “at a time when securing the sustainability of news media is more urgent than ever to protect the future…
Meru County, Kenya – Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, Wanjiru Kamau heads out from her home in Mikumbune village in South Imenti Constituency to run five kilometres (3.2 miles). She is 82 years old. The red-earthed roads of Meru County, in Kenya’s central highlands, roughly 314 kilometres from Nairobi, have become something close to a…
Australia’s decision to restrict social media access for children under 16 has attracted global attention. Supporters argue that the measure is a necessary response to growing concerns about cyberbullying, harmful content, compulsive usage patterns and deteriorating adolescent mental health. Similar proposals are now being discussed in Europe and elsewhere. South Africa’s communications minister, Solly Malatsi…
A new United Nations report has raised alarms over slowing global progress in reducing child mortality, revealing that an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, with the majority succumbing to preventable causes. The report, “Levels & Trends in Child Mortality”, shows that while under-five deaths have dropped by more than…
An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new estimates released today. Most of these deaths are preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care. According to the report – Levels & Trends in Child Mortality – under-five deaths globally have fallen…
In biology and palaeontology (the study of extinct organisms) there are a few ways to estimate the age of an animal’s skeleton. One is the extent of fusion of sutures in the skeleton – how much the plates of bone have joined together as the animal matured. Another is the texture of the bone surfaces….
War, we know, is rarely the product of a single cause. More often, it is born of a convergence of political, economic, social, and ideological pressures. At its core, every war is an expression of what scholars call geopolitical contestation. It is a struggle among nations for influence, security, and advantage within the constraints of…
BBC’s Joe Tidy will unpack the surge of teenage-led cyber crime in his ITWeb Security Summit keynote. The motivations and targets of teenage hackers have evolved over the past 10 to 15 years, from an almost philanthropic nature to a greater focus on personal wealth and status. That’s according to Joe Tidy, cyber correspondent at…
