Checkers has added conversational abilities to Pixie, the Sixty60 AI shopping assistant, closing the clearest gap between it and Penny, the rival Pick n Pay switched on in July. When Pick n Pay launched Penny, the two assistants were built on opposite philosophies. Penny, running on Google’s Gemini models, started from conversation: ask for a…
Officials say 76 of the roughly 179 people believed to have been aboard survived, and 53 bodies have been found so far. Published On 23 Jul 202623 Jul 2026 The expected death toll from Guyana’s ferry disaster over the weekend has climbed to around 100, with the authorities facing mounting pressure to explain how the…
Some of the most extraordinary gems ever found belong to a rare class of diamonds known as CLIPPIRs (Cullinan-like, Large, Inclusion-Poor, Pure, Irregular, Resorbed). They make up less than 1% of all diamonds on Earth, and include three of the largest diamonds ever recovered, the Cullinan, at 3,106 carats, found at the Premier mine in…
Ransomware operators do not keep office hours. (Image source: 123RF) The numbers tell a story most South African security leaders already feel. In its 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report, INTERPOL recorded 17 849 ransomware detections in South Africa during 2024, the highest figure on the continent and a concentration that puts the country firmly inside…
The Johannesburg High Court found that crypto-currency is subject to current forex rules. (Graphic: Nicola Mawson | Freepik) As government pushes ahead with plans to regulate cross-border crypto-currency flows, two High Court judgements have reached opposing conclusions on whether digital assets already fall within South Africa’s existing exchange control framework – leaving crypto holders in…
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters Tuesday that federal prosecutors are investigating potential violations of national security following a car accident in the northern Chihuahua state that killed two Mexican officers and two U.S. government agents. The two Americans killed in the crash were employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, multiple people familiar with the matter…
The UN chief on Tuesday applauded civil society groups for “shaking the foundations of privilege” in a male-dominated world, addressing a range of questions during a townhall meeting on the margins of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at UN Headquarters. “You are foundation-shakers,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told…
When we seek happiness, what exactly are we searching for? And when we wish happiness on someone else, what is it that we truly desire for them? Can happiness even be defined or is it an illusion, an impossible desire to fulfil? So then why are there so many happiness self-help books? What do they…
Universal health coverage – ensuring everyone can get quality, affordable healthcare when they need it – is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. But progress towards meeting this target has been elusive, especially in developing countries. In recent years, existing weaknesses in public health systems have been magnified by the COVID pandemic,…
A shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school. The CDC director fired by the Trump administration after she refuses to resign. Iowa Democrats are riding high off a string of wins. And a massive attack on Ukraine’s capital kills at least 15. Here’s what to know today. School shooting brings tragedy, questions and demand for action…
