At Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026, the theme “Data, Compute & Energy: the power equation of the AI era ” captured a reality the digital economy can no longer ignore. Amid the global race to digitalize economies and strengthen economic competitiveness, a paradox is emerging. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services are often perceived…
A wheel loader operator fills a truck with ore at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020. Steve Marcus | Reuters A new race to secure critical minerals is unfolding across the global economy. From Washington’s proposed $12 billion Project Vault stockpile to expanding buffers in Asia and…
Megan Langton, tax attorney (left) and Micaela Paschini, team lead of Tax Legal at Tax Consulting. (Graphic by Nicola Mawson, with images sourced from Tax Consulting and LinkedIn) The buzz around Starlink’s potential entry into South African orbit has been focused on broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) but is also now raising questions about how…
The U.S. departure from the World Health Organization became official in late January 2026, according to the Trump administration – a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on inauguration day of his second term declaring that he was doing so. He first stated his intention to do so during his first term…
The world has moved beyond a water crisis and into a state of global water bankruptcy, says a new flagship report released on Tuesday by UN researchers. For decades, scientists, policymakers and the media warned of a “global water crisis,” implying temporary shock – followed by recovery. What is now emerging in many regions, however,…
Amid alarming global water shortages, a UN report declares a new era of ‘water bankruptcy’, emphasising the need for urgent action and redefined policies to address irreversible losses. United Nations water experts are calling for the formal recognition of a new era of global water “bankruptcy”, arguing that terms such as water “stress” or “crisis”…
Technology industry experts have warned that the global memory chip shortage, which is fuelling a sharp rise in the price of computers, is likely not a short-term spike. Mustek chief technology officer Dimitri Tserpes told TechCentral this week that the RAM shortage does not only affect computers, TVs and gaming consoles, but other electronic devices…
Morocco has become a hub for EV production, attracting global automakers, while Egypt has partnered with Chinese firms to produce electric buses Johannesburg, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | A Ugandan-built electric bus has begun its return journey to Kampala after completing a 7,125-kilometre drive to Cape Town, organisers say, marking one of the continent’s…
The world today is shaped by a series of overlapping crises, what many now call a polycrisis. From geopolitical conflicts and shifting trade alliances to climate shocks and economic volatility, these forces are changing how nations and businesses operate. For Africa, these disruptions bring undeniable risks. However, resilience should also necessitate that we turn crisis…
Nairobi, Kenya — The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) heralds a transformative milestone in African aviation with the full operational deployment of Free Route Airspace (FRA) in the Western and Central Africa (WACAF) region, effective 30 October 2025. This landmark achievement, transitioning from successful trials initiated in November 2023, will allow any airline to plan and…
