Tech & Innovation
Fibre and mobile data, smartphone launches, AI, cybersecurity, fintech, startups and telecoms across South Africa and Africa.
UMSC warns Muslim clerics against misusing social media (opens on the publisher’s site)
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council has urged Muslim clerics to use social media responsibly, warning that poorly contextualised religious messages can affect how audiences perceive Islam.
Babalanda urges youth to turn smartphones into 'pulpits' for evangelism (opens on the publisher’s site)
Presidency Minister Milly Babalanda has urged Ugandan youth to use smartphones and social media to spread the Christian gospel and promote responsible online behaviour.
Young praises Rashford and Shaw chemistry (opens on the publisher’s site)
Match of the Day pundit Ashley Young looks at Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw's connection on the left in Manchester United's 2-2 draw against Everton.at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The plant ecology and fynbos recovery of Lower Tokai — an alternative view (opens on the publisher’s site)
Full restoration of pristine Cape Flats Sand Plain Fynbos in Lower Tokai might be achievable in 100 to 200 years. A more honest and achievable path is a dedicated Sand Plain Fynbos ‘garden.’
OpenAI implicated in another hack (opens on the publisher’s site)
A swarm of OpenAI agents hacked a German website this spring, Reuters reported, in the latest incident of advanced AI violating laws and norms.
US envoys Witkoff and Kushner hold Ukraine talks after meeting Putin (opens on the publisher’s site)
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, seeking to revive efforts to end the war. But the latest diplomatic push seems to have produced no breakthrough.
Germany, Kosovo unite against ticks carrying deadly virus (opens on the publisher’s site)
Germany has high-security labs while Kosovo has Hyalomma ticks and experience with the deadly Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. Working together, German and Kosovar scientists are fighting the disease and its vectors.
Kremlin Says Ukraine Talks With U.S. Envoys Were 'Useful.' No Sign of Breakthrough. (opens on the publisher’s site)
U.S. envoys flew out of Moscow soon after the talks to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Sunday.
South Africa finish strongly to take 2-1 series lead against All Blacks (opens on the publisher’s site)
South Africa eventually overpower a spirited New Zealand as the world champions came on strong in the final quarter in Soweto to take a 2-1 series lead.
Senior aides to U.K.'s Nigel Farage step down in scandal over undercover report (opens on the publisher’s site)
Two senior aides to Nigel Farage, the firebrand leader of the U.K.'s populist Reform party, have stepped down in the wake of an investigative news report.
Tech Now (opens on the publisher’s site)
Laura Cress has the highlights from Gamescom, the biggest gaming convention in the world.
Astra kicks off AI monitoring debate (opens on the publisher’s site)
Astra appears to do less of its thinking out loud, giving researchers little insight into whether it might be hiding something or planning something it shouldn’t.
The hidden environmental cost of AI data centers (opens on the publisher’s site)
As data centers multiply to meet AI demand, they're straining power grids, draining water supplies and reshaping the land and air around them.
OpenAI's new Astra model has private thoughts (opens on the publisher’s site)
Existing frontier AI models use “chain of thought” reasoning: They write ideas down, in English, in a “scratchpad” to keep track. CoT boosts “interpretability”.
Ukrainian Drone Attacks Spark Fires at Sochi Fuel Depots (opens on the publisher’s site)
Local authorities said drone debris had fallen at multiple locations in the Black Sea port city, sparking several fires.
OpenAI begins phased rollout of GPT-6 Astra model (opens on the publisher’s site)
OpenAI said its new model surpasses Anthropic’s most advanced models and meaningfully approximates “artificial general intelligence.”
Google avoids another breakup (opens on the publisher’s site)
It is the third time in the last year that a judge has decided against breaking up a big tech company.
Saudi AI firm HUMAIN to launch giant global VC fund this year (opens on the publisher’s site)
The kingdom’s AI champion is also “hardening” data center defenses as the Iran war threatens infrastructure.
Early mammals weren’t all loners, as scientists thought – some already lived in pairs alongside the dinosaurs (opens on the publisher’s site)
Illustration of early mammals and dinosaurs. Generated by ChatGPT. About 200 million years ago, furry little egg-laying creatures evolved the ability to feed their offspring with a secretion from some special glands: milk. Their evolutionary journey continued and by about 160 million years ago…
This specialist forensic nurse in Germiston helped put a serial rapist behind bars (opens on the publisher’s site)
In a country like South Africa which grapples with a high prevalence of gender-based violence, forensic nursing unfortunately remains a largely overlooked specialisation, with little incentive for remuneration. One nurse tells Elna Schütz every flicker of hope a patient carries home is a reminder…
Ukrainian ex-defense minister launches Palantir-backed military tech firm (opens on the publisher’s site)
The move risks angering Ukraine’s European supporters, as defense expertise is likely to be shared with US firms instead.