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.
Tech & Innovation
Fibre and mobile data, smartphone launches, AI, cybersecurity, fintech, startups and telecoms across South Africa and Africa.
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.
Experts warn of threats of AI bioterrorism (opens on the publisher’s site)
Information used by AI to make a vaccine can also “create a bioweapon,” one Google DeepMind researcher told the FT.
Why wait? Business grads buying firms to install themselves as CEO (opens on the publisher’s site)
Impatient to be the boss of an established company they are borrowing money to fund their purchases.
Textual sleuths fight AI slop with Pangram (opens on the publisher’s site)
Pangram has recently been credited with helping implode a lucrative book deal and unmasking AI use at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
China ramps up brain computer interface push (opens on the publisher’s site)
China has approved a slew of brain-computer interface devices this year, in a bid to compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Startup launches AI physics lab to maximize data center efficiency (opens on the publisher’s site)
Physical Superintelligence launched out of stealth on Tuesday with $58 million in funding.
AI deployment in businesses outpaces trust, study finds (opens on the publisher’s site)
Nearly 90% of respondents to a SAS survey said AI agents play some decision-making role in their organizations, but only 66% said they trust AI.
OpenAI's Hugging Face hack reveals questions about AI predictability (opens on the publisher’s site)
Ancient civilizations are most known for one thing: conquering. And that’s the worry. If OpenAI’s agents are Romans, humanity represents the barbarians.
Niger’s failed coup is a warning to the Sahel’s military rulers: those with power must keep their promises (opens on the publisher’s site)
Niger’s military regime, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, faced its most significant challenge on 29 August 2026 since coming to power in 2023. For several hours, soldiers clashed with forces loyal to the junta across the capital, Niamey, in an apparent attempt to seize power. The situation…
