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SUNDAY, 18 JANUARY 2026, 23:48

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BIG TURN-OFF: Joburg residents in the dark as streetlight repair time skyrockets

Today at 23:17 PM, via Daily Maverick

If you think Johannesburg’s streets are looking a lot darker these days, your instincts are correct. A Daily Maverick community investigation has uncovered that the repair time for streetlights has doubled in the space of a year. Widespread crime, vandalism, and underspending are leaving frustrated residents in the dark for weeks, and in some cases, years.

South Africa

MTN Foundation Donates Digital Devices to Support DBE Back-to-School Campaign

Today at 21:49 PM, via iAfrica

MTN South Africa, through the MTN SA Foundation, has renewed its support for education by donating digital learning devices to selected schools nationwide as part of the Department of Basic Education’s Back-to-School Campaign. The initiative, launched at the start of the 2026 academic year, is aimed at improving access to digital learning tools, particularly for […]

South Africa

OpenAI to Test Ads in ChatGPT for Free, Go Users in U.S.

Today at 21:47 PM, via iAfrica

OpenAI will begin testing limited advertising in ChatGPT for users in the United States, expanding its revenue strategy while keeping access free for some customers. In a blog post published Friday, OpenAI said ads will roll out to its free tier and its Go tier. Go accounts, priced at $8 a month, were introduced globally […]

Business

Bad news for South African passport holders

Today at 16:00 PM, via BusinessTech

South African passport holders are facing a tougher global travel environment in 2026, with reduced visa-free access and growing barriers when applying for visas to some of the world’s most popular destinations.

Science/Tech

Hundreds Answer Europe’s ‘Public Call for Evidence’ on an Open Digital Ecosystem Strategy

Today at 22:57 PM, via Slashdot

The European Commission “has opened a public call for evidence on European open digital ecosystems,” writes Help Net Security, part of preparations for an upcoming Communication “that will examine the role of open source in EU’s digital infrastructure.”The consultation runs from January 6 to February 3, 2026. Submissions will be used to shape a Commission Communication addressed to the European...

Science/Tech

Microsoft Forced to Issue Emergency Out-of-Band Windows Update

Today at 21:34 PM, via Slashdot

The senior editor at the blog Windows Central decries two serious Windows issues “that were not spotted by Microsoft during testing, and are so severe that the company has now issued an emergency fix to address the problems.”Microsoft’s first update for Windows 11 in 2026 has already caused two major issues that saw users unable to fully shutdown their PCs or sign-in into a device when using...

Science/Tech

The Guardian view on microplastics research: questioning results is good for science, but has political consequences | Editorial

Today at 19:58 PM, via The Guardian

Errors in measuring microplastic pollution can be corrected. Public trust in science also needs to be shored up

It is true that science is self-correcting. Over the long term this means that we can generally trust its results – but up close, correction can be a messy process. The Guardian reported last week that 20 recent studies measuring the amount of micro- and nanoplastics in the human...