IBM launches Sovereign Core to embed digital sovereignty into Cloud and AI workloads
20 February 2026
IBM has introduced IBM Sovereign Core, a groundbreaking software foundation designed to embed digital sovereignty controls directly into the architecture of cloud-native and AI workloads. The launch responds to growing concerns over cross-border data access, operational control, and compliance amid escalating geopolitical tensions and increasingly stringent regulatory environments.
As digital sovereignty extends beyond simple data residency, it now encompasses control over infrastructure, software, identity and access management, encryption keys, auditability, and the jurisdiction where AI models are hosted and inference is conducted. IBM Sovereign Core aims to give enterprises, governments, and service providers sovereignty "as an inherent property of the software," allowing them to operate within their own jurisdictional boundaries without relying on overlays or external controls.
Find out more Central African Republic’s cryptocurrency ambitions turn sour amid risks of criminal exploitation
20 February 2026
What was heralded as a bold move to modernize its economy and gain financial independence has largely unraveled in the Central African Republic, according to a new report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Three years after adopting Bitcoin as legal tender and launching a string of digital currency projects, the nation’s cryptocurrency experiment is revealing the darker side of blockchain—opaque, vulnerable to criminal exploitation, and failing to deliver on its promises of inclusion and sovereignty.
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Strengthening cybersecurity through smarter vendor risk management
20 February 2026
Ryan Boyes, Governance, Risk, and Compliance Officer at Galix
Vendor risk management has shifted from an administrative task to a strategic discipline, which shapes how well organisations protect themselves.
Many businesses rely heavily on third parties for essential services but underestimate how much sensitive data these partners hold or assume that responsibility shifts entirely once work is outsourced. Without clear standards, specialist support and continuous oversight, vendors quickly become one of the weakest links in an organisation’s security posture.
Find out more $36 billion annually needed by 2040 to accelerate Africa’s digital infrastructure growth
17 February 2026
A new report titled "African Development Dynamics 2025: Infrastructure, Growth and Transformation," published in late November by OECD and the African Union Commission, highlights that Africa must invest $36 billion annually in fiber optic cables by 2040 to drive its productive transformation.
This figure accounts for roughly 23% of Africa’s total annual infrastructure needs, estimated at $155 billion, though it remains lower than investments required for roads ($50 billion) and railways ($38 billion).
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