Latest news with #interoperability
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Member States and West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) participating Countries Validate Regional Strategies to Strengthen Identity Systems Interoperability and Stakeholder Engagement
The ECOWAS Commission and the World Bank, through the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) programme, convened a regional validation workshop from 24 to 27 June 2025 in Accra, Ghana. The workshop brought together foundational identity (fID) agencies and functional service providers from WURI participating countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Togo), alongside representatives from ECOWAS Member States, to review and validate two strategic documents: the Stakeholders Assessment, Engagement and Management Strategy, and the Foundational Identification Systems Interoperability and Mutual Recognition of ID Credentials Strategy. The aim of the Stakeholders Strategy is to ascertain the broad spectrum of actors in the foundational and functional ID ecosystems in the countries while the Interoperability Strategy aims to support the countries to make informed decision in the formulation, harmonisation and adoption of a common position on the f ID systems interoperability and mutual recognition of f ID credentials agenda. The latter equally seeks to guide the WURI participating countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Togo) on the right steps towards the realisation of the programme success. Delivering the keynote address, Ghana's Minister of the Interior, Honourable Mubarak MOHAMMED-MUNTAKA, emphasized the profound importance of identity, not merely as legal recognition but as a fundamental human right and an enabler of access to services, social protection, security, economic inclusion, and regional integration. He praised the WURI initiative as a vital opportunity to ensure that 'everyone counts'. ' WURI represents our collective aspiration for a more inclusive and connected West Africa, where everyone counts,' he stated. Mr. Emil Tesliuc, Senior Economist and Social Protection Specialist/WURI Regional Task Team Leader of the World Bank urged all participants to reflect on the significance of WURI's development agenda of fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals target 16.9 – 'to provide legal identity for all, including birth registration' – by 2030, and its transformative potential in the West African region in creating a seamless, interoperable ID system that will serve as a tool for inclusion, regional integration and development, whilst mitigating the negative effects of the use of multiple single-use functional ID credentials for service delivery – the effect of which is disproportionately borne by the poor and marginalised population. The Chairperson of the Coordination Committee and WURI Project Coordinator of Niger, Mr. Abdourazakhe ABANI on his part, stressed the importance of preserving the principles of integration which are essential and indispensable to the survival of African nations and urged everyone to participate actively in the workshop as it is helping to put in place instruments that will enable millions of citizens living in our common space to access basic services offered by public and private providers in each country and on a cross-border scale. Speaking on behalf of H.E. Mrs Massandje TOURÉ-LITSE, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Albert SIAW-BOATENG, Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration, stated: ' The Strategies were developed in such a manner that the accomplishments in the WURI participating countries are not infringed upon and they are coming to fruition at a time countries across the region are digitising their ID systems for improved service delivery, free mobility of persons, and regional integration '. He also expressed hope that the strategies would be utilised in a such a manner that WURI is beneficial to all – the people, the governments and businesses. The Strategies were developed in collaboration and coordination with the lead ID agencies in the region, including Burkina Faso and Niger and are expected to guide long-term digital transformation efforts in the identity and service delivery space. The workshop featured stimulating deliberations which resulted in concrete recommendations amongst which include for the region to advance its digitisation agenda particularly that its benefits outweighs the risks and for ECOWAS and WURI participating countries to adopt a progressive approach to the deployment of interoperability due to the varying levels of development of countries' f ID systems and of maturity of their digital economy ecosystems. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
GSM Arena
4 days ago
- GSM Arena
WhatsApp is testing a new guest chats feature
Michail, 05 August 2025 WhatsApp is testing a new guest chats feature that allows users to start a chat with people who do not have a WhatsApp account. As uncovered by WABetaInfo, the feature is present in the WhatsApp beta for Android (version 2.25.22.13), and it is expected to be implemented in the regular WhatsApp Android and iOS apps in the near future. WhatsApp guest chats feature The guest chat feature allows WhatsApp users to send a chat link via text message, email or social media to people in their contacts who do not have the app or an active WhatsApp account. Once the link is opened, the non-WhatsApp user will be transferred to a platform similar to WhatsApp Web, where they can chat with WhatsApp users with end-to-end encryption. Guest chats come with several limitations as users won't be able to send media files, GIFs, voice messages or start video calls. They work on WhatsApp's own ecosystem. The new feature is likely implemented as part of the European Union's platform interoperability measures, which require different online services to communicate with each other. Source
GSM Arena
4 days ago
- GSM Arena
WhatsApp is testing a new guest chats feature
WhatsApp is testing a new guest chats feature that allows users to start a chat with people who do not have a WhatsApp account. As uncovered by WABetaInfo, the feature is present in the WhatsApp beta for Android (version 2.25.22.13), and it is expected to be implemented in the regular WhatsApp Android and iOS apps in the near future. WhatsApp guest chats feature The guest chat feature allows WhatsApp users to send a chat link via text message, email or social media to people in their contacts who do not have the app or an active WhatsApp account. Once the link is opened, the non-WhatsApp user will be transferred to a platform similar to WhatsApp Web, where they can chat with WhatsApp users with end-to-end encryption. Guest chats come with several limitations as users won't be able to send media files, GIFs, voice messages or start video calls. They work on WhatsApp's own ecosystem. The new feature is likely implemented as part of the European Union's platform interoperability measures, which require different online services to communicate with each other. Source
The Verge
4 days ago
- The Verge
WhatsApp without the WhatsApp.
Posted Aug 5, 2025 at 8:13 AM UTC WhatsApp without the WhatsApp. We've known WhatsApp is working on chats with other apps for some time, in order to comply with EU rules on interoperability, but Meta is also working on chats without any app at all. WABetaInfo found evidence for 'guest chats' in a beta build, which let users send a link for an online chat, no app or account required. It'll be encrypted, but limited to text only — no voice calls, group chats, or even GIFs. WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.22.13: what's new? [ Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Dominic Preston Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Dominic Preston Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Meta Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Social Media Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
'Firsts' abound in latest Talisman Sabre joint military drills
The array of new tactics and weapons being tried out by the militaries of the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies in multinational drills are helping them become more interoperable than ever before as they prepare for potential emergencies. This was particularly the case in this year's Exercise Talisman Sabre, as the drills that began July 13 and wrap up Monday saw over 80 "firsts" in which participants either tested new systems or performed certain combined activities for the first time, the exercise's director, Australian Army Brig. Damian Hill, told The Japan Times. Held across Australia, and for the first time overseas in Papua New Guinea, this year's iteration of the exercise was the largest ever, with six new countries — India, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand — participating for the first time. The large-scale drills saw more than 40,000 personnel train together across five domains — sea, land, air, space and cyberspace — in a flurry of maneuvers that included live-fire and field training activities, amphibious landings as well as air combat and maritime operations. Mobile long-range strike systems featured prominently as the U.S. and its allies demonstrated their ability to hit maritime targets from land-based launchers. 'The crux of Talisman Sabre is that it's a warfighting exercise,' said Hill. 'We practice multinational, joint warfighting,' he said, adding that this sends a strategic message that 'we are really serious about collective security in the Indo-Pacific.' The activities also help strengthen ties between allies and partners, while providing opportunities to identify capability gaps, innovate and enhance what he described as 'human, technical and procedural interoperability.' 'When you work along with other nations, including their technologies and capabilities, you need to understand their tactics, techniques and standard operating procedures,' Hill said. This can range from discussing how a country would undertake certain military operations all the way to how to make each other's communication systems talk to each other. 'We don't want to have to work out each other's nuances in a time of need,' Hill said. 'We want to understand them immediately and be able to solve any issues as soon as they emerge.' One way of doing this is by rehearsing joint and integrated operations. This included three firsts: Australia's inaugural launch of a U.S.-made, 500-kilometer-range Precision Strike Missile from a HIMARS launcher; the first U.S. firing of a Mid-Range Capability missile west of the International Date Line; and the first time Australia directly assisted Japan in launching Type-12 anti-ship missiles Referring to the latter, Hill said this year's Type-12 test-firing was 'much more complex' than that conducted by the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) in 2023, with the standoff missiles simultaneously hitting an unmanned target at sea, despite having been fired with different trajectories. 'Australia had maritime helicopters providing a Link-16 tactical picture to assist the Japanese radar systems track the target,' he said. 'We could also provide some telemetry feedback to the JGSDF to advance our interoperability and understanding of how our systems might work together in the future.' Australian Army Brig. Damian Hill, director of thie summer's Exercise Talisman Sabre, attends the drills' opening ceremony onboard the HMAS Adelaide in Sydney on July 12. | AUSTRALIA DEFENSE DEPARTMENT Overall, Hill said, the Self-Defense Forces brought not only 1,500 personnel to Talisman Sabre — about 200 more than last time — but also 'a level of sophistication not seen before' at the biennial exercise. Another first at Talisman Sabre included a combined, joint live-firing of the HIMARS weapon by Singapore, the U.S. and Australia. Although practicing on HIMARS is not new, the drill was significant as it involved multiple platforms from three different countries firing simultaneously on the same target using an interoperable system. South Korea and Japan also took part using the K239 Chunmoo and Type-03 missile systems, respectively. While Hill stressed that Talisman Sabre is not aimed at any specific country and that each of the participants aims to send out its 'own strategic messaging,' several of the missile systems tested have long been touted as being potentially critical in any emergency over Taiwan. From the Pentagon's perspective, these often interoperable ground-based missile systems can be used to hold maritime targets at risk — a key part of the U.S. strategy for countering China's own regional military strategy. But this year's iteration was about much more than just firing and experimenting with missile systems. It also saw Britain's Prince of Wales aircraft carrier and the U.S. Air Force's RC-135W Rivet Joint intelligence-gathering aircraft take part for the first time. Another first was the creation of a multinational information operations center that grouped 12 participating nations, including Japan. Talisman Sabre also served as a technological test bed, Hill said, with unmanned systems of all types playing critical roles. 'Instead of running separate trials, we used the exercise to test new concepts, ideas and put these capabilities in the hands of our troops, as they are the best test beds any modernizer will ever get,' he said, adding that a total of 42 experiments were conducted by the U.S., Australia and Japan alone, stretching over several domains. The ability to communicate with underwater autonomous systems was the focus of one trial that Japan conducted with the U.S., Australia and Britain — members of the AUKUS partnership — on the sidelines of the exercise. The move was linked to AUKUS's Pillar II, which centers around developing and sharing advanced capabilities. Japan's role in Talisman Sabre has come a long way since it began taking part as an observer in 2007. With a reciprocal access agreement between Tokyo and Canberra now in place, Hill said he hopes the SDF, which also took part in several amphibious drills, can come out in even larger numbers in 2027 and play a greater role in amphibious, logistics, cyber and aerial operations. 'We're hoping they can join with a force of maybe up to 2,000,' he said, adding that Japan could also contribute greatly to medical interoperability. 'Based on what we did this year, that ability to advance cross-accreditation of their medical capabilities is really powerful for interoperability.'
