https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45723211

The Red Dragons, Tigers and Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) - these are just some of the armed groups which have sprung up to fight for independence in English-speaking parts of Cameroon, posing a major security threat to Sunday's elections, in which President Paul Biya, 85, is seeking to extend his 36-year rule.

In the absence of reliable opinion polls, it is impossible to gauge the level of their support but the authorities' brutal crackdown has only pushed more of the local population into the arms of the separatists, analysts say.

The militias, formed in the past 12 months, have made many small towns and villages in the two main Anglophone regions, the North-West and South-West, "ungovernable", something unimaginable just a few years ago, Nigeria-based Cameroon analyst Nna-Emeka Okereke told the BBC.

"They probably have 500 to 1,000 active fighters, but more importantly they have the morale and determination to fight for the independence of what they call Ambazonia state," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45732071

The Irish Data Protection Commission has formally begun an investigation into Facebook's recent data breach.

It will now decide whether the firm should be fined for failing to prevent hackers from being able to access up to 50 million users' accounts.

Earlier this year, the social network picked the regulator to be its "one-stop shop" for oversight of its compliance with EU privacy rules.

In theory, the watchdog can fine the US firm up to 4% of its global turnover.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45725572

At last, a technology solution to the Irish border problem post-Brexit.

No, it's not barcodes, augmented reality glasses or solar-powered drones, but that favourite of every consultant and futurist worth their salt, the blockchain.

And this time it is the Chancellor of the Exchequer who's apparently decided that if a distributed database can solve everything from global warming to age verification, then delivering frictionless trade should be a piece of cake.

"There is technology becoming available," said Philip Hammond when asked about solutions to the border problem at the Conservative Party conference."I don't claim to be an expert on it but the most obvious technology is blockchain."

Now, Mr Hammond shouldn't be embarrassed about his lack of expertise - I've spoken to countless blockchain entrepreneurs and consultants who have failed to give convincing explanations of what the technology does and why it is going to prove so revolutionary.