WHY DID MARK ZUCKERBERG CHOOSE KUNAL SHAH AS WHATSAPP'S NEW CEO?

  The tech world is constantly evolving, and Meta has just announced a major change at the helm of WhatsApp. After several years of leadership, Will Cathcart is stepping down as CEO of WhatsApp. Under his leadership, the app became the world's most used messaging platform, with over 3 billion active users. 🔹 What Will Cathcart brought to WhatsApp During his tenure, he oversaw some of the biggest changes in the app's history: ✅ Strengthening end-to-end encryption to protect conversations. ✅ Deploying WhatsApp Business, now used by millions of businesses. ✅ Improving audio and video calls, which became more stable and of higher quality. ✅ Introducing Communities to organize groups at scale. ✅ Connect the same account on multiple devices. ✅ Create Channels, allowing creators, media outlets, and organizations to communicate with their followers. ✅ New privacy features: chat locking, disappearing messages, screenshot protection in certain situations, and enhanced control over personal data. Thanks to these innovations, WhatsApp has become much more than just a messaging app: it's now an essential tool for communicating, working, learning, and doing business. 🚀 Why did Mark Zuckerberg choose Kunal Shah? Kunal Shah's selection was no accident. A renowned entrepreneur in the technology and digital finance sectors, he is considered one of the most influential innovators of his generation. According to Meta, this appointment aims to prepare WhatsApp for the next stage of its development. 🎯 The main objectives of this new direction 🔹 Accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence (Meta AI) to offer a more powerful assistant directly within WhatsApp. 🔹 Further develop WhatsApp Business to provide businesses with new sales, customer service, and automation tools. 🔹 Expand digital payments and financial services in countries where this functionality is available. 🔹 Introduce new features while maintaining the simplicity that makes WhatsApp successful. 🔹 Strengthen the fight against scams, fake accounts, spam, and cyberattacks. 🔹 Improve the application's performance, speed, and stability. 🔹 Find new ways to generate revenue through business and professional services, without compromising end-to-end encryption of private conversations. 📌 Key Takeaways ➡️ WhatsApp has NOT been sold. ➡️ Its owner remains Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg. ➡️ The only change is the leadership of the app, with Kunal Shah taking the helm to lead a new phase of innovation. The coming years could see deeper integration of artificial intelligence, more powerful tools for businesses, more financial services, and new features for WhatsApp's billions of users. 💬 Do you think this new leadership will allow WhatsApp to remain the world's number one messaging app? 

FARDC has announced the recapture of several strategic positions in south Kivu

According to the spokesperson for Operation Sukola 2 South in South Kivu, the FARDC claims to have recaptured several strategic positions in the Minembwe highlands, including the village of Kitavi, the town of Irundu, and positions located in Madegu, following operations conducted against armed groups active in the area.

🔴 Recapture of several strategic positions around Minembwe town

🔴 Continued military operations to restore state authority

🔴 Attempt to retake the Minembwe town airfield

🔴 Reports of bombings that hit the general hospital and civilian homes

🔴 Calls from the population for swift intervention to strengthen their security

The FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) indicate they are continuing their operations to secure the population and consolidate their presence in this part of the Fizi territory, South Kivu.

BENI: PANIC IN KALONGO, POPULATION FLEE AS ​​SUSOECTED ADF ATTACKS APPROACH.

On the night of June 13, 2026, widespread panic gripped the population of Kalongo, in the Beni territory. Men, women, and children were seen running in various directions, fearing for their safety in the face of reports of the alleged approach of ADF elements.

This latest alert reignites the anxieties of residents in a region regularly plagued by insecurity and attacks attributed to the ADF. In recent months, several deadly incidents have been reported in the Beni region, causing population displacement and a climate of constant fear.

Detailed Illustrations on how security agencies easily track our locations basing on our Mobile phones.

PHONE LOCATION BY CELL TOWERS

1) BASIC IDEA

A mobile phone can be located because it is always exchanging radio signals

with nearby cellular towers. When the phone makes a call, receives a call,

uses mobile data, sends SMS, or even stays idle on the network, the operator

can estimate the phone's position from tower-related information.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

2) MAIN NETWORK ELEMENTS

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ Mobile Phone / UE ]

   - UE = User Equipment

   - Sends and receives radio signals

[ BTS / NodeB / eNodeB / gNodeB ]

   - The radio tower/base station

   - Receives the phone signal

   - 2G = BTS

   - 3G = NodeB

   - 4G = eNodeB

   - 5G = gNodeB

[ BSC / RNC ]

   - BSC = Base Station Controller (mainly 2G)

   - RNC = Radio Network Controller (mainly 3G)

   - Controls radio resources and handover

[ Core Network / MSC / EPC / 5GC ]

   - MSC = Mobile Switching Center for voice in older networks

   - Core network manages sessions, mobility, and subscriber connection

[ Location Server / Positioning System ]

   - Uses measurements from one or more towers

   - Calculates estimated phone position

----------------------------------------------------------------------

3) SIMPLE WORKING FLOW

----------------------------------------------------------------------

            SIGNAL / CALL / DATA REQUEST

                     from phone

                          |

                          v

                    [ MOBILE PHONE ]

                          |

             --------------------------------

             |              |               |

             v              v               v

          [Tower A]      [Tower B]       [Tower C]

             |              |               |

             |---- signal measurements -----|

                          |

                          v

                 [BSC / RNC / Radio Control]

                          |

                          v

                  [Core Network / MSC / EPC]

                          |

                          v

                 [Location Server / Algorithm]

                          |

                          v

              Estimated Position of the Phone

----------------------------------------------------------------------

4) HOW THE NETWORK ESTIMATES LOCATION

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A) CELL ID METHOD

-----------------

The simplest method.

The network knows which tower and which sector the phone is connected to.

Example:

- If the phone is connected to Tower A, Sector 2,

  then the phone is somewhere inside that coverage area.

Advantages:

- Very simple

- Fast

- Works even with limited information

Disadvantages:

- Not very accurate

Typical accuracy:

- Dense city area: around 100 to 500 meters

- Rural area: 1 km to several km

----------------------------------------------------------------------

B) SECTOR INFORMATION

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Most towers do not cover all directions equally.

They usually have 3 sectors, such as:

- Sector 1 = 0° to 120°

- Sector 2 = 120° to 240°

- Sector 3 = 240° to 360°

If the phone is connected to one specific sector,

the network narrows the location to that direction.

Example:

- Tower A, Sector 1 means the phone is likely in front of that antenna sector,

  not behind the tower.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

C) SIGNAL STRENGTH METHOD

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The network compares signal power levels from nearby towers.

Idea:

- Stronger signal usually means closer distance

- Weaker signal usually means farther distance

Used measurements may include:

- RSSI = Received Signal Strength Indicator

- RSRP = Reference Signal Received Power in LTE

- SINR / SNR also help quality estimation

Limitations:

- Buildings, trees, weather, reflections, and terrain affect signal strength

- Strong signal does not always mean exact short distance

----------------------------------------------------------------------

D) TIMING-BASED METHOD

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The network can estimate how long the signal takes to travel

between the phone and the tower.

Examples:

- Timing Advance in GSM

- Time of Arrival (TOA)

- Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA)

- Observed Time Difference methods

Idea:

- Radio waves travel at nearly the speed of light

- Small time differences help estimate distance from multiple towers

If 3 or more towers measure timing differences,

the network can estimate a better location.

This is often called trilateration in practical use.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

E) ANGLE-BASED METHOD

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Some advanced systems estimate the direction

from which the signal reached the tower.

Example:

- Tower A says signal came from northeast direction

- Tower B says signal came from west-southeast direction

Where those directional lines cross,

the network gets an estimated phone position.

This is called Angle of Arrival (AOA) in some systems.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

F) HANDOVER / NEIGHBOR MEASUREMENT METHOD

----------------------------------------------------------------------

As a phone moves:

- Tower connection changes

- Neighbor tower measurements also change

The network studies:

- Which tower was serving before

- Which tower is serving now

- Handover timing

- Neighbor cell reports

This helps estimate movement path and direction.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

5) TRIANGULATION VS TRILATERATION

----------------------------------------------------------------------

People often say "triangulation" generally,

but technically there is a difference:

[ Triangulation ]

- Uses angles

[ Trilateration ]

- Uses distances

In mobile networks, many real systems use distance/time/signal estimates,

so the practical method is often closer to trilateration.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

6) LOCATION EXAMPLE

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Suppose:

- Tower A receives strong signal

- Tower B receives medium signal

- Tower C receives weaker signal

Possible interpretation:

- Phone is closer to Tower A

- Farther from Tower B

- Even farther from Tower C

If timing difference is also known:

- Tower A to phone distance estimated = 300 m

- Tower B to phone distance estimated = 500 m

- Tower C to phone distance estimated = 700 m

The intersection of these estimated distances gives

an approximate phone location.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

7) PRACTICAL ASCII DIAGRAM

----------------------------------------------------------------------

                        [ Tower A ]

                           /\

                          /  \

                         /    \

                        /      \

                       /        \

                      /          \

                     /            \

                    /              \

             [ Mobile Phone ]------[ Tower B ]

                    \

                     \

                      \

                       \

                        \

                         \

                        [ Tower C ]

Explanation:

- Multiple towers detect the same phone

- Network compares signal/time/sector data

- Position is estimated near the intersection area

----------------------------------------------------------------------

8) MORE REALISTIC TELECOM DIAGRAM

----------------------------------------------------------------------

                  =============================

                  PHONE LOCATION BY CELL TOWERS

                  =============================

                  [Mobile Phone / UE]

                           |

          ------------------------------------------------

          |                      |                       |

          v                      v                       v

     [BTS / eNodeB A]      [BTS / eNodeB B]       [BTS / eNodeB C]

          |                      |                       |

          |<----- radio measurements / reports --------->|

          |                      |                       |

          ------------------- aggregation ----------------

                                   |

                                   v

                          [BSC / RNC / Radio Ctrl]

                                   |

                                   v

                          [Core Network / MSC / EPC]

                                   |

                                   v

                         [Location Engine / Server]

                                   |

                ---------------------------------------------

                |                     |                     |

                v                     v                     v

         [Cell ID Estimate]   [Timing Estimate]    [Sector/Signal Estimate]

                \                     |                     /

                 \                    |                    /

                  \---------------- final estimated ------/

                               phone position

----------------------------------------------------------------------

9) ACCURACY LEVELS

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A) Cell ID only

- Accuracy: low

- City: maybe 100 to 500 meters

- Rural: may be 1 km to several km

B) Cell ID + sector + signal data

- Accuracy: medium

- Often better than simple Cell ID

C) Multi-tower timing methods

- Accuracy: better

- Can be tens to hundreds of meters depending on environment

D) Tower data + GNSS/GPS + Wi-Fi assistance

- Accuracy: best among common consumer methods

- Often a few meters to tens of meters

Note:

Actual accuracy depends heavily on:

- Number of nearby towers

- Tower density

- Terrain

- Indoor vs outdoor

- Network technology

- Device capability

----------------------------------------------------------------------

10) 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G DIFFERENCE

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ 2G ]

- Basic Cell ID and timing advance

- Lower accuracy

[ 3G ]

- Better radio measurements possible

- Improved positioning methods

[ 4G ]

- Better timing and signal reporting

- More accurate in many cases

[ 5G ]

- Can improve location due to:

  - Denser small cells

  - Better timing precision

  - Advanced beamforming

- Potentially much more accurate

----------------------------------------------------------------------

11) WHY CITY LOCATION IS BETTER THAN RURAL

----------------------------------------------------------------------

In cities:

- Many towers exist close together

- Smaller cells

- More measurement points

In rural areas:

- Towers are far apart

- Cells are bigger

- Fewer measurement sources

Therefore:

- City = better accuracy

- Rural = lower accuracy

----------------------------------------------------------------------

12) WHAT HAPPENS DURING A CALL

----------------------------------------------------------------------

When a call starts:

1. Phone sends connection request

2. Nearby serving tower receives it

3. Network authenticates the subscriber

4. Voice path is established through core network

5. During the call, towers continue measuring radio conditions

6. Network may use these measurements for location estimation

If the phone moves:

- Handover occurs from one tower to another

- The handover sequence also helps track movement area

----------------------------------------------------------------------

13) WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PHONE IS IDLE

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Even when not in an active call:

- The phone still updates its location area / tracking area

- The network knows the approximate serving cell

- This gives rough location, not exact real-time GPS-level position

----------------------------------------------------------------------

14) COMMON LOCATION INPUTS USED BY NETWORK

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Possible inputs include:

- Serving Cell ID

- Neighbor Cell IDs

- Sector ID

- Signal strength

- Timing advance

- Propagation delay

- Handover history

- Angle estimate

- Device measurement reports

----------------------------------------------------------------------

15) LIMITATIONS

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Location from towers is not perfect because:

- Radio signals bounce from buildings

- Indoor coverage changes signal behavior

- Weather and terrain affect propagation

- Tower load and antenna tilt affect coverage shape

- Strong signal may come from reflection, not direct path

- A phone may connect to a tower that is not the physically nearest one

So tower-based location is always an estimate.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

16) INDOOR VS OUTDOOR

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ Outdoor ]

- Usually better accuracy

- More direct line-of-sight to towers

[ Indoor ]

- Lower accuracy

- Walls and concrete weaken and reflect signals

- The phone may appear farther or closer than reality

----------------------------------------------------------------------

17) ROLE OF GPS AND A-GPS

----------------------------------------------------------------------

GPS uses satellites.

Cell tower positioning uses terrestrial radio network.

A-GPS = Assisted GPS

- Mobile network helps the phone get GPS data faster

- Speeds up location fix

- Improves startup time

Combination methods are strongest:

- GPS

- Cell towers

- Wi-Fi

- Device sensors

----------------------------------------------------------------------

18) VERY SIMPLE ANALOGY

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Imagine 3 people standing in different places.

Your phone "shouts" a signal.

- One person hears you:

  They only know your rough area

- Two people hear you:

  They narrow your area more

- Three people hear you:

  They estimate your position much better

That is how multiple towers help locate the phone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

19) SHORT SUMMARY

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A phone is located in relation to towers by using:

- Which tower is serving it

- Which sector antenna is serving it

- Signal strength

- Timing difference between multiple towers

- Direction information in some advanced systems

- Movement and handover history

More towers + better measurements = better location accuracy

----------------------------------------------------------------------

20) ONE-LINE FINAL ANSWER

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A mobile phone is located relative to cell towers by measuring which towers

receive its signal, how strong the signal is, which sector hears it, and how

long the signal takes to arrive, then combining those measurements to estimate

the phone's position.

=====================================================================By:N.E

======================================================================

ADF attacks Lezigo,kilks six and many taken hostage

 The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) have just released the toll from a new ADF attack in Lezigo/Kididiwe, one of the outlying districts of Beni, which houses a major army and MONUSCO base.

The toll is:

- 6 dead, including 5 civilians

- 2 wounded

- 10 hostages freed by the FARDC

Is Colonel Serugaba calling Twirwaneho lay down weapons?

  Colonel Serugaba of Twiwaneho recently asked their leaders to leave Minembwe because Twiwaneho scattered because of FARDC fire.

In this message, he confirms that they have no other choice but to leave Minembwe and flee the FARDC (Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Wazalendo claims that these  Twirwaneho/Rwandans are in Minembwe because of corrupt leaders, but they no longer have ability  to withstand FARDC fire.

This is a message being claimed by Wazakendo's as Col.Serugaba's.

Is the bombings on ADF camps done with precise intelligence information,The terrain hinders preciseness!

 The issue of bombing the camps/bases/bastions of the ADF/ISCAP continues to be the subject of heated debate among Congolese, Ugandan security services including in the mission of the Nations.

Several parameters block, for example, a widespread bombing operation on these routes used by #ADF fighters.

- Amongst these blockades, the presence of several hostages, often used as human shields by the ADF/ISCAP, comprising mainly women and children who cannot fight. They serve as gatekeepers, trackers or are members of sleeper cells (these elements that can leave the maquis and come settle in the agglomerations to conduct espionage).

- Since the majority of ADF/ISCAP fighters are recruited by force or by cunning, regular armies prefer to engage in ground combat to maximize the chances of capture, surrender and direct elimination of harmful fighters who do not choose the first two options. The capture or surrender of these fighters allows intelligence to gather information that was impossible to obtain, given the mutism that has characterized the ADF for at least 3 decades.

- The relief and forest vegetation where the ADF/ISCAP camps are located is a real challenge for them to carry out targeted bombing operations by helicopters and drones. The ADF/ISCAP, on the other hand, anticipating these threats by digging underground lodges in the bases where their headquarters are located to allow their leaders to take shelter in these bunkers in case of possible airstrike targeting.

- The Ugandan army tried to bomb these ADF/ISCAP positions 3 or 4 times but it was based on accurate information on the location of the ADF/IScAP leadership established based on an infiltration of the Ugandan intelligence services in the ADF/ ISCAP Command Channel. Unfortunately, the information provided was outdated in terms of timing. Bombing had been allowed while ADF/ISCAP leadership had left the targeted location, warned by the same circuit infiltrated by the UPDF. The bombings had neutralized some fighters, but not the leadership who had warned some ministers before the strikes.

In illustration pictures: Mussa Baluku, commander of the ADF/ISCAP and considered by the Islamic State as the Emir of their province of Central Africa (DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi... Mozambique had been detached from this province in May 2025). In these pictures Imam Mussa Baluku conducts allegiance or renewal ceremonies (bayah) to Islamic State or other sermons in ADF camps in Kivu or Ituri. In one of these photos (the second of this post) the ISIS had forgotten to blur his face.

In the publication of their photos of Tabaski 2026 celebration, made public by the Islamic State, the #ADF/#ISCAP highlighted several children.

This communication attempts to demonstrate that the group will remain operational for several years as children born and raised in radicalism and indoctrination apply the laws of these systems ruthlessly.

The Islamic State at the level of its central leadership has chosen to hide the faces of adults because they are often sent on mission in agglomerations but preferred to leave children with their faces uncovered because they do not go out without a frame.