Srinagar, India — A newly released United Nations report has raised urgent concerns that the world’s push toward clean energy and digital technologies is driving a hidden crisis in some of the planet’s most vulnerable regions, where mining for critical minerals is depleting water supplies, damaging health, and deepening inequality. The report, Critical Minerals, Water…
There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies – everything from AI to wind turbines, as well as cellphones, electric vehicles and defense systems – depend on critical minerals. But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with polluted…
In African countries, there’s a gap between the financing available for renewable energy and the projects its meant to reach. Funds are not reaching the right places and even as more funding is announced for clean energy, many projects don’t get off the ground because the financial tools available don’t fit their needs. For example,…
Low-emissions energy sources met all new global electricity demand for the first time last year, leaving no room for fossil fuels to grow, the energy think tank Ember has found. Solar power led the charge, meeting three-quarters of the 849 TWh in new demand. Wind power met almost all the rest. Recommended Stories list of…
No evidence consuming avocado seed can ‘clean’ womb or improve fertility IN SHORT: Despite medicinal use for some conditions, there is no scientific evidence that avocado seeds can improve fertility or “clean” the uterus. But research does suggest a generally healthy diet may improve the chances of getting pregnant. A series of popular Facebook posts…
The National Gambling Board’s gambling portal must stay updated to be effective. (Graphic: Nicola Mawson | ITWeb and Freepik) While the National Gambling Board’s (NGB’s) introduction of a portal that will allow punters to verify the legal status of online gambling sites is a welcome move, the industry also cautions that the database must be…
Richard Ford, group CTO, Integrity360. South African companies are sitting on a “figurative asbestos” of digital data that is costing them millions and exposing them to significant security risks. As the world marks International Digital Cleanup Day on 21 March, cyber security firms are urging businesses to tackle the growing threat of “data toxicity” –…
1m ago Iran claims “large volume” of attack drones “hitting U.S. positions” in Kuwait The Iranian Army claimed Friday to be unleashing “a large volume of Army attack drones” that it said were “hitting U.S. positions” in Kuwait. “Over the past hours, various types of attack drones from the Ground Forces carried out concentrated…
Blu Label Unlimited Group will post a massive basic earnings loss for the six months to end-November 2025, driven almost entirely by a R5.2-billion accounting hit linked to its disposal of control in Cell C – but the company is keen to draw attention to what it says is a far more meaningful picture of…
South Africa has committed to reaching phasing out human-caused carbon pollution by 2050. To get there, it needs to push as much renewable energy as possible into the national grid. The country is the world’s 15th largest carbon polluter. It’s one of only a handful of countries still heavily dependent on burning coal to generate…
