France’s lower house has overwhelmingly approved a bill to ease the return of artworks and artefacts looted during the colonial era, paving the way to address restitution requests from countries including Mali, Algeria and Benin. French lawmakers on Monday passed a bill to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their…
Every minute your kidneys are hard at work, filtering around 200 litres of blood, removing waste, balancing salts and fluids, and regulating blood pressure. This happens without any conscious effort on your part. But when your kidneys begin to fail, the consequences are devastating, including fatigue, fluid buildup and heart complications. Some people eventually need…
“Magic mushrooms” are consumed recreationally and for medicinal purposes around the world. These fungi gained their fame as “magic” because they produce chemical compounds (called psilocybin and psilocin) which have psychedelic effects. The most famous species of these mushrooms, due to their global distribution and ease of cultivation, is Psilocybe cubensis, known primarily from its…
For over three centuries, between 1526 and 1866, at least 10.5 million Africans were forcibly trafficked to the Americas in the transatlantic slave trade. Over half of them (with known places of departure) left from a 3,000km stretch of the west African coast between what are today Senegal and Gabon. Scholars trying to uncover the…
Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is upbeat about the energy sector for next year, saying it has moved from a “crisis” to a “catalyst” for economic growth. While announcing the first stage of the Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) programme and the additional preferred bidders under bid window 7 of the renewable energy…
Based on a zero-fee banking model, Bank Zero launched to the public in August 2021. The Competition Commission has recommended that the Competition Tribunal approves the proposed transaction whereby Lesaka intends to acquire Bank Zero, without conditions. This, after fintech group Lesaka Technologies in June announced it will acquire 100% of the issued ordinary shares…
A supermassive black hole violently gobbled up an enormous star, producing a cosmic outburst with the light of 10 trillion suns, according to a new study. The black hole flare, as the phenomenon is known, is thought to be the biggest and most distant ever recorded — it was detected from 10 billion light-years away. “This…
Minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. Image: GCIS Cabinet has approved the final draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which maps out the country’s future energy mix. Minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday that the details will be presented by energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on Sunday. IRP 2025 aims to balance supply and…
Africa’s fastest-growing but least-served online markets are set to gain more affordable, reliable, and higher-speed internet access through a partnership between Raxio Group, the continent’s most expansive data centre operator, and Laser Light Africa, the regional unit of the U.S.-based operator of one of the world’s most advanced integrated digital networks. The landmark agreement pairs…
IO Interactive, the developer behind the acclaimed Hitman series, is shifting from assassinations to espionage with its new game, 007: First Light. The title is a reimagined origin story that follows a less-than-refined Bond as he hunts down a rogue agent. During a closed-door briefing at Gamescom, the team showed off early gameplay that blends…
