Latest news with #SA
News24
6 hours ago
- Business
- News24
Taiwan weighs SA chip curb after Pretoria mission downgrade
Taiwan is considering imposing restrictions on semiconductor chip exports to SA after Pretoria officially downgraded its mission last week.
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- Science
- The Citizen
US, India launch powerful Earth-monitoring satellite
NISAR will scan nearly the entire planet every 12 days, detecting tiny Earth surface shifts with powerful radar technology. A formidable new radar satellite jointly developed by the United States and India launched Wednesday, designed to track subtle changes in Earth's land and ice surfaces and help predict both natural and human-caused hazards. Dubbed NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), the pickup truck-sized spacecraft blasted off around 5:40 pm (1210 GMT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India's southeastern coast, riding an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket. Livestream of the event showed excited schoolchildren brought to watch the launch and mission teams erupting in cheers and hugging. Highly anticipated by scientists, the mission has also been hailed as a milestone in growing US-India cooperation between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'Our planet surface undergoes constant and meaningful change,' Karen St Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science division, told reporters ahead of launch. ALSO READ: SA's MeerKAT telescope joins forces with European VLBI Network 'Some change happens slowly. Some happens abruptly. Some changes are large, while some are subtle.' By picking up on tiny changes in the vertical movement of the Earth's surface — as little as one centimeter (0.4 inches) — scientists will be able to detect the precursors for natural and human-caused disasters, from earthquakes, landsides and volcanoes to aging infrastructure like dams and bridges. 'We'll see land substance and swelling, movement, deformation and melting of mountain glaciers and ice sheets covering both Greenland and Antarctica, and of course, we'll see wildfires,' added St Germain, calling NISAR 'the most sophisticated radar we've ever built.' India in particular is interested in studying its coastal and nearby ocean areas by tracking yearly changes in the shape of the sea floor near river deltas and how shorelines are growing or shrinking. Data will also be used to help guide agricultural policy by mapping crop growth, tracking plant health, and monitoring soil moisture. ALSO READ: Japanese startup attempts historic moon landing Equipped with a 12-meter dish that will unfold in space, NISAR will record nearly all of Earth's land and ice twice every 12 days from an altitude of 464 miles (747 kilometers). Microwave frequencies As it orbits, the satellite will continuously transmit microwaves and receive echoes from the surface. Because the spacecraft is moving, the returning signals are distorted, but computer processing will reassemble them to produce detailed, high-resolution images. Achieving similar results with traditional radar would require an impractically large 12-mile-wide dish. NISAR will operate on two radar frequencies: L-band and S-band. The L-band is ideal for sensing taller vegetation like trees, while the S-band enables more accurate readings of shorter plants such as bushes and shrubs. ALSO READ: WATCH: Geomagnetic storm with 1 000km/s winds sweeps across Earth NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and India's ISRO shared the workload, each building components on opposite sides of the planet before integrating and testing the spacecraft at ISRO's Satellite Integration & Testing Establishment in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. NASA's contribution came to just under $1.2 billion, while ISRO's costs were around $90 million. India's space program has made major strides in recent years, including placing a probe in Mars orbit in 2014 and landing a robot and rover on the Moon in 2023. Shubhanshu Shukla, a test pilot with the Indian Air Force, recently became the second Indian to travel to space and the first to reach the International Space Station — a key step toward India's own indigenous crewed mission planned for 2027 under the Gaganyaan ('sky craft') program. – By: © Agence France-Presse
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Thailand and Cambodia trade allegations of truce breaking
Fresh clashes erupt despite a ceasefire meant to end deadly border fighting, with both nations accusing each other of violations. Thailand and Cambodia exchanged allegations on Wednesday of breaching a ceasefire deal which has largely halted the open combat that engulfed their frontier. The nations agreed a truce starting Tuesday after five days of clashes killed at least 43 on both sides, as a long-standing dispute over contested border temples boiled over into fighting on their 800-kilometre (500-mile) boundary. But Thailand's foreign ministry said its troops in Sisaket province 'came under attack by small arms fire and grenade assaults launched by Cambodian forces' in an offensive which continued until Wednesday morning. 'This represents a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement,' said a foreign ministry statement. Thai government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab also reported overnight clashes but said in a statement 'the Thai side maintained control of the situation' and 'general conditions along the border are reported to be normal' from 8:00 am (0100 GMT). ALSO READ: Thailand, Cambodia clash with jets and rockets in deadly border row On Wednesday a Cambodian defence ministry official accused Thailand of twice the previous day breaching the ceasefire, intended to end fighting which has seen the two countries evacuate a total of more than 300,000 people from the border region. At a temple in Thailand's Surin city serving as a shelter and field kitchen 50 kilometres away from the frontier, volunteer Thanin Kittiworranun said evacuees remain in limbo. 'We don't believe Cambodia will hold the ceasefire,' the 65-year-old told AFP. But an AFP journalist on the Cambodian side who heard a steady drumbeat of artillery fire since fighting began last Thursday reported hearing no blasts between the start of the truce and Wednesday morning. And Beijing said deputy foreign minister Sun Weidong hosted a Shanghai meeting with Thai and Cambodian officials where both 'reaffirmed to China their commitment to abide by the ceasefire consensus'. ALSO READ: SA acts against dumping of Chinese and Thai washing machines 'Still fragile' The armistice got off to a shaky start in the early hours of Tuesday, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of continuing attacks in 'a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust' — before peace generally prevailed. Meetings between rival commanders along the border — scheduled as part of the pact — went ahead, with Thailand's army saying de-escalation steps were agreed including 'a halt on troop reinforcements or movements that could lead to misunderstandings'. But later in the day a foreign affairs spokeswoman for Bangkok's border crisis centre, Maratee Nalita Andamo, warned: 'In this moment, in the early days of the ceasefire, the situation is still fragile'. Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 15 Thai troops and 15 Thai civilians, while Cambodia has confirmed only eight civilian and five military deaths. The flare-up has surpassed the death toll of 28 in violence that raged sporadically from 2008 to 2011 over the territory, claimed by both nations because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. ALSO READ: Myanmar holds minute of silence for over 2 000 earthquake victims The peace pact was sealed in Malaysia after intervention from US President Donald Trump — who both Thailand and Cambodia are courting for a trade deal to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs. – By: © Agence France-Presse
The Herald
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Herald
Saving manufacturing in NMB is critical to every business's economic future
The clock is ticking; with just hours left until the potential imposition of a 30% import tariff on SA goods entering the US market. While the implementation date of this Friday appears to be firm, the SA government is still negotiating on rates and a new trade framework with the US, so we may potentially see further shifts and ongoing uncertainty in the coming months. Trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau announcement last week of a pre-deal agreement signed with the US offers some hope of a slightly softer landing, though few countries have managed to conclude more favourable deals with Washington, and they have had to put generous terms on the table. However, as vital as this issue is for our local economy, with our anchor sectors of automotive manufacturing and agriculture expected to be hardest hit, the current focus on the US tariffs obscures much wider global issues threatening local industry. There is no doubt the US tariffs have upended global trading systems and relationships between long-standing trading partners as countries move to protect their own interests and domestic economies. But this is just the latest move in a fast-changing world economy responding to rapidly advancing digital technology, climate change and sustainability pressures, with shifts in manufacturing technologies and locations, geopolitical tensions, and increasingly protectionist economic and industrial strategies — which directly threaten the future of manufacturing in the Bay. The influx of cheaper vehicles imported from Asian countries, particularly China and India, due to their shifts in export focus and high domestic subsidies to incentivise manufacturing, is disrupting traditional automotive manufacturing, and its associated employment, from Europe, the US and through to SA. The rapid rise of these imported brands in SA has seen s ales of locally-built vehicles declining from 46% of domestic vehicle sales in 2018 to 37% in 2024. Five of the 10 top-selling passenger cars in the local market are now brands manufactured outside SA, with Chinese imports rapidly gaining in market share. At least five new Chinese bakkies are set to be launched in the SA market in the coming months, but we are not seeing significant growth in consumer demand for new vehicles. The cake is not growing; rather, it is being sliced thinner and the distribution of slices is favouring cheaper imports from brands that do not assemble vehicles locally, and as such do not create significant local direct and indirect employment opportunities. Even more concerning is that localisation levels — the proportion of locally-manufactured components in vehicles sold in SA — have dropped by 10% in just two years. The Asian vehicles are either imported fully built-up or in semi-knocked-down (SKD) form, effectively a 'kit' of partly-built chassis and components assembled at destination, with limited job creation. By contrast, completely knocked-down (CKD) manufacturing, as performed by the locally-based, multinational original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Volkswagen Group Africa, Isuzu Motors SA, and Mercedes-Benz in the Eastern Cape, creates jobs not only in the plant itself but through the levels of suppliers of raw material and components. Incentives to increase local content in vehicles support localisation of component manufacturing, supporting further job creation in Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. It is estimated that each job in top-tier manufacturing creates another four jobs through the supply chain, with substantial socioeconomic impact as each employed breadwinner supports about 10 people in extended families and communities, and spends their income at local businesses. The economic ecosystem around CKD manufacturing goes much deeper than it does in SKD assembly, and goes beyond the component manufacturers and suppliers, extending into the logistics and transport sectors, and indirect suppliers to each plant — from office supplies, workwear and tools to services such as banking, IT, cleaning, catering, security, maintenance, marketing, and so on. Tourism, hospitality, real estate, events and conferencing, retail, education, personal services — all benefit from the ripple effects of a strong local manufacturing base. Effectively, every kind of local business is impacted, even the smallest and those with no exposure to US markets or concerns about how the rise of cheap imports and the global shift to new energy vehicles impacts on local automakers. What we are seeing currently is that the influx of new entrants into the SA vehicle market is not creating the value that CKD manufacturing does, and is displacing sales of local manufacturers, which impacts negatively on the volumes and scale required to make local manufacturing viable. SA's free trade rebates to importers and SKD assemblers, along with provisions of the Automotive Production Development Plan, make SKD manufacturing a more attractive proposition than full CKD manufacturing, with a ripple impact on components manufacturers and the entire automotive ecosystem. What do we want to see happening? Government needs to step up and act fast to protect local manufacturing and put us on a much more level playing field with global competitors. We need much more effective anti-dumping regulations and tariffs, such as the steps taken recently to protect local washing machine manufacturing against imports dumped by Asian countries into the local market. Retaliatory tariffs are not a solution, likely only to provoke further rounds of counter-tariffs. Rather, the government needs to better support and strengthen local manufacturing through incentives that encourage CKD rather than SKD manufacturing, and tariffs that favour locally manufactured vehicles over imports. More favourable investor incentives are needed, and incentives that promote localisation of components, along with policy that requires importers to localise once they reach a specified threshold of local sales. We need to strengthen our trading partnerships with the EU, Southeast Asia and in Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Our trade on this continent needs to become much more collaborative, enabling other countries to also be niche manufacturers. We currently do not have specified free trade agreements in place with Brics markets and our trade with these countries tends to be orientated around SA providing unbeneficiated raw materials and these countries in turn providing us with finished manufactured products. This equation needs to become more balanced so that SA also provides manufactured goods, thus enabling the creation of meaningful local jobs. Actions such as these can work not only to protect domestic manufacturing and employment, but also to open up new opportunities. The strength of the manufacturing sector is the lifeblood of every business in the Bay — we need to take fast action to save it. Denise van Huyssteen is chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber The Herald
The South African
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Rassie Erasmus reveals big change to Springbok plans
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and his management are renowned for their meticulous and carefully-considered planning for each and every part of the season. With the start of the Rugby Championship now just over two weeks away, Erasmus has interestingly revealed he called the team into camp earlier than was initially planned, perhaps indicating that he was not entirely satisfied with what took place during the July internationals. Erasmus admitted that this week's training camp was not originally part of their schedule, but he said it would benefit the team on several fronts. 'These two weeks of camp will give us time to align as coaches, as well as on the conditioning aspects for the players and to take stock from a medical perspective, so it's important in assisting us to get to where we want to be against three good countries in the series.' The Springboks are currently on a four-match winning run so far this season following victories against the Barbarians and an Incoming Series clean-sweep against Italy and Georgia. 'We would have eight weeks of proper preparation before we take the field in the Rugby Championship, and we are pleased with the physicality that Italy and Georgia brought against us in the last few weeks,' Erasmus did clarify. 'We have another three weeks to prepare for the matches against Australia, so we'll be working hard on the training field in the next few weeks.' The Bok coach added: 'We always knew that our first few matches would not be as tough as the Rugby Championship, even though the opposition was competitive and physical, but we are now going up against teams with solid game plans and a different intensity. 'Australia would have also come off the British & Irish Lions Series by the time we face them, so it will be a challenging tournament.' Rugby Championship fixtures: 16 August: SA v Australia – Ellis Park, Johannesburg (17:10) 23 August: SA v Australia – DHL Stadium, Cape Town (17:10) 6 September: New Zealand v SA – Eden Park, Auckland (09:05) 13 September: New Zealand v SA – Sky Stadium, Wellington (09:05) 27 September: SA v Argentina – Kings Park, Durban (17:10) 4 October: Argentina v SA – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London (15:00) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
