California’s last remaining nuclear energy plant is harnessing artificial intelligence to make its processes more efficient. AI computer systems have been installed to help navigate billions of pages of documents required to manage nuclear facilities under US federal law. The Diablo Canyon nuclear facility, located in San Luis Obispo on California’s central coast, has been in decline for years and is slated to begin decommissioning in 2029. However, the plant remains critically important in California’s energy mix, providing nearly nine per cent of the state’s electricity and 17 per cent of its zero-carbon energy. Last year, the nuclear power plant…

If the ANC wants to survive in South Africa, it must conclude a deal with the Trump Administration.

The United States and Iran have resumed indirect talks, over Iran’s nuclear programme, after President Trump warned of “great danger” if a deal isn’t reached. Both sides described the discussions as “constructive,” though major differences persist. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, speaking to Fox News, said Iran “does not need to enrich past 3.67 per cent,” the limit set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran has reportedly enriched uranium up to 60 per cent purity, close to the 90 per cent threshold required for nuclear weapons. “This is going to be very much about verification of the…

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are using fibre-optic cable-driven drones to conduct deep strikes against Russia. These drones have already targeted Russian munitions factories, troops, and armoured vehicles. Originally developed by Russia, fibre-optic drones were first seen on the battlefield in Ukraine earlier this year. However, Ukraine has been quick to catch up, even going so far as to target Russian fibre-optic factories in an effort to prevent further deployment of the technology on the front line. The low-flying drones are tethered to the ground via thin fibre-optic cables, which unwind as the drone flies farther from the controller. Unlike radio-controlled…

The United States issued fresh sanctions on Iran just days before talks between Washington and the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme. The US Treasury designated five entities and one individual based in Iran for their support of the country’s nuclear programme, the department announced. The sanctions are intended to help prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The designated groups played a crucial role in supporting two previously sanctioned entities that manage the country’s nuclear programme: the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and its subordinate, the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA), the Treasury said. The action comes after…

Attack drones are now responsible for 80 per cent of all battlefield casualties in the Ukraine war, Western officials have revealed. Unmanned aerial vehicles – also known as drones – have now replaced traditional artillery strikes against opposition targets and account for between 70 to 80 per cent of Russian and Ukrainian military casualties, the officials added. Russia has sustained over 900,000 casualties, of which 250,000 troops had been killed in action – the greatest number of battlefield losses since the Second World War, officials added. It has also emerged that it will take Russia at least five years to…

The history of major resource agreements is rife with examples of deals being renegotiated or annulled without compensation.

Washington has developed war plans for a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, a former US military chief has disclosed. General David Petraeus, the former commander of US Central Command, said the US was ready to strike at the heart of Iran’s nuclear programs if the Islamic Republic failed to reach a deal with President Trump. Gen. Petraeus also said that any potential US airstrike would target not only Iran’s nuclear facilities but also its air defense and missile capabilities, in a bid to prevent possible retaliation. He spoke ahead of President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US would hold “direct…

The Trump administration actions against South Africa could escalate significantly and include a range of tools that the US might employ if the ANC fails to enact substantive change.

We’ve cracked open the possibilities for deals between countries, which could be highly positive for Africa. However, we also need to remain vigilant, as some of the more negative scenarios could actually exacerbate conflict.

US Congressman Ronnie Jackson has called for a full review of US-South Africa relations and seeks to identify ANC leaders for the imposition of sanctions.

North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine have been warned by their commanders that their families will be executed if they are captured alive. Details of the threats were revealed by a former North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea after serving in the communist state’s armed forces. “If the soldiers are captured and tell information to the enemy, their families will be punished, go to a political prison camp, or worse—they will be executed in front of the people,” North Korean defector and researcher Pak Yusung said. Ryu Seong-hyeon, who defected to South Korea in 2019, said the threats…