Metaverse Network Media

26/08/2026

Environmental Affairs

Lion survey underway in Kgalagadi Transfrontier

South African National Parks(SANParks) launched a new lion survey in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park through a partnership with Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). The survey will continue until October 2026 and aims to improve understanding of the park’s lion population, including the number of lions, where they occur, and how they move across the landscape.

Lions are an important part of the Kgalagadi ecosystem, and reliable information about the population is essential to support informed conservation and management decisions.

Field teams will work across the different sections of the park, using vehicle-based surveys and camera traps to collect information on lions.

Visitors to the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park might encounter SANParks and EWT research vehicles displaying official branding while the survey is underway.

As part of the survey, researchers occasionally stop near lions to photograph their whisker spot patterns. Each lion has a unique pattern of whisker spots, which allows researchers to identify individual animals and build a more accurate picture of the population.

Visitors are urged to provide research teams and survey vehicles sufficient space by maintaining a respectful distance from lions and other wildlife. It is imperative to avoid crowding animals or research vehicles, and to always follow the instructions of SANParks staff and researchers.

The information gathered during the survey will contribute to the long-term management and conservation of lions in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

By improving our understanding of the park’s lion population and its movements, SANParks and its partners can make informed decisions that support the continued conservation of lions and the wider Kgalagadi ecosystem.

29/07/2026

Medical and Health

University academic casts light on harmful skin-lightening practises
• UKZN's Professor Ncoza Dlova has been appointed Chair of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) Strategic Working Group on Skin Bleaching.
• Global experts are uniting to tackle the growing public health risks associated with skin bleaching practices worldwide.
• New ILDS campaign will raise awareness of the dangers posed by unregulated skin-lightening products and advocate for evidence-based interventions.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Head of Dermatology, Professor Ncoza Dlova, has been appointed Chair of the International League of Dermatological Societies’ (ILDS) newly-established Strategic Working Group on Skin Bleaching, a global initiative combating the rising health risks associated with harmful skin-lightening practises.
Dr Dlova said the practise of skin lightening is increasing rapidly around the world to the extent that it is now a serious but unrecognised public health burden. She added that the Working Group will work with communities to raise awareness of the importance of skin health to overall wellbeing and deliver the clear message that healthy skin comes in every shade.

“Our Working Group brings a multidisciplinary approach to this complex and challenging problem and will deliver structured, evidence-based action and advocacy.

"We recognise that hyperpigmentation disorders are a significant concern for many individuals with darker skin tones and can impact their quality of life and self-confidence. Our campaign advocates for safe, evidence-based treatments and informed choices while raising awareness of the dangers of unregulated and harmful skin bleaching products,” Dlova said.

The ILDS Strategic Working Group on Skin Bleaching is driven by socio-cultural pressures that favour lighter skin tones and skin bleaching is a widespread global public health issue affecting millions across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean and diaspora communities.

In Nigeria, an estimated 75% of women regularly use skin lightening products, for instance. In Senegal, the figure is 50%, and in North India, 60% of study participants reported using skin lightening products.

The ILDS Working Group is particularly concerned at evidence showing that skin bleaching products are increasingly being used by adolescents and, in some settings, on very young children. Recent reports suggest the practice is also becoming more common among men.

Skin bleaching products are poorly regulated and frequently sold without medical oversight, giving rise to significant public health risks, including skin damage, complications associated with steroid misuse, exposure to toxic ingredients and potential links to serious conditions, including skin cancer.

The ILDS Working Group will raise awareness and educate consumers as to the health risks posed by skin bleaching through a new campaign called The ILDS Movement for Safe Skin – challenging harmful skin lightening practises.

The ILDS President, Professor Henry W. Lim, added: “The establishment of the ILDS Strategic Working Group on Skin Bleaching is the next step in our long-term campaign to drive meaningful change in perceptions of what healthy skin looks like and to ensure that everyone values the skin they live in.”

About the ILDS
The ILDS has 240-member organisations across 113 countries, representing more than 200,000 dermatologists and other dermatology professionals worldwide. It holds ‘official relations’ status with the World Health Organization (WHO) and champions the inclusion of skin health in global health policy – promoting education, clinical care, research, and innovation globally. For more information about ILDS, visit www.ilds.org

25/07/2026

Science and Technology
Space

NASA to support Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Testing, advance Artemis

NASA and Blue Origin announced on Friday that they recently agreed to conduct second l-stage hot-fire testing for the company’s New Glenn rocket on the B-2 test stand at the agency’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, USA.

The annex to a reimbursable Space Act Agreement signed earlier this month highlights NASA’s commitment to working alongside commercial partners toward Artemis missions in 2027 and beyond.
Testing, targeted is to begin in USA's autumn period and directly supports NASA’s work to achieve the national goal of landing American astronauts on the surface of the Moon and building a Moon Base near the lunar South Pole. These efforts aim to strengthen American leadership in space, unlock scientific discovery, drive innovation with industry, and prepare for human missions to Mars.

Building on the successful Artemis II flight from April, Artemis III is a highly choreographed, multi-launch campaign that will require four astronauts to test rendezvous and docking capabilities of NASA’s Orion spacecraft with commercial human landing systems from Blue Origin and SpaceX in low Earth orbit.

In addition, Blue Origin’s New Glenn will be used to launch missions that will land on the Moon.

In May, NASA announced the first three Moon Base missions to begin building sustained operations, including an award to Blue Origin to launch a robotic mission this fall. The company’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander will deliver NASA payloads to the lunar South Pole’s Shackleton Connecting Ridge, demonstrating capabilities that reduce risk for astronauts to land on the Moon during Artemis IV and V in 2028.

23/07/2026

Sports: Cricket

𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗔𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟱 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱

It is going to be a full-on performance when Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals battle it out in a repeat of the Season 4 Final when the fifth season of Betway SA20 gets underway on Sunday, 17 January 2027, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
The full list of fixtures announced today reveals a bumper month of non-stop cricket and entertainment, with all six stadiums around the country set to host the world's best T20 stars.

11/07/2026

Current Affairs
Business and Economics

Shukela graduates to enter new phase of progression

Representing a wide spectrum of engineering and agricultural expertise, graduates of the technically-advanced Shukela Training Centre (STC) are now on their different ways to progression.

At its glamorous graduation ceremony in uMhlanga, Durban, 250 graduates raised their own platforms of success - 245 graduated in engineering courses and 5 in agriculture-related courses. A significant increase in women graduates marked the growth of gender-equity engineering and agricultural expertise.

Headlining the keynote address was Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, SA's Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, who promulgated the intensity of youths employment in the agricultural and engineering sectors. Dr Dube-Ncube was vociferous in her support of the STC programmes and the resultant graduates, implicitly expressing government's support for its sustainability.

A technological bastion on its own bolstered foundation, STC (as a subsidiary of the South African Sugar Association - SASA), deploys critical skills development and is at the forefront of highly specialised artisanal training. This is further underpinned by its accreditation by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations as a Skills Development Provider and Trade Test Centre. Further, it has accreditations by various SETAs, including AgriSETA.
Video interview: Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube at the post-graduation ceremony.

01/06/2026

29/05/2026

Current Affairs

SA Agulhas II relief voyage back home

Resplendent in her red and white livery, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs' flagship, the SA Agulhas II returned to Cape Town this week, following a 6-week delay due to fuel.

29/05/2026

Environmental Affairs
Current Affairs

Marion Island team safely back after 6-week long delay

Facing man-made problems in an already-difficult environment, the team which bravely travels and conduct research on Marion Island has returned safely to Cape Town, South Africa.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mr Willie Aucamp, welcomed the 2025/26 Marion Island overwintering team back to South Africa, following his instruction for their urgent evacuation after delays affecting the departure of the SA Agulhas II relief voyage.
“While the temporary closure of the base is unfortunate following the emergency evacuation, my team and I felt it important to prioritise the safety and well-being of our people,” said Minister Aucamp. “That is why I ordered the evacuation, and it was worth it.”
The delays were caused by the unavailability of crucial fuel products that are mixed with normal diesel and are used to create the special polar diesel required to keep the base running within extremely low outside temperatures that would crystalise normal diesel. The vessel was authorised to sail on “Ice Mode”, which is the use of maximum speed in order to reach Marion Island as quickly as possible.
Owing to the importance of the research and environmental management programmes being undertaken at the base, Minister Aucamp has confirmed that the Department is working hard to get the base back up and running, with a full team and adequate supplies. It is hoped that this can be achieved within two-to-three weeks, dependent on a couple of factors, including safe weather conditions that allow helicopter operations at the base.

“Now that we have secured the wellbeing of our people, we will work to restart the systems at the base, undertake repairs, restock the food and fuel supplies, while also initiating various interventions to mitigate against future risks during all voyages to the three South African remote scientific bases,” said the Minister.