Helium is not a commodity that most people think about. It is the second lightest element in the universe, and completely irreplaceable in the processes that make modern technology possible. In semiconductor fabrication facilities, helium does two things that nothing else can do. It cools silicon wafers during plasma etching
Trailing humanity like a shadow, war,sometimes justified as liberation, sometimes condemned as conquest, yet always leaving devastation in its wake. Across continents and centuries, it has uprooted families, erased homes, and fractured identities. The defeated are often dispossessed, vilified, or forced into exile, while the victor, at times, becomes the
The United Nations has urgently appealed for international assistance for Cuba, where a worsening humanitarian crisis, driven by an energy blockade and compounded by natural disasters, is placing severe strain on public services. The call for support comes amid escalating political tensions between Havana and Washington, where US President Donald
The next generation of blood-thinning medicine might not come from a laboratory synthesising new chemical compounds. It might come from a forest. Specifically, from the wood of the common spruce and a breakthrough by Russian chemists at the Krasnoyarsk Science Centre of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of
As India takes the helm of the BRICS Summit (https://iol.co.za/news/world/2025-11-17-brics-represents-a-new-era-for-the-global-south/) this year, the stakes have never been higher. In an exclusive interview, South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Professor Anil Sooklal, shares his insights on the multifaceted challenges facing the bloc, from geopolitical tensions to the pressing need for sustainable
The escalating conflict in the Gulf is no longer just a geopolitical story. It has become a manufacturing story. For North Africa and the wider Mediterranean industrial corridor, the disruption of key shipping routes and energy flows is exposing how vulnerable regional production systems remain to external shocks. What began
The world is facing what some may call the worst energy crisis in recent memory. The scale of disruption is already severe and could worsen if current conditions persist. Compared to previous oil crises, this shock exceeds oil price but a dramatic reduction in supply restraining both consumers and global
We are witnessing the most profound transformation in the global automotive industry’s history. With Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, particlualrly in more developed nationes like the US and Europe give way to electrical vehicles (EVs), while manufacturers are navigating: geopolitical shocks; supply chain vulnerabilities; regulatory changes; and the impact on
In a striking geopolitical reversal, a crude oil tanker carrying Iranian oil is headed to India for the first time since May 2019. The shipment, nearly 600,000 barrels aboard the Eswatini-flagged vessel Ping Shun, is expected to dock at Vadinar in Gujarat by 4 April, marking a significant shift in
There is something quietly extraordinary buried in the IMF’s routine credit data for March 2026. As of 31 March, the government of President Daniel Chapo had zero credit outstanding with the Fund, following a repayment of 514 million Special Drawing Rights , roughly $700 million. Mozambique is the only country