Table of contents for 2022-10-03 in Star

Elon Musk is doing it again – this time with a humanoid robot called Optimus. On October 1 Elon Musk unveiled what could be considered the commercial world’s first attempt to make robots mainstream. Tesla started by unveiling Bumble C, which is the first version of the bot, developed with “semi-off-the-shelves and actuators”. It served as a testing bed for Tesla’s first robot developed with in-house parts. After Bumble C, Tesla has brought on stage the first-generation Optimus robot. The robot shares some AI software and sensors with Tesla cars’ autopilot assistance features. It has a 2.3kWh battery pack, runs on a Tesla SoC, and has wi-fi and LTE connectivity. Optimus appeared on stage at a Silicon Valley event where it waved to the audience and raised its knees. Tesla…

FAMILY dynamics are tested to the limit in this emotive and confronting debut. When Things Are Alive They Hum poses profound questions about the nature of love and existence, the ways grief changes us, and how we confront the hand fate has dealt us. Marlowe and Harper share a bond deeper than most sisters, shaped by the loss of their mother in childhood. For Harper, living with what she calls the “Up syndrome” and gifted with an endless capacity for wonder, Marlowe and her are connected by an invisible thread, like the hum that connects all things. For Marlowe, they are bound by her fierce determination to keep Harper, born with a congenital heart disorder, alive. Now 25, Marlowe is finally living her own life abroad, pursuing her studies of…

WHILE the Samsung Galaxy S7, commonly referred to as a smartphone, has many advanced functions, it is still a phone and not a computer, the Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled. The court was faced with an appeal by Samsung Electronics SA regarding the classification of this phone for import duty purposes. The amount of customs duty payable on importation depends on the tariff heading as classified by the commissioner for the SA Revenue Service (Sars). The question which arose for determination in the appeal was whether the Samsung Galaxy S7 was a “telephone for cellular networks”, or “falls under the category of other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data”. In September 2017, the Sars commissioner notified the importer of the product, Samsung Electronics…

In response to the cumulative economic and security fallout that has ensued, some advanced countries are now ramping up efforts to divert their supply chains away from countries that are not like-minded and that don’t have shared common values. This new supply chain strategy is called “friend-shoring”. Advanced countries are creating friend-shoring alliances which are, in turn, reshaping our global economy. These shifts have adverse implications for Africa. The approaches to reconfiguring supply chains currently unfolding, threaten to heap more stress on a continent already weighed down by multiple crises. Africa stands to lose out because the current reshaping of supply chains is not intended to shift trade, investments and jobs towards African trade partners. Rather it’s got to do with efforts by the EU and US to insulate their…

Ukrainian troops said they had retaken the key bastion of Lyman in occupied eastern Ukraine, a stinging defeat that prompted a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to call for the possible use of low-grade nuclear weapons. The capture on Saturday came just a day after Putin proclaimed the annexation of nearly a fifth of Ukraine – including Donetsk, where Lyman is located – and placed the regions under Russia’s nuclear umbrella. Kyiv and the West condemned the ornate ceremony as an illegitimate farce. Ukrainian soldiers announced the capture in a video recorded outside the town council building in the centre of Lyman and posted on social media. “Dear Ukrainians – today the armed forces of Ukraine ... liberated and took control of the settlement of Lyman, Donetsk region,”…

Washington: Former President Donald Trump “wants his old job back” and will announce within weeks his run for the presidency in 2024 in the coming weeks. Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager and ally, said she had advised him to wait until after the midterms in November, according to Business Insider. Speaking on Friday with CBS News, Conway was asked whether Trump would announce his candidacy after the midterm elections and before Thanksgiving. “Well, he would like to,” said Conway said. |…

ORLANDO Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns proved they are part and parcel of South African football royalty after going toe-to-toe on Saturday. In the previous seasons, it was quite rare to see the traditional big three, Pirates, Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs, progress to the semi-finals of MTN8. So, when Pirates and Sundowns were drawn against each other in the semis this season, the tie was dubbed a “final before the final” given their form in the Premiership. And they lived up to expectations in the first leg all right - with the only missing piece being goals, as they played put to a pulsating 0-0 draw. Sundowns came into the match as clear favourites, considering they are also the defending champions and have huge depth in their squad. But they were…

India 237/3 (Yadav 61, Rahul 57, Kohli 49*, Sharma 43, Maharaj 2/23) South Africa 221/3 (Miller 106*, De Kock 69*, Markram 33) India won by 16 runs, win three-match T20I series 2-0 The Proteas arrived in India as genuine contenders for the ICC T20 World Cup championship belt that will be up for grabs in Australia later this month. Coach Mark Boucher pushed out his chest prior to the series about how his team boasted the best win percentage in T20 international cricket for the past two years, and that selecting the best XI from a power-packed squad was his biggest conundrum. But after going two rounds with Rohit Sharma’s heavyweights, the Proteas have been left with a nosebleed. David Miller, who became the South Africa’s highest-ever T20I run-scorer, did…

A USUAL trip to my local gas stockist a week ago left me frustrated and disappointed. I had been used to experiencing localised gas stockouts over winter for the past few years, but my local gas stockist informed me that his supplier has told him that this would be resolved, as there will be multiple sources of supply of gas as a result of new import facilities coming online to resolve the supply issues. This year in particular, we relied heavily on gas for our cooking and heating needs, especially over winter. But this year my experience is that it has been exceptionally difficult to get gas, as a result of the continued supply issues that I was informed about from my local stockist. I even tried alternative stockists, but…

A medication-based abortion that generally relies on a two-drug combination has increased access to safe abortion care in South Africa. Scientists recently completed the world’s first randomised control trial into the effectiveness of telemedicine abortion, a medication-based abortion that generally relies on a two-drug combination and is aimed at women in their first trimester. The study was a joint collaboration between academics at UCT and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. According to Dr Margit Endler, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Karolinska Institutet and an adjunct senior researcher in UCT’s School of Public Health and Family Medicine, abortion is an essential part of a woman’s reproductive rights, yet access to abortions remains restricted in South Africa despite the country’s liberal abortion laws. The research revealed that telemedicine abortion…

It is not surprising that the very emotive debate about the granting of bail to accused people is causing heated public debate. Generally in the public mind the granting of bail to accused persons is unfair, especially when they are accused of heinous crimes. But what we must all understand is that we are a country of laws and our emotions – no matter how justified – cannot replace rationality. In granting bail, courts have a complex role to play by balancing the rights of the accused as against the interests of justice. And this is exactly where the problem starts. This is because accused people are not guilty of any crimes and their liberty as they wait for the decision of the court to be considered. Courts cannot pre-judge…

Those among us who dared to say the coronavirus was dissipating were seen as false and dangerous Christian guides who were not as responsible as the media, government, priests and their churches. The new gospel is that faith or no faith, one must “trust science” and not question it. I am not an enemy of science or a religious fanatic who is anti-scientific, since I know it is from the will of God. But now that the virus is no longer worth news headlines, the “water-tight facts” of science about the pandemic remain questionable and unconvincing. Methinks that the media made a lot of money in advertising the coronavirus and vaccines. But on the science itself, let us begin with the lockdowns and state-of-the-art health facilities in first-world countries where…

AT FIRST glance, it’s hard to see what gold, iron, lead, arsenic, silver, platinum and tin have in common. They are all heavy metals, typically categorised as those metals with an atomic weight and density at least five times greater than water. These and other heavy metals occur naturally in the environment, and in some cases, in our bodies. They’re mostly considered harmless but at certain levels of exposure they can be toxic to human, plant and animal life. Being overexposed to heavy metals can stunt plants’ growth and lower seed production. Some plants have evolved traits that increase their tolerance of heavy metals. Many researchers, myself among them, believe that understanding and harnessing these evolutionary traits may allow us to protect agricultural crops from the bad effects of heavy…

United Nations: Mahatma Gandhi “visited” the UN Trusteeship Council chamber with the message of holistic education. He arrived on Friday as a holographic avatar, to animate a discussion on “Education for Human Flourishing”. And while he spoke of education creating new people and world peace, at the nearby Security Council chamber nations were clashing over the war in Ukraine. India’s UN mission and Unesco’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development used the avatar ahead of the observance of the International Day of Nonviolence yesterday. |…

BRASILIA: Brazilians voted yesterday in the first round of their country’s most polarised election in decades, with leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva favoured to beat right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Most polls have shown Lula with a solid lead for months, but Bolsonaro signalled he may not accept defeat, stoking fears of crisis or post-election violence. A message projected on Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue read: “Peace in the Elections.” If no candidate wins more than half of the votes, excluding blank and spoiled ballots, the top two finishers go to an Oct. 30 run-off, prolonging the tense campaign season. |…

Many did not see that coming … The Emirates Lions could make a clean sweep of their European tour this weekend when they face Edinburgh in their third and final clash abroad in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this year. The Joburgers made it two from two on tour after they beat Cardiff 31-18 on Friday. Previously, they defeated the Ospreys in Swansea. So far this season, they have lost only to the Bulls in the opening round of the tournament and are now seventh in the standings on nine points. They are five points behind early pace-setters Leinster and the Bulls, and find themselves among a cluster of teams that includes Ulster (11 points), the Stormers (10 points) and the Sharks, Benetton and Ospreys all on nine points. After…

The exciting Mexico-based Jermaine Seoposenwe will lead the Banyana Banyana attack in their historic international friendly against Fifa Women’s World Cup co-hosts Australia at the Kingsmeadow Stadium in London on Saturday afternoon. It will be the first time that the national women’s teams of Australia and South Africa will play each other. Australia, along with New Zealand, will host next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup. Cape Town-born Seoposenwe has proved to be a sensation in the Liga MX Femenil, the premier division of women’s football in Mexico. A few days ago, she scored a brace for FC Juárez in a domestic match. Her first goal was scored nine seconds into the match and has gone down in the record books as the fastest goal scored in Mexican women’s football. Seoposenwe’s…

The recent report that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has charged McKinsey South Africa with fraud, corruption and theft is set to draw the focus on the banks. Banks have recently been notorious for closing bank accounts of black companies and businessmen. How the banks treat the matter of McKinsey in the coming days or months would be telling. The McKinsey case puts a stern test on the banks’ conduct and integrity. The banking sector has been accused of bias, selective and racist conduct against black versus white companies. The Equality Court interdict concluded in June on the case of Dr Iqbal Survé’s group of companies versus Nedbank, delved into that. Dr Survé is a black industrialist, philanthropist and a media-house owner. The Sekunjalo group had turned to the Equality…

THERE are calls for the national health facilities load shedding exemption list to be expanded to all hospitals, day clinics and community clinics. The Department of Health hosted a virtual media briefing on Friday on the impact of load shedding on the provision of healthcare services and intervention measures. Health Minister Joe Phaahla said that though the majority of public health facilities have back-up power supply systems, including generators and an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), these alternative sources of energy were not designed to provide back-up electricity for a long period. “Some of these generators are old, while others have no necessary capacity to power the entire facility. Thus, generators have been proven not to adequately meet the increasing demands during load shedding in health facilities, hence some hospitals are…

THE Balobedu Royal Council has installed Prince Lekukela Modjadji as the new king, saying it was forced to act after trying in vain to bring Princess Masalanabo back to the royal kraal for traditional rituals assessment. Prince Lekukela’s traditional coronation took place at Khetlhakoni village, Modjadjiskloof, in Limpopo on Saturday a day after the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria dismissed with costs an urgent application to interdict the ceremony filed by ANC’s Mathole Motshekga. Motshekga and his wife Angie had raised Prince Masalanabo as her foster parents after the death of her mother, Queen Makobo Modjadji V1 in 2005. On Friday, Judge CJ Van Der Westhuizen found that Motshekga had no right to represent Princess Masalanabo, adding he was a self-appointed foster parent. The court also ruled that Motshekga had…

UBUNGOMA Festival took off on an exciting trajectory on the weekend at Constitution Hill, where celebrities and music lovers gathered in celebration of this age-old ceremony of traditional healers chanting, singing and dancing. The extravaganza was hosted by iZangoma Zodumo breakout star Makgotso Lee-Ann Mokopo Makgotso, aka Dr Maweni or Gogo Maweni. Maweni highlighted that she had initiated Ubungoma festival to honour Ubungoma and also give people a platform to embrace who they truly are. Festival-goers were spoilt for choice with art, music and entertainment intertwined with African spirituality. Popular music stars such as Numfundo Moh, Aubrey Qwana, Qwabe Twins, Anzo, Mthandeni, Sjava, DJ Lamiez, Blaq Diamond, Yazo, Mzukulu, Lerato Kganyago, Jobe London. Mnqobi as well as Mscosmo gave stellar performances. Gogo Maweni, Somizi and Gogo Skhotheni also made appearances.…

THE year 2022 will be a defining one for crippled South Africa. Many aspiring leaders within the governing party are engaged in political Hara-kiri as they furiously campaign for top positions in the December coronation. All have become toxic because of the quest for political supremacy. Long-term vision has ceased to exist, as stop-gap solutions are steering the nation into a quagmire. We as a nation are at a stage where we have to stand up and be counted. Our beloved country is anchorless, as we begin to drift into stormy waters. Our country is at a crisis as service delivery and mindless poverty explodes into violence. The destitute are running out of options. Our hard-won democracy came into being 27 years ago, and ever since, the…

South Africans should be conscientised about the importance of keeping our water resources clean. The country’s rivers, streams, and wetlands have been neglected by the communities and are often used as dumping places for refuse. Foreign objects find their way into the rivers and streams passing through our communities, and these result in the pollution of our resources, particularly at source. We recently observed World Rivers Day, with an objective to raise awareness regarding water bodies and to promote their conservation. This day highlights the value of rivers and strives to increase public awareness and encourages the improved supervision of rivers around the world. In observing this day, the Department of Water and Sanitation joined forces with organisations and stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector to clean the Liesbeek…

Full marks must be given to the talent scouts at Orlando Pirates after they snapped up, on transfer deadline day, the signature of Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo, who highlighted his debut for the club with a Man of the Match performance on Saturday. Ndlondlo, the former Marumo Gallants midfielder, was the brightest star in the MTN8 semi-final first leg draw against the reigning champions, Mamelodi Sundowns. At one stage, he even won the admiration of Sundowns veteran Andile Jali, who in the spirit of goodwill acknowledged Ndlondlo’s fine performance. Playing as a defensive midfielder, Ndlondlo kept chasing down his opponents. He was so relentless that his efforts created a measure of frustration within Sundowns’ ranks. This was suitably demonstrated when Jali was found sprawling on the turf after he tried to thwart…

Malang: At least 174 people died in a soccer stadium riot in Indonesia when thousands of angry home fans invaded the pitch and police responded with tear gas that triggered a stampede, the authorities said yesterday. The tragedy on Saturday night in the city of Malang, which also left 180 injured, was one of the world’s deadliest sporting stadium disasters. Arema FC supporters at the Kanjuruhan stadium rioted after their team lost 3-2 to the visiting team and bitter rivals, Persebaya Surabaya. Victims were trampled or choked to death, according to police. |…

FLYHALF Handre Pollard is almost certainly out of the Springboks’ European tour next month after his troublesome knee broke down just half an hour into his debut for the Leicester Tigers at the weekend. The Boks were exposed in the Rugby Championship for their lack of depth in arguably the most important position on the field, with scrumhalf Faf de Klerk at one point the cover for the position. A recurrence of the injury that kept Pollard out of the two Tests against Argentina, therefore, is not good news for Bok coach Jacques Nienaber. On Saturday, Leicester coach Steve Borthwick brought on Pollard after half-time in the game against Saracens, but 27 minutes after the 28-year-old came on, he is seen to stumble heavily, and off he went. Pollard had…

Miguel Oliveira delivered a wet-weather masterclass to win the Thai MotoGP yesterday, but world champion Fabio Quartararo finished 17th and saw his lead at the top of the overall riders’ standings slashed to just two points. Portugal’s Red Bull KTM rider Oliveira took the chequered flag ahead of Australia’s Jack Miller, with title contender Francesco Bagnaia of Italy third. He is now just two points behind Yamaha’s Quartararo in the standings with three races left. It was a nightmare day for France’s Quartararo and Spain’s Aleix Espargaro - third in the title chase - hardly had a great time either. He came 11th on his Aprilia in the first MotoGP in Thailand since 2019 and is 20 points off Quartararo. The title race is too close to call. Australia is…