VertoFX, an Africa and emerging markets focused currency trading and payment startup, has raised a $2.1 million seed round, led by Accelerated Digital Ventures. The London based company, with a… Read more »
World Health Organization calls for more funds with 2,512 confirmed cases in Democratic Republic of the Congo The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a public… Read more »
French television company Canal+ has acquired the ROK film studio from VOD company IROKOtv for an undisclosed amount. Founded by Jason Njoku in 2010—and backed by $45 million in VC—IROKOtv… Read more »
PayU, the Naspers owned fintech firm that specializes in emerging markets, is broadening its global reach into Southeast Asia after it announced a deal to buy a majority stake in… Read more »
New advances in genetic mapping and manipulation hold the promise of reshaping medical treatments in the 21st century, but thanks to a lack of sufficient infrastructure and apparent scientific disregard,… Read more »
Trafficked women can return to Africa ‘wealthy and held in high regard’, says guidance Home Office officials have provoked outrage by stating that trafficked women from Nigeria can return to… Read more »
Two other unnamed women also accuse Jammeh of rape and sexual assault as investigation claims systematic abuse A Gambian pageant winner has accused the country’s former president of rape as… Read more »
South African digital lender Lulalend has raised a $6.5 million Series A round co-led by IFC and Quona Capital. The Cape Town based startup uses an online application process and… Read more »
From the venue and the flashy event website, Waterloo, Ontario’s True North conference (in its second year) doesn’t seem all that distinct from a laundry list of other major tech… Read more »
Attacks on the villages of Yoro and Gangafani 2 compound a dire security situation in central Mali Unidentified gunmen on motorbikes attacked two villages in central Mali, killing at least… Read more »
Apple says it is ‘deeply committed to responsible sourcing of materials’ Electronics companies, including Canon, Apple and Nokia, are re-evaluating their supply chains following reports they may be using gold… Read more »
Imprisoned former leader, 67, collapses and dies while on trial on espionage charges Egypt’s first democratically elected civilian president, Mohamed Morsi, has collapsed during a court session and died, almost… Read more »
Days after Ethiopian ICT officials made public pledges to improve net access, the government began playing on-again, off-again with the internet — shutting it down (almost completely) to coincide with… Read more »
Bolt, the Uber rival formerly known as Taxify, is taking a significant step this week in its effort to build out its transportation-on-demand business across the biggest cities in Europe… Read more »
Refugee agency says risk of people dying attempting crossing is at its highest The risk of migrants and refugees becoming shipwrecked in the Mediterranean and dying at sea is the… Read more »
Academics invited to the UK are refused entry on arbitrary and ‘insulting’ grounds The Home Office is being accused of institutional racism and damaging British research projects through increasingly arbitrary… Read more »
Habib Bazaboko, due to depart London, says he is terrified for his life A man who has lived in the UK since childhood is facing imminent deportation to the Democratic… Read more »
Less than a decade ago IPOs, acquisitions, and global expansion by African startups were more possibility than reality. March saw all three from the continent’s tech scene. Pan-African e-commerce company… Read more »
Ailing Bouteflika, 82, submits resignation following mass protests against his 20-year rule, according to state news agency APS Algeria’s president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has submitted his resignation, the state news agency… Read more »
The Dakar Network Angels group launched this month, making its first investment in francophone Africa to cleantech venture Coliba. The Ivorian startup—that uses a mobile app to coordinate waste recycling—will… Read more »
Lagos based online lending startup OneFi is buying Nigerian payment solutions company Amplify for an undisclosed amount. OneFi will take over Amplify’s IP, team, and client network of over 1000… Read more »
Workers appeal for more helicopters as flood waters keep rising after Cyclone Idai Rescue teams in Mozambique are struggling to reach the thousands of people stranded on roofs and in… Read more »
UN officials say floods up to 6 metres deep have caused incredible devastation Cyclone Idai, the tropical storm ravaging southern Africa, is possibly the worst weather-related disaster to hit the… Read more »
FlexClub, a South African startup that matches investors and drivers to cars for ride-hailing services, closed a $1.2 million seed round led by CRE Venture Capital. The company will use… Read more »
Civil aviation authorities say suspensions issued as they await more information on Ethiopian Airlines crash A visual guide to what we know so far Australia and Singapore have suspended operations… Read more »
US air regulator says model is airworthy but will mandate alterations by April A visual guide to what we know so far The US air regulator told international carriers on… Read more »
Cockpit and flight recorder may hold clues to why flight ET302 crashed killing 157 people A visual guide to what we know so far The aircraft manufacturer Boeing faces further… Read more »
Carrier joins China and Cayman Islands in suspending new jets after second tragedy in four months Ethiopian Airlines has joined carriers in China and the Cayman Islands in suspending the… Read more »
All 157 passengers and crew onboard brand new aircraft on flight ET 302 were killed Aviation authorities have begun investigating how a new Boeing plane with an experienced pilot crashed… Read more »
Local media says there are no survivors after Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi went down An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and… Read more »