Author: Elan

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Sao Tome and Principe as you celebrate the 51st anniversary of your independence. The United States and Sao Tome and Principe share a strong commitment to democracy and constitutional governance. I look forward to building on that foundation in the year ahead, and I applaud your efforts to develop your economy and safeguard your territorial waters. As you mark this day, we wish the people of Sao Tome and Principe continued success and prosperity. original source: Sao Tome and Principe National Day…

Africa’s startup ecosystem maintained a resilient funding momentum in the first half of 2026, even as investors became increasingly selective in deploying capital. Data analyzed by the Nairametrics Research team revealed that a total of 241 startups raised $1.58 billion between January and June 2026, with the top 10 startups alone securing $948 million, representing 60.09% of all disclosed funding during the period. The figures also reveal that 19 startups did not disclose the amount of their funding rounds, suggesting that the continent’s total capital inflow could be higher than what is reported. Notably, South African fintech Pay@, with an…

Monrovia — Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) Agro Inc. has become one of the first eight Liberian-owned companies to receive official certification from the newly established Seed Development and Certification Agency (SDCA), marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen local seed production and achieve agricultural self-sufficiency. The certification, presented on July 10, 2026, at the SDCA headquarters, follows years of advocacy and national engagement that led to the establishment of Liberia’s first national agency dedicated to seed development, certification, and quality assurance. The certificate was presented to CHAP Agro Chief Executive Officer, Bishop Robert S.M. Bimba,…

In brief TikTok Shop generated $64.3 billion in global sales in 2025, nearly doubling year-over-year, and sellers can open a store with zero followers. A complete AI ad—virtual model, scripted dialogue, 10-second video—can be produced with GPT Image 2, ChatGPT, and Google Flow’s Gemini Omni for roughly a dollar of compute or less. CapCut handles the final trim and subtitles, and YouTube’s Shopping affiliate program now opens at just 500 subscribers. TikTok Shop, the ecommerce platform that allows users to buy and sell things directly on TikTok, moved $64.3 billion in merchandise in 2025, nearly doubling from the year before.…

OPay reaffirmed its position as one of Nigeria’s leading fintech companies at the Digital PayExpo 2026, where it served as the Headline Sponsor of the two-day industry event held on 17 & 18 June 2026 at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos. Through thought leadership, industry dialogue and interactive customer engagement, OPay demonstrated how responsible innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help build a more connected, inclusive and trusted digital economy across Africa. The event brought together regulators, financial institutions, fintech leaders, technology experts and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of digital payments and financial services. On the first day…

If you buy a TV with an “HDMI 2.1” badge on the box, it is perfectly reasonable to expect the features people now associate with that label, including 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rate, and the 48Gbps maximum bandwidth commonly used to advertise the generational jump. The annoying part is that the television may not support any of those headline capabilities. I used to think HDMI 2.1 worked like a performance grade. A port was either qualified for the complete package or it was not. In reality, HDMI 2.1 is closer to the name of a rulebook. Related Did You…

With just over a year until the next general election, Kenya President William Ruto faces a challenging political landscape as pressure mounts from a unified opposition coalition aiming to unseat him. To secure a second term, Ruto will need maximum support from key allies within the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Listen to this article Tokyo is redefining its engagement with Africa, transitioning from traditional aid-based approaches to strategic venture capital (VC) investments focused on long-term partnerships, innovation and capacity building. Several Japanese private companies are making Japan’s presence felt in Africa’s VC landscape, particularly in high-growth sectors such as fintech, climate tech and mobility. Growing demand for innovative, technology-driven solutions in Africa has drawn increasing interest from international investors. VC funding in Africa rose from over US$2 billion in 2019 to a peak of US$5.2 billion in 2022. Though investment declined to around US$3.6 billion in 2023, the continent’s start-up…

The long read: Amazon and Starlink bring satellite battle to Africa – African Business The long read: Amazon and Starlink bring satellite battle to Africa – African Business

The ETF became one of Wall Street’s most powerful distribution tools because it turned market exposure into an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand retail product.Investors could buy an index, a basket of bonds, a commodity thesis, or a tightly packaged theme from the same account they use for blue-chip stocks. This was so convenient that it changed both investor behavior and issuer incentives at the same time.Once the ETF wrapper became the default way for millions of buyers to gain exposure, issuers had every reason to keep stretching it into new territory. Related ReadingCrypto wanted to replace Wall Street – Instead, Wall…