SEOUL, South Korea — A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, as North Korea protests the regional deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier for a military drill with South Korea and Japan. The North Korean missile was launched at about 5:30 a.m. and was aimed toward the North’s eastern waters before the failure, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. South Korea said North Korea launched large balloons carrying trash across their border Tuesday night for the sixth time since late May. North Korea says it is responding to balloons launched by South Korean activists that carried political leaflets into the North. Also Wednesday, South Korea and the U.S. flew 30 advanced fighter jets as part of joint drills this week.

This prestigious recognition positions Conlog as a key supplier for smart prepaid electricity and water meters across South Africa. Amidst an ongoing energy crisis, smart meters have become critical to managing demand response and easing the strain on the national grid. Smart meters enable accurate billing and effective revenue collection, crucial for municipalities struggling with unpaid bills. “Our smart meters support municipalities and Eskom in avoiding loadshedding by enabling precise control over energy distribution,” Moodley explains. Now watch thisDesigan Govender, Conlog Portfolio Manager, spoke to ESI Africa about their smart metering technology and the latest innovations in the field.

We’ve picked five standout cryptos for 2024: BlockDAG (BDAG), Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), and Fantom (FTM). Experts anticipate BlockDAG’s value could soar to $30 by 2030, making it an enticing option for those eyeing long-term growth. Cardano (ADA): Built on Scientific FoundationsCardano distinguishes itself with its methodical, research-based approach to blockchain technology. Cardano’s strategic partnerships span various sectors, enhancing its practical use and supporting its long-term growth prospects. With strategic planning and groundbreaking technology, BlockDAG is well-equipped to provide significant returns over the coming years.

North Korea missile explodes in midair after launch, South’s military saysBy Joyce Lee and Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea test-fired what appeared to be a hypersonic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, but it exploded in midair, South Korea’s military said. The missile was launched from near the capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. North Korea’s last missile launch was on May 30. North Korea this week criticised the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to joint drills with South Korea and Japan, and warned of an “overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence”. The missile launch comes a day after the 74-year anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War.

ATHENS, Greece — Greece on Monday accused neighboring North Macedonia’s new center-right government of breaking a historic deal on the country’s name, warning that this could harm its hopes of one day joining the European Union. It ended a decades-long quarrel over history and cultural heritage, and stipulated that the country would formally adopt the new name North Macedonia. AdvertisementSpeaking in parliament Sunday ahead of a vote to approve his new government, Mickoski repeatedly used the old name, Macedonia. AdvertisementGerapetritis said North Macedonia’s new leadership “has decided, systematically and insistently, not to use (the name North Macedonia) domestically in public discourse. This is a clear breach of the (agreement with Greece) that calls for the use of the name North Macedonia both domestically and internationally,” he said.

A financing package has been announced for a digital infrastructure provider to fund an expansion strategy in three African countries. The plan is to enhance the continent’s digital infrastructure and connectivity and support economic growth. With the funding, WIOCC Group will expand its core and edge data centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria and South Africa to meet the growing demand for colocation and other data centre services. This unstable electricity supply hinders the operations of data centres, which need a reliable supply of electricity at high energy costs to run smoothly. Truly neutral and open-access data centres are the cornerstone of a diversified digital ecosystem,” said Ducreux.

The data presented suggests the effectiveness in individuals with opioid dependence who use fentanyl, consistent with the results from the Phase 3 study. Buvidal is approved for treatment of opioid dependence in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and several countries in the Middle East and North Africa. About Camurus Camurus is a Swedish, science-led biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative, long-acting medicines for the treatment of severe and chronic conditions. Weekly and Monthly Subcutaneous Buprenorphine Depot Formulations vs Daily Sublingual Buprenorphine With Naloxone for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Extended-Release Injection vs Sublingual Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder with Fentanyl Use.

Morocco’s central bank cut its borrowing rate to 2.75% from 3% as inflation drops thanks to lowering food prices and easing external inflationary pressures, the bank said following its board meeting. Inflation is expected to drop to 1.5% in 2024, compared with 6.1% in 2023 and 6.6% in 2022, it said. Consecutive droughts have slashed Morocco’s cereals output weighing on overall economic growth, which the bank sees dropping to 2.8% this year, after 3.4% last year. The bank expects the country’s economic growth to rebound to 4.5 % in 2025. Morocco’s foreign exchange reserves are seen at 38 billion dollars, enough to cover 5 months and a half of imports.

Bousnina’s space is the second art gallery to open this year in Tunis. “We are also trying to bring art into the larger Tunisian community – providing access to communities with no access to art or art activities,” said Feriani. An exterior view of Selma Feriani’s Tunis gallery Image: Courtesy of Selma FerianiThis burst of newcomers onto Tunisia’s art scene is taking place during a time of great uncertainty for the country. Each year Kilani organises El Kazma, a video art exhibition in the coastal city of Gabès, in parallel with the Gabès Cinema Fen, an annual festival of Arab cinema. In 2019, longtime Tunisian art collector and patron Lina Lazaar opened B7L9, a new contemporary art space in an impoverished area outside of Tunis.

Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has approved financing worth R$41 million (US$7.5 million) for Um Telecom, a B2B operator focused on Brazil's Northeast region, to deploy the first Tier III data centre in the State of Pernambuco. At more than 150 racks, the data centre, which will be located in the state capital Recife, will be the first large-capacity data centre with Tier III classification in Pernambuco. In Brazil, there are reportedly 87 Tier III facilities, of which 85% are in the Southeast region. In the Northeast region, Fortaleza (pictured above) has three units for commercial use and João Pessoa only one. As the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, points out, digital infrastructure is important for the development of the Northeast.

By Enes MorinaMorocco's central bank cut its key interest rate Tuesday, making it the first north African central bank to lower borrowing rates in a sign of confidence that inflation had been tamed. Morocco's central bank cut its key interest rate to 2.75% from 3%, as headline inflation continues to hover just above zero. Capital Economics expects the key interest rate to fall by half a percentage point more by the end of this year. The Moroccan move comes nearly three weeks after the European Central Bank lowered its key rate for the first time since 2019. The rate cut in the eurozone--which is the country's largest trading partner--gave the central bank room to lower its own key rate, as the Moroccan dirham is pegged primarily to the euro.

The Kigali-based electric transport energy company Ampersand has partnered with publicly-listed Chinese multinational manufacturing company BYD to collaborate on the decarbonisation of Africa’s commercial motorbike transport system. Formed in 2016, Ampersand assembles and finances electric motorcycles that cost less to buy and operate, and perform better than the five million petrol motorcycle taxis in use across East Africa. The partnership with BYD will see Ampersand purchase BYD’s high-tech battery cells to build around 40,000 electric motorcycles by the end of 2026, with the long-term goal of electrifying a large portion of Africa’s 30 million commercial motorbikes. This will enable Ampersand to rapidly scale its electric fleet and its charging infrastructure, which is already the largest in Rwanda and Kenya. “BYD’s world-leading battery cells and manufacturing scale, combined with Ampersand’s deep customer insight and technical product knowledge will help fast track the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycles.

Early-stage VC firm Launch Africa Ventures has invested a total of US$4.3 million in 16 startups from across the continent so far as part of its second fund, having made 133 investments via its first fund. Launched in July 2020 by Zachariah George and Janade du Plessis, with chairperson Margaret O’Connor also on the board, Launch Africa Ventures closed its its inaugural fund, Launch Africa Ventures Fund 1, in March 2022 at US$36.3 million, with investments from 238 retail and institutional investors in 40 countries. With Fund II, Launch Africa Ventures said it continues to “invest, grow and scale the continent’s top technology-driven ventures to become market leaders in their respective industries”. So far, the second fund has invested in 16 startups that align with its investment thesis on founder diversity, sector strength, market opportunities, and geographic reach, deploying US$4.3 million across 11 African countries to support these market-leading opportunities. The rest of the investments are Zambian prop-tech startup Bosso, DRC-based beauty startup Zuri, Ivory Coast-based e-health company Meditect, Rwandan e-health startup Viebeg, Ghanaian e-bike venture Wahu!, formerly MANA Mobility, and an Egyptian e-health startup.

The Russian strategy in the MediterraneanRussia’s influence around the Mediterranean Sea has fluctuated over the years. September 2013: As Russia weighs intervening in the Syrian conflict, the Russian intelligence ship Priazove CCB-21, which belongs to the Black Sea Fleet, crosses the Bosporus Strait to get to the Mediterranean Sea. Control over the Mediterranean Sea has often appeared too far out of reach. But the arrangement did not last long and by 1961 the Soviet port was closed. Most likely: Russia moves forward in the Mediterranean In all likelihood, Russia will gain a greater foothold in the Mediterranean, as well as the Red Sea, thanks to Western unwillingness to stand in its way.

Alcazar Energy Partners, a leading investor in renewable energy within growth markets, announced today the launch of the largest wind farm project in North Macedonia with a capacity of up to 400 MW. This project represents a key step in the company’s goal to develop the largest renewable energy platform in the Western Balkans. Daniel Calderon, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Alcazar Energy, said, “Alcazar Energy sees North Macedonia as a promising investment location for renewable energy. We look forward to collaborating with the government and stakeholders to build the country’s largest wind farm, significantly increasing its wind capacity. Hristijan Mickoski, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, stated, “We are standing ahead of the largest investment in renewable energy sources that we ever had.