Ghana’s Volta River Authority to Introduce Electric Buses in 2022, Google Maps Helps Locate Wanted Mafia Boss, and US to Delay 5G Rollout Amidst Aviation Concerns

Africa

Solar-powered fridge to help distribute Covid vaccines in Kenya

Engineer Norah Magero has built a portable solar-powered fridge that would help transport Covid vaccines across the country. The Vaccibox was initially designed to carry dairy products across market centres.

mPharma secures $35m in funding

Ghanaian health tech startup mPharma has raised $35 million in a Series D funding round. The firm will use the funding to extend its network of pharmacies across African communities.

Volta River Authority to introduce electric buses in 2022

The Volta River Authority of Ghana has unveiled plans to introduce electric buses to its fleet in 2022. This will be part of an overarching Akosombo Smart City Project that energy provider is working on.

Europe

Kosovo bans crypto mining

Kosovo has banned the mining of cryptocurrencies in the country as it goes through severe energy crisis. Government has promised to clamp down on all cryptocurrency mining sites across the the country.

Google Maps helps locate wanted Italian mafia boss

A Google Maps sighting has helped authorities finally locate a gangster who had been on the run for decades. Gioacchino Gammino was undone by a Google Street View shot of him standing in front of a restaurant in Spain.

EE and Vodafone to delay return of roaming charges

Both EE and Vodafone have decided to delay the return of EU roaming charges following Brexit. When finally complete, users of the mobile networks would have to pay roaming charges when they move outside the UK.

Drone helps save Swede suferring a cardiac arrest

A drone has helped save the life of a 71-year-old Swedish man who was suffering a cardiac arrest. The automated drone delivered a defibrillator to a doctor who helped save the man’s life.

The Americas

Top US telecoms firms to delay 5G rollout

Both At&T and Verizon have agreed to government’s request to delay the rollout of 5G technology across the country. This came after the Secretary of Transportation raised concerns over 5G interfering with some aviation electronics.

Tesla criticised over new Xinjiang showroom

Tesla has been criticised in the US for going ahead to unveil its new showroom in China’s Xinjiang area. Many have accused the region to be riddled with forced labour and even genocide, according to reports.

John Deere makes first automated farm tractor

Farm equipment manufacturer, John Deere, has unveiled the first automated tractor. The tractor can be activated and operated with a smartphone and uses cameras and sensors to till and navigate farm land.

Asia

China Mobile raises $7.7bn in Shanghai listing

China Mobile has raised $7.7 billion on its debut on the Shanghai stock exchange following its exit from the US. The company, together with China Unicom and China Telecom were delisted from the NYSE following rules against investing in Chinese tech companies.

Indian app auctioning off Muslim women taken down by Github

Github has taken down Bulli Bai, an app that shared images of Muslim women and put them on sale. Indian police have arrested Neeraj Bishno, the 20-year-old alleged creator of the app.

China investigates Walmart over cyber-security loopholes

Chinese authorities have accused Walmart of several cyber-security violations, Reuters has reported. Authorities found out 19 violations and further chastised the retail giant for failing to address the issues quickly enough.