Your new laptop may soon come from Rwanda

Why this South American company is making laptops in Rwanda

You would expect to see the words 'Made in Rwanda' on a jar of coffee, but probably not on a laptop.

Rwanda is becoming a hub of tech activity with its recently launched innovation hub FabLab, a space for members to turn tech ideas into products. The East African country has also seen success with FOYO, a mobile pharmaceutical directory, as well as a new cashless bus payment system in the capital city Kigali.

Rwanda hosted the World Economic Forum on Africa in May, and work is reportedly well underway on the Kigali Innovation City, which will house innovation labs and provide training and funding for technology companies.

Rwanda has developed quickly -- the country's GDP growth averaged at 8% per annum between 2001 and 2015, and child mortality dropped by two-thirds.

This rapid development was underpinned in 2000 by the launch of Vision 2020, when the country was linked to an international network of global wireless networks, in a campaign that aimed to "transform the country into a knowledge-based middle-income country."

One tech company taking advantage of these developments is South American technology firm Positivo BGH, responsible for building the first ever 'Made in Rwanda' laptops in Kigali.

Their mission is to increase access to technology in the country, and allow more Rwandans to communicate online from home.

 Why Rwanda? 

'Proudly made in Africa' is the tagline the company use in their marketing materials, and the expansion from South America is already benefiting Rwandans looking for work.

"Right now we have 50 direct staff but if you count indirect, like security and cleaning, we have created about 120 positions," says Juan Ignacio Ponelli, president of Africa at Positivo BGH.

Most of the staff are from the local area and were trained by expats, and Ponelli hopes the move to Rwanda will help raise brand awareness outside of South America.

"It's a strategic decision for the company to go global. We are a top company in technology but we are known really just in South America. So right now we decided to go global and chose here [Rwanda] to start the international arm for this group."

"It has the challenges of being an emerging market, but we're coming from emerging markets. We're coming from Argentina and Brazil so we know to do it, and we've been doing it for 100 years.

Positivo BGH, which is a joint venture between technology companies Positivo Informática and BGH from Brazil and Argentina respectively, has reportedly secured a deal with the Rwandan government to sell them 150,000 devices each year. Most of these will be used for the education sector.

Former Nigeria Minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno, dies at 95

One of Nigeria’s foremost elder statesman, and former minister of mines and petroleum in the first republic, Shettima Ali Monguno, has passed on.

Mr. Monguno died on Friday at his home in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. He was 95.
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, officially announced the demise of the respected nonagenarian through a statement  by the Secretary to the State Government, Jidda Shuwa.
The statement said; “It is with a deep sense of loss and profound sadness that we announce, on behalf of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State and the Borno State Government, the passage of our father and distinguished Statesman, Alhaji (Dr.) Shettima Ali Monguno.He died this evening, Friday, 8th July, 2016.
“His burial will, insha Allah (by the grace of God) take place tomorrow, Saturday, 9th July, 2016 at 2pm at his residence, near Government House, Old GRA, Maiduguri.
“May Allah  (SWA) forgive his sins and grant him abode in Aljanat Firdaus, and may Allah grant his family and the entire people of Borno State the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”.
Mr. Monguno, a former presidential candidate during the 1990 option A4 political arrangement, was known in the last three decades as a philanthropist who committed his time and resources to charity through his Shettima Ali Monguno Foundation that focussed mainly on the education of poor children especially the girl child.
Until his final retirement from public function some three years ago, Mr Monguno was the chairman of the Borno Elders Forum.

Before his retirement from public life, the elder statesman did not only witness Boko Haram devouring his dear state, but was also a victim of the outlawed group’s hostility when he was abducted in broad day by gunmen at a mosque where he had gone to pray on Friday, May 3, 2013.
The former President of OPEC was to be freed some three days later when he was found in far away Marte Local government area where government officials and security personnel picked him and brought him home safely and unhurt.
Since then, his GRA Maiduguri home, adjacent the Borno State Government House, remained guarded by armed security personnel.
Mr. Monguno was born in 1926 in his home town Monguno in the present Borno state.
He was said to have attended Monguno primary school, then proceeded to Teachers college, Bauchi and then Katsina.
He also attended the College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, and then the University of Edinburgh.
He was an MP in in 1959. He later became Education Secretary and councillor for education, works and social welfare Borno Local Government 1959-65; Federal minister for Air Force and internal affair 1965-66; federal commissioner for trade and industries 1967-7; minister mines and power, petroleum and energy 1972-75.
He was President of OPEC between 1972 and 1973.
He was also Chairman, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and  member Constituents Assembly in 1977-78.
In 1990 when the military  experiment a failed transition to civil rule, he was Presidential Candidate during the Option A4 Elections.
He was the  leader of Nigerian delegation to UNCAD II New Delhi in 1968 and member of the country’s delegation to United Nations for over 10 years.
He received keys to the cities of New York, Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Quito, Ecuador; and Lima, Peru.
Mr Monguno also served as Pro-chancellor University of Calabar 1978-80; Pro-chancellor University of Nigeria 1980-84.
He received a national honours from Ethiopia, Republic of Egypt, Sudan and Cameroon in 1970.

He was Trustee, Girl Guides Association of Nigeria 1970-90; a Deputy National Chairman National Party of Nigeria December 1980-84.
He was conferred with National Honour – Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic CFR in 1982.
He was Director, Nigbel Bank Nigeria Ltd,  1988; Chairman, Borno Education Endowment Fund 1986; and an Honorary Road Marshall.
About a decade ago, late Shettima Ali Monguno set a record as one of the largest donors to the Borno state Library board when he relinquished his life collection of books free of charge to the Borno State government.
Within the same period, he was said to have sold his only home in Abuja and used part of the proceed to build a female hostel at the University of Maiduguri as part of his charity work towards advancing girl child education in Borno state.
He is survived by his wife, children and many grand children.

Obama campaigns with Clinton following FBI decision

Obama: After 2008 primary, I admired Clinton even more

Obama takes shot at Trump: America is really great

Watch the FBI refute Clinton email claims

Obama campaigned with Clinton TuesdayPolls suggest more Democrats trust the President than the candidate herself

Charlotte, North Carolina: President Barack Obama made his 2016 debut on the campaign trail Tuesday, deploying the same star power that he used eight years ago to defeat Hillary Clinton to now make a powerful case for his former rival -- all just hours after FBI Director James Comey brutally slammed Clinton's State Department email practices.

Obama appeared onstage with Clinton in Charlotte after lending her a ride from Washington on Air Force One and sought to confer his popularity on a candidate still struggling to gain voters' trust.

Several times, Obama rallied the crowd using his signature campaign chant from 2008: "Fired up, ready to go!"

In remarks that highlighted the unique political charisma that helped then-Sen. Obama win the White House, Obama touted the four years Clinton served as his top diplomat as evidence of her tough-nosed grit. He also acknowledged that he became a loyal Clinton convert years ago, and that his 2008 Democratic primary fight against his friend is all in the past.

"I came away from that primary admiring her even more because during that year-and-a-half, I had a chance to see up close, just how smart she was and just how prepared she was, especially since I debated her a couple dozen times," Obama said. "I saw how even when things didn't go her way, she'd just stand up straighter and come back stronger.

Tory MPs to begin voting in leader race

Five candidates are hoping to succeed David Cameron as Tory leader and UK prime minister

Conservative MPs will begin the process of choosing their next leader and UK prime minister, when the first round of voting gets under way later.

Theresa May goes in to the ballot with a lead among Tory MPs.

But energy minister Andrea Leadsom, who won Boris Johnson's backing on Monday, Michael Gove, Stephen Crabb and Liam Fox also hope to succeed David Cameron.

Party members will choose from the two backed by most Tory MPs, with the winner due to be named on 9 September.

The Conservative Party's 330 MPs will vote in the first round of the election between 11:00 BST and 18:00 BST, with the results expected at about 19:00 BST, when the poorest performing candidate will be eliminated.

Further rounds will take place on Thursday and the following Tuesday until two candidates remain.

On Monday the candidates were given the chance to make their cases to be the next Conservative leader during a parliamentary hustings.

During the meeting, Mrs May is understood to have repeated her view that the status of EU nationals currently in Britain would form part of negotiations ahead of Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

Mr Gove, Mr Fox, Mrs Leadsom and Mr Crabb, have said EU citizens should have their right to stay in the UK protected.

After the meeting, one Tory MP opposed to Mrs Leadsom's bid to become leader described an attempt to distance herself from UKIP support as a "car crash".

But Boris Johnson insisted she had drive and described her as "kind and trustworthy" as he backed her campaign.

Boris Johnson described Andrea Leadsom (right) as "kind and trustworthy"

The contest has been sparked by Mr Cameron's decision to step down as prime minster after the UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU, in the June referendum.

The PM, who had campaigned strongly for a Remain victory, said "fresh leadership" was required as the UK negotiated its exit from the European Union.

Mr Johnson, the former mayor of London and a leading figure in the Brexit campaign, had been expected to run for the Tory leadership.

But his leadership hopes were dashed after Mr Gove launched his own bid for the job, with a stinging attack on his fellow Leave campaigner.

Clinton blasts 'anti-Semitic' Trump

One report said the picture had been previously posted on an Internet forum and on Twitter

US Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton says a tweet from rival Donald Trump featuring a six-pointed star was "blatantly anti-Semitic".

The tweet included a shape resembling the Star of David and stacks of money, with text describing Mrs Clinton as "Most corrupt candidate ever!"

It was later deleted then reposted with the slogan contained in a circle.

Mr Trump said the media was "dishonest" for comparing it to the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism.

The Mic website reported the image had first appeared on a message board known for anti-Semitism and white supremacy.

"Donald Trump's use of a blatantly anti-Semitic image from racist websites to promote his campaign would be disturbing enough," Mrs Clinton's campaign team told US media.

"But the fact that it's part of a pattern should give voters major cause for concern."

'Often used by sheriffs'

Mr Trump hit back in a statement, saying it was a "basic star, often used by sheriffs", and that accusations of anti-Semitism were "ridiculous".

He accused Mrs Clinton of trying to deflect attention from her husband's meeting with the US attorney-general.

His campaign team denied that the image had been lifted from an anti-Semitic site.

The Star of David features on the Israeli flag, and was used by the Nazis to identify Jews.

Mr Trump has previously come under scrutiny for reposting comments made by supremacist groups on social media.

Earlier this year, he was criticised on his failure to immediately disavow David Duke, a leader of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, who had endorsed him.

Internet of Things network for S Korea

South Korea has launched its first commercial, low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) network aimed at making the country even more connected.

The network would allow smart devices to talk to each other via the network.

Phone carrier SK Telecom is behind the initiative, which uses technology that will allow it to reach 99% of the country's population.

Aside from South Korea, the Netherlands also has a nationwide IoT network.

There will be charges involved as users will have to subscribe to monthly price plans that range from 350 Korean won ($0.30, £0.20) to 2,000 won.

SK Telecom is investing up to 100 billion won by the end of next year to further develop the infrastructure, which it hopes will be a new source of revenue.

In a statement it said the price plans are "highly affordable" and cost one-tenth of its current LTE-based IoT services which will ease the cost burden of startups and small and medium enterprises.

The IoT can help appliances like fridges or printers tell its owners when it needs to be refilled, help customers locate lost smartphones and even monitor pets.

Apple considers takeover of Jay Z's Tidal

Apple is said to be considering a takeover bid for Jay Z's music-streaming service Tidal.

The company is reportedly exploring the idea of buying Tidal because of its strong ties to big artists like Kanye West and Madonna.

Sources have told the Wall Street Journal that "exploratory talks" are taking place and may lead to a deal being done.

A Tidal spokesman has denied that it has discussed a deal with Apple.

Jay Z launched the service in March last year as a rival to Spotify.

It followed criticism of the amount the Swedish company pays acts in royalties.

Swedish technology company Aspiro, which used to own Tidal, was bought by the rapper for $56m (£42m).

Jay Z was joined at a launch event in New York by Kanye West, Alicia Keys and wife Beyonce, who all have stakes in the company.

Tidal co-owners Calvin Harris and Chris Martin appeared via video link.

Meanwhile, Spotify have accused Apple of using its app store as "as a weapon to harm competitors."

Last month Kanye West used Tidal to unveil the controversial video to his song Famous, which shows 'naked celebrities' including Taylor Swift and Amber Rose.

A Madonna video was also shown exclusively on Tidal for 24 hours before being released to everyone else.

Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Deadmau5 and Kanye West all attended the Tidal relaunch last March

The streaming service is also the only one offering the full back catalogue of Prince, who died in April after an accidental overdose.

The site's flagship £19.99 monthly subscription fee, which includes HD audio and HD music videos, is double the price of the highest Spotify monthly subscription.

Tidal also offers a £9.99 monthly deal.

An individual membership for Apple Music is £9.99 a month while a family package costs £14.99. Students pay £4.99.

Brazil court blocks Facebook funds

The low-cost app is much used in Brazil where mobile phone charges are high, as Ben Bland reports

A court in Brazil has frozen 19.5 million reais (£4.5m, $6.07m) of Facebook's funds in a dispute with secure messaging service WhatsApp over a criminal case.

The federal police say Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has refused to share the contents of messages sent by suspected drug smugglers.

They need the data to connect those captured with others based around the world, Reuters reported.

Facebook declined to comment.

The frozen money is the equivalent amount that the company has been fined for "disregarding the law" over a period of five months, reports local news agency G1.

The funds have been blocked from Facebook's account because WhatsApp doesn't have a bank account in the country, the report claims.

WhatsApp is hugely popular in Brazil, and is reported to have 93 million users.

In March Facebook's vice-president for Latin America, Diego Dzodan, was arrested after the firm failed to co-operate with court orders in a drug-trafficking case.

At the time Facebook described the arrest as an "extreme and disproportionate measure".

"Facebook has always been and will be available to address any questions Brazilian authorities may have," the company said.

Oracle ordered to pay $3bn to HP

Oracle said it would challenge the decision to award damages

Electronics firm Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has been awarded $3bn (£2.26bn) in damages in a legal dispute with software giant Oracle.

The row came about because Oracle reneged on a contractual agreement to continue making software that ran on high-end Itanium chips.

The court battle over the contract was settled in 2012 but the damages HPE was due have only now been agreed.

Oracle said it would appeal against the court's decision.

Split business

HP was split into two in 2015 with HPE taking over the running of its servers and services business.

In court, HPE argued that although the 2012 legal judgement meant Oracle had resumed making software for the powerful chips, its business had suffered harm. It argued that Oracle took the decision in 2011 to stop supporting Itanium in a bid to get customers to move to hardware made by Sun - a hardware firm owned by Oracle.

Oracle said that its decision in 2011 was driven by a realisation that Itanium was coming to the end of its life. It also argued that the contract it signed never obliged it to keep producing software in perpetuity.

Intel stopped making Itanium chips in late 2012 and many companies that used servers built around them have now moved to more powerful processors.

The jury in the case agreed with HPE and said it was due compensation for lost sales caused by Oracle's actions.

Oracle said its appeal would seek to overturn the original decision that it breached the contract and to get the damages dismissed.

The damages decision comes a month after Oracle lost a court case against Google that centred on the Java programming language. Oracle sought $9bn (£6.8bn) damages in that case.