Category: Semafor

The Trump administration on Friday asked lawmakers to boost defense spending by 42% while cutting all other spending by 10% for fiscal year 2027. The request will face strong headwinds on Capitol Hill, where appropriators rejected a similar ask last year. Democrats have already panned it as “morally bankrupt,” while ...

US President Donald Trump is about to get his top Africa official installed at the State Department after a long vacancy. Senate aides told Semafor that the body is expected to vote on Frank Garcia’s confirmation to be Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs soon after the two-week April ...

Nigerian digital payments company Flutterwave was granted its first banking license in the country, the latest sign of a push among Africa’s fintech leaders to diversify and capture more of the value in the continent’s growing digital economy. Flutterwave has mainly operated as a digital payments processor since it was ...

Startup investor Novastar Ventures launched one of the continent’s largest ever funds backing climate-focused tech businesses. The Kenya-based firm, which raised $147 million, has already made six investments from the fund, including in Mexican biodigester producer Sistema.bio that serves farmers in Kenya. African venture capital funds dedicated to climate solutions ...

Nearly half of South Africa’s water infrastructure systems are failing, according to a new government report. The findings raise the stakes for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s policy overhaul aimed at tackling a crisis that resembles the early stages of the country’s national power grid collapse. A national assessment by the water ...

A record 10 African teams have qualified for this year’s expanded FIFA World Cup, marking a major milestone for the continent’s growing football talent. Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Ghana are among those due to compete, as are Africa Cup of Nations finalists Morocco and Senegal. Meanwhile, some emerging teams will ...

China is creating life in its “Sea of Death.” After nearly five decades of effort, the fringes of the great Taklamakan Desert are becoming a forest, NASA satellite data confirmed. The Taklamakan is 25 million years old, and was slowly expanding. But since 1978, Beijing has been planting hardy shrubs ...

New research further undermined the idea of “healthy obesity.” There is an ongoing scientific controversy over whether obese individuals with no metabolic abnormalities, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or hypertension, should be treated as higher risk. A new study of 157,000 people over 13 years found that obese people, especially ...

The Artemis II astronauts left Earth’s orbit, and are further than any human has been from home since 1972. After testing vital systems, the crew boosted the Orion capsule to 22,670 mph and escaped Earth’s gravity. The capsule and the moon will pass each other in three days — the ...

US businesses are hiring at their lowest non-pandemic rate since 2011, hinting at a deep chill in the labor market. Hiring as a percentage of total employment dropped from 3.4% in January to 3.1% in February, while job openings fell. Overall, 92,000 jobs were lost, and the voluntary quitting rate ...