THE LOCAL

Egyptian authorities have arrested 29 individuals, including 13 foreigners, believed to be behind an allegedly fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme.   State media reported that investors lost an estimated $618,000 after the crash of Hogg Community Tech, better known as “HoggPool” by its users.  State media said that HoggPool, which opened last August and abruptly closed on February 28, is accused of operating a Ponzi scheme, in which initial investors are paid with money from new investors. It was reported that the Counter-Cyber Crime department at the Ministry of Interior has been investigating the firm since receiving complaints from members of the public.  The scheme had been running in defiance of Egyptian law, which prohibits trading and investment in cryptocurrency, which is punishable by prison and a fine of up to $325,000.  HoggPool was marketed as offering returns of “more than a hundred times the stake” in just a few months, which helped...

The meeting, which took place from 9-10 March, was dedicated to identifying a clear set of annual objectives and deliverables for the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) in 2023. It brought together the PAVM’s secretariat and representatives from partner organizations including the African Union Development Agency, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Africa Vaccine Manufacturers Initiative (AVMI), and members of academia. The lead partners reviewed the eight bold programs outlined in the PAVM Framework for Action, prioritized a set of practical actions and defined a collaboration framework that enables implementation, effectiveness and quick results in support of African vaccine manufacturing. The Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing was established by the African Union, under the Africa CDC, in 2021, to...