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UN health agency launches first global monitoring system for dementia
The United Nations health agency (last) Thursday launched the first global monitoring system for dementia, which is expected to affect 152 million people worldwide by 2050 – triple the current 50 million – amid the aging of the global population.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- public health
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Bitcoin: Indonesia bars use by fintech firms
Indonesia’s central bank has issued a regulation banning use of cryptocurrencies by financial technology companies involved in payment systems, and said it is examining whether there’s a need to regulate trading on virtual currency exchanges.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Apple Pay takes on China’s internet kings in mobile payments
In an early boost, China’s biggest lender, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), was among the banks that said earlier this week that customers would be able to use Apple Pay from Thursday.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Do-Good Investors: Watch Out For What These Funds Hold
If you listen to the marketing hype, assets devoted to ESG—industry jargon for investments sensitive to environmental, social and governance issues—account for some $8.7 trillion, double the amount just five years ago. That's great news for the planet, right? Not so fast. Much of the growth is a matter of semantics. What were once run-of-the-mill value or growth funds are being reclassified as sustainable or ESG-friendly.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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USADF, All On partner to invest in off-grid energy in Nigeria
UNited States African Development Foundation (USADF) and All On have announced a three-year partnership that will see both parties provide a $3million-fund to expand access to energy for underserved and unserved markets in Nigeria and boost operations of Nigerian owned off-grid energy companies.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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MediaTek partners with Google to reach into emerging markets
Mediatek, the world's second largest mobile chip maker, has teamed up with U.S. tech group Google to offer cheaper, faster smartphones in emerging markets as early as next year amid sluggish demand from mainland China.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Safaricom adds voice control to m-Pesa
In what the company hailed as a world-first, its customers will be able to check balances before and after making transactions by dialling a number from the handset connected to their account and entering a code.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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USAID Announces A New Development Impact Bond
Launched Thursday, the Utkrisht Impact Bond, named for the Hindi expression for excellence, will fund maternal and newborn health in the Indian state of Rajasthan. DIBs are results-based contracts, in which investors — in this case UBS Optimus Foundation, a grantmaking organization focused on improving the lives of children — provide financing for social programs upfront.
- Categories
- Health Care, Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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