In rich countries, early interest in cargo drones has focused on the so-called last mile – a tub of sorbet onto a suburban lawn. But the bigger opportunities are in flying the middle mile in poorer countries. Some 800 million people around the world have limited access to emergency services, and that will not change in the foreseeable future, because there will not be enough money to build roads to connect them. By flying medium-size loads middling distances to many of these isolated communities, cargo drones can save lives and create jobs.
Two Women, Opposite Fortunes
Angola has one of the richest pools of natural wealth per person in Africa, yet the country has done much less than its peers to assist ordinary people. And when the I.M.F. reviewed Angola’s books from 2007-10, it initially found $32 billion missing.
Mo Ibrahim prize: Namibia President Pohamba gets $5m award
The outgoing Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has won the world’s most valuable individual award, the Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership.
The $5m (£3.2m) award is given each year to an elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then left office.