AFRICA

Somalia’s slow military rebuild after decades of civil war is finally yielding results as the country regains control over its security. The development is being watched keenly by both citizens and allies. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African Union-backed forces in Somalia are transferring more military bases to their …

  Ruto to form broad-based government to eliminate wastage, fight corruption and cut the national debt. Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT & XINHUA | Embattled Kenyan President William Ruto has dissolved his cabinet with immediate effect, leaving out only Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi. “Upon reflection and …

  A new study highlights how Africa’s untapped aviation routes are capable of fueling major growth in both intercontinental and intra-continental flights. West African routes lead, with experts advocating for their exploration alongside visa-free travel to revolutionize air travel across the continent. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | A new …

NAIROBI, Kenya | Xinhua | Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday announced that a national multisectoral forum will be held on July 15 to address issues raised by the country’s youth that sparked three weeks of protests across the country. Ruto said the proposed six-day forum will deliberate on issues …

LUSAKA, Zambia | Xinhua | Zambia has experienced a rise in COVID-19 cases following the recent cold season in the country, health authorities said on Monday. Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo told a press briefing that about 3,070 tests were conducted between May and June, out of which 2.4 percent …

With Africa’s youth increasingly taking to smartphones to engage in a variety of activities – including civic and political activism – on social media, smart handset shipments are on the rise across the continent. They have now overtaken feature phone shipments for the first time, according to new reports. SPECIAL …

ARUSHA, Tanzania | Xinhua | Experts on Sunday renewed their calls for the East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers to expedite amendments to the EAC Treaty to enable Kiswahili as the regional bloc’s official language. In a statement from the EAC headquarters in Arusha Monday, experts urged all member …

MWANZA, Tanzania | Xinhua |  Peter Ngonyani, a 35-year-old resident of Kigongo, near the Kigongo-Busisi ferry on Lake Victoria in Tanzania’s northwestern Mwanza region, is all smiles. As a father of three, he has lived in the area for over 20 years and is excited to see the completion of …

  No one size fits all – smaller economies can have significant numbers of active soldiers or substantial defence budgets, as different countries prioritize different aspects of bolstering their peacekeeping efforts. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | In a recent global power ranking of 145 nations, it is evident that …

ABUJA | Xinhua | Nigerian leader Bola Tinubu on Sunday called on West African leaders to work together to establish and sustain a regional standby force in the face of the growing security threats in the region. Speaking during the opening of the 65th ordinary session of the Authority of …