COMMENT | Johanna Sydow & Nsama Chikwanka | The environmental and human toll of mineral extraction is becoming clearer – and more alarming – by the day. Roughly 60% of Ghana’s waterways are now heavily polluted due to gold mining along riverbanks. In Peru, many communities have lost access to safe drinking water after environmental …

Rubaga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged residents of Rubaga Division in Kampala to hold their elected leaders accountable for local challenges, saying citizens should stop blaming the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government for failures that fall within the mandate of leaders they themselves chose. …

 A knack for solving problems led pharmacy graduate-turned-venture-capitalist, Amanda Etuk into Nigeria’s bustling logistics sector to set up a firm that streamlines how businesses handle their supply chain operations. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | “Everything happens in Lagos,” said Amanda Etuk as she drove in her chauffeured car through a …

NEW YORK | Xinhua |  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday pleaded not guilty to all U.S. charges during his first court appearance in New York. “I am innocent, I am not guilty,” Maduro told the court, adding that he was “kidnapped” at his home in Caracas and that he …

The world’s only living relative of the giraffe has received its strongest global protection yet. Conservationists say the move closes trafficking loopholes, strengthens protections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and signals a historic step toward safeguarding this rare and iconic forest mammal. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | …

COMMENT | CRISPIN KAHERU | Whenever people speak of a stolen election, what often comes to mind are stuffed ballot boxes and forged tally sheets. Today, all over the world, it may look a little different. The concept is the same, though, but the method has changed. Elections are now stolen …

At a quiet hotel in rain-soaked Maun, African policymakers, scientists and community voices came together to design a continental biodiversity programme rooted in shared ecosystems, resilience and cooperation Maun, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | On the edge of the Okavango Delta,a where seasonal rains soften northern Botswana and the air …

Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni on Monday campaigned in Entebbe Municipality, pledging increased government support to fishermen, market vendors, and small-scale entrepreneurs, and urging residents to vote for the NRM to protect peace and development gains. Addressing supporters, Museveni said his government had restored security in Entebbe …

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nile Breweries Limited has announced the appointment of Nkanyiso Mncwabe as its new Managing Director, effective January 1, 2026, marking a leadership transition at Uganda’s leading beer manufacturer. The announcement was made today, January 5, in Kampala. Mncwabe takes over from Adu Rando, whose tenure …

Election security is not the responsibility of security forces alone, it is a collective national duty. COMMENT | MATHIAS RUKUBA | As Ugandans prepare to head to the polls in January 2026, it is critical to recognise that global terrorism remains a real and evolving threat to national security and democratic …