NEW YORK | Xinhua | Democrat Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor on Thursday, becoming the first Muslim leader of America’s largest city by population with a vow to combat the city’s affordability crisis. In his inauguration ceremony, Mamdani reiterated his campaign promises to make the …

Kampala, Uganda |  Xinhua |  Uganda has been racing to bring its oil and gas fields in the west of the country into commercial production, a long-awaited milestone that officials said could propel the East African nation onto a path of double-digit economic growth from 2026. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni …

Africa’s mobile operators are leading the way in Africa’s growing satellite internet market, transforming low Earth orbit technology from a niche service into a mainstream tool for connecting rural and enterprise customers. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Vodacom’s recent partnership with Starlink signals a structural shift in Africa’s connectivity …

Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | On Dec.30, President Yoweri Museveni commissioned two major industrial projects in Luwero District, reinforcing the government’s push for agro-industrialisation, value addition, and job creation. The first stop was PRO Industries Pte Limited, an ethanol and extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) plant in Ndibulungi Village. The facility, …

HONG KONG | Xinhua |  In 2025, the Asia-Pacific region faced a series of security challenges, ranging from recurring border conflicts, aggressive political rhetoric to domestic unrest in several countries. Despite these challenges, regional countries continue to express a shared commitment to peace and development, highlighting that dialogue and cooperation …

* A bullet train departed Yan’an on Friday, linking the sacred revolutionary heartland to the country’s high-speed rail network. * More than half of the new route crosses soft, water-sensitive loess, presenting world-class engineering challenges. * The line’s opening has brought China’s high-speed rail mileage to over 50,000 km. XI’AN, …

  COMMENT | ALEX ATWEMEREIREHO |  Africa is not a sleeping giant; it is a suffocated one. Its lungs have long been pressed by the weight of imperial duplicity, its arteries drained by extractive economies masquerading as partnerships, and its political spine bent by postcolonial elites conditioned to administer decline on …

  The World Bank projects that poverty will keep falling through 2026 and 2027, extending a trend that resumed as growth picked up Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda is positioning itself for another phase of strong economic expansion as policymakers seek to lock in recent gains while tightening …

Globally, citizens often display their national flags at homes, offices, and public spaces as expressions of pride. Uganda is no exception COMMENT | JULIUS BUSINGE |  As Uganda journeys toward the January 15 general elections, the national flag has once again taken centre stage in public debate—raising questions not only …

SOFIA | Xinhua | Bulgaria joined the eurozone and adopted the euro as its official currency on New Year’s Day, becoming the 21st member of the euro area. Throughout January, the Bulgarian lev (BGN) will remain in circulation alongside the euro. However, from Feb. 1, the euro will become the country’s …