COMMENT | NANCY QIAN | As geopolitical tensions rise, competition for the cutting-edge science and talent that underpins advanced technology has heated up. The United States, China, and other major powers now regard leadership in areas like AI, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and biotechnology as central to military capability, economic security, …

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has set off alarm bells from Mogadishu to Addis Ababa, pulling the Horn of Africa into a widening geopolitical contest  COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | When Israel announced on Dec.26 that it had formally recognised Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, it triggered diplomatic shockwaves …

Africa’s young users are drawing global fintech and crypto giants upstream, as platforms race to shape early financial habits through supervised savings tools and family-centric digital products. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa’s next generation is emerging as the new battleground for digital finance, as global crypto exchanges and …

Kampala, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT | Across Uganda, a quiet but powerful shift is taking place. A new generation of young people is choosing to look inward, towards their roots, stories, and shared heritage, as a source of pride and identity. In a world long dominated by foreign cultural influence, …

WASHINGTON | Xinhua |  The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, reportedly capturing President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, speaking on a state-run television station, said the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife are unknown, asking …

Africa’s strategic minerals are no longer just economic assets. They are levers of power. Gold in the Sahel, cobalt and lithium in the DRC, fuel alliances, arm militias and shape global partnerships. According to experts, how these resources are governed will decide whether they drive industrial growth or entrench conflict …

COMMENT | IAN BURUMA | It didn’t take long for Japan’s hawkish new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, to rile the Chinese government. On November 7, just weeks after her election, Takaichi responded to a question in parliament about a possible Chinese attack or blockade against Taiwan by saying that it could constitute …

The government-backed scheme aims to attract first-time investors who may be hesitant to trust private asset managers Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda has launched a pilot of Africa’s first government-owned unit trust scheme, aiming to channel informal household savings into regulated investment products and strengthen domestic capital markets. The …

COMMENT | Samson Tinka | On 29th Dec 2025, I landed in an unexpected evening traffic jam at a place called Mpambire, around 40 km on the Kampala-Masaka road. I imagined there was an accident a few meters ahead that had slowed us down. I didn’t know that I would leave …

Many young people will one day do jobs that don’t yet exist or did not exist a few years ago  COMMENT | KOBUS MAREE | The world of work today, in the 21st century, is far more unpredictable than it was in the 20th century. Jobs come and go, roles …