NEWS ANALYSIS

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, …

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 …

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 …

  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 …

  BEIJING | Xinhua | Xinhua News Agency on Monday unveiled its selection of the top 10 news stories that defined China in 2025. Below is a concise summary of these key events, listed in chronological order: 1. CPC launches Party-wide education campaign on improving conduct A comprehensive education campaign was …

Rwanda is exporting its homegrown digital platforms to governments abroad, turning local innovations into fully operational services for other countries. Its latest contract will implement an end-to-end Integrated Electronic Case Management System in Jamaica. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY |  Rwanda is turning its domestic digital reforms into an exportable …

After years of stability, is Uganda’s car import tax regime about to change? Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Importing a car into Uganda has remained costly even though most headline vehicle import taxes have not been raised for several years, according to industry players. However, car dealers and clearing agents …

Asking how they’re made could tell you more  SPECIAL FEATURE | SERGE WICH & ERIK MEIJAARD | Vegetable oils are everywhere, and almost everyone has an opinion about them. From clever marketing in supermarket aisles to headlines about deforestation, they have become both the heroes and villains of the modern diet. But …