BRUSSELS | Xinhua |  Guarantees proposed by the European Union (EU) for using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine were “still insufficient,” said Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Thursday, warning that Belgium would not bear the risks alone. Addressing the Belgian parliament ahead of an EU summit, De …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s Electoral Commission has started the countdown to the 2026 General Elections by commencing the exercise of issuing Voter Location Slips (VLS) to voters across the country and also demonstrating to stakeholders, including the media, how the Biometric Voter Verification System (BVVS) will operate. “The …

KHARTOUM | Xinhua |  As the sorghum harvest began in eastern Sudan’s Kassala State, farmers in the Wad Al-Hilu area found rare cause for joy amid years of relentless conflict. This bountiful season offers a clear signal: targeted international aid can help Sudanese communities not just survive, but begin to …

COMMENT | DANIEL FOUBERT | China accomplished the ultimate alchemy of statecraft: compressing the vast, chaotic distinctness of an empire into the singular identity of a nation. The wisdom of the Chinese elite has been the realization that a landmass the size of Europe, containing a linguistic and climatic diversity …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Absa Bank Uganda has raced past its target of planting a record 1 million trees in three years – two months ahead of schedule. During the programme’s implementation that started Febraury 2023, 340,590 trees were planted in 2023, and 372,641 trees were planted in 2024, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The second edition of Tanqueray’s Showtime lifestyle experience served up a new flavor of luxury for fashionistas in Kampala. Under the golden December sun at Zara Garden Hotel, Tanqueray raised the bar and unveiled the Nende Tanqueray-inspired limited-edition purse as part of the Discreet …

  COMMENT | Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko |  Africa stands at a pivotal economic crossroads. The continent is the world’s largest gold-producing region, yet it holds a fraction of global central bank gold reserves. For decades, gold-rich African economies have operated in a global financial architecture where the US dollar sits at …

  Kampala, Uganda | PHILLIP CORRY | Robert Masaba and Natukunda are champions of the ULGU Stanbic Bank Junior Golf Championship held at the Uganda Golf Club on Sunday. Masaba returned to the clubhouse with a score of 35 gross to win the main category of junior golfers aged 4 …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Industry Enhancement Centre (IEC) to reinforce their shared commitment to advancing National Content initiatives and enhancing the capacity of Ugandan Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The IEC …

This marks the first satellite-to-mobile service for millions of people in Africa Dubai, UAE | THE INDEPENDENT |  Airtel Africa today announced an agreement with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity across all its 14 markets that serve 174 million customers. Through this partnership, Airtel Africa customers with compatible smartphones …