NEWS ANALYSIS

With external borrowing under pressure, African states are redesigning how they fund infrastructure. Capital-market instruments, pooled funds and long-term domestic investors are emerging as central to the continent’s next build-out. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African governments are increasingly exploring alternative ways to finance infrastructure, moving beyond conventional external …

Political intimidation, ownership pressures, the rise of AI, and economic constraints are calling into question the future of press freedom – nowhere more conspicuously than in the United States, where these forces have combined to fuel growing anxiety about the fate of an institution that has been fundamental to democracies …

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 | …

WASHINGTON, United States | Xinhua | The U.S. raid and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday marks one of the dramatic escalations in U.S. policy toward Latin America in decades. The operation has been framed by Washington as “combating drug trafficking,” but critics argue that its underlying motives …

As rising migration levels combine with chronic shortages and rising population levels to place further strain on health systems, African governments are responding with a coordinated, decade-long agenda to train, deploy, and retain health workers. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African governments have agreed on a 10-year agenda to …

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 …