NEWS ANALYSIS

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 …

Mergers and acquisitions in 2025 reflected a shift toward consolidation, regional scale and restructuring as firms responded to tighter regulation and rising capital demands. From cross-border bank takeovers and insurance mergers to fintech spin-offs, companies moved to strengthen balance sheets and position for long-term growth. The Independent highlights the key …

Critics have compared the offensive against Venezuela to the Iraq war, citing a familiar mix of regime-change rhetoric and security pretexts, whose fundamental aim is to serve Washington’s oil interests. BEIJING | Xinhua | Since late August, the United States has ramped up military presence in the Caribbean off Venezuela’s …

SPECIAL FEATURE | OWEN NYAKA | Titus Virinyu was diagnosed HIV+, and health experts recommended him to take anti-retrovirals (ARVs) for life on a daily basis to prolong his life. Virinyu (pseudonym), who also has a mental problem, does not take the medication as per the doctors’ prescription. Sometimes he does …

  But the opposition faces the ruling party’s continued use of violence to manipulate the election   NEWS ANALYSIS  | LUKE MELCHIORRE |  On the eve of Uganda’s 2021 presidential election, it was clear that regardless of how Ugandans voted, the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, would most likely be declared the winner. Amid …