Carbon markets in the Democratic Republic of Congo press forward with tangible payouts to forest communities. DRC’s REDD+ pilots have channelled offset revenues into forest patrols and village clinics, defying offset scandals that have impacted buyer trust and stalled market growth. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | A patchwork of …
Read More »Inside Guinea-Bissau’s political shift
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau | Xinhua | After Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces seized full control of state power to counter what they described as attempts to destabilize the country, senior military officer Horta Inta-A was sworn in as transitional president on Thursday. The sudden shift occurred only a day before the release of …
Read More »Will potential U.S. F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia blunt Israel’s military edge?
JERUSALEM | Xinhua | The U.S. government’s recent indication that it may approve an F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia could reshape key dynamics in the Middle East’s security landscape, with possible implications for Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region. So far, Israel remains the sole operator of F-35 jets …
Read More »Unremitting high-quality urban renewal, a practice of China’s people-centered development
BEIJING | Xinhua | China has persistently advanced high-quality urban renewal to improve residents’ sense of happiness, consciously practicing the people-centered development philosophy, and the efforts have paid off. Officials and experts discussed in the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua …
Read More »Uganda’s minerals sector still struggles to tell the full story
Fourth EITI report reveals companies still dodge key disclosures as beneficial ownership data remains thin and contract transparency has barely moved NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | When Uganda’s fourth Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report was released in Kampala on Nov.20, the message that threaded through Protea Hotel’s ground floor …
Read More »Dubai Air Show: Planes, power and politics
Inside the billion-dollar bazaar of mega jets and military might NEWS ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | In the blistering desert heat, Dubai once again became the world’s grand marketplace for global aviation at the biennial Dubai Air Show held from Nov.17-21 at the Al Maktoum International Airport in the United …
Read More »Uganda’s two economies: The official boom that bypasses its citizens
Civil society warns of potential repetition of 2011, when election-related spending drove inflation above 30% NEWS ANALYSIS | JULIUS BUSINGE | David Kitoosa studies the red soil beneath his feet as if searching for answers buried in it. His hands, hardened by years of brickmaking and truck-driving across Wakiso District, …
Read More »How African reps held their ground at COP30
At the forum, African climate envoys rejected one-size-fits-all fixes that push the cost of climate adaptation to developing nations. Their insistence on fairness over uniform fixes underscores the fight for equity. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | A determined African bloc mounted a formidable challenge at the latest round of …
Read More »A new continental vision to protect Africa’s shared landscapes
How a bold AU–UNDP initiative seeks to rebuild ecological resilience—and strengthen the lives connected to it Tlokweng, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | Africa is at a conservation crossroads. Its ecosystem-from the sprawling savannahs of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area to the montane forests of the Albertine Rift– are not just landscapes; …
Read More »African leaders agree to commit 1% GDP for continental Biodiversity Fund
African leaders explore homegrown solution as global funding for conservation sharpfly declines Tlokweng, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | Can Africa rescue its own biodiversity before the losses become irreversible? This is a question that once hovered at the edges of policy conversations, raised by scientists and conservationists but rarely confronted by …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price