Why Trump and XI policies in the South China Sea could lead Japan to rearm ANALYSIS | Andrew M. Mwenda | As Uganda and Rwanda were preparing themselves for a possible military confrontation, I was in Japan talking to public officials, intellectuals and academics on the situation in the Sea …
Read More »Macron visits E.Africa in effort to counter China expansion
Lalibela, Ethiopia | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron visited Djibouti and Ethiopia on Tuesday, promising “respectful” partnerships in the face of growing regional indebtedness to China, which is fast expanding its foothold in the continent. Looking to strengthen economic, military and cultural ties in East Africa, Macron announced a new defence …
Read More »Five years on, five theories about MH370’s disappearance
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, triggering the biggest hunt in aviation history. Only a few fragments of the jet have been found, all on western Indian Ocean shores, and search efforts ended …
Read More »Global energy demand to soar one third by 2040: BP
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Global energy demand will surge by a third over the next two decades on advancing prosperity, but Indian demand growth will eclipse that of flagging giant China, Britain’s BP forecast Thursday. “The demand for energy is set to increase significantly driven by increases in prosperity …
Read More »US and China open trade talks in Beijing
Beijing, China | AFP | US and Chinese negotiators kicked off two days of high-level trade talks in Beijing on Thursday hoping to resolve a festering dispute that has cast a shadow over financial markets and the global growth outlook. Pressure to seal an accord ahead of a March 1 deadline set by Donald Trump …
Read More »AI system spots childhood disease like a doctor
Paris, France | AFP | An artificial intelligence (AI) programme developed in China that combs through test results, health records and even handwritten notes diagnosed childhood diseases as accurately as doctors, researchers said Monday. From the flu and asthma to life-threatening pneumonia and meningitis, the system consistently matched or out-performed primary …
Read More »Trump orders government to prioritize artificial intelligence
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the US administration to give greater priority to artificial intelligence, a move seen as firing up a battle for leadership with China. The American AI Initiative executive order calls for the administration to “devote the full resources of …
Read More »Chinese hunger for ‘world’s smelliest fruit’ threatens Malaysian forests
Raub, Malaysia | AFP | Soaring demand for durians in China is being blamed for a new wave of deforestation in Malaysia with environmentalists warning vast amounts of jungle is being cleared to make way for massive plantations of the spiky, pungent fruit. Grown across tropical Southeast Asia, the durian is …
Read More »Economic costs of increasing debt
Understanding the high risk burden to the economy posed by the current debt level COMMENT | Ezra Munyabonera | Due to high borrowing costs—especially domestically—Uganda’s debt burden may reach unsustainable levels in the medium term, unless government slows down on accumulation of new debt. Since the start of implementing infrastructure …
Read More »Uganda’s big China debt
CHINA: Minister of Finance Kasaija’s secret letter to Museveni Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT TEAM | When, on October 18, 2018, Uganda signed an agreement with China for a US$212.6 million loan (Approx. Shs78 billion) for rural electrification, the issue of Uganda’s increasing debt and the unfair terms of some …
Read More »