Amazon plans to launch more than 5,000 satellites to provide global data and phone services, as competition heats up in the commercial space sector. The planned constellation would be a significant increase upon the Jeff Bezos-owned firm’s 390 satellites currently in orbit — a figure dwarfed by Elon Musk’s Starlink, ...
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Dual forces pressure Asia to reshape its security orderDual forces pressure Asia to reshape its security order
Asia is reshaping its security architecture, analysts argued, in response to dual pressures of Beijing’s aggression and the US’ unpredictability. Japan has boosted security ties with Australia, the Philippines, and India as Tokyo accelerates its military buildup; Canberra signed a defense pact with Fiji; and South Korea is racing to ...
Europe cuts overseas aid budgetsEurope cuts overseas aid budgets
European countries are severely reducing overseas aid budgets, compounding Washington’s cuts. US President Donald Trump shuttered USAID, the world’s largest provider, last year. But new figures show that the EU cut its own aid budget 13.8% in 2025, and member states’ individual aid contributions fell almost 10% on average, World ...
Central banks expected to hold rates steadyCentral banks expected to hold rates steady
Oil-driven inflation fears may push central banks to tighten policy, but that is unlikely to deter the AI investment boom driving much of today’s growth, analysts said. The US Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England are all expected to hold interest rates steady this week, ...
France, Germany are hatching plans to revive auto industryFrance, Germany are hatching plans to revive auto industry
France and Germany are pursuing a new initiative to boost industrial provisions and protect jobs, as Europe endeavors to shield its businesses from China. A joint Franco-German fighter jet program collapsed last month amid squabbling between defense contractors, underscoring the bloc’s difficulties in unifying around lofty industrial goals. This latest ...
Chinese investments in Africa soar to $34 billion so far this yearChinese investments in Africa soar to $34 billion so far this year
Chinese infrastructure and energy investment in Africa nearly tripled in the first half of 2026, rising to $33.5 billion — the highest half-year total on record and by far the strongest performance of any region under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, a new report found. The surge was driven by ...
Uganda hires Washington lobbyists to combat rights reputationUganda hires Washington lobbyists to combat rights reputation
Uganda hired two lobbying firms in Washington, DC as Kampala seeks to combat criticism of its rights record and make the case for ending Ebola-related restrictions. The push comes as American lawmakers question the outsized role of Chief of Defense Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba — President Yoweri Museveni’s son and a ...
Senegal’s president forms new party as political crisis continuesSenegal’s president forms new party as political crisis continues
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye founded a new political party, deepening his split with former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and setting the stage for a reelection bid. Faye will lead the new Kiiraay party in local and legislative polls ahead of national elections in 2029, a senior party official said. ...
African startup funding dips 6% year on yearAfrican startup funding dips 6% year on year
African startup funding dipped by 6% year on year to $1.4 billion in the first six months of 2026, after the number of early-stage companies securing venture capital investment fell, data from Africa The Big Deal shows. The largest agreement for the year so far happened in June, when four-year-old ...
Trump’s $500M private investment push into AfricaTrump’s $500M private investment push into Africa
Yinka’s view For years, the case for US investment in Africa has run into the same wall: Companies and financiers argued the regulations, infrastructure, and technical capacity needed to make projects bankable simply weren’t there. The US State Department thinks it finally has the answer: The Bureau of African Affairs’ ...