On January 1, 2026, Bulgaria will bid farewell to its lev currency and become the 21st European nation to adopt the euro. The Balkan country of 6.7 million people has been a European Union (EU) member since January 1, 2007, and joined the Schengen Area in March 2024, both of which marked pivotal moments in…
The United Nations and the United States on Monday formalized an agreement under which the US committed $2 billion in humanitarian assistance for global relief programmes, a move the UN’s top relief official hailed as a landmark commitment to saving lives amid escalating humanitarian needs worldwide. Speaking at the signing in Geneva, UN Emergency Relief…
BRUSSELS, Belgium – On 11 December, Spotlight Initiative hosted ‘A sustainable legacy: An intimate evening of conversation and insights from global leaders on how seed investments to end violence against women and girls deliver sustainable outcomes’. The event launched the Initiative’s sustainability report, which found that a remarkable 97 per cent of programme countries had…
Nairobi — President Donald Trump has expanded United States travel restrictions to cover an additional 15 countries, the majority of them in Africa, in a move that is set to further strain U.S.-Africa relations and disrupt travel, education and business links across the continent. Of the 15 newly added countries, 11 are in Africa: Angola,…
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says the continent is moving closer to meeting the criteria for downgrading Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. The move, it said, becomes imperative as more countries record zero cases for extended periods. Prof. Yap Boum, Incident Manager for Health Emergencies at…
Plastic waste is an internationally traded commodity, which can be recycled into reusable materials, whereas plastic litter is the pollution that results from untreated waste. PHOTO/Wikimedia Commons. By PATRICK MAYOYO [email protected] The ubiquitous plastic beverage bottle makes up about half of plastic waste collected for recycling in the U.S. Most recycled plastic is processed domestically,…
US President Donald Trump has criticised European leaders as “weak” and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine. In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he said “decaying” European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine’s war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight “until they drop”….
Across Africa, a handful of African countries stand out for consistently achieving high electricity access rates. These countries are united by a mix of committed infrastructure investment, diversified energy sources (often including gas or renewables), and policies that prioritize national grid connection. While access rate is a useful proxy for stable supply, it’s essential to…
In the ongoing quest to understand South Africa’s political and economic stagnation, it may be helpful to look at other postcolonial states that have travelled further along the path of independence. This may help clarify the stagnation question that citizens, politicians and economists are grappling with. Much of the analysis of postcolonial Africa and Asia…
Since 2000, most countries – across all income levels and regions – have made concurrent progress in expanding health service coverage and reducing the financial hardship associated with health costs, according to a new joint report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group. These two indicators are the foundation of universal…
