Kenya’s BasiGo Enters Fixed-Route Commuting Once Targeted by Swvl
Kenyan electric‑bus startup BasiGo is piloting a scheduled, fixed‑route commuter service in Nairobi, integrating electric mid‑size buses with existing matatu cooperatives. The three‑bus trial offers nonstop links between estates and business hubs at KES 150‑200 per seat, with 80% of payments processed via M‑PESA. BasiGo claims riders save up to 40 minutes per trip and that operators retain 75% of revenue while the platform takes a 20% fee. The company plans to add ten buses within the next two years, contingent on charging infrastructure rollout.
Global Buyout Firms Face Exit Challenges in China
Major private‑equity firms such as KKR, Blackstone and CVC reported no publicly disclosed full exits from mainland Chinese portfolio companies in 2025. The exit drought reflects strained liquidity, higher interest rates and depressed valuations that have throttled deal activity. While...
Uganda to Link New Railway Line to Tanzania, Opening up New Export Route
Uganda announced plans to connect its new standard gauge railway to Tanzania’s under‑construction rail network. The line would run from the Tanzania border through southwestern Uganda to Mpondwe on the DRC frontier, linking mineral‑rich regions to the port of Dar...
PGAV Establishes Strategic Global Presence Led by John Kasman
PGAV, a leading destination‑design firm, is establishing a dedicated international hub in Abu Dhabi to serve the fast‑growing immersive tourism markets of the Middle East and China. The expansion, overseen by principal John Kasman, builds on longstanding client relationships and...
The Long Telegram Just Turned 80. Our Times Demand a New One.
The Atlantic Council’s Frederick Kempe marks the 80th anniversary of George Kennan’s Long Telegram, arguing that today’s geopolitical turbulence demands a comparable strategic blueprint. He highlights a simultaneous great‑power contest involving Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s assertiveness around Taiwan, and an...
Debt Restructuring Is Senegal’s Best Bet
Senegal’s public debt has surged to roughly 132% of GDP, placing the country in a severe fiscal bind. With limited access to cheap financing, the government faces a stark choice between costly debt service and a structured debt‑restructuring process. Analysts...
GSMA Launches Innovation Fund to Accelerate Green Transition Through Mobile Technology
The GSMA has launched a global Innovation Fund offering £100,000‑£200,000 grants to small and growing enterprises that use mobile and digital technologies to accelerate the green transition in low‑ and middle‑income countries. The fund targets solutions that expand clean‑energy access,...
Banks, Operators to Drive Africa’s Stablecoin Tipping Point
African banks and mobile network operators are poised to accelerate stablecoin adoption, turning the continent’s burgeoning mobile‑money ecosystem into a mainstream digital payments layer. Ripple’s Reece Merrick highlighted that once banks and telcos embed stablecoins in custody, payments and treasury...
How Ukraine’s Economy Has Defied the Odds
Ukraine’s economy has rebounded to near pre‑war GDP levels thanks to disciplined fiscal policy, heightened defense spending, and sustained international aid. Restored air and sea corridors revived export channels, while targeted infrastructure grants offset war‑induced fiscal gaps. The government’s focus...
Egypt's Bid to Anchor a Cairo to Cape Town African Trade Highway
In November 2025 Egypt’s deputy transport minister reported that roughly 80% of the Cairo‑to‑Cape Town trans‑African highway is finished, positioning Egypt as the north‑south anchor of the corridor. The project, part of the African Union’s Trans‑African Highway network, is funded...
Too Soon to Comment on US Tariff Change Impact on India, Says FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it is too early for India to assess the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Trump‑era global tariffs, as the commerce ministry continues its review. She also urged banks to refocus on core...
Unpacking African Markets in the Era of Global Volatility
The Africa Markets Conference 2026 (AMC26) opened in Cape Town, hosted by Standard Bank, to examine how heightened global volatility—particularly U.S. Trump‑era tariffs—affects the continent. Organisers aim to channel private and sovereign capital into African infrastructure and growth sectors amid...
Grey Launches ‘Grey Business’ to Simplify Global Payments for African Startups and SMEs
Grey, a global fintech, launched Grey Business, a multi‑currency payments platform for African startups and SMEs. The service lets companies open USD corporate accounts, send and receive global payments, and convert currencies instantly at real‑time rates, also supporting USDC and...
China’s Missile Reach Forcing US Pacific Air Power Reset
China’s expanding missile and surveillance capabilities are turning U.S. forward airbases in the Pacific into high‑value targets, prompting the Air Force to abandon its Cold‑War‑era expeditionary model. A Hudson Institute report warns that without a three‑tiered “Edge‑Force, Pulsed‑Force, Core‑Force” redesign,...
Study Shows AI Skills Gap in Singapore Malaysia
Epitome Global’s latest workforce study reveals that only one in five professionals in Singapore and Malaysia demonstrate AI‑ready traits such as persistence, curiosity and reflective learning. While more than 70% claim advanced digital literacy, 56% rate their decision‑making and 42%...
CaoCao Robotaxi Fleet Reaches 100 Vehicles
Chinese mobility firm CaoCao Inc. announced that its robotaxi fleet in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District has reached 100 vehicles, supported by its Green Intelligent Mobility Hub. The company is moving from safety‑driver‑assisted rides to fully driverless operations while trialing mixed fleets,...
EPU: A Beneficiary Of Peru's Solid GDP Growth And High Commodity Prices
The iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF (EPU) has delivered double‑digit returns in 2026, extending the strong performance it posted in 2025. Its trailing price‑to‑earnings ratio sits at 20.83×, still cheaper than the S&P 500, reflecting a higher cyclical tilt....
Consortia Secure First Philippine Offshore Wind Grid Deals
A consortium led by Seawind Asia, Stream Invest and Triconti ECC Renewables has secured the Philippines’ first offshore wind grid connection agreements. The deals cover three projects—450 MW Frontera Bay, 600 MW Guimaras Strait and 600 MW Guimaras Strait II—totaling 1.65 GW of potential capacity....
Japanese Yen Bounces on Takaichi Election Sweep, but Will It Last?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide victory in the February 8 snap election, propelling Japanese equities to record highs. The political certainty sparked a yen rally, moving the currency from around ¥157 per dollar to the ¥152...
Japan's Enhanced Defense Stance Needs Space Ambitions to Match
Japan is moving to raise defence spending toward 2 % of GDP and to scrap the five‑category export ban, signalling a major policy shift. The government argues that higher budgets must translate into sovereign space capabilities, especially ISR satellite constellations. Recent...
Russia-Ukraine War: List of Key Events, Day 1,460
Ukrainian officials reported a deadly attack in Lviv that killed a policewoman and wounded dozens, while overnight Russian strikes hit Kyiv and several regions, targeting energy infrastructure and residential buildings. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 307 of 345 Russian...
Queensland Gov’t Trade Mission Targets Manufacturing and Resources Growth in East Asia
The Queensland Government announced a trade mission to South Korea and Japan, led by Minister Dale Last, to boost investment in the state’s mining, critical‑minerals and manufacturing sectors. The delegation will promote coal, gas, and the revived Queensland Train Manufacturing...
Geopolitical Risk and Supply Chain Diversification
A new study of Japanese multinational corporations shows that rising geopolitical risk is prompting firms to diversify supply chains away from China toward ASEAN economies, rather than fully relocating production. Using the Caldara‑Iacoviello Geopolitical Risk index and firm‑level trade and...
Trade Data Gaps Between China and Central Asian States Point to Pervasive Smuggling
A joint review of Chinese, Kazakh and Kyrgyz customs data reveals massive discrepancies in reported trade values, with China claiming $48.7 billion in exports to Kazakhstan and $27.2 billion to Kyrgyzstan in 2025, while the two neighbours report only $34.1 billion and $5 billion...
What Will Trump’s Latest Sweeping Tariffs Mean for the World?
President Donald Trump announced a sweeping 15 percent tariff on all imports, following a recent 10 percent levy introduced after a Supreme Court ruling struck down much of his earlier tariff regime. The across‑the‑board duty removes sector exemptions, injecting fresh uncertainty into...
World Bank Must Demand Accountability
World Bank’s poverty‑reduction mission is compromised by weak oversight in many developing nations, where borrowed funds are often diverted into election‑timed projects and opaque schemes. The article highlights how political opportunism inflates contracts, disguises debt as generosity, and undermines public...
India-France Tax Shift Threatens P-Note Trade
India is poised to amend its treaty with France, stripping French investors of the capital‑gains exemption for holdings under 10% and raising dividend withholding to 15% for those stakes. The change would also halve the dividend tax to 5% for...
India Pauses Its Trade Team Visit to Evaluate US Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
India has postponed its scheduled trade delegation visit to Washington after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the reciprocal tariffs imposed by President Trump. The court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not authorize the tariffs, prompting Trump...
DRC, Belgium, and KoBold Metals in Dispute Over Colonial Mineral Archives
A dispute has emerged between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, and U.S. firm KoBold Metals over access to colonial-era geological archives housed at Belgium’s AfricaMuseum. The DRC wants to partner with KoBold to digitize data on cobalt, lithium and...
Kolwezi to Host DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialization Forum in October 2026
The Democratic Republic of Congo will host the inaugural DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialization Forum in Kolwezi from 7 to 9 October 2026, co‑hosting with the DRC‑Africa Battery Metals Forum. The event targets cobalt and lithium, aiming to shift the...
‘Green’ Growth on Inland Waterways
The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) unveiled a ₹1,500 crore roadmap to expand India’s inland water transport network, laying foundations for projects exceeding ₹150 crore, including cruise jetties in six states. Cargo movement on national waterways surged to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024‑25,...
UN Agency Urges Investment to Boost Youth Employment
The UN Economic Commission for Africa warned that Africa’s massive youth cohort can become a global growth engine if investment is better linked to bankable projects. While capital exists, investors demand scale, security and market access, which the continent must...
EU-India FTA to Unlock Trade Growth, AI Collaboration and Resilient Supply Chains: Austrian Official
The European Union and India have reached a landmark free‑trade agreement that will slash tariffs on the vast majority of bilateral trade, covering 96.6% of EU exports to India and 99.5% of Indian exports to the EU. Austrian State Secretary...
US Supreme Court Ruling on Tariffs: Why Emkay Sees India as Beneficiary Amid Trump's Flip-Flops
The U.S. Supreme Court nullified President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, prompting the administration to replace them with a blanket 15% tariff under Section 122. This shift lowers the average U.S. tariff rate to about...
Indonesia Faces Record Share Sales to Meet Free-Float Goal
Indonesia must orchestrate a record‑size share sale to lift the free‑float of 267 listed firms to at least 15%, up from the current 7.5% floor. The Indonesia Stock Exchange estimates the required issuance will total about 187 trillion rupiah (approximately S$14 billion),...
Tour Operator Sets Aside $72m for Lodges Expansion
SafariCo Group is allocating $72 million to expand and refurbish its Tanzanian lodges, backed by a $50 million International Finance Corporation loan. The plan adds 184 rooms, pushing the portfolio beyond 1,000 keys across the Elewana, Explorer and Sopa brands. Tanzania’s tourism...
Yoco’s Marcello Schermer Says the Next Test for African Fintech Is Smarter Tools
Yoco’s international expansion chief Marcello Schermer says African fintechs must evolve from passive transaction recorders to proactive financial partners. After a decade of digitising payments, the continent now hosts over 5,000 startups and attracted $1.37 billion in 2024, with fintech capturing...
US Tariffs on India Reset to 15% After Supreme Court Ruling: How Did Duties Swing From 26% to 50% and...
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act cannot be used to impose sweeping global tariffs, forcing the Trump administration to abandon the IEEPA‑based duties on India. Hours later, President Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade...
Capitalising Africa's Youth Dividend
At the Africa Business Forum 2026 in Addis Ababa, leaders launched the Jobs Wall Commitment Tracker to record public and private sector job promises. The gathering emphasized that Africa’s youthful demographic demands risk‑tolerant, long‑term capital focused on research, innovation, and...
India’s GDP Growth to Moderate to 7.2% in Q3FY26: ICRA
ICRA projects India’s year‑on‑year GDP growth to ease to 7.2% in Q3 FY 2025‑26, down from 8.2% in the prior quarter. The slowdown is driven by weaker services (+7.8% versus +9.2%) and agriculture (+3.0% versus +3.5%) growth, even as industrial output...
Lacson: Senate to Discuss Rules on Dialogue with Chinese Embassy
The Philippine Senate will convene an all‑senators’ caucus on Feb 23 to set ground rules for talks with the Chinese Embassy over the West Philippine Sea dispute, with Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson emphasizing diplomatic courtesy and the possibility of...
Japan Bill Requires Airlines Deny Boarding to Unauthorized Visitors
Japan's government will submit an immigration reform bill requiring airlines to deny boarding to travelers lacking pre‑travel authorization starting fiscal 2028. The measure obliges visa‑exempt visitors to declare occupation, purpose and accommodation online, with the Immigration Services Agency verifying data...
Trump Now Wants to Impose 15% Tariff After Supreme Court Decision
President Donald Trump announced a new 15% tariff on imports, raising the rate from the 10% he mentioned a day earlier. The increase follows a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated his earlier reciprocal and fentanyl‑related tariffs. Trump said the tariffs...
Organizers of the Winter Games Made Clean Energy a Priority. Here's How They Did It
The 2026 Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics have pledged that virtually all electricity powering the Games will come from certified renewable sources. Enel will supply roughly 85 GWh of clean power, using guarantee‑of‑origin certificates to prove its green origin. Infrastructure upgrades, including new...
THE FASTEST-GROWING TOURISM DESTINATIONS REVEALED
Emerging markets in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Egypt led 2025’s fastest tourism growth, with global arrivals hitting 1.52 billion, a 4 % rise. Brazil saw a 37 % surge to 9.3 million visitors, driven by new air routes and Embratur marketing. Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum...
Kuwait’s CGCC Secures Gas Gathering Contract in PNZ
Kuwait’s Combined Contracting Group Co. (CGCC) secured a KWD 10.2 million contract to provide gas‑gathering support services in the Partitioned Neutral Zone (PNZ) at the Al‑Wafra Joint Operations facility, a partnership between Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. and Chevron Saudi Arabia. The deal...
Stop Political Violence
Political violence in Kenya has resurfaced, highlighted by police using teargas and live fire at an ODM rally in Kitengela and a subsequent disruption of a public meeting in Kakamega. Human‑rights organisations warn that women and children suffer disproportionately as...
Slovak Government Could Have Boosted Czechoslovak Group with Defence Contracts Ahead of IPO, Anti-Graft Watchdog Says
Slovak journalists allege that the Ministry of Defence awarded Czechoslovak Group (CSG) €60.36 bn in contracts after the 2023 election, potentially to lift investor sentiment ahead of CSG’s January 2026 Amsterdam IPO. The IPO raised a record‑size defence offering, valuing CSG at...
Iran’s Rial Collapse Mirrors Lebanon’s Crisis, Driving Citizens to Bitcoin
The Iranian rial has collapsed in 2026, spurring hyperinflation and prompting middle‑class savers to flee the banking system. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have attracted billions of dollars, echoing Lebanon’s 2019‑2021 crisis where crypto became a financial lifeline. On‑chain data shows...
Indian Labour-Intensive Exports to Face Lower 10% Surcharge After US Court Axes Trump’s Tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 18% reciprocal tariffs imposed on Indian goods, prompting President Trump to replace them with a uniform 15% worldwide tariff under Section 122. This adjustment lowers the levy on Indian labour‑intensive exports—textiles, leather, shrimp—from the...