🌍 Africa's cloud sovereignty

Welcome back.

I hope this finds you well.

This week: the Philippine Peso hit a record low for the 10th consecutive day, Unicloud Africa launched sovereign cloud infrastructure across six nations and medical research showed standard drug dosing may not work for African patients due to genetic differences. Heavy headlines that don't always make Western front pages.

That's exactly why this newsletter exists. We curate news that centers the Global South—the stories, regions, and priorities that matter most to our communities. We draw from outlets across the region—from Manila to Caracas, Islamabad to Addis Ababa—alongside international sources. But here's what makes us different: we put Global South stories first. We're championing the voices and perspectives that matter to our communities, because we deserve news coverage that centers our experiences, not just observes them from the outside.

This week also brought hope: Kenya breaking workplace menopause taboos and communities proving grassroots climate solutions work better than top-down funding.

If you're finding value here, I'd love for you forward this to someone in your network who'd appreciate it. They can join us here.

Let's dive in.

Warm wishes,

Deepa

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Hurricane Melissa Devastates Jamaica as Category 5 "Storm of the Century": Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds, killing at least seven people across the Caribbean. The World Meteorological Organization dubbed it the "storm of the century". (More)

Global Economic Tensions Ease as Trump and Xi Meet: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the APEC summit to de-escalate trade war tensions, focusing on tariffs and critical minerals. The summit offers a chance to reset the strained relationship between the world's two largest economies. Yes, but: Hawks in Washington remain concerned about loosening chip export controls, which could impact long-term US security. (More)

US Escalates Pressure on Venezuela, Sanctions Colombian President: The US intensified its military presence in the Caribbean and authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela, actions seen as attempts to oust President Nicolás Maduro. This week, the US sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb drug production. Colombia condemned the strikes as "murder." Why it matters: This aggressive stance marks a significant escalation of US interventionist policy in Latin America, raising concerns about sovereignty and regional destabilization. (More)

Pakistan's Military Strongman Consolidates Power Amid Regional Tensions: Field Marshal Asim Munir has solidified his authority in Pakistan, extending his term and navigating complex foreign relations. Domestically, he faces insurgencies and a disaffected electorate. Peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have faltered, leading to renewed border hostilities. Be smart: The stability of this nuclear-armed nation is critical for regional security, but Munir's authoritarian approach and unresolved conflicts pose significant risks. (More)

Philippine Peso Hits New Record Low Amid Economic Concerns The Philippine Peso depreciated for the 10th consecutive trading day, closing at a new all-time low of P59.13 against the US dollar, attributed by the central bank to concerns over slowing economic growth. (More)

Venezuela Faces World's Highest Inflation, Bolivar Continues Steep Decline The IMF projects Venezuela's inflation to reach 548% in 2025 and 628% in 2026, making it the highest globally, with the Bolivar depreciating by 432% year-on-year as of October 28, 2025. (More)

Argentine Peso Under Renewed Pressure Post-Election The Argentine Peso's parallel and minorista rates rebounded to around 1500 pesos, with the official wholesale dollar nearing its band ceiling, indicating persistent market pressure after legislative elections. (More)

Unicloud Africa Launches Sovereign Cloud Across Six Nations: Unicloud Africa debuted an enterprise-grade sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure platform in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Senegal, and Mozambique, offering local currency billing and zero data egress fees to promote digital sovereignty. (More)

Nigeria Boosts Digital Infrastructure and Talent with Nordic Partnerships: Nigeria is investing in 90,000 km of fiber-optic networks, expanding telecom towers, and launching a 3-million technical talent program, supported by deepened digital and green partnerships with Nordic countries. (More)

Vietnamese Viettel Achieves Global Recognition for 5G Open RAN: Viettel High Tech became the sole Southeast Asian company recognized in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for 5G Open RAN, affirming its indigenous development of 5G hardware, software, and chipsets. (More)

Mozambique LNG Project Resumes, Bonds Rally: TotalEnergies has lifted the force majeure on its $20 billion Mozambique LNG project, allowing construction to resume and causing Mozambique's euro bond to rally, though the project seeks a 10-year concession extension. (More)

Iraq Approves $764M International Partnership for Baghdad Airport: Iraq's Council of Ministers approved a $764 million public-private partnership with the CAAP consortium to rehabilitate and operate Baghdad International Airport, aiming to attract global airlines and investment without direct government cost. (More)

China and ASEAN Deepen Economic Integration with FTA 3.0 Upgrade: China and ASEAN signed the Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, expanding cooperation into digital and green economies, marking a significant step towards high-level economic integration. (More)

China Unveils Ambitious 15th Five-Year Plan The Communist Party of China's Central Committee released recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), outlining goals for high-quality growth, technological self-reliance, and national security. (More)

China Boosts Africa Trade with Zero-Tariff Pledge and Development Partnerships China reaffirmed its commitment to 100% tariff-free treatment for goods from African nations and pledged 10 partnership actions for modernization, including infrastructure projects and support for the AfCFTA. (More)

Turkey's PKK Dissolution Unlocks Trillions in Economic Potential and Regional Stability: The dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in May 2025 is projected to save Turkey $1.8 trillion in direct counterterrorism spending and enable a $14 billion job creation program, transforming the nation into a more reliable energy and transportation hub. (More)

Guyana Seeks Developers for 165MW Hydropower Project: The Government of Guyana has issued a revised Request for Proposal for firms or consortia to develop the 165-megawatt Amaila Falls Hydro Project under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer model, with submissions due by February 15, 2026. (More)

Argentina Opens Bidding for Key Hydroelectric Dams: The Argentine government has extended the tender deadline to November 7, 2025, for the privatization of four major hydroelectric dams in the Comahue basin, seeking approximately US$500 million from investors. (More)

Panama Launches US$230M Laptop and Software Tender: Panama's Ministry of Education is conducting a public tender for the acquisition of 585,250 laptops and 21,000 Microsoft M365 A3 licenses, with a total value exceeding US$230 million. (More)

U.S. Student Arrivals from Ghana Plummet, Then Stabilize: Ghanaian student arrivals in the U.S. fell by 50.97% in August, coinciding with new visa rules, but the U.S. later restored standard visa terms for Ghana in September. (More)

U.S. Imposes Visa Bond Program on Tanzanian Travelers: Tanzanian citizens applying for short-term U.S. visas must now pay a bond of up to $15,000, refundable only upon their return home before visa expiration. Why it matters: This new requirement significantly impacts travel ability and financial planning for Tanzanians. (More)

Bangladesh Passport Ranking Plummets Amid Global Restrictions: Bangladesh's passport now ranks 100th out of 106 countries on the 2025 Henley Passport Index, offering visa-free access to only 38 nations, following increased restrictions and deportations. (More)

Pulse Oximeters May Misread Oxygen Levels on Darker Skin: A 2020 study revealed pulse oximeters are three times more likely to miss dangerously low oxygen levels in Black patients compared to White patients, potentially delaying critical medical intervention. (More)

African Genetics Influence Drug Response, Challenging Standard Dosing: Research shows that genetic variants common among Africans alter how the body processes certain drugs, meaning international guidelines may not provide accurate dosing for African patients. (More)

Kenya Bank Breaks Menopause Workplace Taboo: Standard Chartered Kenya introduced one of Africa's first menopause and andropause policies after research showed 47% of menopausal women avoid promotions, now reporting more women pursuing leadership since offering flexible schedules and medical coverage. (More)

🎧 Zunza Mukwende by Jah Lemmy: This week, Zimbabwean Afro-traditional music sensation Jah Lemmy will launch his fourth album, "Zunza Mukwende," blending indigenous sounds with modern rhythms for an electrifying experience. (More)

📚 Breaking Dreams by Niaz Zaman: This collection of short stories from Bangladeshi author Niaz Zaman offers a profound look into memory, regret, and the lives of women across generations, delving into the aches of wartime, partition, and buried dreams. (More)

📺 The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hnia: This docufiction, which won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, tells the urgent true story of a young girl from Gaza using real voice recordings, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hnia. (More)

🎒 Addis Ababa's School Meals - A Promise Undermined by Systemic Flaws: An investigative report reveals how Addis Ababa's school feeding program is failing due to budget shortfalls and inefficiencies that burden women cooks and contribute to environmental degradation. (More)

☀️ Rethinking Climate Finance - Why Grassroots Solutions Are Key to Global Resilience: A compelling analysis argues that global climate funds are failing to reach vulnerable communities, advocating for a shift towards accessible, small-scale investments that offer superior cost-effectiveness and local ownership. (More)

🍗 The Chinese Street Vendor Redefining Commerce Through Human Connection: Discover the heartwarming story of "Chicken-Cutlet Brother," a Chinese street vendor whose genuine warmth has transformed a simple snack into a viral sensation, highlighting the rising value of human connection in an automated world. (More)