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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched the active phase of a $46.5 million regional programme that aims to turn the long-neglected Ubangi River basin into an engine of economic growth, food security and cross-border trade in Central Africa.
The DRC launched the active phase of PREDIRE, a $46.5M AfDB-backed programme in the Ubangi River basin.
It targets water infrastructure, agriculture, river navigation and climate resilience in three provinces.
2.4 million people are expected to benefit, with 3,400 jobs created and a focus on women and youth.
The programme mirrors a parallel initiative in the Central African Republic, creating a rare cross-border development corridor.
The programme, known by its French acronym PREDIRE, was officially kicked off in the DRC on 16 February 2026, backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
It targets three provinces, Nord-Ubangi, Sud-Ubangi and Mongala, areas that have for decades struggled with poverty, weak infrastructure and growing climate pressures.
The Ubangi River stretches over 2,272 kilometres, flowing between the DRC, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Republic of Congo.
It is the main right-bank tributary of the Congo River, the second-largest river basin in the world. Despite its strategic location, the basin has remained largely underdeveloped.
Over the past 30 years, shifting rainfall patterns have reduced water levels and runoff in the Ubangi by up to 18%, damaging biodiversity, crippling river navigation and restricting trade.
PREDIRE is designed to reverse that trajectory. The programme is funded jointly by the African Development Fund, the AfDB’s concessional arm, the OPEC Fund and the DRC government.
It takes what planners call a water,food security, climate nexus approach, linking water infrastructure with agricultural support and climate adaptation.
On the ground, this means building climate-resilient water systems to underpin the DRC’s national agricultural transformation agenda, modernising the river’s information and monitoring systems, and improving navigation along the Ubangi to ease trade with the CAR and the Republic of Congo.
Beyond water access, the initiative is targeting the creation of 3,400 jobs, including 1,200 permanent positions, alongside entrepreneurship training and support for local livelihoods.
Working alongside the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the programme will also run a dedicated resilience component for the most vulnerable, directly supporting 25,000 people in fragile and displacement-affected communities, while building capacity among more than 1,300 institutional and community actors.
The DRC’s component of PREDIRE is being supervised by the Ministry of Rural Development and technically coordinated through the PRISE II project, which will also introduce modern tools for water governance, data-driven planning and cross-border coordination.
The DRC launch follows the start of the CAR component in August 2025, making the Ubangi basin the site of one of the most ambitious transboundary development programmes currently underway in Central Africa.Beyond water access, the initiative is targeting the creation of 3,400 jobs, including 1,200 permanent positions, alongside entrepreneurship training and support for local livelihoods.
The broader PREDIRE initiative sits within a wider cluster of investments in the basin. A separate $8.7 million initiative backed by the Global Environment Facility, with $67 million in co-financing, complements PREDIRE by integrating environmental and ecosystem approaches across the water, agriculture and transport sectors.
For a region where water scarcity, conflict and climate stress have long fed each other, the programme represents a bet that shared rivers, managed well, can do the opposite.
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It's the reaction to market turbulence that separates the average investors from the great ones.
It's been a turbulent year for the stock market. The S&P 500 index has been hurt by worsening sentiment. It could be from the Middle East conflict, the acceptance of higher interest rates for longer, or general uncertain
As of April 1, the widely followed benchmark is down 4% in 2026. This is after it produced a total return of 18% in 2025. The slow start can keep some market participants on edge.
Long-term investors shouldn't panic, though. Here's the right approach.
Over the past decade, the S&P has generated a total return of 277%. On an annualized basis, this means your capital compounded at a 14.2% rate. This is a wonderful outcome, and it's substantially higher than the longer-term historical 10% yearly average.
Despite that impressive performance, investors who captured this gain had to deal with sizable occasional drawdowns. For example, the S&P posted double-digit percentage drops in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2025. The benchmark always recovered, showing that volatility is normal in the world of stock market investing.
In order to be successful, it's crucial to adopt a mindset that allows you to ignore the short-term noise. That's because the S&P 500 will continue to have periods of weakness
How you navigate those times will undoubtedly affect your financial well-being. The best course of action during moments like now is usually to ride out the volatility and stay focused on the next five years and beyond.
When it seems that everyone is selling their positions and running for the exits, the smartest investors keep a level head. "Be greedy when others are fearful," the legendary investor Warren Buffett once said. While the S&P 500 takes a breather, it's time for investors to seriously consider putting some extra cash to work.
While the market is on the dip, investors will want to look at buying the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) right now. It's an extremely low-cost option, charging an expense ratio of 0.03%, that provides investors with access to the S&P 500. This is a solid choice at any time, but it's particularly interesting today since it's off 4% this year.
Investors can also identify individual stocks that are taking it on the chin. Alphabet and Meta Platforms, both outstanding businesses, have seen their share prices fall 5.5% and 13%, respectively, in 2026. They are down even further from their all-time peaks. Opportunistic investors probably don't want to pass up on these two top artificial intelligence stocks. Those who are in it for the long term will take advantage of what the market is offering.
Nvidia’s CEO just revealed that one breakthrough could create more millionaires in the next five years than the internet did in two decades.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos says it is “hard to overstate the impact.” And Cathie Wood projects AI could be an $80 trillion opportunity by 2030. That is the equivalent of 18 Nvidias, 29 Microsofts, or 35 Amazons.
But here’s what most investors miss: almost all that growth runs through a single choke point. One little-known company, called an “Indispensable Monopoly,” provides the critical technology Nvidia, AMD, and Intel cannot function without. And it is still just a fraction of Nvidia’s size. We just released a brand-new report with the full story and the company’s name.
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Bitcoin (BTC)







What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a decentralised digital currency created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.
Unlike traditional money, Bitcoin is not issued or regulated by a central bank. It runs on a peer-to-peer network using cryptography and a public ledger called a blockchain. #IG
It has a fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, built into its protocol to create scarcity. #icrypto
How does Bitcoin work?

Transactions are verified by network participants (“miners”) solving cryptographic puzzles (proof-of-work) and adding blocks to the blockchain. #Encyclopedia BritannicaEvery ~10 minutes, a new block is added and miners currently receive a block reward which is halved approximately every four years. #CryptoBecause of its decentralised nature, you can send and receive Bitcoin without needing a bank or central authority. IG

Key facts & features
Circulating supply is around 19.9 million coins (out of 21 million) as of 2025. Many coins are estimated lost forever (due to lost keys, etc.). Bitcoin is often compared to “digital gold” because of its scarcity and store-of-value narrative.One major criticism: mining is energy-intensive and the environmental impact is significant.
Why people use or invest in Bitcoin
It offers borderless transfers: you can send value globally, often faster or cheaper than some traditional methods.
It provides an alternative to fiat currency systems, appealing to those who prioritise decentralisation and reduced intermediary dependence.Its supply cap gives it the potential to act as a hedge against inflation (though this is debated).
Risks & things to watch

Extremely volatile: Bitcoin’s price can swing widely in short periods.Regulatory risk: since it’s new, many jurisdictions are still defining how to treat crypto, and some have banned/minimised its use. Not always used broadly for everyday purchases yet — more widely used as investment/speculation than as a payment system in many places. Encyclopedia BritannicaSecurity & custody risk: If you lose your private keys, you lose your coins.
Current market details
Bitcoin (BTC)
$106,426.00
+$3,476.00(+3.38%)Today
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As of now, the price of 1 BTC is around USD 106,426.The price data indicates intraday variation (high/low) in the range of about USD 102,786 to USD 106,552.Note: Crypto markets trade 24/7; prices can change quickly and past performance does not guarantee future results.
Summary
Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency. It introduced the idea of money without central banks, enforced by cryptography and decentralised consensus. For investors, it's appealing because of scarcity and the “digital gold” analogy. But it also carries high risk and volatility. It’s important to understand both the technology and the market dynamics before getting involved.
If you like, I can pull live global market cap, trading volume and recent trend charts for Bitcoin specifically. Would you like that?
$BTC