Washington, United States | AFP | The US intelligence community said Thursday it had concluded that the novel coronavirus that has swept the globe originated in China but was not man-made or engineered. “The entire Intelligence Community has been consistently providing critical support to US policymakers and those responding to the …

Paris, France | AFP | There will be 11,000 fewer deaths in European countries under coronavirus lockdown due to a sharp drop in fossil fuel pollution during April, according to research released Thursday. Measures to halt the spread of coronavirus have slowed the region’s economies to a crawl, with coal-generated power …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | The German league confirmed Thursday that clubs have started testing players for the coronavirus as part of plans for the Bundesliga to resume next month. Testing for the virus, which has so far claimed over 6,000 lives in Germany, is a key component in the plans to restart the Bundesliga …

Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP | The World Health Organization’s European office warned Thursday that to keep other infectious diseases in check, vaccination programmes must remain a priority even during the coronavirus pandemic. The warning came as the UN body noted that while the spread of the novel coronavirus seemed to be “plateauing in western Europe, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of the Budget Committee of Parliament have rejected a fresh government supplementary request of 15.8 billion Shillings. The Committee received the request on Thursday from Gabriel Ajedra, the Minister of State of Finance in charge of General Duties. According to Ajedra, part of …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A deal in which Irish firm Tullow Oil sold all its interests in the Lake Albert oil project to France’s Total E&P has been hailed as a win for the country and all stakeholders involved. African Energy Chamber, a think tank on oil and …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | With just five days to the end of the 21 day lockdown and government still struggling to distribute food to vulnerable groups in Kampala and Wakiso districts, President Yoweri Museveni has allowed religious leaders to join the effort. Museveni met the religious leaders at …

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health experts in Hoima district have expressed worry over the increasing cases of self-medication among locals. According to research, more and more residents in the sub-counties of Buseruka, Kitoba, Kigorobya and Kyabigambire no longer seek prescription for malaria treatment, pain killers and antibiotics, a …

Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | World leaders have seen their follower numbers grow exponentially in March 2020 as citizens are looking for guidance on matters COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest 2020 World Facebook rankings by BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe). During the month of March, the 721 pages of …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Economists have cautioned the government against taking loans to stimulate the economy in the course of COVID-19 lockdown. They say that relying on loans is a bad idea that could leave Uganda in more trouble. The caution comes amid a scramble by African countries …