Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Sweeping preventative measures seem to be curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the Great Lakes region of Africa, but the economic impact of the global pandemic threatens hard-won gains made along the long road back to peace and stability, a UN regional representative has stated.   …

Algiers, Algeria | AFP |  Dozens of Algerians linked to the country’s anti-government protest movement remain “forgotten” in pre-trial detention during the coronavirus crisis, with little or no legal support. Zinedine Hanane, 32, was arrested on March 1, 2019, in Algiers while returning from a demonstration, after two people from his …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Two more truck drivers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the number of confirmed cases in Uganda to 63. One of the truck drivers, a 43-year-old is a contact of the first Tanzanian driver who tested positive last week. He entered the country on March …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The trial of four Chinese nationals accused of escaping from quarantine aborted prematurely in Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday afternoon when the translator decided to storm out of court before the conclusion of the matter. Chinese national, Michael Zhong, who was helping with the …

Kiev, Ukraine | AFP |  The headquarters of Dmytro Voloshyn’s startup in the historic centre of Kiev is eerily quiet. But online, his business is busier than ever. Despite a crippling global economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, Voloshyn believes a worldwide lockdown to slow infections was just what …

Paris, France | AFP |  As the coronavirus pandemic bears down on vulnerable nations in Africa and South Asia, experts say there are only weeks to help fill chronic shortages of what medics need to help people breathe. Not ventilators, but oxygen itself. Medical oxygen is a core component of the …

Hong Kong, China | AFP |  Oil resumed its painful retreat Wednesday, extending a rout that has torn through energy markets, though stock exchanges in Asia and Europe were mixed following a two-day sell-off. With demand virtually non-existent owing to virus lockdowns, and production still high despite storage at bursting point, …

Beijing, China | AFP | After Wuhan was sealed off from the world, acclaimed Chinese writer Fang Fang started an online diary about the coronavirus tragedy unfolding in her hometown. Her journal drew tens of millions of readers — but now that it is about to be published abroad in several …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Julius Businge  |  DStv and GOtv customers who have fully paid up on their subscription will automatically get upgraded to the next higher package at no extra cost, the company said on April 20. Offers took effect on April 20 and will stand until COVID-19 …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Julius Businge  | The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has donated 5, 000 coronavirus testing kits, reagents and accessories worth Shs381million to the Ministry of Health, it said on April 21. Officials said that part of this money (Shs60million) has been contributed voluntarily by individual …