Moscow, Russia | AFP | From Donald Trump’s election to Brexit and the Catalan crisis, accusations that the Kremlin is meddling in Western domestic affairs have heightened fears over Russian hackers, trolls and state-controlled media. While the first accusations against Moscow came following a 2016 hack attack on the US Democratic …

Beijing, China | AFP | China opened a major economic planning conference on Monday as the country tries to pivot away from its no-holds-barred growth model. The annual Central Economic Work Conference gives leaders the opportunity to review past economic policy and plan for 2018. The pursuit of high growth propelled …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Mention Nigerian literature and the first names likely to spring to mind are Chinua Achebe, the author of “Things Fall Apart”, or the venerable Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. But Africa’s most populous nation has a new crop of writers whose work is a far cry from …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An extra ordinary cabinet meeting chaired by President Museveni on Dec.09 agreed that public servants working in security, judiciary, health and education sectors should have their salaries enhanced. Speaking to media on Dec.11, Public Service Minister Muruli Mukasa said that the exercise will be conducted …

THIS WEEK: Uganda declared Marburg free Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Backed by a Sh3.5billion outbreak response, Uganda has contained the recent Marburg Viral Disease outbreak and declared the country free of the infectious disease. The declaration comes after completion of 42 days of the post-Marburg surveillance countdown period for …

THIS WEEK: Popular DP supporter Mboowa charged over Facebook posts Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Democratic Party (DP) supporter who became popular in September during the launch of the ‘K’ogikwatako’ campaign against removal of presidential age limits – Moses Mboowa becomes the second person to be charged recently after …

THIS WEEK: Ugandan appointed to ICC Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | After four rounds of voting in the ongoing judicial election to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice Solomy Balungi Bossa has been elected to be a judge at the Hague-based Court. Japan and Peru’s candidates Tomoko Akane and Bañez …

THIS WEEK: MPs call for merging of ministries, departments Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of members of parliament are considering tabling a private members bill to scrap some ministries, government departments and agencies that are not working or duplicating work of other state agencies. Bukooli Central legislator Solomon …

THIS WEEK: Magistrates sets December 19 to decide on red pepper editors’ bail Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Buganda Road Chief Magistrate James Eremye Mawanda said editors and directors of the local tabloid Red Pepper will have their bail application ruled on Dec.19. The magistrate who said needed to review …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Only 15% of the voters support amendment of the constitution to remove presidential age limits. This is according to a report on citizens’ perception on the proposed amendment of article 102(b) of the constitution released on Dec.08 by the Uganda Governance Monitoring Platform (UGMP) an …