Cairo, Egypt | Xinhua | Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated on Saturday the 3rd of July Naval Base in Gargoub on Egypt’s northwest coast, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement. Covering an area of 10 million square meters along the Mediterranean, the new base is considered Egypt’s largest naval …

  Tehran, Iran | Xinhua | Iran will increase its oil production to pre-sanctions level “as soon as possible,” the country’s Minister of Oil Bijan Zanganeh said Friday, official news agency IRNA reported. “Whenever the sanctions are lifted, we will return to the market in the shortest possible time and …

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Budaka District COVID-19 Taskforce has raised a red flag over reports that relatives of COVID-19 victims are exhuming their bodies at night to accord them “befitting burials”. Local leaders in Budaka town council and Kachomo Sub County claim that some residents exhume the bodies …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has cautioned COVID-19 testing facilities about the use of antigen COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Kits (RDTs) to screen asymptomatic patients. According to the health ministry, the RDTs should be used to test persons who have symptoms of COVID-19 because they have …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mobile Money services have now been completely detached from the regulation of the Uganda Communications Commission to that of the Bank of Uganda (BOU), amidst questions and fears from the customers. Last month, the Bank of Uganda started implementing the National Payments System Act …

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 600 residents of Kasanje village in Kyesiiga sub-county in Masaka village are fidgeting after receiving eviction notices from the land they have occupied for over 50 years. The more than 324 acres of land is home to over 200 families and their …

Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tour operators and travellers have complained about the delays caused by the ferry at Katunguru Bridge. In June, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) announced the temporary closure of Kazinga Channel Bridge at Katungura along the Kasese-Katunguru-Ishaka Road for emergency rehabilitation. UNRA provided free ferry …

  Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa has said that Government’s position is that Parliament remains closed despite calls by Members to have it open. Several members of Parliament including the National Resistance Movement MPs have said the house needs to be recalled and …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | These are the top stories in this week’s THE INDEPENDENT. COVER STORY Mobile money cash for COVID-19 poor: Why Nabbanja is right and others wrong THE LAST WORD Celebrating one’s misfortune: How public anger against Uganda government’s response to COVID is driven more by prejudice …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Medical Stores (NMS) has appealed to members of Parliament to address a concern of conflict between the Ministry of Health and NDA on procurement of vaccines and other supplies. The NMS General Manager Moses Kamabare appeared before the 40-member Parliament Taskforce monitoring …