Washington, United States | AFP | Democrat Joe Biden and President Donald Trump finally spoke by phone Monday, both sides confirmed, ending days of teasing and squabbling between the presidential election rivals to discuss the national coronavirus upheaval. The call marked a rare moment of unity for the country seven months before election day and …

Paris, France | AFP | When bestselling French novelist Leila Slimani — the author of “The Perfect Nanny” — admitted that she felt “a little like Sleeping Beauty” contemplating the coronavirus lockdown from the comfort of her country home, she hit a very raw nerve. Class tensions — never very far …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Lawyer Male Mabirizi has dragged the government to the East African Court of Justice for de-registering his suit. In his petition, Mabirizi states that on March 20th 2020, he filed an application challenging the directive issued on March 18th by President Yoweri Museveni in which among …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Close to 2,000 prisoners could be released in a move to decongest the facilities as one of the control measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Commissioner-General of the Uganda Prisons Services, Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, says they have written to the Attorney …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Bank of Uganda has said Uganda’s economy will only expand by 3-4% this financial year, half the earlier projection of 6% as the impact of coronavirus hits home. In the April 2020 monetary policy statement, BoU Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile noted that this is because …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | People living with HIV/Aids in Bunyoro sub-region are protesting the presidential directive requiring them to get clearance from their area LC 1 chairpersons to use private transport so as to get medication from various health facilities. Last week, the affected people said they want …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The coronavirus pandemic is not only causing havoc around the world but is obviously going to affect the electoral processes of many countires and gifting some long time leaders a chance to keep hold onto power. One of the countries whose electoral roadmap is …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has said that it will account for all the funds received for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, staff from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) handed over 376 million shillings to the Ministry of Health. This same amount was …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament’s Appointment Committee has approved the appointment of Dr Michael Atingi-Ego as new Central Bank Deputy Governor. Dr Atingi-Ego’s vetting process was conducted via teleconferencing by the committee chaired by Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga. Parliament embraced technology in an unprecedented move to interface …

Addis Abeba, Ethiopia | AFP | Millions of lost jobs, mounting debt woes and plunging remittances are among the economic hardships African countries can expect because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the African Union said in a study published Monday. “Nearly 20 million jobs, both in the formal and informal sectors, are threatened with destruction on …