As young people, we need to avoid being duped into forgetting or ignoring our history and say never again to chaos Kampala, Uganda | NATASHA MARIAM | On February 6 Ugandans joined the UPDF to celebrate Tarehe-Sita, a day which marks the attack on Kabamba barracks by 27 armed and …
Read More »Thirty years after Rushdie fatwa, blasphemy still a potent weapon
Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Thirty years after Iran called for the killing of Salman Rushdie, the British novelist remains a figure of hate for extremists across the Muslim world, and though the level of outrage has dropped, the issue of blasphemy is as incendiary as ever. Rushdie’s novel “The …
Read More »EDUCATION: 20 years of UPE
Focus moves to raising quality of learning Kampala, Uganda | The Independent | In 2018, schools under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) sat more students for Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) than non-UPE schools; 476,130 (or 70.9%) out of 671,923 candidates. It was another sign that it was as right to …
Read More »How Solskjaer has transformed Man Utd’s fortunes
Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | When Manchester United were paired with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 draw in December there seemed likely to be only one winner. United were stuck in a rut under the management of Jose Mourinho, while the French champions topped the toughest section …
Read More »Bezos case exposes billionaires’ vulnerability to hackers
New York, United States | AFP | The stunning revelation that a tabloid obtained below-the-belt selfies of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — the world’s richest man — suggests that even billionaires are not out of the reach of hackers. Bezos came out fighting this week, accusing the National Enquirer of blackmailing …
Read More »The 10 days that changed Iran forever
Paris, France | AFP | From the return to Tehran of exiled revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to the fall of the shah’s last government, Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution was over in 10 days. Here are the highlights of what has become known as the 10 Days of Dawn, or Daheh …
Read More »Poverty not an obstacle to excellent healthcare in Africa: Gates
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said Sunday that excellent basic healthcare that would prevent easily treatable but deadly conditions was achievable even in Africa’s poorest nations. “The good news about health is that by spending modest amounts on the prioritised areas, you can get phenomenal benefits,” …
Read More »Rushdie: from fatwa fugitive to free speech hero
Paris, France | AFP | On February 14, 1989 Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for British writer Salman Rushdie to be killed for writing “The Satanic Verses”, which the cleric said insulted Islam. In a fatwa, or religious decree, Khomeini urged “Muslims of the world rapidly to execute …
Read More »You cannot forge scientists
Students cannot pass without being taught, experts tell the government as 2018 UCE results show high failure rates Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA AND JULIUS BUSINGE | While releasing the results of the 2018 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations on Jan.31, the Chairperson of the Uganda National Examinations Board …
Read More »PLE results expose gaps in system
Experts blame outdated UNEB Act for failure rates Kampala, Uganda | AGNES E NANTABA | The recently released 2018 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) caused excitement for many pupils, parents, and schools. But for some top elite schools Jan. 17, the day when the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) released the …
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