Çukurkuyu, Turkey | AFP | People have come from far and wide to this sleepy Anatolian village in central Turkey to recite prayers, take selfies or just think quietly. The purpose of their visit is simple — to pay their respects at the grave of Sergeant Omer Halisdemir, probably the most …
Read More »Politics not pasture drives violence in Kenya’s heart
Kamwenje, Kenya | AFP | Footsteps came first, then unfamiliar voices, the smell of cow dung and the kicking in of the front door. Suddenly awake, John Mbogo wrapped his 11-year-old daughter Tabitha in his arms and rolled under the bed. His wife, Anne, crawled next to them, eyes wide. Torchlight …
Read More »Merkel, Macron put defence at heart of blooming ties
Paris, France | AFP | France and Germany agreed Thursday to begin work on a joint fighter jet, a major advance in their relations designed to underline their united front in the face of fracturing Western relations. Newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the …
Read More »Collusion? Who’s who in the Russia probe
Washington, United States | AFP | The bombshell revelation that President Donald Trump’s oldest son Don Jr. met with a Kremlin-tied Russian lawyer hawking damaging material on Hillary Clinton has taken suspicions of election collusion with Moscow to a new level. There are several probes into whether the Trump team …
Read More »Micro credit: Good or bad for Uganda’s poor population?
Experts say the interest rates are very high Kampala, Uganda |Isaac Khisa| Micro-credit is fast becoming a darling to millions of Uganda’s population following the rollout of new credit windows between financial institutions and telecom firms. But financial experts are worried that the new products may not create as much …
Read More »Failed coup takes toll on Turkey’s foreign policy
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP |The consequences of the failed July 15 coup in Turkey increased Ankara’s international isolation, exposing shortcomings in the government’s sometimes overambitious foreign policy, analysts say. NATO member and EU membership hopeful Turkey had expected an outpouring of solidarity after the coup attempt one year ago aimed …
Read More »Things to know about Bitcoin
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Mark Karpeles, the former CEO of collapsed Bitcoin exchange MtGox, went on trial in Tokyo on charges stemming from the disappearance of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the virtual currency from its digital vaults. Here are some key facts about the world’s most …
Read More »Mosul victory marks win for Pentagon training plan
Washington, United States | AFP | The Iraqi military’s hard-fought victory over the Islamic State group in Mosul marks a defining moment not just for them. It is also a key win for the US doctrine behind it. Instead of putting large numbers of American boots on the ground, the …
Read More »COVER STORY: Bobi Wine’s win
Bobi Wine’s win; whose victory is it? Kampala, Uganda | AGATHER ATUHAIRE | The man standing on top the cream SUV, surrounded by a shouting crowd of excited supporters was wearing a sky-blue slim-cut suit of the type that was trending until recently. He matched it with a slim- tie …
Read More »Strike looms in Ugandan courts
Insiders say lack of prosecutors will paralyse justice system Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Prossy Ayebare was recruited as a state prosecutor in 1999 and has since never been promoted. In the last 18 years, her salary has only been doubled—when she started, she was earning Shs270, 000. She …
Read More »