NEWS ANALYSIS

Dormancy of once vibrant parliament watchdog committee shines light on leadership and funding Budadiri County MP Nandala Mafabi has not been on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament since 2011 but the chartered accountant and lawyer remains the most recognisable name to have led it. His adeptness with numbers, …

ANALYSIS: ‘You’re to blame’. District bosses grill government officials, minister The trucks rolled up suddenly, without warning. But soon enough, the district Chief Accounting Officer (CAO), Esau Ekachelau, was informed of their mission: They had brought 800 bags of cassava cutting for distribution to farmers in the district. It was a …

Museveni runs to defend wife in pile of blunders President Yoweri Museveni has throughout his 31 year reign over Uganda boasted about how he is “a fighter” who has defeated many opponents. But his latest foe is proving tougher, even insiders admit. In the past, Museveni’s major opponents have either …

IS denies suffering casualties from huge US bomb in Afghanistan: Amaq Cairo, Egypt | AFP | The Islamic State group denied on Friday it had suffered casualties from the US military’s largest non-nuclear bomb which hit its mountain hideouts in Afghanistan, in a statement on its propaganda agency Amaq. “Security source …

Beijing, China | AFP |  From Twitter threats to Tomahawk missiles, US president Donald Trump’s unorthodox and seemingly impulsive approach to foreign policy has unsettled China, piling new pressure on its hands-off North Korea policy. As tensions rise on the Korean peninsula, Beijing appears alarmed by Trump’s strident pronouncements as …

Xalapa, Mexico | AFP | Mexican reporter Noe Zavaleta has mourned murdered colleagues and received death threats himself, but he refuses to stop working despite the fear. His is the deadliest country for journalists outside of war zones — but with all the corruption and violence, there is just too much …

Paris, France | AFP | Three bombs hidden in a hedge that exploded when the Borussia Dortmund Champions League team passed by proved that no sporting event is now safe from a militant attack, experts said. With the Boston marathon looming on Monday — four years after it was the …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Dramatic improvements are needed in ensuring access to clean water and sanitation worldwide, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that nearly two billion people currently use faecal-contaminated water. Hundreds of thousands of people die each year because they are forced to drink contaminated water, …

Chicago, United States | AFP | The chief executive of embattled United Airlines unequivocally apologized Tuesday for an incident in which a passenger was dragged off a plane, and promised a thorough review of the airline’s practices. The apology came after a torrent of criticism of the carrier’s action on …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The rejection Tuesday of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s proposal for extra sanctions on Russia and Syria is the latest setback for a former Brexit campaigner struggling for political relevance. The decision by the G7 meeting of foreign ministers in Italy came after Johnson …