NEWS ANALYSIS

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The signing of the Project Framework Agreement between government and the Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium (AGRC) for USD4 billion oil refinery was a great relief to the Energy Ministry as it races towards first Oil by 2020. Sources at the Energy Ministry have indicated …

The little things that matter Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | A woman walks alone along the street at night. The weather is great and the fruits and vegetables fresh. People discuss the latest political issue without fear, the entertainment scene is vibrant, and the sweet smell of food is everywhere. …

6666, United States | AFP | Fired former FBI chief James Comey lashed out at Donald Trump in an interview with ABC broadcast Sunday, calling him “morally unfit” to be president and describing him as a serial liar who will “stain everyone around him.” Comey’s remarks are the latest salvo …

Fly on the wall at lunch between Mutebile and Kasekende Heated top executive meeting Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | It is 1:30 PM April 04. Governor Emanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, wearing a charcoal grey suit, white shirt and blue-checkered tie, is having lunch together with other bank executives in the Governors’ …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | If you want to see the future of storefront retailing, walk nine blocks along Broadway in New York city, USA, from 57th to 48th Street and count the stores. The total number comes to precisely one — a tiny shop to buy drones. That’s right: …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Vatican communications department has been working overtime the past few weeks. They are scrambling to contextualize a remark attributed to Pope Francis by an Italian journalist at the newspaper La Repubblica that hell does not exist. Speaking to the newspaper’s founder, journalist and atheist …

6666, United States | AFP | The Western air strikes against Syria probably won’t slow Bashar al-Assad and Russia’s campaign and they certainly don’t amount to a strategy to kick start the failing peace process. They were never meant to. But, by re-focusing Washington’s attention however briefly on Syria’s seven-year-old …

6666, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump and his allies in Britain and France on Saturday hailed their joint surgical strikes in Syria over the regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons, and warned Damascus that another such attack would be met with renewed firepower. Hours later, the allies …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a study published in the journal `Evolutionary Psychological Science’, scientists have discovered an interesting connection between atheism and certain genetic traits, including left-handedness, schizophrenia, and autism. It all comes down to the DNA and something they refer to as “mutational load”. Essentially, people …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | International lenders and markets are growing increasingly concerned about “hidden debt” in Zambia, a situation similar to the one that plunged neighbouring Mozambique into a deep financial crisis. For several weeks financiers have demanded answers about the level of the country’s true external borrowing — …