American to build refinery? Deal could be blow to sanction-strapped Russians Technocrats at the Energy Ministry and the Ministry of Finance who are working on the country’s pet project, the US$4 billion oil refinery, have learnt to stay cool under pressure. Behind their cool fronts, however, they are working in …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Beyond Uganda’s monetary and fiscal policy laziness
ANALYSIS: By Dr. Geoffrey A Onegi-Obel The way forward on the Uganda interest rate and middle income economy policy conundrum – The first point to note is that the Interest Rate is the key price in any economy. As a Pricing Signal, it therefore requires careful management by the Monetary and …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Trump still alive, but Republican Party in tatters
Washington, United States | AFP | After nearly 18 months of vitriolic campaigning and two incendiary presidential debates, it is clear that the 2016 race for the White House is truly like no other. The release of a 2005 video containing lewd and sexist comments made by Republican nominee Donald …
Read More »What Uganda’s history since independence reveals about 2016
Since 1962, we have seen history repeating itself This October 9, Uganda celebrated 54 years of Independence. It is a good point to look back and ponder what 2016 has in store for Ugandans. Looking at our nation’s history since Independence from the British colonialists in 1962 shows that years with …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Egypt military seen as expanding economic share
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | As Egypt braces for austerity reforms, the military has expanded its economic role, at times helping President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi assuage the impact of rising prices on the country’s poor. For decades, the military — which produced all but one president since 1952 — has …
Read More »Stable Mauritius faces rocky patch as PM Jugnauth set to resign
Port Louis, Mauritius | AFP | Mauritius, a model of political stability in Africa, may be headed for turbulence as its leader looks set to resign before the end of his mandate and pass the baton to his son. Sir Anerood Jugnauth, 86, has indicated he will likely step down …
Read More »In divided Colombia, split reactions to Nobel prize
Bogota, Colombia | AFP | In a Colombia left deeply divided by a contested peace deal with the FARC rebels, not everyone was happy about President Juan Manuel Santos winning the Nobel Peace Prize Friday. “Santos doesn’t deserve it,” said Rodolfo Oviedo, one of the opponents of a peace deal …
Read More »The US presidential election: a how-to guide
Washington, United States | AFP | The American presidential election falls this year on November 8. The quadrennial exercise always takes place on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, as prescribed by the US Constitution. How the voting system works The vote, by universal suffrage, is conducted in a …
Read More »15 years on, the Afghan war still defies US timelines
Washington, United States | AFP | Fifteen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, President Barack Obama and the American military have dug in for a long campaign that defies rigid timelines and easy barometers of victory. On October 7, 2001, in response to the 9/11 attacks, President George W. …
Read More »IMF: ‘Brain drain’ hits sub-Saharan Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Skilled workers are leaving sub-Saharan Africa in rapidly increasingly numbers, producing a “brain drain” that causes long-term social damage, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. The IMF said that the number of sub-Saharan migrants living in developed countries could increase from about seven million …
Read More »