New industry data suggests Africa’s hotel development momentum is increasingly shifting eastward. While North Africa still dominates the size of the continent’s pipeline, countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania now host some of the highest shares of projects already under construction.   SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | East …

TEHRAN | Xinhua |  The United States and Iran have received a peace plan aimed at ending hostilities, but Tehran has rejected reopening the Strait of Hormuz immediately, Reuters reported Monday. The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of dire consequences if a deal was not reached by …

Kampala, Uganda | URN | Newly elected legislators from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have started arriving at Kololo Independence Grounds for accreditation ahead of a retreat scheduled to begin Tuesday in Kyankwanzi. Speaking to journalists on Monday, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong confirmed that the accreditation exercise is underway, …

  Diaspora as Uganda’s Untapped Economic Engine   Canberra, Australia | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | Uganda’s High Commissioner in Australia Dorothy Hyuha Samali has encouraged Ugandans to look beyond reunion and consider actions that also lead to development in their home country. She challenged the diaspora to invest back home, to remain …

Soroti, Uganda | URN | Patients at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital have received essential items from the East Kyoga Regional Police in an Easter outreach. The initiative, led by Deputy Regional Police Commander Robert Coxson Obic, focused on providing comfort and hope to patients during the Easter season. The police team …

Soroti, Uganda | URN | The Bishop of Soroti Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev. Joseph Eciru Oliach has called on Catholics to cleanse their lives and make room for Jesus as they celebrate Easter. He made the call while leading Easter Sunday prayers at Immaculate Conception Church in Soroti, where hundreds of believers …

  What disruption  at Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea could mean for the world economy   COMMENT | FLAVIO MACAU | If you’d never heard of the Strait of Hormuz before, you probably have by now. Iran’s effective closure of the waterway, which usually carries about 20% of the world’s …

JERUSALEM | Xinhua | U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli media Channel 12 on Sunday that the United States is engaged in “deep” negotiations with Iran to secure a ceasefire, while stressing that Washington will not “leave in the middle” of the conflict. Trump said his administration is maintaining contacts …

With billions of dollars at stake, voluntary transparency is no longer enough to guarantee accountability or protect citizens’ share of resource wealth   COMMENT | GARD BENDA | Globally, billions of dollars are lost each year due to weak transparency and accountability in the extractive sector. Estimates suggest that as much …

VIENNA | Xinhua |  The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, on Sunday decided to increase oil output by 206,000 barrels per day in May, according to an OPEC statement. The decision was announced following a virtual meeting attended by Saudi Arabia, Russia, …