Tag Archives: coronavirus

COVID-19 Crisis exposes government weakness Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | June 22 should have seen the re-opening of schools across the country for the start of second term if a programme announced by the Minister of Education and Sports, First Lady Janet Museveni, was being followed. But schools are …

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the country in a televised speech on Saturday on the eve of lifting its State of Alarm that “Now it’s time for recovery.” Spain will enter on Sunday what Sanchez calls the “new normality”, with visitor arrivals from the …

ROME, Italy | XINHUA | Ilaria Cappuccioni was so enthusiastic about marrying her boyfriend, Sonny Casimirri, that she was the one to pop the question. The couple was originally scheduled to be married next week, but as Italy emerges from the coronavirus pandemic they decided to delay the ceremony until …

NAIROBI, Kenya | XINHUA | Living in Mathare, one of the largest slums in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, Newton Omondi knows that he needs to maintain social distancing, wear a face mask and wash his hands regularly to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, adhering to these measures has been a …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The proposal by the Electoral Commission to ban open-air campaigns ahead of the 2021 campaigns and general election continues to draw mixed reactions from politicians, opinion leaders and media analysts. The Electoral Commission announced a revised roadmap on Tuesday suggesting that there will be …

Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | UEFA has opted to temporarily soften its financial fair play (FFP) rules to help clubs impacted by the economic fall-out of the coronavirus crisis, European football’s governing body announced on Thursday. FFP rules mean that, over a three-year period, clubs competing in European competition are not …

Libreville, Gabon | AFP |  Amanda leans into the fridge, fishes out two ice-cold beers and quickly closes the door after taking a worried glance up and down the street. “No table, just chairs,” she says. The reason for the discretion: her tiny bar is welcoming customers on the sly, defying …

New York, United States | AFP |  Faced with then near-complete shutdown of travel, and a devastating hit to its business from the coronavirus, Arrangements Abroad mobilized to secure a $597,000 loan under the Paycheck Protection Program. The funds allowed the New York company to pay salaries for a couple of …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Visitors meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at his country residence must first pass through a walk-through device that sprays them with disinfectant to protect him from the coronavirus, officials said. The measures have provoked anger from some observers, given the authorities have ruled it is safe enough to hold nationwide …

Paris, France | AFP |  When human contact needs to be kept to a minimum, robots can save lives and factories. But when the coronavirus crisis is over, will they amplify job losses? It may be a mechanised arm pulling beers in a Seville bar, a dog-like dispenser of hand sanitiser …