Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The top stories in this week’s The Independent. COVER STORY Exposed: Dirty secrets of 200bn Crane Bank sale; Documents leak in Bagyenda, Mutebile fight. THE LAST WORD Lesson from Jinja East by-election: Why Uganda’s opposition should take voter turnout seriously if they ever …
Read More »Major Cambridge Analytica role in Kenyan poll denied
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s ruling Jubilee Party on Wednesday denied that Cambridge Analytica had stage-managed the victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta in highly disputed and deadly 2017 elections. The British firm at the centre of a scandal over the improper use of Facebook data in US President Donald Trump’s …
Read More »Twitter shares plunge on Israel warning; Facebook dives
New York, United States | AFP | Twitter shares were hammered Tuesday at midday following reports that Israel was weighing action against the company, adding to the growing woes of social media stocks. Near 1800 GMT, Twitter shares were down 12.0 percent at $30.79 following comments by Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet …
Read More »EU Parliament invites Facebook boss to speak on data breach
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Parliament on Tuesday invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to speak following revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump’s US presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users. The parliament and the European Commission, the 28-nation EU executive, have already called for an urgent …
Read More »EU seeks Facebook data breach probe
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union pushed Tuesday for an urgent investigation into revelations that a firm working for Donald Trump presidential campaign harvested data on 50 million users. EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, who has called the breach “horrifying”, was meanwhile to seek clarification from the social …
Read More »ARTS: Adventures in media, styles
The open expressions of young artists Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | An exhibition of student’s art is bound to be interesting. Occasionally, some students defy their inexperience and produce great art. Usually, however, gaps in art creation and presentation become perfect talking points for gallery visitors and possible dampeners for …
Read More »Facebook launches audit of data leaked to Trump consultant
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Monday it has hired a digital forensics firm to investigate the handling of data on millions of Americans leaked to a consulting firm working on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The move by Facebook came amid an onslaught of criticism after …
Read More »Russian media accuses May of ‘poisoning’ ties
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian media on Thursday accused British Prime Minister Theresa May of having “poisoned” relations with Moscow by announcing the expulsion of diplomats in response to the poisoning of a former double agent with a nerve agent. “Theresa May has poisoned relations between London and Moscow,” …
Read More »Three Tanzanian NGOs file suit at regional court over press law
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Three Tanzanian NGOs on Tuesday filed a complaint at the East Africa Court of Justice over a 2016 law that they argue violates press freedom. The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), Legal and Human Rights Centre, and Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition said in their …
Read More »Apple buys digital magazine subscription service
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple announced Monday it is buying digital magazine subscription service Texture, adding to the side of its business aimed at making money from online content or services. The iPhone maker did not disclose financial terms of the deal to buy Texture from its owners …
Read More »