Check out the list for affected celebrities

1.Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson:The popular Hollywood couple announced on March 11 that they were infected by the coronavirus and were placed in quarantine in a Gold Coast hospital in Australia for treatment and are now in self-quarantine at their home .

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks

Luis Sepulveda:The best-selling Chilean writer, who lives in northern Spain, also said he was infected. Reports say he showed symptoms of the coronavirus in February, after he returned from a literary festival in Portugal.

Luis Sepulveda

Olga Kurylenko: The French actress, who starred in the Bond movie Quantum of Solance, announced on March 15 that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Olga Kurylenko

Idris Elba: The British actor and musician said he has tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16 in a video posted on Twitter, and that although he had no symptoms so far he was isolating himself from others.

Idris Elba

Kristofer Hivju: The 41-year-old Game of Thrones actor, who played the role of Tormund, has tested positive for the new coronavirus on March 17. Known for his fiery red hair and beard, he said and his family were in self-isolation at home in Norway.

Kristofer Hivju

Daniel Dae Kim: The South Korean-American actor best known for the television series Hawaii Five-0, said on Thursday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Kim, speaking from his home in Hawaii, announced the news in an Instagram posting and video.

Daniel Dae Kim

Placido Domingo:On March 22, the Spanish opera singer said he had tested positive for coronavirus and had gone into self-isolation with his family.

Placido Domingo

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The 24 year old woman who alleges Brown of raping her filed a rape allegation case that resulted into the arrest of the R& B singer.

Brown was arrested with two others with one described to be his body guard and a friend. The woman says three of them assaulted her.

The woman says she was raped on January 15^th after meeting with Chris Browm at a five star hotel. The two first met in a night club before proceeding to five star hotels according to sources.

“He is accused of a rape and is being held at the judicial police offices in the 1st arrondissement,” said a prosecuting source.

“He was arrested with two others on Monday, and interviews and other enquiries are ongoing. The offence is said to have taken place on the night of January 15 this year.”

One complaint whose identity cannot be disclosed said that the woman and Chris Brown met at his hotel with three men after they had first met each other in a night club.

 “The woman said she was abused by Mr Brown, a bodyguard, and a friend, and then she was left alone with the star,” said another source in Paris. 

“A total of three men were arrested at Mr Brown’s hotel. They did not resist police, and now have lawyers representing them.”

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Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz has suspended his wedding with his Kenyan girlfriend Tanasha Donna raising doubts amongst fans.

The fans who have been desperately waiting to be witness to the decor and splendor of the Tanzania-Kenya union were struck by the sudden decision by the ‘wanchekecha’ singer.

The wedding that was slated for 14th February, Valentine’s day, has been pushed to an undisclosed date.

He furthermore noted that his wedding was set to host the famous American rapper Rick Ross, Omarion and many more people of high regards.

However, critics accuse Diamond of using the wedding trick to promote the Kenyan festival. they add that since the event was a flop and finished the singer saw no reason of continuing with the wedding scam.

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The Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on October 10, the eve of the Moi day celebration

Bobi Wine was invited by the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association. Kenyan politician and legislator Babu Owino went to his Twitter handle to express his gratitude towards the visit of the ‘freedom’ it maker to Kenya.

“I wish to take this opportunity to announce to the nation that the Hon Robert Kyagulanyi/ @HEBobiwine will be leading a delegation of young Ugandan Members of Parliament to Kenya this Moi Day, Wednesday, October 10th, 2018 for a five-day official visit,” he said.

Bobiwine has been escorted by a delegation of youthful members of parliament and will be interviewed on Citizen Television’s Jeff Koinange Live later on Wednesday night.

 

Babu Owino@Babu_Owino

 · Oct 10, 2018

Good morning Patriots!
I wish to take this opportunity to announce to the nation that the Hon Robert Kyagulanyi/ @HEBobiwine will be leading a delegation of young Ugandan Members of Parliament to Kenya this Moi Day, Wednesday, October 10th, 2018 for a five day official visit. pic.twitter.com/kjApkuwO8B

Babu Owino@Babu_Owino

Comrade @HEBobiwine will be visiting Kenya in response to an invitation I extended as Secretary General of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association out of profound respect for the role he is playing in inspiring young people across the continent.

Babu Owino@Babu_Owino

 · Oct 10, 2018

Replying to @Babu_Owino

Comrade @HEBobiwine will be visiting Kenya in response to an invitation I extended as Secretary General of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association out of profound respect for the role he is playing in inspiring young people across the continent.

Babu Owino@Babu_Owino

Cde @HEBobiwine and his deligation from Uganda, together with the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association, will engage with the university student community, the civil society, young grassroots community leaders and the Press.

Retired KenyanPresident, Daniel Toroitich arap Moi. PHOTO/File

Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association invited Bobi Wine “out of profound respect for the role he is playing in inspiring young people across the continent”.

Moi Day is in honour of former Kenyan President Daniel Moi. This year, the Government of Kenya has chosen to follow last year’s court orders to recognize the day and gazette it as a public holiday.

 

 

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The death toll from the twin disaster on Sulawesi Island that erased whole suburbs in Palu has reached 1,944, said local military spokesman Muhammad Thohir.

Many people claimed lives in Indonesia Tsunami and earthquake

“That number is expected to rise because we have not received orders to halt the search for bodies,” Thohir, who is also a member of the government’s official Palu quake taskforce, told the press.

Authorities have said as many as 5,000 are believed missing in two hard-hit areas since the September 28 disaster, indicating far more may have been perished than the current toll, which make the hopes of finding anyone alive to reduce and the search for survivors amid the wreckage has turned to gathering and accounting for the dead.

The disaster agency said the official search for the unaccounted would continue until October 11 at which point they would be listed as missing and assumingly dead.

A woman who lost her nephew in earthquake stands in the Balaroa neighbourhood

The government has said it will declare those communities flattened in Palu as mass graves and leave them untouched. Gopal, whose aunt and uncle are missing, picked through wreckage Monday knowing just days were left to find his loved ones.

“Even if they (search teams) stop looking, we will still try to find them ourselves,” the 40-year-old said in Balaroa, one of the hardest hit neighbourhoods.

“When we can no longer do it ourselves, we leave it to Allah,” Gopal, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, added.

Excavators and rescuers combed Balaroa on Monday, where a massive government housing complex was all but swallowed up by the disaster. Rescuers have struggled to extract decomposing bodies from the tangled mess left behind.

Officials say as many as 5,000 people were feared buried at Balaroa and Petobo, another decimated community. Petobo, a cluster of villages was included when vibrations from the 7.5-magnitude quake turned the soil to quicksand a process known as liquefaction.

An excavator trying to dig people from the ground

Relief efforts have escalated to assist 200,000 people in desperate need. Food and clean water remain in short supply yet many are dependent entirely on handouts to survive. Helicopters have been running supply drops to more isolated communities outside Palu, where the full extent of the damage is still not entirely clear.

The Red Cross said Monday it had treated more than 1,800 people at medical clinics and administered first aid to a similar number in the immediate disaster zone. Indonesia sits along the world’s most tectonically active region, and its 260 million people are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

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Ibrahim Abiriga’s car bearing bullet holes from the scene where he was assassinated in Matugga

The Minister of State for Water, Ronald Kibuule, has said security officials are behind the recent assassinations of top government personalities stating that the Armed personnels are so close to the civilians which has resulted to misuse of Arms.

“Initially, there was fear of the gun. But because of the friendly nature of the forces, the gun is not feared now, which is an achievement as NRM. Our armed officers are very close to the population and that has come with the challenge of misuse of the weapon by killing Ugandans,” Kibuule said.

He continued to say that the assailants are trained and execute the killings with such perfection and professionalism that cannot be executed by a layman. Asked whether the reference ‘armed officers’ meant the security officials, Kibuule said “Yes, these are security officials and trained. When you look at the killings that have happened, they are done professionally. This is what I call misuse of arms by our comrades the armed officials. The killers have been smart, they have used boda bodas to run away. They cannot be just common wanainchi. Eyewitnesses said they shoot using one hand, nobody can do this unless they are experts.”

“These cannot be mere casual people. For example, the death of Ibrahim Abiriga, these could have been sharpshooters but had never got a chance to practice this at the battle ground,” he added.

Kibuule urged security agencies to investigate the killings to find out why people are dying in a similar way (shooting).

“We need the security apparatus to come top on these particular issues. People are continuing to die; they are putting our security in the country at stake,” Kibuule said.

Uganda has witnessed the killing of more than five big personalities in government and several others in the religious circles in less than 4 years.

The recent murder of Arua Municipality MP Late Hon. Ibrahim Abirirga was the last to be witnessed in the country and tends to be the base of Kibuule’s claims. It should be remembered that Abiriga was shot dead alongside his bodyguard by gunmen moving on motorcycles in Kawanda on Bombo Road.

After the assassination, some Members of Parliament (MPs) tasked the government to provide protection for fear they would be the next targets.

President Museveni. thereafter ordered the Ministry of Finance to procure bulletproof escort cars manned by sharpshooters as extra protection to the legislators.

The decision however, sparked a storm among the civil society, general public and some MPs, questioning its justification and cost implications.

So Opposition MPs said they would shun the escort vehicles, arguing that security for the general public is more critical than the individual protection.

However, Kibuule noted that its cheaper to protect an MP with an escort car and sharpshooter than bury and organize a bi-election.

“Ensuring Ugandan security is key but securing an individual’s security is key, especially for some figures. We are a representation of a bigger society that is why we are called MPs. We can be targeted for different reasons,”

“They need to be protected but the only problem is the money to procure the protection. We will spend much more money to give MPs state burials and later conduct by-elections than buy for them the pick-ups. We shall get softer solutions to this,” Kibuule lamented.

Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said he could not confirm the allegations of the minister until all the ongoing cases have been cordially investigated.

“I do not want to be taken like I am answering him but we need to get to the bottom of the investigations before we draw any conclusions. Yes, there can be some cases of misbehavior, negligence and careless mistakes but since no one has been convicted, I cannot confirm anything,” Emilian said.

Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) deputy spokesperson Deo Akiki declined to comment on the issue because of its sensitivity and referred the Matter to his boss, Brig Richard Karemire.

“It is a minister making a statement here, I would not want to answer him because the issue is sensitive. You can talk to my boss for a comment or the Minister of Internal Affairs,” he said.

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The post Kibuule pins recent Uganda assassinations to security officials first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Its on this note that the Minister of State for Local Government, Jennifer Namuyangu, has ordered all Local Council 1 Chairpersons countrywide to stop charging the 10 % fee from each land transaction in their areas because the charge is not recognized in any of the Ugandan’s Tax Acts.

She said this while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on 24^th July 2018, and insisted that any chairperson who continues to charge the fee will face prosecution and will be apprehended for abuse of office and corruption.

“The 10 % is illegal. People created it and it could be because of the holiday we have had since 2005 under the multiparty dispensation. The ministry will direct on what is supposed to be done about this issue, but LC chairpersons should desist from it immediately,” urged Jennipher.

Benjamin Kumumanya, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, recapitulated his boss’ directive and said village chairpersons are by law paid 25 per cent of revenue from the sub-county level.

“This money is what the LC1 chairpersons should use as facilitation for their work. We did this because we knew they needed some stationery and transport facilitation for different errands. We shall issue a statement to give direction on this matter after the whole process is finished,” Kumumanya said.

On July 10 2018, Uganda conducted elections for LC1 chairpersons for the first time since 2002.

They followed women representatives on July 3 2018.

The Minister for Local government, Col Tom Butime said the LC2 elections will be held 25^th July 2018 and urged all eligible voters to go and vote for their leaders.

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My verge of discovery led me to dating someone with a broken heart. Recently, I met a charming strong guy in his early 30’s at a coffee shop just across the street. He was very attractive whereby resisting approaching him was difficult to me. We connected immediately and started spending more time together. The more time I spent with him, the more I fell for him only getting closer and closer to him, and wanted him to do the same for me. I could tell he was not feeling the same way, his eyes showed although he kept on assuring me that he felt the same way.

The reality is, he was coming off a nasty break up with his seventeen year old girlfriend.  She walked away on him with no verified reason which broke his heart.  His mouth said “Am OK,” fingers kept on texting “Am fine” but I could hear his broken heart cry out loud .He needed a savior to save his good soul and angelic heart that was believing in righteousness. He had just been hurt badly which he didn’t deserve. My motherly soul could not let him go, I wanted to be by his side to comfort him, make him truly trust and love again.

I know it is hard to ask someone with a broken heart to love again. I know how it is like to have a broken heart and feel the pain. I have been there 3 years ago my ex-boyfriend left me for another girl. It was unexpected. It was the worst feeling ever. The pain hides inside but it hurts every time you breathe. It is hard to fit broken pieces to an original shape but we try to move past failures, act strong and move on. I believe a heart break opens doors to new beginnings; I was the new beginning to start over and be happy.

The deeper and deeper I fell in love with him, the more I kept on re-assuring my soul that everything would be fine. I didn’t think it through. My body, heart and soul were yearning for only one person. He opened up to me that he was not ready, he needed time to heal. I think I read the signs but I failed to interpret them. They say, what goes round comes back round. I gave him my heart with expectations of making it stronger, I just didn’t expect receiving it into pieces. Here I go again, teaching my heart to be strong again. I will get over him soon enough but I will never mention “I wish I never met you” because once upon a time, you were exactly what I needed.

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Some of the companies involved in the mobile money business in Uganda. Internet Photo

This follows an outcry and anger from the citizens who,  rather than make mobile money transactions as was before the taxes, prefer to use public means such as motorcycles, taxis to transfer money as they found it cheaper to travel than incur the extra costs that come with the tax. For social media, users have either abandoned the service or decided to bypass the blockage by using VPN.

The 1% tax that was levied on all mobile money transactions (depositing, sending and receiving) effective from 1st July 2018 has been met with stiff resistance from the public who termed it as double taxation. Telecom companies and government have since locked themselves in endless meetings regarding the matter.

Museveni said that telephone companies have been under-declaring calls until recently when we acquired machines to see the telephone calls ourselves. File Photo

URA commissioner, Doris Akol and State Minister for Finance, David Bahati, later issued statements and said that the taxation on deposits had been scrapped off after a cabinet meeting.

Mobile Money is the most popular platform widely used in Uganda to transmit cash between individuals and pay for goods and services.

However, President Museveni further weighed in on the matter; “This is to clarify that there is no tax on mere depositing money on a mobile phone account. That confusion should be clarified. The half -percent tax, not 1 percent, is only on the sender and the receiver of money through mobile money,” read part of the post on his Twitter and Facebook accounts where he termed social media chatting as a luxury by those who are ‘enjoying themselves or those who are malicious.’

He continued, “Mobile money transfer, on the other hand, is a useful service. Since the informal sector (juakali, mchomo selling etc) is never taxed and I am always against those direct taxes on those sectors, is it too much for users of the mobile money senders and receivers to also make a modest contribution to the development of their country? The 1% was a miscommunication. The actual figure was 0.5%, half of one percent. That is what we should debate, on the mobile money”

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Read full statement below:

Dear Ugandans, 

Greetings.

I am using social media to share with you the reasons for the social-media tax and the mobile money tax. Our budget for this financial year is Ug.Sh 32 trillion. 

The taxes collected from within Uganda and the other fees for this financial year will be Ug.sh.17.5 trillion. The balance (the difference) is handled by borrowing from outside the country, Ug.Sh 8.3 trillion, as well as borrowing from within the country, Sh 7 trillion. We, then, also get grants from outside to the tune of Sh280bn i.e 0.28 trillions.

Why do we have to borrow or beg from outside or even borrow from within? We do so because many people who are supposed to pay tax do not pay the tax. How do we know this? We know this by using the standard measurement used all over the World. This is the GDP: tax ratio. This means the amount of taxes paid compared to the size of the GDP, the size of the economy. 

In 1991 , it was only 4% of GDP. When we formed the URA, it rose to 12% and it has stagnated there for a long time. Last financial year it rose to 14.2%. In other countries in Europe, the GDP: tax ratio is 30% or more. The avarage GDP: tax ratio in Africa is 18% . Why is the GDP: tax ratio in Uganda so low? The following are the reasons: 

(a) telephone companies have been under-declaring calls until recently when we acquired machines to see the telephone calls ourselves. Big shame to the culprits; 

(b) Many of the people who should be paying taxes of incomes from rent do not pay or underpay;

(c) Many citizens are still in subsistence agriculture (okukolera olubuto kyokka, Itiyo pi ikeni ) and informal sector (juakali) and I always oppose taxes on those sectors (gonja roasters, mchomo sellers, mechanics, carpenters etc); in any case, it is difficult to know how much they earn;

(d) Absence of scanners on the borders allows false declarations of goods in containers; the URA now has 4 scanners only. I have directed them to buy enough scanners to cover all entry points by land, water and air; and 

(e) Slowness in introducing electronic stamps to the goods imported from outside at the factory level. 

We, therefore, end up getting revenue from consumer taxes on mainly, luxuries, income tax, profit tax and import tax on consumables minus the production inputs only. That is why we end up with the low GDP: tax ratio of only 14.2% and have to borrow or beg, yet our economy is growing. 

Coming specifically to the social media and mobile money taxes, Ugandans need to ask the following questions: 

1. When you post or send communication on social media platforms like Facebook or whatever, is it for free or do you pay? 

2. Do you send mobile money for free or do you pay? 

3. If you pay, whom do you pay? 

4. Do you pay in dollars or in local shillings? 

5. If you pay in local shillings, do the ones you pay, most of whom are foreign companies, take money out of Uganda in local shillings or in dollars? 

6. If it is dollars, who earned those dollars? 

Let us answer the last question first. Those dollars are earned by us who produce coffee, tea, the milk products, by our gold, by our tourism, by our processed fish , by our manufactured goods (e.g cement, textiles, soap, mattresses, cooking oil, etc). 

Therefore, some of us, myself included, either earn the dollars or save the dollars by producing products instead of importing them, but some of our countrymen donate those dollars back to the foreigners by chatting endlessly on the social media. Is this correct or fair? Is it good for our country? 

Mobile money transfer is, of course, different from the social media chatting. Social media chatting is a luxury by those who are enjoying themselves or those who are malicious. 

Mobile money transfer, on the other hand, is a useful service. Since the informal sector (juakali, mchomo selling etc) is never taxed and I am always against those direct taxes on those sectors, is it too much for users of the mobile money senders and receivers to also make a modest contribution to the development of their country? The 1% was a miscommunication. The actual figure was 0.5%, half of one percent. That is what we should debate, on the mobile money. 

As to social- media tax, all the moral reasons are in favour of that tax. The social – media users have no right to squander the dollars I earn from my coffee , my milk etc by endlessly donating money to foreign telephone Companies through chatting or even lying and, then, they are allergic to even a modest contribution to their country whose collective wealth they are misusing. 

The same with those who engage in games betting. They bet in Local shillings. Since, however, our economy is an open one, the foreign owners of betting machines rush to the forex bureaus, buy dollars, the ones I earned , so as to externalize them. This is what affects our shilling.

The importers of foreign luxury goods- wines, whiskies, artificial hair, furniture, textiles, shoes etc, goods that can be made here, also squander our dollars. Fortunately, on account of our campaigns, the import bill has decreased from US$ 7 billion to US$ 5 billion. That is not enough, however. 

There are no taxes on agricultural products, no taxes on machinery for factories or agricultural machinery , no taxes on raw- materials , no taxes on scholastic materials, no taxes on medicine, no tax on exports, no graduated tax etc. Most of the inputs in wealth and job creation are not taxed because we want people to engage in production. The essentials are never taxed. 

This is to clarify that there is no tax on mere depositing money on a mobile phone account. That confusion should be clarified. The half -percent tax, not 1 percent, is only on the sender and the receiver of money through mobile money. Discuss this. 

I congratulate our Science team for demonstrating that we now have the eyes to see all the goings on in the telecommunication and financial services. No more games. This capacity will be extended to deal with the criminal pigs that have made it a hobby to kill Ugandans. They will pay. I am , however, interested in a rational and honest dialogue, especially on the half -percent tax on mobile money sending and receiving. 

Signed 

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The post President Museveni reduces mobile money tax to 0.5%, insists on social media tax first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

State Minister for Finance David Bahati is among the many MPs crying foul

Several Members of Parliament have made a cry to Police and Uganda Communication Commission to intervene in the ongoing scams that are highly targeting them and other high profile people by con-men.

This comes at a time when cases of fraud are apparently being reported by almost every MP about thugs that hack into their phones and Face book accounts and con their friends’ money.

The latest is one involving Kasiro County MP, Elijah Okupa, who narrated to parliament how his number was hacked by thugs who asked money from a number of MPs claiming that Okupa was stuck in Eldorate.

Gulu Municipality MP, Lyndro Komaketch, reported that he is currently paying back 17 million shillings to friends who were conned in the same manner using his name.

Okupa asked the Uganda Communication Commission and telecommunication companies to devise means of stopping this practice.

The state minister for planning in the ministry of Finance, David Bahati is among the many MPs crying foul over this cybercrime as his  Facebook account was hacked into hence used to con the public.

The minister of Internal Affairs, Obiga Kania,  assured  the MPs that measures were being taken by both police and UCC to clear the loop holes that are still leading to such cyber-crimes.

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