UN Leadership Race: The UN Security Council has begun its first confidential straw poll to gauge support for seven declared secretary-general candidates, with Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu among the names. Public Finance Pressure: Kenya’s KIPPRA warns against raising VAT beyond 16%, saying it could cut consumption and weaken compliance instead of boosting revenue. Airport Crackdowns: Reports say ICE is expanding deportation arrests at US airports with TSA data-sharing, including cases involving a Ugandan asylum seeker. Uganda Vaccine Sovereignty: President Museveni welcomed the HUVET Bio-Science Park, aimed at local vaccine and biotech production to reduce import dependence. Livestock Health Industry: Uganda and Egypt are finalising plans to build a local foot-and-mouth disease vaccine facility, with NARO training and a quadrivalent target. Governance and Service Delivery: Unannounced ministerial inspections found payroll fraud, inflated school enrolment and broken infrastructure, showing how weak oversight wastes public funds. Ebola Watch (DRC): DR Congo reports Ebola cases crossing 3,200 with deaths rising to 1,405, driven by insecurity, mining and cross-border movement. Digital Banking: NCBA Bank Uganda launched NCBA NOW and NCBA ConnectPlus to expand remote retail and corporate banking across East Africa. Agribusiness Finance: A Gates-backed WEE programme and UNOC-funded Albertine Agribusiness Development Programme aim to support 10,000 women entrepreneurs and 100 horticulture farmers with financing and digital services.