Crude futures settle lower

Oil prices fell on Thursday.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for July delivery dropped 1.91 U.S. dollars, or 1.94 percent, to settle at 96.35 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for July delivery lost 2.44 dollars, or 2.32 percent, to settle at 102.58 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

Uganda on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following an outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease that has killed dozens of people.

Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Kampala that the National Task Force (NTF), chaired by Uganda's Vice President Jessica Alupo, had resolved to suspend all flights between Uganda and the DRC, with the measure taking effect within 48 hours.

The move follows the detection last week of two imported Ebola cases in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

A 59-year-old Congolese man died from the virus at Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala, while the other patient remains in isolation at Mulago National Referral Hospital. A total of 127 contacts have been identified and are in institutional quarantine.

According to Atwine, the government has also temporarily suspended public passenger ferry services on the Semuliki River, cross-border bus operations and all public passenger transport between Uganda and the DRC for the next four weeks, while allowing the continued movement of goods and food supplies.

According to the ministry, weekly markets in border sub-counties across high-risk districts have also been suspended for four weeks.

The NTF has activated a series of preparedness and response measures, including the suspension of cultural celebrations and commemorative events that draw large crowds along the Uganda-DRC border.

Over the past 24 hours, health authorities in the DRC and the World Health Organization have reported a worsening outbreak across the central African nation, with around 600 suspected cases and 139 probable deaths recorded since the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.