Bamako, Mali | AFP | Twenty-four Malian soldiers and 17 jihadists fighters were killed in clashes in the east of the country, the army said, as security in the west African nation deteriorates further. Mali and Niger forces were carrying out a joint operation when a patrol was attacked Monday by …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Some hospitals in Kampala will have their blood supplies delivered by drones by March 2020, thanks to a government nod to an initiative by Ugandan German innovator John Goslino.   Goslino’s blood connect project secured government approval through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Although …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Lawyer Male Mabirizi has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking an interim order to block the mass ground rent collection exercise by the Buganda Land Board. The exercise which was launched on Friday requires all tenants on the Kabaka’s land to pay rent as set by …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  |  Marie Stopes Uganda, a Non-Government Organisation that offers reproductive health services, has been asked to recall two batches of Life Guard condoms on the Ugandan market following complaints from customers. Marie Stopes are the sole distributors of the condoms in Uganda.   According to a letter …

Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  |  Agriculture Minister Vincent Ssempijja has directed the National Agricultural Research Organization-NARO to institute an inquiry into the giveaway of land within Entebbe Botanical gardens.    The 40-hectare piece of land situated close to the National Agricultural Research Organization and Victoria Mall in Entebbe covers a 4-kilometre …

Baghdad, Iraq | AFP |  It posted tens of thousands of troops in Iraq, huddled with its leaders and helped craft its laws — but with the country swamped by deadly protests, Washington is staying out of the fray. Its apparent absence during a key turning point in Iraq lays bare …

Yenagoa, Nigeria | AFP |  Nigeria’s ruling party on Monday won the key oil-rich state of Bayelsa, the electoral body said, a sign of President Muhammadu Buhari’s growing influence in opposition strongholds. Forty-five candidates had taken part in the gubernatorial election on Saturday which was marred by sporadic violence, including killings, …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis, who years ago hoped to be a missionary in Japan, travels to the sites of the world’s only atomic attacks this week seeking a ban on nuclear weapons. The Argentine pontiff, 82, flies to Asia on Tuesday, where he will first visit …

Buvuma , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Travelers to Buvuma Island have to part with more money following a hike in the boat fares. Boat operators decided to hike their failure because of the suspension of ferry services from Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe District to Kirongo landing site in Buvuma …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  Members of Ethiopia’s Sidama ethnic group are expected to vote Wednesday to form a breakaway regional state — a milestone that risks further destabilising the country ahead of next year’s national elections. The Sidama push for statehood already triggered days of unrest in July that …