London, United Kingdom | AFP | Queen Elizabeth II warned of religious “tribalism” in a Christmas message on Tuesday delivered against a backdrop of Britain bickering over its impending exit from the EU. The 92-year-old monarch’s tone reflected a sombre mood sweeping the island nation as it ponders the perils …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Each festival season, operators of public transport hike transport to the high volume of travelers. The most affected are travelers to distant routes to the East and the western Uganda where fares more than double. Transporters take advantage of the absence of checks and balances …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Police bus that had earlier been announced missing with the driver was found on Christmas eve. Geoffrey Mwase, the driver is also reported arrested after the bus was intercepted at the Morgana Petrol Station in Mityana District. The bus whose number plates had …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s parliament on Tuesday approved the creation of a reconciliation commission as the government seeks to end intercommunal ethnic violence, state-affiliated Fana radio said. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has won international praise for his reformist agenda since coming to power in April, including allowing …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Four activists of the opposition Filimbi movement were freed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday after a year in prison, local media reported, days before a much-delayed presidential election. The group’s coordinator Carbone Beni and three of his colleagues were released from …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At just 12-years-old, Leonardo Nicanor Quinteros is still in secondary school, but he already runs his own free private school to help other children, and even some adults, with their studies in in the Argentinian town of Las Piedritas, near San Juan. He started it …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | Researchers in Australia say that fact checking can reverse the views of even the most dyed-in-the-wool partisans, and over time could cause voters to shun an often-lying candidate. Scientists from the University of Western Australia, the United States and Britain found that Aussies did change …

Helsinki, Finland | AFP | Scientists in Finland have developed what they believe is the world’s first vaccine to protect bees against disease, raising hopes for tackling the drastic decline in insect numbers which could cause a global food crisis. Bees are vital for growing the world’s food as they …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Christmas cake is the best. Boozy, stodgy, festive deliciousness. But if you’re planning on driving, then you may want to take it easy. Experts have warned that just two slices of the brandy-drenched dessert could put you over the legal drink-driving limit. And it would …

New York, United States | AFP | McDonald’s announced a plan early this month for a phased reduction of antibiotics in beef, expanding a health-oriented reform to a new meat source other than chicken. The fast-food giant described a three-stage process where it would first undertake a study of its …