NEWS ANALYSIS

Why 14 years after government made sciences compulsory, failure rate remains high Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | Physics was the worst done subject in the recently released O’ Level examinations. Only 2,280 of the 326,212 students that sat the exams scored over 70%. Another 40,000 scored over 55%. The rest, …

The politics behind calls to censure Kasaija, fire Muhakanizi Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Recently, according to State House sources, President Yoweri Museveni was on phone with Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi. He sounded to be in no mood for pleasantries. “I am tired of this,” the president …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | An Iranian passenger plane on a domestic flight crashed on Sunday into the country’s Zagros mountains, with all 66 people on board feared dead. Here is a recap of the deadliest plane crashes in Iran since 2003. – 2014 – On August 10, an Antonov …

Washington, United States | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Saturday vowed to investigate an attack involving Russian citizens on American-allied forces in Syria but stopped short of accusing Moscow of orchestrating the assault. Russia has acknowledged that five of its citizens were killed in a US-led coalition …

Washington, United States | AFP | Fake social media accounts, rallies for and against Donald Trump, paid protesters: Russia managed a vast propaganda operation to support the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election, according to a court indictment. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, investigating possible collusion between the campaign and …

Tel Aviv, Israel | AFP | Thousands of Israelis marched against corruption in Tel Aviv on Friday, in the first protest since police recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for graft. Several thousand people gathered for the protest calling on Netanyahu to step down, carrying banners reading ‘Crime …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned unexpectedly on Thursday, the first leader to do so in the country’s recent history. As Africa’s second most-populous country enters uncharted political territory, here are four questions about what happened — and what comes next. – Why did …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s opposition reacted cautiously on Friday a day after the surprise resignation of the prime minister, warning it did not herald real change since the ruling party remains in power. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned on Thursday after weeks of anti-government demonstrations and growing …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Seven candidates are lined up against Vladimir Putin in a Russian presidential election next month that he is all but guaranteed to win, extending his Kremlin term to 2024 with a fourth term in office. His competitors include a former reality TV star and a …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s parliament on Thursday chose Cyril Ramaphosa, an anti-apartheid activist who became a wealthy businessman, to be president after Jacob Zuma, tarred by scandal, was forced from office. Here is a timeline of events behind the dramatic change of power: – Rise of …