23 Killed in Uganda School Bus Crash
At least 23 people, including 22 schoolchildren and the founder of King David Junior School, were killed when a school bus crashed in eastern Uganda’s Kapchorwa district. Police said the bus was returning from a study tour to Sipi Falls. The bus reportedly suffered a mechanical fault before the driver lost control on Chekwatit Hill, causing it to veer off the road and overturn. Dozens of pupils and staff were injured in the crash. The accident adds to a troubling pattern of school transport crashes recorded in Uganda in recent months. Days earlier, a bus belonging to Amuria High School, ferrying students of St. Paul Secondary School Katakwi on a geography study tour to Kasenyi Landing Site in Entebbe, collided with a stationary truck, killing the driver.
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UK Announces Deep Aid Cuts to Malawi
The UK government has announced plans to cut its development aid to Malawi by 60% in 2026-27, with funding set to fall by 90% by 2028-29 compared with 2025-26 levels, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Aid to Malawi will drop from £50.2 million to £20 million next year before declining to £5 million by 2028-29, as part of wider reductions to fund increased defence spending. The planned cuts have drawn criticism from aid organisations, which warn they will worsen hunger, healthcare, education and livelihoods for vulnerable communities in Malawi.
11 Dead After Algeria Orphanage Fire
At least 11 people, most of them children, were killed and 19 others injured after a fire tore through an orphanage in the Mohammadia district of Algiers. Authorities said 10 of the injured suffered burns of varying severity. Emergency crews safely evacuated five people with disabilities. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The tragedy comes as Algeria battles an intense heatwave and hundreds of wildfires across the country. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.
Sudan Rejects US Chemical Weapon Allegations at UN Security Council
Sudan has rejected allegations by the United States that its armed forces used chemical weapons. It told the UN Security Council that Washington has provided no evidence to support the claims. Sudan’s chargé d’affaires to the UN, Ammar Mohamed Mahmoud, said neither Sudan’s embassy in Washington nor the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had received any proof. He urged the Security Council to rely on verified facts rather than unsubstantiated allegations, while citing previous US claims about chemical and weapons programmes that were later found to be unfounded.
Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Now Third Largest on Record, Spreading Rapidly
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the third largest on record and is spreading faster than any previous one during the first month of exposure. Tedros said undetected community transmission, ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo and a funding shortfall of more than $400 million are hampering containment efforts. He said that intense transmission in Ituri province in DRC’s restive eastern region remains WHO’s biggest concern. Meanwhile, neighbouring Uganda has recorded encouraging progress, with its last confirmed Ebola patient discharged, marking the start of the 42-day countdown to declaring its outbreak over.
Namibian Returnees Eye Return to South Africa Despite Violence
The Namibian government has said that it will consider any future requests for assistance from citizens in South Africa on a case-by-case basis. This follows the voluntary repatriation of 72 Namibians fleeing xenophobic violence. Many returnees have reunited with their families; however, some say they hope to return to South Africa once tensions ease because it offers better economic opportunities. Another group is expected to be repatriated, and officials and analysts have called on the government to strengthen contingency planning, recognizing the right of citizens to freedom of movement. More than 100 Namibians living in South Africa, both legally and illegally, have requested voluntary repatriation amid rising xenophobic tensions.
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