Gold Coast, Australia | THE INDEPENDENT |  Hours after today’s Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, Ugandan netballers, weightlifters, swimmers, badminton and squash players jump into action as 11 days of competition start in Australia’s Gold Coast on Thursday. After Wednesday’s opening ceremony, about 4,300 athletes from 71 nations and territories will …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled an agreement with the UN refugee agency on Tuesday aimed at avoiding forced deportations of thousands of African migrants only hours after having announced the deal himself. The stunning turnaround after Netanyahu announced the accord in a televised address …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan army spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire has said reports citing possible attacks on Kampala by the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab are not true. Al-Shabaab got back in the news with Sunday’s attack  which African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)  said they repulsed, lost eight peace keepers …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the National Chairman of NRM Party, has urged Ugandans who embrace national development to always choose leaders that promote infrastructural development. “I congratulate you and thank you for supporting the NRM. To choose an active and constructive leader …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Heavily-armed Al-Shabaab militants attacked an African Union military camp outside Mogadishu on Sunday, killing four Ugandan peacekeepers, their army said. Local sources said a massive blast was heard in the Bulomarer district, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Mogadishu, and fighting broke out after …

  Trump to suspend duty-free apparel imports from Rwanda, spares Uganda and Kenya Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump suspended the duty-free status of Rwanda’s apparel after finding the African nation unfairly blocked US exports of used clothing (commonly known as Mivumba), officials announced Thursday. However, the …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Here are the top stories and analysis on Uganda and Africa in this week’s The Independent. COVER STORY Mutebile versus Kasekende: Details of Museveni meeting THE LAST WORD On Museveni’s Umeme missive: Why the president is misinformed about electricity distribution market and tariffs ANALYSIS BOU: Blow-by-blow …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  An outspoken member of the opposition alliance was Wednesday expelled from Kenya for the second time in two months, his lawyer told AFP. Miguna Miguna, a firebrand member of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, was forced onto an international flight to Canada last month. …

New York, United States | AFP |  A US federal judge on Wednesday sentenced troubled American rapper DMX, best known for his taunting song “Party Up (Up in Here),” to one year behind bars for tax fraud. The 47-year-old rapper and actor, real name Earl Simmons, pleaded guilty last November …

Beni, DR Congo | AFP | Ten civilians and a Ugandan militant died when Congolese troops clashed with rebels in the flashpoint town of Beni in Democratic Republic of Congo’s troubled east, an army spokesman said Wednesday. The violence took place on Tuesday evening when rebels attacked military positions around …