Chicago, United States | AFP |  A US federal jury on Friday ordered Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta to pay nearly $218 million to 7,000 Kansas farmers after selling them genetically-modified corn seeds not approved for export to China. The farmers suffered profound economic damage in 2013 when Chinese authorities refused …

Mecca, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  Saudi Arabian police foiled on Friday a “terrorist action” against Islam’s holiest site, where millions of faithful from around the world have gathered, the state Al-Ekhbaria news channel said. Citing the Ministry of the Interior, it said 11 people were injured in the collapse of …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Five residential London tower blocks were being evacuated on Friday due to fire safety concerns over their external cladding following the deadly Grenfell Tower inferno. The towers in the Swiss Cottage area of north London, containing around 800 homes, were deemed unsafe following urgent …

Kampala, Uganda | Michael O’HAGAN | AFP |  The international community pledged $358 million at a fundraising summit Friday to help Uganda tackle the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis, falling well short of expectations. Organisers had hoped the meeting in the central city of Entebbe would raise at least $2 billion …

ANALYSIS: In past crises, the United Nations and South Africa have played important roles in stabilising the situation in the DRC – @africaarguments Pretoria, South Africa| CARMEL RAWHANI & MÉLANIE RONDREUX | African ARGUMENTS | In 2016, one of the defining terms when it came to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) political situation …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has blamed the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the United Nations (UN) for not helping stop the declining situation in Congo.  Congo is a leading source of refugees in Africa. He called on support for regional efforts to …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP|  Uganda on Friday co-hosted a summit with UN to raise $2 billion to cover estimated cost of managing a refugee influx from South Sudan. The summit got a boost on Thursday when the EU pledged 85 million euros ($95 million) to Uganda but UN chief …

 Botswana’s former president Masire, who led Mozambique peace efforts, dies Gaborone, Botswana | AFP | Botswana’s former president Sir Ketumile Masire, the southern African country’s second post-independence leader and who led efforts to bring peace to Mozambique, has died aged 91, an aide said on Friday. Masire had been heavily involved …

The annual “drag race” through Chueca with men in high heels, wigs and figure-hugging dresses is another must, as well as the Mr Gay World competition Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Some two million revellers are expected in Madrid starting Friday as the Spanish capital hosts WorldPride 2017, one of …

Dr. Richard Kalungi has chosen rare path in the practice of medicine. Although the common practice in Uganda is for anyone seeking medical attention to visit a health facility, Kalungi is pioneering a concept of doctors visiting patients in homes, work places, and schools. “I wanted to get a solution …