New York, United States | AFP |  Vladimir Putin was the world’s most powerful person for a fourth straight year in 2016, with US president-elect Donald Trump in second place, Forbes magazine said Wednesday in its annual rankings. “Russia’s president has exerted his country’s influence in nearly every corner of …

  MUGABE: Positions in the party are not jumped upon. People rise slowly Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |  Zimbabwe’s ageing President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday criticised ruling party officials for allegedly “bickering” over positions of power and jostling to succeed him. “Positions in the party are not jumped upon. People …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani phoned his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday to congratulate him on the impending defeat of rebel forces in the battleground city of Aleppo, his website said. “The victory in Aleppo… constitutes a great victory for the Syrian people against terrorists …

VIDEO: The Uganda Sugar Manufacturers Association has attributed the sudden increment in the retail price of sugar to the shortage of sugarcane due to concentration of all manufacturers in one part of Busoga. The concentration has increased competition for canes – leading to most factories producing below capacity. NBS’ Sam Paul …

UN chief urges Gambia military to end takeover of election commission United Nations, United States | AFP |  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned the military takeover of Gambia’s independent electoral commission, calling on the army and police forces to immediately leave the IEC’s offices. The seizure of …

South Africa’s Steinhoff and Shoprite to form retail giant Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South African retail giants Steinhoff International and supermarket group Shoprite Holding Wednesday said they were in talks to merge their African operations to form a single company worth over $14 billion. The companies said in …

VIDEO: “Police officers here are deployed day and night. Security is tight and they are highly depending on CCTV technology as well,” reports Sabiti Joseph in Kigali, Rwanda. “The police is working closely with the locals through community policing to ensure security. Security at different facilities like hotels, offices and other public …

VIDEO: There have been sharp disagreement between the Makerere University Council and lecturers body MUASA over payment of their allowances in a haste meeting that lasted for hours at University senate. According to sources the council stood its gun claiming they have no budget to clear all their arrears. However, the …

VIDEO: Legislators on Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on statutory Authorities and state enterprises (COSASE) have tasked the Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority Allen Kagina to explain why the UNRA commissioned works for the second phase of the construction of the Kampala Northern bypass without conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment …

VIDEO: The Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere is to spend his Christmas behind bars after he was charged with 11 new counts including aggravated murder, robbery and terrorism when he appeared for mention of his case. Appearing before Jinja’s chief magistrate John Francis Kaggwa, Mumbere was transferred to Luzira Prison …