
Explosion reported in Uganda
The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to IS which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi said. Magezi wrote on X that a "counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb." One of the individuals was a female suicide bomber "laden with powerful explosives," Magezi said.
"Two people were on a motorcycle and an explosion occurred," Ugandan police chief Abas Byakagaba told NBS in a video posted on X. Byakagaba did not say what happened to the two people on the motorbike but added: "The good thing though is that there were no people nearby who were injured." — Reuters
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
Iraq starts work on IS mass grave
BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities have begun excavating the site of a mass grave believed to contain thousands of victims of the IS group near Mosul city, the project's director said on Sunday. The first phase, which was launched on August 10, includes surface-level excavation at the Khasfa site, director Ahmed al Assadi said. A correspondent visiting the site in northern Iraq said the team unearthed human skulls buried in the sand. Khasfa is located near Mosul, where IS had established the capital of their self-declared "caliphate" before being defeated in Iraq in late 2017. Assadi said that there were no precise figures for the number of victims buried there — one of dozens of mass graves IS left behind in Iraq — but a UN report from 2018 said Khasfa was likely the country's largest. Official estimates put the number of bodies buried at the site at least 4,000, with the possibility of thousands more. — AFP


Observer
5 days ago
- Observer
Kyivstar CEO says peace deal would boost value after historic US listing
NEW YORK: A peaceful resolution to the war between Russia and Ukraine would boost the value of Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar 'quite significantly', its CEO Oleksandr Komarov said on Friday ahead of the company's stock market listing in New York. Kyivstar's shares will begin trading on the Nasdaq later on Friday, becoming the first Ukraine-based company listed on a US stock exchange. The listing coincides with a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a meeting closely watched by Ukraine and European nations as a potential turning point in peace negotiations. "We will be the best asset for the international investment community to invest in Ukraine, to invest in the Ukrainian recovery, to invest in the Ukrainian support", Komarov said in an interview. Komarov said the company chose Nasdaq, where its parent VEON is also listed, over London or Warsaw because it was even more important to "strengthen the link between the United States and Ukraine rather than between Ukraine and Europe". The company has deepened its US ties during the conflict, appointing former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to its board and signing a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink for satellite services. Kyivstar is the biggest mobile operator in Ukraine with 24 million subscribers. Founded in 1994, it became part of Veon in 2010. Apart from telecoms, it owns digital health platform Helsi and ride-hailing firm Uklon. VEON has pitched the listing as an opportunity for foreign investors to bet on Ukraine's reconstruction. But its success hinges in part on a peace deal being achieved. Komarov said that the first few weeks of trading will be extremely volatile. When asked if the outcome of the IPO depends on political developments, he said the volatile external environment was already incorporated in Kyivstar's valuation. Kyivstar, which has been given a pro forma valuation of $2.3 billion, carried out the listing by merging with fintech entrepreneur Betsy Cohen's special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The company raised $178 million. Reuters earlier reported Kyivstar expected up to $200 million. VEON will retain a majority stake in the mobile operator. Komarov said his firm's Nasdaq debut showed what Ukrainian companies could accomplish by accessing international markets and that prominent Ukrainian businessmen have spoken to him in recent months to hear about Kyivstar's listing strategy. — Reuters


Observer
6 days ago
- Observer
Trump aims to boost US space industry with less red tape
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump aims to stimulate the domestic space industry by cutting bureaucracy as the competition from countries like China and India heats up. In an executive order signed on Wednesday, the administration outlined plans to strengthen the US position in space by 2030 through a competitive market for launches, a significant increase in launch frequency, and "novel space activities." To achieve this, the government plans to simplify and accelerate approval processes for commercial licenses and US-based operators. The order says ensuring efficient launches and re-entries by US operators is "critical to economic growth, national security, and accomplishing federal space objectives." The policies will help maintain "American space competitiveness and superiority." The executive order sets deadlines for federal agencies, including NASA, to propose measures to reduce regulatory hurdles and identify conflicts with existing rules, such as environmental regulations. The US aims to return humans to the moon by 2027, decades after the last crewed US lunar missions, but ahead of other nations with ambitious space programmes such as China and India. Rapid commercialization and privatization have dramatically changed the space industry in recent years, intensifying the race for a leading position in the sector. — dpa