Africa Today: Uganda bus crash, UK aid cuts to Malawi, Algeria orphanage fire, Sudan rejects US claims, Ebola outbreak

A tragic school bus crash in Uganda's Kapchorwa district claimed the lives of at least 23 people, including 22 schoolchildren and the founder of King David Junior School. Police reported that the bus was returning from a study tour when it suffered a mechanical fault on Chekwatit Hill, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to veer off the road and overturn. Numerous pupils and staff sustained injuries in the accident, which adds to a recent pattern of school transport accidents in Uganda.

In international development news, the UK government revealed plans to drastically cut its development aid to Malawi. Funding is set to decrease by 60% in 2026-27, falling from £50.2 million to £20 million, with a further 90% reduction by 2028-29, bringing it down to £5 million. These cuts are part of broader reductions to fund increased defense spending and have drawn criticism from aid organizations concerned about the impact on hunger, healthcare, education, and livelihoods in Malawi.

Algeria is grappling with multiple crises as a fire tore through an orphanage in Algiers' Mohammadia district, killing at least 11 people, primarily children, and injuring 19 others. The cause of the fire is under investigation, occurring while the country battles an intense heatwave and numerous wildfires. Meanwhile, Sudan has firmly rejected allegations made by the United States at the UN Security Council that its armed forces used chemical weapons, stating that Washington has provided no evidence.

Adding to the global health concerns, the World Health Organization has reported that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the third largest on record and is spreading rapidly. The organization is working to contain the outbreak.