This conflict is way under-the-radar, but suddenly very intense. “At least 55 people have been killed in fierce fighting that erupted in western Uganda between security forces and a separatist militia linked to a tribal king, according to police. “Yesterday a joint Uganda police and UPDF (army) operation, patrolling in Kasese town… came under attack by royal guards of the kingdom. The attackers threw an improvised grenade which exploded and injured one soldier. Security forces reacted and shot in self-defence, killing four attackers,” said Kaweesi. “That incident set of an explosion in all local sub-counties.” Fighting continued all day and was still underway on Sunday, with the King Charles Wesley Mumbere holed up in his palace as heavy gunfire sounded outside, according to his spokesman.” (Al Jazeera http://bit.ly/2gkhyUK)
UNICEF: Half a million children are under siege in Syria.. “As violence continues to escalate across Syria, the number of children living under siege has doubled in less than one year. Nearly 500,000 children now live in 16 besieged areas across the country, almost completely cut off from sustained humanitarian aid and basic services. ‘For millions of human beings in Syria, life has become an endless nightmare – in particular for the hundreds of thousands of children living under siege. Children are being killed and injured, too afraid to go to school or even play, surviving with little food and hardly any medicine,’ said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. ‘This is no way to live – and too many are dying.’ Some communities have received little to no aid in nearly two years. In eastern Aleppo alone, UNICEF estimates that 100,000 children are living under siege.” (UNICEF http://uni.cf/2gke7O9)
Major new HIV vaccine trial to start in South Africa…A new vaccine against HIV, to be tested in a trial to be launched in South Africa Wednesday, could be “the final nail in the coffin” for the disease if it is successful, scientists say. The study, called HVTN 702, aims to enroll 5,400 sexually active men and women aged between 18 and 35 at 15 sites across South Africa. It will be the largest and most advanced HIV vaccine clinical trial to take place in South Africa, where more than 1,000 people a day are infected with HIV.” (Bloomberghttp://bloom.bg/2gkeGaC)