Abomey-Calavi, Benin | AFP |  The display cases at the royal palaces in Benin’s sleepy southern town of Abomey are coated in dust and the exhibition halls plunged in darkness. But local tourism chief Gabin Djimasse hopes all this will change with the return of 26 artefacts from former colonial master …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump came under fire from Democrats and even some members of his own Republican Party on Monday after launching an extraordinary xenophobic attack on four progressive Democratic congresswomen. “All they do is complain,” Trump told reporters at a White House event featuring …

Wellington, New Zealand | AFP | New Zealand coach Gary Stead has called for the Cricket World Cup’s rules to be overhauled, labelling the showpiece final “hollow” after England defeated the Black Caps on a technicality. The teams could not be separated at the end of both regular play and a …

Perth, Australia | AFP |  Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Tuesday he was optimistic that goalkeeper David De Gea would sign a new deal to remain at Old Trafford as Manchester United prepared to face old rivals Leeds in Perth. United’s pre-season tour of Australia has been overshadowed speculation over the futures …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Facebook’s planned virtual unit Libra, already under heavy attack from US President Donald Trump and global regulators, faces scepticism among the wider cryptocurrency community as well. One theme — besides Brexit — dominated discussion among the movers and shakers from London’s financial technology or …

Paris, France | AFP |  French President Emmanuel Macron will on Sunday showcase Europe’s defence capabilities by putting European military cooperation at the heart of a Bastille Day parade at a time of growing tensions with the United States. Key EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister …

Soweto, South Africa | AFP |  After helping an elderly woman load her bags into a mini-bus taxi at a busy intersection in Soweto, a scrawny and strung-out young man is rewarded with a few coins for his efforts. High on nyaope, a street drug whose main ingredient is heroin, …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Eoin Morgan’s England face New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday desperate to win the World Cup for the first time after four years of hard graft. When England exited the 2015 tournament after an embarrassing defeat by Bangladesh, few tipped them as potential champions four …

Kotido, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  66 Karamojong children who have been living on the streets of Kampala and other towns have been reunited with their families. Some of the girls who have been on the streets since they were minors returned with children born on the streets. URN reporter saw …

Athens, Greece | AFP |  “Once my taxes are paid, at the end of the day I have 20 or 25 euros left in my pocket,” lamented Greek hairdresser Babis Toumbanos. Like him, there are many entrepreneurs in the country who want the new conservative government that emerged from the July …