Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday inaugurated the first arms fair organised in Cairo, with hundreds of companies exhibiting. Sisi cut the ribbon along with French Defence Minister Florence Parly to open Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX 2018), held on the outskirts of the capital. …

  Modrici, Croatia | AFP | Luka Modric’s journey from Croatian war child to the world’s best footballer was celebrated Monday when the Real Madrid midfielder hoisted the Ballon d’Or. A national hero in his home country and crowned the best player on the planet, Modric was rewarded for his …

  Bukavu, DR Congo | AFP | Clashes between the army and rebels loyal to a renegade former general in eastern DR Congo have killed 18 people, military sources said Monday, in the latest violence before crucial elections to replace President Joseph Kabila this month. Fighting killed 14 rebels and …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Michelle Obama on Monday returned to a London school she had visited as US first lady encouraging students to “practice sisterhood” as she presented a new memoir of her life. Obama is in the British capital to promote her hotly-anticipated book, “Becoming”, which has …

  Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP | Usain Bolt might have hung up his spikes, but there are at least two young American sprinters set to take up the mantle of the mighty multi-medal-winning Jamaican. Christian Coleman, 22, and Michael Norman, who turned 21 on Monday, have risen to the …

  London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s spy chief warned Vladimir Putin on Monday that London would no longer take the Kremlin at its word as it fights Russia’s “perpetual confrontation” with the West. MI6 foreign intelligence agency head Alex Younger came out of the shadows to deliver only …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP |  Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency on Monday filed for the arrest of former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke after a judge approved a request for her to be charged with corruption. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in a statement the application for warrant of …

Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Monday visited Gabon’s President Ali Bongo at a military hospital in Rabat where the Gabonese leader is recovering from an illness, an official source said. During the visit, the king said he was pleased about the state of Bongo’s health …

Paris, France | AFP | Luka Modric saw off competition from France’s World Cup stars as the Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder won the Ballon d’Or on Monday to end a 10-year stranglehold on the award by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Modric, 33, was announced as the winner of the prestigious prize in Paris …

Kenya to play in Africa Cup of Nations after Sierra Leone disqualified Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Kenya will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 15 years, after Sierra Leone was disqualified by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). They join East African colleagues …