How does it feel to be on the outside looking in? Moscow, Russia | AFP | Football fans visiting Yekaterinburg in the Russian Urals for the 2018 World Cup will find out when they get seated in one of two temporary stands that fill empty plots of land next to …

Paris, France | AFP | Nearly six percent of new cancers diagnosed worldwide in 2012 — some 800,000 cases — were caused by diabetes and excess weight, according to a study published Tuesday. Among the 12 types of cancer examined, the percentage of cases chalked up to these factors was …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Meghan Markle has helped the world focus attention on gender equality, the UN women’s agency said Monday, voicing hope that Prince Harry’s fiancée will continue to use her voice for women. The 36-year-old actress became an advocate for women’s political participation and leadership …

Karangasem, Indonesia | AFP | Evacuation centres and hotels in Bali filled up Tuesday with tens of thousands seeking refuge as a volcano on the Indonesian resort island threatened to erupt, forcing the closure of the main airport for a second day. Stranded tourists hunted for accommodation while frightened villagers …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenyan police fired teargas and clashed with both ruling party and opposition supporters Tuesday ahead of the swearing in as president of Uhuru Kenyatta after two disputed polls that have left the nation deeply divided. As foreign and local dignitaries poured into the 60,000-seat Kasarani …

Kampala, Uganda | AGNES. E. NANTABA | Halima Namakula made her mark on Uganda’s music industry close to two decades ago by turning a nursery rhyme into a well composed and danceable tune.  `Ekimbeewo’ was her first and break through hit which launched her into the music industry. But going professional at …

Washington, United States | AFP | Barack and Michelle Obama said Monday they were “delighted” to learn of the engagement of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, whose Invictus Games the former presidential couple has actively championed. Britain’s royal family announced earlier Monday that the one-time playboy royal would marry his …

Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | Uganda’s balance of payment deficit has remained wide for some time now but there are signs that the gap will soon be reduced as the government issues licenses to developers in Free Zones. Free Zones are geographic areas where raw materials and goods may be …

Zagtouli, Burkina Faso | AFP | West Africa’s biggest solar power plant goes onstream on Wednesday as Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, inaugurates a novel scheme to boost renewables and cut energy dependence on its neighbours. The 55-hectare (135-acre) plant at Zagtouli on the outskirts of the …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta is due to be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday, an inauguration delayed by two disputed polls and a series of sometimes deadly street protests. At the same time, opposition leader Raila Odinga has promised to hold a “memorial rally” …