Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The pope’s representative in DR Congo said the pontiff will not visit Kinshasa before long delayed elections are held in the strife-torn country, calling it a “predatory state.” In March, Pope Francis cancelled a planned summer visit to Kinshasa owing to the climate of political …

Kampala, Uganda| GODFREY SSALI | President Yoweri Museveni has directed the newly installed Makerere University Vice Chancellor VC) Professor Barnabas Nawangwe and the administration to consider phasing out all the non- market oriented arts courses if the institution is to remain relevant to the public its serving. Museveni who presided over …

Yangon, Myanmar | AFP | A military campaign to wipe out Rohingya insurgents has rained violence down on Myanmar’s Rakhine state, sending nearly 390,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees fleeing for sanctuary in Bangladesh. Around 30,000 Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been displaced, as ethnic and religious hatreds carve through the state. …

Taipei, Taiwan | AFP | A few extra-keen cities in developed countries are using internet technology to cut energy bills, fight crime and ease traffic congestion. Now everyone else wants to know how they got so far. New York, Singapore, Taipei, Barcelona and London are regarded now as what techies call …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | German carmaker Volkswagen is aiming to sell 1.5 million electric cars in China by 2025, its boss was quoted as saying Thursday, seeking to capitalise as Beijing mulls a clampdown on polluting vehicles. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Chief Executive …

Washington, United States | AFP | Top US congressional Democrats emerged from a meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday claiming progress on a deal that protects young immigrants and boosts border security, while not including a border wall. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi said …

Ahmedabad, India | AFP | India’s first bullet train project, a $19-billion initiative linking Ahmedabad to Mumbai, was launched Thursday as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe hailed fast-growing ties between Asia’s two biggest democracies. The project is seen as emblematic of warming relations between New Delhi …

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Twenty-four people, mostly children, were killed Thursday when a blaze tore through a Malaysian religious school, trapped in their dormitory by metal grilles on the windows. Pupils and teachers inside the Islamic study centre in downtown Kuala Lumpur screamed for help as helpless neighbours looked …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia On Thursday began major joint military exercises with Belarus along the European Union’s eastern flank — a show of strength that has rattled nervous NATO members. Named Zapad-2017 (West-2017), the manoeuvres, scheduled to last until September 20, are taking place on the territory of …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Wednesday renewed her call for the immediate arrest of a senior Libyan commander wanted for war crimes, amid allegations he has killed more people. Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli “stands accused of serious crimes. I therefore call again on …