NEWS ANALYSIS

Sao Paulo, Brazil | AFP | Champions Chile maintained their hopes of a third straight Copa America victory after beating Colombia on penalties on Friday to reach the semi-finals. Chile could have won the game in normal time but had two goals ruled out for marginal decisions in a scoreless draw, …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Birds tweet and shears snip as one of Berlin’s many urban gardeners tends her city centre allotment, but behind the tranquil scene a battle is raging over the real estate. “Schrebergaerten”, or allotments, offer city dwellers a chance to grow plants and vegetables in small, private …

Cotonou, Benin | AFP |  The last time that cartographers mapped Benin, Elvis Presley had just released “Jailhouse Rock,” the Soviets had launched Sputnik — and the country was still a colony named French Dahomey. Things in the West African state have sure changed since 1957, and the old maps were …

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories | AFP |  An economic conference intended to kickstart a Middle East peace initiative by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law has failed to convince Palestinians, who boycotted it and treated it with disdain or disinterest. In a rare show of unity, all Palestinian factions condemned the conference in …

Ismailia, Egypt | AFP |  Following in the footsteps of Joseph-Antoine Bell, Thomas Nkono and Jacques Songo’o as the latest in a line of acclaimed Cameroon goalkeepers is no minor task, but the Indomitable Lions are placing their faith in Andre Onana, one of the season’s revelations in Europe, as they …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP |  During the day, Gadoora checks his patients at a clinic near Khartoum, but at night he locks himself in his room rapping songs which echo the sentiments of Sudan’s “revolution”. “The revolution broke the long-standing wall of fear,” said Gadoora. “Songs have become much more daring …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  OPEC is on red alert over escalating US-Iran tensions that fuelled strong oil-price gains — but the cartel and other crude-producing nations are unlikely to end output cuts at a meeting Tuesday. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a cartel of 14 countries pumping …

Porto Alegre, Brazil | AFP |  Gabriel Jesus scored the winning spot-kick in a tense penalty shoot-out as Brazil exorcized their demons to beat Paraguay on Thursday and reach the Copa America semi-finals. Twice before in 2011 and 2015 Paraguay had beaten Brazil at this same stage on penalties at the …

Manama, Bahrain | AFP |  Jared Kushner said Wednesday that Palestinians were still welcome to engage in his peace initiative, and accused their leaders of not caring about their own people for rejecting his $50 billion economic plan. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with …

Berlin, Germany | AFP |  Europe’s record-breaking heatwave was forecast to intensify  Thursday, with authorities on alert as temperatures threaten to surpass 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. The stifling heat has prompted traffic restrictions in France, sparked forest fires in Spain and fanned debate in Germany over public nudity as …