NEWS ANALYSIS

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Stung by Neymar’s decision to join Paris Saint-Germain for a world record 222 million euros ($263.5 million), Barcelona need to act fast to find a replacement with less than four weeks to go until the transfer window closes. Here, AFP Sports looks at five of …

“Optimism is what brings us to Rotary. But Rotary is not a place for those who are only dreamers. It is a place for those with the ability, the capacity, and the compassion for fruitful service.” Kampala, Uganda |RYAN HYLAND & ABBY BREITSTEIN | Sam F. Owori, 1941-2017. The Rotary flags in front …

Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | On July 13, Samuel Frobisher Owori, a distinguished professional Banker and Rotarian died from complications related to surgery in Dallas, Texas in the United States. Known simply to many of his friends as “Sam,” Owori was poised to become the first Ugandan and second African …

  Washington, United States | AFP |  US President Donald Trump claimed relations with Russia had hit an all-time and “very dangerous” low Thursday, putting the blame on Congress after he reluctantly approved sanctions against Moscow. After Moscow called the sanctions a declaration of “economic war” that had exposed the …

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP |  With the anticipated transfer of football phenomenon Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain, Qatar is hitting back at its Gulf rivals with a high-profile soft power play. Paris Saint-Germain — owned by sanctions-hit Qatar — are poised to sign Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that new US sanctions, signed into law by President Donald Trump, are a “dangerous” and “short-sighted” policy. In a statement, the ministry said the sanctions against Russia had put global stability at risk, a matter Moscow said it and the United …

Washington, United States | AFP | After months of being blocked by political rivals, Anthony Scaramucci had finally landed his coveted White House job. Just 10 days later, the fast-talking Wall Street financier was unceremoniously fired, his wife had filed for divorce and he’d missed the birth of their child. And …

Hoedspruit, South Africa | AFP |  It was a hard-fought victory for South Africa’s black community seeking to reclaim land, and for the Moletele ethnic group it has become a surprising model of wider racial cooperation. After a 10-year legal battle, the Moletele have taken back the land from which …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  The timing was perfect. Two months before Kenya’s August 8 vote, President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurated the nation’s biggest infrastructure project: a railway connecting the capital Nairobi and the port of Mombasa. With pomp and ceremony Kenyatta touted the railway as proof of his campaign promises …

Zimbabwe: The opposition’s urban voter problem via @africaarguments  Harare, Zimbabwe | AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | As Zimbabwe heads for elections in 2018, all the economic warning signs are there for the ruling party. Under the ZANU-PF, the economy has gone into rapid decline and it’s possible that by the time the polls are held, the new currency …