Washington, United States | AFP |  For the first time since the Great Recession a decade ago, the US Federal Reserve is poised to cut interest rates, shoring up America’s defenses as the global economy weakens. It will mark a striking about-face for the central bank, reversing a rate increase announced just …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP |  Thousands of Tunisians on Saturday attended the funeral of president Beji Caid Essebsi as the North African nation gears up for snap elections as early as September to defend the democratic gains of the Arab Spring. Essebsi, the country’s first head of state elected in …

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | Swimming Australia insisted Sunday it followed the rules in dealing with a failed drug test by relay world-record holder Shayna Jack, rejecting claims it wasn’t transparent about the “embarrassing” result. The 20-year-old, part of Australia’s 4x100m freestyle team that set a world record at last year’s …

Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  KI3R Minerals International Limited, a United Kingdom-based company that is mining Wolfram in Nyamuriro Wolfram Mines, Muko Sub County Rubanda district has laid off its workers. The mines which cover 175 acres were revived by KI3R Minerals Limited in December 2016 after a takeover from …

Macau, China | AFP | Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario scored the final spot-kick as Inter Milan beat Neymar-less Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Macau on Saturday. With their want-away Brazilian superstar left out of the trip to the former Portuguese colony, PSG were seconds from victory before Samuele Longo’s injury-time equaliser …

Hong Kong, China | AFP |  Seething unrest in Hong Kong is taking on a more stridently anti-Chinese tone, with the target of public anger shifting from the city’s leaders to direct symbols of Beijing’s rule and the huge influx of mainlanders. The chants directed at Beijing’s egg-splattered Liason Office on …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian opposition and ordinary Muscovites plan to take to the streets of Moscow Saturday to demand free and fair polls despite a police crackdown including the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. This week authorities jailed President Vladimir Putin’s top opponent for 30 days and launched …

Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump announced Friday that a “landmark” asylum agreement has been reached with Guatemala, as the United States ratchets up pressure on its southern neighbors to stem the flow of migrants towards its border. The White House said Guatemala would now be considered a …

  Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Some turn up dead or injured. Others are never heard of again: A wave of kidnappings in Tanzania that appears to target critics of the government has set the nation on edge. In May, high-profile dissident Mdude Nyagali was snatched by four gunmen after leaving …

New York, United States | AFP | Diego Costa scored four goals as Atletico Madrid embarrassed La Liga rivals Real Madrid 7-3 Friday in a pre-season friendly at MetLife Stadium. Costa had a hat-trick by halftime and added one more goal before he was sent off in the 63rd, when both …