United Nations, United States | AFP | Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has agreed to a request from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit his country ahead of elections later this year, the UN spokesman said Tuesday. Guterres wrote to Kabila to propose a joint visit with African …

Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook on Tuesday announced a $3 million pilot project aimed at helping US newspapers boost paid digital subscriptions. The move was the latest by the huge social network to respond to concerns that it and other online platforms have hurt news organizations by dominating …

Douma, Syria | AFP | A humanitarian “pause” announced by Russia in Syria’s deadly bombardment of Eastern Ghouta took effect Tuesday, offering a short window for the enclave’s traumatised residents to emerge from their basements. The daily five-hour respite, which began at 9:00 am (0700 GMT), was announced by Russia …

Hong Kong, China | AFP | Banking giant Standard Chartered on Tuesday announced a return of dividends for shareholders after a two-year hiatus as it reported a surge in annual profits following restructuring and cutbacks. The Asia-focused lender said it would pay out a full-year dividend of 11 cents per …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday fired his military chief of staff as part of a “major” shake-up, the official SUNA news agency reported. The agency said Lieutenant General Emadeddin Adawi was “sacked” and the job of military chief of staff given to Lieutenant General …

Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Blazing fast 5G wireless networks promise to unlock the potential of internet connected devices, or the Internet of Things — making driverless cars and talking fridges a reality. With most European operators targeting 2020 for its rollout, 5G is the term on everyone’s lips at …

Washington, United States | AFP | The White House on Monday said a decision that could see Chinese leader Xi Jinping rule for life was an internal matter for the authorities in Beijing. “I believe that’s a decision for China to make,” said spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, after the country’s Communist …

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States took action Monday against several Maltese, Libyan and Egyptian firms, traders and ships allegedly involved in smuggling oil out of Libya in violation of UN sanctions. Libya has been gripped by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator …

Bratislava, Slovakia | AFP | UEFA will not introduce Video Assistant Referees (VAR) for next season’s Champions League because of ongoing “confusion” surrounding its use, Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European football’s governing body, said on Monday. “Nobody knows exactly how it works yet. There is still a lot of …

Paris, France | AFP | Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday’s win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday. The Brazilian, who signed for PSG in a world-record move from Barcelona last year, is now …