Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday hailed as a “major advance” life sentences served this week on a provincial lawmaker and ten militiamen convicted of raping young girls. The group were jailed for life on Wednesday in the east of the …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | West African leaders on Saturday threatened to slap Guinea-Bissau with sanctions unless the country’s grinding political crisis was resolved within two months. In a summit in Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it was “disappointed with the absence of progress in …

Paris, France | AFP | Neymar starred on his return to the Paris Saint-Germain line-up after two games out with two goals and two assists in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat of Rennes in Ligue 1. The world’s most expensive player missed last weekend’s win over Lille due to suspension and sat …

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Cristiano Ronaldo’s second-half free-kick ensured Real Madrid picked up a fifth trophy of 2017 by beating Gremio 1-0 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to retain the Club World Cup. A third Club World Cup in four years brings Madrid level with rivals Barcelona …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Evacuation orders were issued Saturday for areas in California’s Santa Barbara County as the state battles its third-largest wildfire since 1932, with winds and dry conditions threatening to help the blaze grow. Santa Barbara’s Office of Emergency Management announced a series of mandatory …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes that Manchester City’s run of victories has denied his team the credit they deserve for their own recent good spell. A narrow but deserved 1-0 victory for the Premier League champions over a defensive Southampton, which came thanks to …

Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Kevin De Bruyne produced another virtuoso performance as Manchester City crushed Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on Saturday to register a record-extending 16th consecutive Premier League victory. The Belgian maestro scored City’s second goal, after Ilkay Gundogan had opened the scoring, and Raheem Sterling added two …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Chelsea kept their faint Premier League title hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Southampton, while Mesut Ozil’s stunning strike fired Arsenal to a 1-0 victory against Newcastle United on Saturday. With runaway leaders Manchester City in action against Tottenham Hotspur later on Saturday, …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Seven candidates are battling to succeed President Jacob Zuma as the leader of the African National Congress at the party’s conference starting Saturday. Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa and ex-African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are the frontrunners in a divisive race. Here are portraits of five …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Russia has been authorized to provide the Central African Republic’s armed forces with light arms, under an exemption to an arms embargo on the country granted by the UN, diplomatic sources said Friday. “It’s clear,” an official said on condition of anonymity. London, Paris …