NEWS ANALYSIS

Paris, France | AFP |  One day after the blaze that scarred Notre-Dame, President Emmanuel Macron addressed a nation in shock at the damage to one of its great cultural landmarks, with a promise that rang as clearly as the peal of the cathedral’s bells. “We will rebuild the cathedral even …

Ketama, Morocco | AFP | Morocco’s rugged Rif Mountains have long been renowned for their cannabis but traditional varieties are being smoked out by foreign hybrids offering higher yields and greater potency. The local strain of marijuana, known as Beldiya, is coveted by afficionados but is gradually disappearing from the fields …

Ras al-Ain, Syria | AFP | Turkey has launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria, with intensive bombardment followed by a ground offensive made possible by the withdrawal of US troops. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday the start of the attack on Twitter and soon after jets …

New York, United States | AFP |  As the General Motors strike grinds on, more auto suppliers and contractors are sending workers home, adding to the economic drag on Michigan and other US midwestern car manufacturing hubs. The idling affects companies that supply parts, computer systems and raw materials to GM …

Oslo, Norway | AFP |  Bookmakers seem confident that Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg is a shoo-in for the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced this week, but some experts are more cautious. The 16-year-old has already received Amnesty International’s top honour and the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes dubbed the …

Mexico City, Mexico | AFP | Noe Carmona is poling his small boat around Mexico City’s floating garden district, Xochimilco, trying to sell roasted corn to tourists in the colorful gondolas that lazily ply the canals. It’s after noon, but clients are scarce, and he has yet to make a sale. …

Here’s what happens to our planet between 1.5°C and 2°C of global warming | RACHEL WARREN AND SALLY BROWN | Many numbers are bandied around in climate emergency discussions. Of them, 1.5°C is perhaps the most important. At the Paris Agreement in 2015, governments agreed to limit global warming to …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Tunisia’s parliamentary elections held on Sunday appear to have failed to forge a clear path to forming a government. Closed door negotiations are already underway, even ahead of official preliminary results due on Wednesday and a two-man presidential run-off set for Sunday. Here is a brief …

ISO boss, Security minister face tough questions Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Ugandan human rights activists say as much as they support the government in cracking down on criminals, the security agencies must act within the confines of the law while performing their duties. While speaking at a recent …

  Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |Supreme Court Justice Lillian Tibatemwa was appointed to the Seychelles Court of Appeal, the country’s highest court in September. Ordinarily, this would be a reason to celebrate in the judicial community in Uganda. Not the case though. Apparently there is an issue regarding the …