NEWS ANALYSIS

London, United Kingdom | AFP |   Britain’s historic rail industry is destined for the biggest shakeup in decades that could end in renationalisation and significant investment to vastly improve services amid costly fares and delays. Full state-control of the industry is a distinct possibility should a looming general election triggered …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russians vote in local and regional elections on Sunday. Here are five things to watch for during the elections that will take place in each of the country’s 85 regions. – How the Kremlin fares  –  Gubernatorial elections will take place in 16 regions. Elections to …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |  He came to power as a Mao-jacketed revolutionary, charmed the West with his policy of racial reconciliation, adopted stylish Saville Row suits and was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. But Zimbabwean ex-president Robert Mugabe, who has died aged 95, ended his life stripped of his honorary …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |  Robert Mugabe, who has died aged 95, used repression and fear to hold on to power in Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was finally ousted when his previously loyal military generals turned against him. After his humiliating fall from office in November 2017, his …

Chernobyl, Ukraine | AFP | The hit TV series “Chernobyl” has attracted a new generation of tourists to the nuclear disaster zone but guides say that many are more interested in taking selfies than learning about the accident. “They do not need information anymore, they just want to take a selfie,” …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Crowds of children bustle around chessboards in Nigeria’s Lagos, figuring out their next moves as part of a project aimed at bringing hope in one of the city’s impoverished slums. Dozens of matches are played simultaneously as participants as young as three master a game often …

Nassau, Bahamas | AFP | Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis on Wednesday lamented the “generational devastation” wrought by Hurricane Dorian, as it was upgraded to a major Category 3 storm while bearing down on the Carolinas on the US east coast. Minnis confirmed the storm’s death toll had risen to at …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s hardline Brexit strategy stood in tatters on Thursday after a humiliating week left him without a working majority but unable to call an election. His supporters ended a night-long filibuster in the upper House of Lords when the government gave …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson braced for another showdown in parliament on Wednesday after a humiliating defeat over his Brexit strategy, with MPs set to vote on a law aimed at blocking a no-deal departure. Johnson has said he will seek an early general election …

Nassau, Bahamas | AFP |  Hurricane Dorian churned towards the United States Wednesday after leaving seven dead in the Bahamas, where the prime minister said terrified residents had endured “days of horror” at the hands of the monster storm. Aerial footage showed scenes of catastrophic damage with hundreds of homes missing …