NEWS ANALYSIS

London, United Kingdom | AFP | London’s iconic Tower Bridge celebrates its 125th anniversary on Sunday by showing off the weird and wacky alternative designs that were nearly built instead. The globally-recognised landmark which opens and closes for large boats plying the River Thames, has become one of the symbols of …

Carpentras, France | AFP |  Temperatures in France surpassed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) Friday for the first time on record as Europe sweltered in an early summer heatwave that has caused several deaths. With France, Spain, Italy and parts of central Europe hard hit by the record-breaking temperatures, officials …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP |  Driven from power after months of nationwide protests, Sudan’s former strongman Omar al-Bashir has been held in the capital’s grim Kober prison on a series of charges filed by prosecutors. Those charges range from corruption to killing protesters, and on June 16 Bashir appeared before a …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP |  The US-organised economic workshop in Bahrain failed to deliver tangible results over the long-awaited Middle East peace plan but it opened the door for closer Israeli-Gulf ties, analysts say. Despite this, the normalisation of ties between the Gulf oil monarchies and the Jewish state …

Paris, France | AFP |  Megan Rapinoe stole the headlines again as her brace took the United States through to the semi-finals of the women’s World Cup on Friday, the holders beating France 2-1 in Paris to puncture the hopes of the host nation. Rapinoe’s free-kick five minutes into this quarter-final …

Sao Paulo, Brazil | AFP | Champions Chile maintained their hopes of a third straight Copa America victory after beating Colombia on penalties on Friday to reach the semi-finals. Chile could have won the game in normal time but had two goals ruled out for marginal decisions in a scoreless draw, …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Birds tweet and shears snip as one of Berlin’s many urban gardeners tends her city centre allotment, but behind the tranquil scene a battle is raging over the real estate. “Schrebergaerten”, or allotments, offer city dwellers a chance to grow plants and vegetables in small, private …

Cotonou, Benin | AFP |  The last time that cartographers mapped Benin, Elvis Presley had just released “Jailhouse Rock,” the Soviets had launched Sputnik — and the country was still a colony named French Dahomey. Things in the West African state have sure changed since 1957, and the old maps were …

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories | AFP |  An economic conference intended to kickstart a Middle East peace initiative by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law has failed to convince Palestinians, who boycotted it and treated it with disdain or disinterest. In a rare show of unity, all Palestinian factions condemned the conference in …

Ismailia, Egypt | AFP |  Following in the footsteps of Joseph-Antoine Bell, Thomas Nkono and Jacques Songo’o as the latest in a line of acclaimed Cameroon goalkeepers is no minor task, but the Indomitable Lions are placing their faith in Andre Onana, one of the season’s revelations in Europe, as they …