NEWS ANALYSIS

The powerful people behind Bemanya Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL) looks like a typical company in shambles. In April 2017 it run to court to block a petition seeking to wound it up partly owing to Shs709 billion debts it had accumulated over the years. …

Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina | AFP |  Stranded in Bosnia, thousands of migrants face yet one more hurdle on their journey towards the European Union: the scorching summer heat in the Balkans. Under a leaden sky, Saleh Alhasan and his friends hurry to reach the shade of the woods after failing …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Nigeria’s film industry, dubbed Nollywood, has long kept viewers entertained with tales of romance and riches, and now foreign investors are increasingly looking for a part of the action. US giant Netflix, France’s Canal+ and China’s StarTimes are among those making moves in the globe’s second …

Mirny, Russia | AFP | Diamonds are forever, and so is the permanently frozen ground of Yakutia in north eastern Siberia, home to huge diamond deposits that ensure Russia’s supremacy in world production of the luxury stone. In the city of Mirny, the sun shines almost continuously during the region’s white …

Niamey, Niger | AFP | African leaders will meet Sunday in Niger for the African Union (AU) summit, to sign a landmark free trade agreement, and to discuss looming security and migration crises on the continent. In a “historic” moment for the 55-member bloc, according to its chairman Moussa Faki, heads …

Khunjerab , Pakistan | AFP |  Finishing nearly 5,000 metres above sea level after hundreds of kilometres winding past blackened glaciers and snow-capped peaks: a new Pakistani race presents a world-class challenge for cyclists — climbing towards the “Roof of the World”. The Tour de Khunjerab — its name a …

Athens, Greece | AFP | Greek voters are casting their ballots on Sunday in the country’s first national election of the post-bailout era, with leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s Syriza party expected to be ousted by the conservative opposition. Polling stations opened at 07.00 am local time (0400 GMT)and will close …

Lyon, France | AFP |  Led by the charismatic Megan Rapinoe, the United States are aiming to retain the women’s World Cup as they face European champions the Netherlands in the final in Lyon on Sunday. A sell-out crowd of close to 60,000 is expected for the showpiece game of the …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | After months of political uncertainty, Sudan has taken its first step towards a democratic transition, but getting the ruling generals to deliver on a power-sharing accord with protesters remains a challenge. “The only path forward is a negotiated deal between the two sides,” said Alan Boswell, …

Teresópolis, Brazil | AFP |  At just 22 years of age, a back-to-back Premier League title winner with Manchester City and having scored 17 goals in 34 matches for five-time world champions Brazil, it might seem absurd to say it, but Gabriel Jesus was under pressure coming into the Copa America. …