JUST IN: Pakistan parliament elects ex-oil minister Abbasi as new PM Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Pakistan’s parliament elected ex-oil minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister on Tuesday, days after three-times premier Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court. Abbasi is seen by the ruling party as a placeholder for Sharif’s designated successor, …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Elections in Kenya are a fraught business, with polls beset with claims of rigging and intimidation, some subtle, some not, and this year’s vote on August 8 is no different. A decade after a disputed election led to the country’s worst electoral violence with over …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Kenya’s election campaign enters a tense final week Tuesday, with a tight race between incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and his rival Raila Odinga leading to intensified personal attacks and rigging accusations. The longtime political foes face off at the polls for a second consecutive time on …

AMISOM recognizes Ugandan police officers for their contribution to stability in Somalia Mogadishu, Somalia | AMISOM MEDIA |  –The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has feted a contingent of Formed Police Unit (FPU) from Uganda who have completed one year of service in Somalia. The officers were decorated with African Union …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Kenya’s David Rudisha’s hopes of adding world 800 metres gold to the Olympic title he won in a world record time at the same track in the 2012 London Olympics have been dashed because of injury. The 28-year-old — who ran an astonishing time …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Serbian international midfielder Nemanja Matic signed for Manchester United on Monday from Premier League champions Chelsea, the buying club announced, for a reported fee of £40 million ($52.7m, 44.7m euros). It is the second time United manager Jose Mourinho has invested in the 28-year-old’s …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo denied hiding millions of euros in income at a court hearing near the Spanish capital on Monday where he was charged with tax evasion. The Portuguese — the world’s highest paid sportsman according to Forbes magazine — is the latest …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Ten days ago, Anthony Scaramucci — then newly named as White House communications director — dismissed reports of infighting in the West Wing, saying that things were “on track.” On Monday, he was out of a job. The following events trace the meteoric rise …

Dakar, Senegal | AFP |  The ruling coalition of Senegal’s President Macky Sall won a widely expected landslide in a legislative election, his prime minister said Monday, bolstering Sall’s prospects for re-election in 2019. The Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) coalition swept all but three of the country’s 45 electoral departments, …

Shanghai, China | AFP |  Neymar hit the red carpet in Shanghai on Monday as speculation mounted that the Brazil star could be set to quit Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record 222 million euros. The 25-year-old striker is at the centre of an apparent tug of war between …