NEWS ANALYSIS

  OBITUARY | By By Ronald Musoke |  When the 25th UN climate conference opens in Santiago, Chile, this December; the Ugandan delegation will be missing one usual member –Chebet Maikut. He died suddenly on Oct. 02— exactly two months to the next round of climate change talks scheduled for Dec.02-13. …

Oslo, Norway | AFP | Bookies have Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as the name to beat ahead of Friday’s Nobel Peace Prize announcement, although experts say Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed or a representative of the free press are more likely. Speculation in Norwegian media on the eve of the announcement …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP |  Ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff vote, here is a recap of key developments in Tunisia since its 2011 revolution. – President flees – Demonstrations erupt in central Tunisia in December 2010 after the self-immolation of a fruit seller protesting police harassment and unemployment. After weeks of …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | As he prepares for more assaults on the peaks of marathon running, Eliud Kipchoge stays true to an austere lifestyle despite his fame and fortune. The Kenyan superstar, who holds the marathon world record and is reigning Olympic champion, hopes to become the first man …

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. …