NEWS ANALYSIS

Lacroix-Saint-Ouen, France | AFP |  Equipped with powerful magnets, history enthusiasts and environmentalists scour France’s rivers, pulling out bits of scrap metal, bikes, scooters and the odd kitchen appliance. Sometimes, too, they fish other more unexpected objects out of the water, such as unexploded munitions. Magnet fishing has fast become a …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s new premier on Wednesday delayed announcing his picks for the first cabinet since the ouster of veteran ruler Omar al-Bashir in order to continue mulling nominees, a source close to the prime minister said. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who took the oath last week, was …

Washington, United States | AFP |  New US Defense Secretary Mark Esper picked his way through a political minefield in his first public meeting with the media Wednesday, skirting anything that could irritate his irascible boss President Donald Trump. Just hours after predecessor James Mattis wrote that Trump’s policies toward US …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  A “remarkably complete” 3.8-million-year-old skull of an early human has been unearthed in Ethiopia, scientists announced Wednesday, a discovery that has the potential to alter our understanding of human evolution. The skull, known as “MRD”, was discovered not far from the younger Lucy — the …

New York, United States | AFP | Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic fought through shoulder pain to reach the third round of the rain-hit US Open on Wednesday while Roger Federer shook off another slow start to advance. Djokovic, winner of four of the past five Slam titles and 16 in …

Mekele, Ethiopia | AFP |  Yonas Getu Molla started chewing khat as an architecture student, when he and his friends would munch on the leafy stimulant late into the night to help them study. When they closed their books, their heartbeats racing, they would seek out depressants like vodka and cannabis …

They make space for overlooked people and cultures | Beth Perry and Rike Sitas | Cities all over the world are facing major crises – from failing services and mounting inequalities, to climate emergencies. And arts and culture have a surprisingly critical role in tackling these kinds of urban challenges. …

Auckland, New Zealand | AFP |  All Blacks selectors backed star centre Sonny Bill Williams to help achieve an unprecedented World Cup treble in Japan but dumped veteran prop Owen Franks from their 31-man squad on Wednesday. The axing of 108-Test stalwart Franks was the major surprise, although the defending champions …

Warsaw, Poland | AFP | US President Donald Trump, fresh from hob-nobbing with his G7 partners at a glitzy French resort town, will on Sunday attend sombre commemorations in Warsaw of the outbreak of World War II 80 years ago. Trump will be the first US head of state to come …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan is Wednesday due to announce the members of a new cabinet faced with a mountain of challenges after months of unrest, including rebuilding the economy and ending internal conflicts. Newly-appointed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok will name his key picks from nominees put forward by the …