NEWS ANALYSIS

Cincinnati, United States | AFP | World number one Novak Djokovic got his US Open build up off to a smooth start with a straight-sets win in Cincinnati on Tuesday as back trouble forced Serena Williams to withdraw. Defending champion Djokovic double faulted three times as he dropped serve in the …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Zinedine Zidane returned to save Real Madrid and the time has come for results. In a packed-out press conference under the Santiago Bernabeu in March, the club’s president Florentino Perez delivered the grandest of re-introductions. “We need to start working on a glorious new era,” said …

Hong Kong, China | AFP | Violent protests are driving Hong Kong down a “path of no return”, the city’s leader warned Tuesday as its airport struggled to recover from an unprecedented shutdown triggered by a rally and authorities in Beijing sent more ominous signals that the unrest must end. The …

Bristol, United Kingdom | AFP | England coach Eddie Jones believes off-field problems will be part and parcel of his side’s Rugby World Cup campaign after his surprise move in leaving out centre Ben Te’o from his squad for Japan. The former rugby league star was the major omission when Jones …

Project finds most manufacturers in Uganda unaware of opportunities in efficient water use Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda easily qualifies as one of the most “water secure” countries in Africa. In the south of the country you find Lake Victoria, Africa’s biggest freshwater lake while the world’s longest …

Gabes, Tunisia | AFP | As soon as the sun is up, people in southern Tunisia rush out to buy a glass or bottle of legmi, a coveted date palm drink that is too delicate to be sold far from the oasis. At 7:00 am, at the busy Ain Slam roundabout …

Clear Lake, United States | AFP |  Rarely has a candidate gone far in a US presidential race highlighting a singular issue, but Democrat Jay Inslee is aiming to buck that trend with his commitment to tackling climate change. Unless he does something to dramatically change his trajectory — he has …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Barcelona may want to make up for the biggest collapse in Europe by signing the most expensive player in the world but a team that was by far the best in Spain is already significantly better. After finishing 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid last season, …

Kadaga globetrotting to promote conference | THE INDEPENDENT | Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga is traversing the globe in last minute efforts to rally colleagues from other parliaments to converge on Kampala for the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC). She was recently in Islamabad, Pakistani, for the Asia region Commonwealth …

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP |  DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, evoking a wave of tributes to the award-winning star of the “coupe-decale” dance genre. “Death of artist DJ Arafat… today at 8am as a result …