WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | World Bank shareholders approved a “historic” increase in the bank’s lending capacity Saturday after the United States backed a reform package that curbs loans and charges more for higher income countries like China. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said neither China nor any …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Some people take the superstition of Friday the 13th very seriously. Normal acts, like getting on a plane today can feel like the end of the world for them. One Tweeted that he was not only on flight number 666, but en-route to Hel …

Jammu, India | AFP | The internet is being cut for hours on end in Jammu as authorities try to halt protests that have grown in the Kashmir winter capital since the rape-murder of an eight year old girl opened a new front in India’s Hindu-Muslim divide. With near daily …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Scientists have created a tiny new sensor that can continuously monitor levels of alcohol in the blood. The device, which measures roughly one cubic millimeter, is injected beneath the skin and can be linked up to a smartphone. Alcohol levels in the blood can …

Kabul, Afghanistan | AFP | An Islamic State suicide bomber killed at least 48 people including women and children and wounded 112 outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday in the latest attack on election preparations. The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Russian state TV station has told people what food they should take into bomb shelters as fears grow about the start of World War Three. Kremlin-owned Rossiya-24 said that there were lots of scare stories around, but then went on to tell people …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi sports authorities shut down a female fitness centre in Riyadh Friday over a contentious promotional video that appeared to show a woman in figure-hugging workout attire. “We are not going to tolerate this,” Saudi sports authority chief Turki al-Sheikh tweeted as he ordered …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Queen Elizabeth II marked her 92nd birthday on Saturday with traditional gun salutes and a Commonwealth-themed charity concert featuring Tom Jones, Kylie and Shaggy. Horse-drawn guns fired 41 times in Hyde Park and 62 times at the Tower of London, while at Windsor Castle, …

Washington, United States | AFP | The Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that Russia, WikiLeaks and top officials from Donald Trump’s campaign conspired to tilt the 2016 US presidential election in the Republican’s favor. The civil complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan by the Democratic National Committee alleges …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared an end to the nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests that sent tensions soaring on the peninsula, in the region, and beyond. The move, enshrined in a decision by the ruling Workers’ Party, comes ahead of …