New York, United States | AFP | The global music industry soared a record 8.1 percent last year as digital sales for the first time made up the majority of revenue thanks to the streaming boom, the industry said Tuesday. Recorded music grossed $17.3 billion in 2017 with digital music …
Read More »Facebook unveils appeal process for when it removes posts
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook said Tuesday it will give users the right to appeal decisions if the social network decides to remove photos, videos or written posts deemed to violate community standards. Plans to roll out an appeals process globally in coming months came as Facebook provided …
Read More »South Africa wine production drying up in water crisis
Paris, France | AFP | South Africa is set for a steep decline in wine production in 2018 as the country grapples with a water crisis ravaging Cape Town and surrounding areas, a Paris-based global organisation said Tuesday. Africa’s top wine producer is set to produce 8.6 million hectolitres of wine …
Read More »French tycoon Bollore held for questioning over Africa ports deals
Paris, France | AFP | Billionaire French tycoon Vincent Bollore was detained Tuesday as part of a corruption investigation involving his group’s acquisition of contracts to operate ports in West Africa, legal sources told AFP. The 66-year-old head of the Bollore Group, was taken into custody in the Paris suburb …
Read More »Patricia Apolot: Queen of kick boxing
Kampala, Uganda | AGNES E NANTABA | Kick boxing is often associated with brute force; which makes many assume that women – being softer and humble – cannot get involved or even excel in it. But Patricia Apolot, the Ugandan female kick boxer and queen of the martial arts, has for …
Read More »UN chief strongly condemns air strikes on Yemen wedding
United Nations, United States | AFP | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned airstrikes on a wedding in Yemen that killed dozens of people, including children, and called for an investigation. Yemen’s Huthi rebels have blamed the Saudi-led coalition for the attack on the wedding in northern Hajjah …
Read More »Africa football boss wants Europe to back Morocco World Cup bid
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | The head of African football, Ahmad Ahmad, has urged Europe to back Morocco’s drive to host the 2026 World Cup, in return for African support for a future European bid. In an exclusive interview with AFP, Ahmad Ahmad, the Confederation of African Football president, appealed …
Read More »Netanyahu turns up volume as Iran deadline nears
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a fresh call Monday for an overhaul of the Iran nuclear deal as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for further Iranian concessions edged closer. Trump has threatened to tear up the 2015 agreement that lifted sanctions on Iran in …
Read More »COMMENT: Teaching drugs new tricks
`Systematic drug repositioning’ seeks to make drugs developed for one illness capable of treating another COMMENT | ARIS PERSIDIS & ANDREAS PERSIDIS | Producing effective medicines requires huge investments of time and money. The average drug on the market today spent a decade in the lab and in clinical trials, and cost …
Read More »World’s first penis, scrotum transplant done in US
Washington, United States | AFP | Doctors at Johns Hopkins University said Monday they have performed the world’s first total penis and scrotum transplant on a US military serviceman who was wounded in Afghanistan. The 14-hour operation took place on March 26, and was performed by a team of nine …
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