Why it wouldn’t work elsewhere in Africa Kampala, Uganda | NIC CHEESEMAN | Rwanda is often touted as an example of what African states could achieve if only they were better governed. Out of the ashes of a horrific genocide, President Paul Kagame has resuscitated the economy, curtailed corruption and maintained …
Read More »Ronaldinho retires from football – brother
Sao Paulo, Brazil | AFP |Â Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has formally confirmed his retirement from football, more than two years since his last appearance as a professional, reports in Brazil said Tuesday. The 37-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star, a key member of the Brazil side which won …
Read More »YouTube toughens rules regarding which videos get ads
San Francisco, United States | AFP |Â YouTube on Tuesday announced ramped-up rules regarding when it will run ads with videos as it scrambled to quell concerns by brands about being paired with troublesome content. “There’s no denying 2017 was a difficult year, with several issues affecting our community and our …
Read More »Suppressing a sneeze can be dangerous, doctors warn
Paris, France | AFP |Â Stifling a sneeze can rupture your throat, burst an ear drum, or pop a blood vessel in your brain, researchers warned Tuesday. Many people — when they feel a sneeze coming on — block all the exits, essentially swallowing the sneeze’s explosive force. Just how dangerous …
Read More »Melania Trump, America’s enigmatic first lady
New York, United States | AFP |Â She is without question a unique first lady: a former model who once posed nude in her husband’s private jet; the first foreign-born wife of a US president in nearly 200 years; and the first for whom English is a second language. A year …
Read More »Scandals overshadow pope’s meetings in Chile
Santiago, Chile | AFP |Â Pope Francis will hold a closely watched meeting with members of Chile’s under-fire clergy on Tuesday, the first full day of his visit to a country whose Church is beset by sex abuse scandals. He arrived in Santiago Monday night and was received by leftist President …
Read More »James takes aim at Trump as King remembered
Los Angeles, United States | AFP |Â Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James aimed fresh criticism at US President Donald Trump on Monday as the NBA joined millions of Americans in remembering the legacy of civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Cavs’ prime-time clash with …
Read More »HIV self-testing improves uptake
Up to 100% of women  given a self-testing kit took the test Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | Until recently, there was virtually no evidence on the acceptability and feasibility of HIV self-testing, but results of new studies now suggest that self-testing has potential in improving the uptake of testing – at …
Read More »C. Africa bishops urge fighters to lay down arms
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP |Â Catholic bishops in the Central African Republic have appealed to armed groups controlling swathes of the chronically unstable country to stop looting and lay down their arms. Mired in poverty but rich in minerals, the former French colony has been battered by a conflict …
Read More »Clashes force closure of Tripoli airport in Libya
Tripoli, Libya | AFP |Â Fierce fighting forced the closure of the Libyan capital’s only civilian airport on Monday, officials said, after a militia in charge of security there said it had been attacked. The Facebook page of Mitiga International Airport, in eastern Tripoli, said “flights have been suspended because of …
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