NEWS ANALYSIS

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  Netflix shares plunged in after-hours trade Wednesday after its quarterly update showed weaker-than-expected subscriber growth for the streaming television sector leader. Netflix said it added 2.7 million new subscribers worldwide in the April-June period, well below expectations, as the sector prepared for offerings …

Rivaz, Switzerland | AFP |  When foreigners think of Swiss specialities that might excite their taste buds, world-renowned chocolate and cheese likely come to mind. Swiss wine? Not so much. But the global reputation of Switzerland’s winemakers may be set for a boost, backed by a new export promotion strategy …

Aix-en-Provence, France | AFP |  It features an Israeli prime minister, Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, a hit squad and a Shin Beth spy chief. But this is not another story on the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict but an opera unusually with a libretto in Hebrew, the official language of Israel. “The …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s protesters and ruling generals Wednesday inked a deal that aims to install a civilian administration, a key demand of demonstrators since president Omar al-Bashir was deposed in a coup three months ago. The move loosens a deadlock that has gripped the country, following nationwide mass …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | A breakthrough technique harnessing two methods to target disease-carrying mosquitoes was able to effectively eradicate buzzing biters in two test sites in China, according to research published on Thursday. The mosquitoes targeted are a type that is particularly difficult to control called Aedes albopictus — more …

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda is expected to continue having unpredictable rain and dry seasons, scientists have concluded, after projecting an increase in temperatures of about 2 degrees Celsius over the next 30 years in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. These climate changes will have a significant impact on the …

Cape Canaveral, United States | AFP |  Fifty years after a mighty rocket set off from Florida carrying the first humans to the Moon, a veteran of the Apollo 11 crew returned to its fabled launch pad Tuesday to commemorate “one giant leap” that became a defining moment in human …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s new carbon tax has provoked a storm of criticism from environmental campaigners who say it is too weak — and from industry that predicts it will cause mass job losses. The new tax, the first of its type in Africa, was cautiously …

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP |  Equatorial Guinea is awash in oil, although little of the wealth has trickled down to the poor. Yet one of the most glaring inequalities here is access to the internet. Other parts of the world are pushing ahead with plans for fast, free — …

Yangon, Myanmar | AFP |  Sidestepping cowpats and garbage, Myanmar’s only home-grown junior rugby side train on the outskirts of Yangon, preparing to take on children from the city’s well-heeled international schools. When the Little Dragons aren’t running barefoot on the litter-strewn dirt, the makeshift field on the outskirts of Yangon is sometimes …