Melbourne, Australia | AFP | The Australian Open’s new balls this year are dividing opinion at Melbourne Park, with even the two greatest men’s Grand Slam winners of all-time failing to see eye-to-eye. Roger Federer, winner of 20 Slams, says the new Japanese-made Dunlop balls behave differently in cooler night …
Read More »Will China’s moon landing launch a new space race?
Kampala, Uganda | WENDY WHITMAN COBB | China became the third country to land a probe on the Moon on Jan. 2. But, more importantly, it became the first to do so on the far side of the moon, often called the dark side. The ability to land on the far side of …
Read More »Sudan: torn apart by war
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan has been shattered by decades of conflict and ruled for nearly 30 years by Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted internationally for genocide. Here is some background about the large partly desert African nation as it marks a month of anti-government protests. – …
Read More »Why 2019 could be good for businesses
Local traders claim foreign nationals involved in petty trade remains a headache Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | Following the unexpected past bad year for businesses, there is a good chance that this could be reversed sometime this year, some analysts say. Their hope is that the economy, which has shown signs of …
Read More »Uganda’s oil sector expects US$ 1bn investment in 2019
But will oil companies pump money into key infrastructure projects to meet new first oil timeline? Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda’s oil and gas industry is expected to rake in investments worth over US$ 1 billion this year,according to senior energy ministry officials. The outlay for this year is part of …
Read More »Human diet causing ‘catastrophic’ damage to planet: study
Paris, France | AFP | The way humanity produces and eats food must radically change to avoid millions of deaths and “catastrophic” damage to the planet, according to a landmark study published Thursday. The key to both goals is a dramatic shift in the global diet — roughly half as …
Read More »Nike unveils next-generation self-lacing basketball shoes
New York, United States | AFP | In the 1980s, the “Back to the Future” film franchise suggested we would all eventually wear self-lacing sneakers. Then a few years ago, Nike made the movie magic a reality, introducing its first shoe to the public with so-called “power lacing.” And on …
Read More »New retail tools aim to solve e-commerce profit dilemma
New York, United States | AFP | Conventional wisdom in the Amazon era holds that the lowest price wins the battle of the retailers, leading many to just about give away items to make a sale. Yet some data suggest a more nuanced reality: while 76 percent of retailers aim …
Read More »‘Zebra’ tribal bodypaint cuts fly bites 10-fold: study
Paris, France | AFP | Traditional white-striped bodypainting practiced by ndigenousi communities mimics zebra stripes to reduce the number of potentially harmful horsefly bites a person receives by up to 10-fold, according to new research published Wednesday. Tribes in Africa, Australia and southeast Asia have practiced bodypainting in cultural ceremonies for …
Read More »Brexit in dates: From Leave shock to parliament’s historic vote
London, United Kingdom | AFP | From the shock Brexit referendum result to Tuesday’s landmark vote to reject the divorce deal struck between London and the European Union, here are the milestones on Britain’s rocky road out of the bloc after 46 years. – Britons vote to leave – In …
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