Apple Music’s U.S. Subscriber Count Overtakes Spotify

Apple Music has surpassed Spotify’s paid subscriber count in the United States. The shift reportedly happened earlier in 2019; Apple had more than 28 million U.S. subscribers in February compared to Spotify’s 26 million paid U.S. subscribers.  Similar news broke last summer from an industry source, but now months later the WSJis corroborating the report….

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Houlin Zhao, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

U.N. Telecoms Chief Houlin Zhao Says Huawei Allegations Driven by Politics Not Evidence

U.S. security concerns about 5G mobile networks built by Chinese telecoms giant Huawei appear to be driven by politics and trade rather than any evidence, the head of the U.N. internet and telecoms agency said on Friday. Houlin Zhao, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), told reporters in Geneva that security of 5G networks…

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Need for more energy, pragmatic approach to the country’s health challenges: CWGH

The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Health Day (WHD) under the theme Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere, calling on the government to ensure that all citizens get quality health services, when and where they need them, without facing financial hardships. CWGH said health…

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ZIMDABA Investment Conference to open country for business

Building Zimbabwean Business via Access to Investment & Global Markets

The ZIMDABA Business Platform of Investment Conferences is designed and aligned toward showcasing the variety and depth of business-ready or near-ready opportunities within Zimbabwe and the region. They are specifically geared towards nurturing mutually beneficial relationships between the international market and Zimbabwean industry, both in the public and private sectors. The 100% Zimbabwean owned initiative…

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60M urgently required for relief response to Cyclone Idai

60M urgently required for relief response to Cyclone Idai

The Government, United Nations, donors and Non-Governmental Organisations convened today to launch a revised Humanitarian Flash Appeal to include response to Cyclone Idai requesting for an additional USD 60 million, bringing the total amount to USD 294 million required by humanitarian partners to complement national response efforts to drought, economic challenges and Cyclone Idai in…

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Rwanda to Host Africa50’s 2019 General Shareholders Meeting on July 9-10

Rwanda to Host Africa50’s 2019 General Shareholders Meeting on July 9-10

Rwanda will host Africa50’s fourth Annual General Shareholders Meeting (GSM) in Kigali, Rwanda, on July 9-10. Africa50 CEO, Alain Ebobissé, led a delegation to Kigali from March 25-27, for meetings with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and several ministers, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum, to discuss the GSM and progress on the institution’s…

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Hold government accountable on debt: Media told

Hold government accountable on debt: Media told

Vimbai Kamoyo Specialists in debt management, the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt Development (ZIMCODD), have urged journalists to hold the government accountable over public debt. This came out at a media training conducted recently to inform media practitioners on the implications of public and publicly guaranteed debt on human rights, poverty, inequality and macroeconomic performance.   Speaking…

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United States provides additional US$2.5 million in response to Cyclone Idai

United States provides additional US$2.5 million in response to Cyclone Idai

The United States Government has provided an additional contribution of US$2.5 million to respond to emergency needs in Zimbabwe following Cyclone Idai. The contribution, provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace, will support immediate food needs in the most affected areas of Manicaland Province. USAID will work through…

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ECIS Calls on Citizens to Participate in Education Bill Hearings

ECIS Calls on Citizens to Participate in Education Bill Hearings

Children’s rights proponent, Nyaradzo Mashayamombe has said the new Education Bill that the government of Zimbabwe recently gazetted provides hope for the more than 27% children of school going age who are currently out of school. Mashayamombe said the chief reason for children failing to go to school is the inability by their parents or…

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Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum 2019 Registration Open

Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum 2019 Registration Open

The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org), which will celebrate its 5th year anniversary in 2019, has announced the dates for its prestigious annual conference and awards, which will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), 29-30 October 2019. The conference theme this year is, Enhancing Impact: Digitalisation, Investment and Intra-African Trade. The…

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Netone refurbishes Sunningdale Community Hall

Courtesy of NetOne’s quest to improve people’s livelihoods through availing a habitable environment, today a new and trendy looking Sunningdale Community Hall was unveiled. Officially unveiling the new look building, Mr. Lazarus Muchenje, the Chief Executive Officer of NetOne, in a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Eldrette Shereni, the Head of Public Relations,…

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POTRAZ Adopts New Tariff Models as Service Provision Cost Increases By 23%

POTRAZ Adopts New Tariff Models as Service Provision Cost Increases By 23%

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has moved away from a fixed model for determining the various tariffs for telecommunications operators to a flexible model. The new model is meant to improve sustainability of the local telecoms firms’ businesses by taking into account their need for viability and customers’ need for affordable…

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ICSAZ launches public sector accounting qualification

ICSAZ launches public sector accounting qualification

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe has launched a public sector accounting qualification that is designed to strengthen the capacity of public sector accounting professionals in Zimbabwe. The qualification is open to senior executives in the public sector with appropriate working experience in institutions that include state-owned enterprises, parastatals, schools, universities and…

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Zimbabwe Corporates Launch Cyclone Idai ‘Reboot Fund’

Zimbabwe Corporates Launch Cyclone Idai ‘Reboot Fund’

Top Zimbabwean private companies  yesterday announced the launch of an initiative called Reboot  Fund, aimed at raising at least RTGS$100 million (about US$35 million) to assist in the rebuilding and reconstruction in areas that were  devastated by Cyclone Idai three weeks ago. The tropical cyclone, which originated from Mozambique and passed  through Zimbabwe, left a…

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All Set For ZAA UK 9th Anniversary

All Set For ZAA UK 9th Anniversary

The Zimbabwe Achievers Awards UK (ZAA UK) have released the much anticipated list of nominees for the 9th Anniversary ZAA UK event set for Saturday 25 May 2019 in London at The Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London, 4-18 Harrington Gardens, Kensington, London SW7 4LH. The list features nominees from the fields of academics, business, sport, entertainment…

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EU supports UNICEF to provide WASH in Cyclone Idai affected areas

EU supports UNICEF to provide WASH in Cyclone Idai affected areas

Following the devastation in Zimbabwe caused by Cyclone Idai, the European Union has contributed €250,000 (US$ 281,035) to UNICEF to provide vital water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies to vulnerable children and families in flood-affected districts. The cyclone affected some 270,000 people (half of them children) in the districts of Chimanimani and Chipinge, in Manicaland Province, creating…

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Mkhululi Bhebhe Puts Zimbabwe On The Gospel Map

Mkhululi Bhebhe Puts Zimbabwe On The Gospel Map

Dare to dream, and be brave enough to take opportunities when they come your way.’ This is the advice of gospel singing sensation, Mkhululi Bhebhe, who is fast making a name for himself abroad and proving that despite obstacles, Zimbabweans are successfully pursuing their dreams. The 34-year-old’s breakout opportunity came on DStv’s Idols Africa show back in…

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Millionaire Sekuru Banda partners Boxer Mosquito’s Academy

Millionaire Sekuru Banda partners Boxer Mosquito’s Academy

By Byron Mutingwende Cognisant of the drug abuse problem rampant among street children, millionaire Sekuru Banda has entered into a partnership with boxing legend Mosquito Alphonso Zvenyika. The partnership seeks to keep the young people busy through learning boxing so that they would find an occupation and leave the streets in which drug abuse is…

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EU encourages reforms and re-engagement in Zimbabwe

EU encourages reforms and re-engagement in Zimbabwe

The European Union’s Managing Director for Africa, Mr Koen Vervaeke, has encouraged Zimbabwe to continue on the path of reform and engagement in order to enhance not only relations between Brussels and Harare, but also the livelihoods of Zimbabweans. Speaking after an intense working visit in Zimbabwe’s capital over the weekend, Mr Vervaeke said: “Based…

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EU supports citizen participation in development processes

EU supports citizen participation in development processes

The European Union in Zimbabwe has launched a new call for proposals aimed at strengthening Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to meaningfully contribute to governance and development processes in Zimbabwe In total, the EU is providing EUR 5 million (approximately USD 5.5 million) for projects that enhance the capacity of civil society organisations to constructively participate…

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ARTUZ on Education Act Amendment bill

ARTUZ on Education Act Amendment bill

By Obert Masaraure – ARTUZ President Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ notes the strides made by government in modernising our education system through the education act amendment bill of 2018. We note the thrust of improving accessibility of education through the emphasis of state funded basic education. We however noted gaps in addressing…

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Cyclone Idai, Zimbabwe: The first six days of MSF response

Cyclone Idai, Zimbabwe: The first six days of MSF response

Marthe Frieden is the medical team leader in MSF’s emergency response to the destruction caused by tropical Cyclone Idai, which hit Zimbabwe’s mountainous Manicaland province on the night of 15 March, causing flooding and deadly landslides, particularly in Chimanimani District. Before Idai hit, Martha was working on an MSF pilot project for managing diabetes and…

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EcoCash Sets Aside RTGS$5 Million for Small Businesses

EcoCash Sets Aside RTGS$5 Million for Small Businesses

EcoCash, has set aside RTGS$5 million for small businesses in the country’s cyclone-hit areas. The funding is meant to help rebuild the economy in areas such as Manicaland and Masvingo. In a statement, Econet said the initiative named ‘Project ReBoot Livelihoods (PRL),’ is a brainchild of the company’s founder Mr Strive Masiyiwa.  It will see…

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Civil society worried about Zimbabwe's ballooning debt

Civil society worried about Zimbabwe’s ballooning debt

Civil society under the banner of the Sustainable and Inclusive Debt Management Framework is worried about Zimbabwe’s ballooning domestic and external debt currently hovering between US$17 to $18 billion. The CSOs said the above official statistics is a result of a combination of factors spanning from inherited colonial debt; perennial budget deficits, fiscal indiscipline and…

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How can developing countries build financial systems for environment?

How can developing countries build financial systems for environment?

By Charles Dhewa Not much research is needed to prove that financial systems in most developing countries do not work for the majority of people and for the environment. To the extent that financial systems are fundamentally urban ecosystems, more than 60% of the populations that live in rural areas are not part of mainstream…

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ZESN Preliminary Statement on the Cowdray Park Ward 28 local authority by-election

ZESN Preliminary Statement on the Cowdray Park Ward 28 local authority by-election

As part of its comprehensive efforts to observe the local authority by-election in Ward 28 of Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) deployed 37 polling station based observers and a ward collation centre observer. In addition, ZESN had two mobile teams assessing the political environment outside the polling stations. Observation Methodology The…

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UN Refugee Agency airlifts relief support to survivors of Cyclone Idai

UN Refugee Agency airlifts relief support to survivors of Cyclone Idai

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) handed over to Government today some 80 MT relief items, including family tents, plastic tarpaulins, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, solar lamps and kitchen sets to support 10,000 Zimbabweans affected by cyclone Idai.  “The devastating cyclone has left people in dire need of humanitarian support,” said UNHCR Country…

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Here's What's Behind Chad's One Year Ban on Social Media

Here’s What’s Behind Chad’s One Year Ban on Social Media

It’s been one year since access to social media platforms and messaging apps, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Viber, was blocked in Chad’s latest example of internet censorship. Initially, mobile operators attributed the problems to technical issues, but have since disclosed that the block was ordered by the government led by President Idriss Déby, according to observers. Leading…

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