Melania Trump rolls out kids' campaign

WASHINGTON • The US First Lady Melania Trump, until now seemingly more comfortable outside the media glare, briefly stepped into the spotlight on Monday to unveil the focus of her work as First Lady - an awareness campaign aimed at helping children.

At a carefully choreographed Rose Garden ceremony, the 48-year-old Slovenian former model warned against what she called the ways social media can "too often" be used negatively against children.

Mrs Trump's popularity rating has been on the rise since her husband took office more than 15 months ago.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Facebook ad curbs in Irish referendum

DUBLIN • Facebook will no longer accept advertisements from outside Ireland related to the country's May 25 abortion referendum, the US firm said yesterday, in its latest move to boost the transparency of its political advertising.

The social media group, under scrutiny for its role in Britain's Brexit referendum and the 2016 United States presidential election, made the move following criticism that foreign advertising could be a decisive factor in the campaign to overhaul one of the world's strictest abortion regimes.

REUTERS

Historic drought hits S. Africa's vineyards

CAPE TOWN • The worst drought in living memory has hit vineyards in South Africa's Western Cape hard, reducing grape harvests and adding to pressure on the region's centuries-old wine industry, officials said yesterday.

In its latest wine harvest report, industry body Vinpro said South Africa's wine-grape production was down 15 per cent from last year, and would lead to a production shortfall of 170 million litres of wine and prices rising as much as 11 per cent.

REUTERS