NEWS ANALYSIS

Moving from apartheid to advocacy, South Africa is pulling its geopolitical heft on the issue of Gaza, launching a genocide case against Israel with a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | South Africa’s unprecedented move to sue Israel for genocide at the …

 Innovative cement technologies that cut emissions and utilise local materials are entering Africa, where the green cement market is forecast to hit $867.9 million in four years. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa’s green cement market is poised for rapid growth as new technologies and investors seek to tap …

As more countries tear up visa requirements, major African markets are beginning to record rising numbers in Intra-Africa tourism, a trend expected to extend through 2024. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African countries are set to record an increase in tourism numbers in 2024, as more countries continue to …

BEIJING | Xinhua |  China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturers closed 2023 with better-than-expected performances and optimism for the year ahead, industry insiders have said. A report from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) published on Wednesday has estimated that the country’s wholesale NEV sales totaled 8.88 million units in …

In an era of AI and blockchain, the simple text message seems distinctly old-fashioned. But text messaging’s USSD technology remains a key feature for African businesses. Here’s how a crackdown on customer information sharing suddenly makes USSD even more attractive. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African businesses are continuing …

BEIJING | Xinhua | Tesla has announced that its new mega factory project in Shanghai was officially launched and scheduled to begin production within the next year, following the establishment of its Shanghai Gigafactory in 2019, which is the first wholly foreign-owned vehicle manufacturing project in China and Tesla’s first …

BEIJING | Xinhua |  As the New Year’s ball is about to drop, let’s review the passing year. This was a year of upheavals: Global economic growth hit the brakes, the geopolitical landscape shook with increasing intensity, regional conflicts erupted like wildfire, humanitarian crises worsened, and a web of traditional …

From Cape Town to Nairobi, new elite property zones are emerging in Africa’s major cities as local centi-millionaires spread their economic footprint across the continent. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Affluent households are starting to make up a noticeable share of renters and buyers in major African cities, in …

BEIJING | Xinhua | In 2023, experts, scholars and specialists from various fields have shared their opinions with Xinhua on China’s diplomacy, global hotspots as well as international relations, enriching the column through insightful contributions and engaging dialogues. The following are some of the highlights of their insights on China-U.S. …

Natural gas-powered vehicles are becoming increasingly popular across Africa thanks to supportive policies, infrastructure development and heightened investor appeal. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Several African nations are taking advantage of their ample natural gas reserves to introduce gas-powered four-wheel vehicles to their roads. Nigeria, the African nation with …