AFRICA

NAIROBI, Kenya | Xinhua | Every Sunday, several streets of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, as well as its suburbs, usually bustle with activity involving mainly young people. The youngsters normally take photos in all manner of poses as others make skits and record videos using their phones. The photos …

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania | Xinhua | The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) on Thursday announced that passenger train operations will be suspended from June 18, 2024, until further notice. “This suspension has been necessitated by various operational challenges that the authority is facing,” TAZARA said in a statement signed by …

Nigerian billionaire Benedict Peters to kickstart Zimbabwe lithium production next year, driving Africa’s lithium market gains. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Nigerian industrialist Benedict Peters’ Bravura Holdings will start production at a Zimbabwean lithium project in 2025, boosting Africa’s drive to retain more profits from the global lithium boom, …

LUSAKA, Zambia | Xinhua | Zambia on Friday launched a policy aimed at ending child early marriages in the southern African nation. The launch of the ending child early marriage policy follows the enactment of a new law last year which makes it illegal for individuals under the age of …

CAPE TOWN, South Africa | Xinhua | Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), was reelected by the National Assembly on Friday as the nation’s president for the next five years. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who presided over the first sitting of the National Assembly, announced …

An aggressive push into new routes and increased frequencies by local carriers, mostly in African markets, is buoying air traffic and passenger numbers, propellilng them beyond pre-pandemic levels to new historical highs. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African airlines are likely to cross the 100 million passengers mark for …

KIGALI, Rwanda | Xinhua | Rwanda said it received 113 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya late Thursday, the government announced. The evacuees include individuals from South Sudan, Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire and Somalia, the Rwandan Ministry in charge of Emergency Management said in a statement. The evacuees, who arrived …

 In a move inspired by Europe’s Schengen Visa, African nations are expanding their regional visa programs to streamline multi-country travel experiences. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa is moving towards a multi-country visa system, with individual countries and regional blocs working to remove their borders to promote intra-Africa tourism. …

An Indian port operator’s investment in Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port is the latest evidence of growing competition among global investors for a foothold in Africa’s port sector, highlighting Africa’s emergence as a player in global trade. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Indian multinational port operator Adani announced early …

KIGALI, Rwanda | Xinhua | Rwanda on Tuesday denied allegations that it is endangering the lives of asylum seekers, accusing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of “fabricating” claims aimed at undermining the country’s welcoming policy. This came after the UN Refugee Agency warned British judges it may …