Is the UN Failing in Gaza?

Is the UN Failing in Gaza?

In Gaza, access to water is so restricted that in Khan Younis, a city in the south of the enclave, 600 people are said to be sharing one toilet. The United Nations remains the main lifeline in the Palestinian territory since the Israeli-Hamas war began, but could the organization be doing more to end the war? UNRWA By Dawn Clancy As the war on Gaza enters its seventh […]

May 7, 2024 30

Africa

bird TenX: African countries with the highest number of EVs

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Despite recent headwinds, a growing shift from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles continues apace in Africa. Last year, the global sale of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose by 31% compared to 2022, according to a 2024 report by market research firm Rho Motion. Despite the high cost of conversion and a lack of adequate enabling infrastructure such as […]

April 16, 2024 55

World

Israel warned against Rafah offensive

Egypt, France and Jordan have jointly warned of the 'dangerous consequences' if Israel launches a ground offensive in Rafah. It comes after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date had been set for a military operation in the southern Gaza city. Talks in Cairo on a potential ceasefire have broken down after Hamas rejected Israel's latest proposal. International relations expert Professor Fawaz Gerges says both sides are under significant […]

April 9, 2024 28

Africa

The Toxic Air We Breathe: Greenpeace Maps Africa’s Air Pollution Hotspots

Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa have emerged as Africa’s most polluted countries in terms of air pollution disease burden, with profound health consequences for Africa’s people and exacerbated impacts on climate change, a report prepared by Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace MENA can now reveal. Titled "Major Air Polluters in Africa Unmasked," the report investigates the biggest human sources of air pollution across Africa, focusing on major industrial and economic […]

March 28, 2024 43

Africa

Africa’s promising sports future evident at the 13th Africa Games in Accra

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency After three weeks of intense field and track event actions across multiple venues in Accra, the 13th edition of the Africa Games came to a close this past weekend. The pan-African sporting event has, yet again, showcased Africa's rich and diverse sports talent, with more than 35 countries participating across 23 sports disciplines. Egypt led with 107 gold, 47 silver, and 42 […]

March 25, 2024 11

Africa

Africa’s horticultural exports surge on

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency An upsurge in demand for horticultural products across global markets, particularly in Europe, spurred a significant increase in agricultural export revenues for several African countries last year. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), reported via his blog that South Africa's agricultural exports surged to a record US$13.2 billion in 2023, a 3% increase from […]

March 12, 2024 18

Africa

Special Economic Zones are propelling Africa’s green hydrogen drive

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency When Egypt, a prominent player in green hydrogen development in Africa, recently announced seven new upcoming projects worth US$40 billion to be rolled out over the next decade, it noted that the projects would be positioned in one location: a special economic zone (SEZ). The new projects announced by Egypt's cabinet in February, together with ongoing developments not only in […]

March 11, 2024 38

Africa

Nigeria is the second fastest-growing country in the world for software developers, Egypt seventh

Conrad Onyango, bird story agency The latest data from GitHub, a global hub for software development, has listed the two African economies - Nigeria and Egypt - as among the world’s 10 fastest-growing countries for software development in 2023. It may come as no surprise that software development is on the rise in Africa. Vibrant startup hubs across the continent have become famous, with Silicon Cape, Silicon Savannah and Silicon […]

March 8, 2024 15

Videos

An estimated half a million people in Gaza are facing famine

The gravity of the situation has prompted the UN to issue a warning of a potential famine. In response, the United States and other international governments have advocated for a surge in aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Given the closure of most border crossings into Gaza, they have resorted to airdrops as a means of delivering assistance. Particularly in the heavily affected northern region, many people are struggling to […]

March 7, 2024 25