“While most mobile tech giants focus on fancy functions for wealthy clients, the Chinese brand stresses valuable features that help Africans save money. This is one of the reasons why the Africans love this brand so much,” said Berhane.

Beijing is putting pressure on Taiwan's presidential election with threats of war and trade boycotts, while providing support to the Kuomintang (KMT) political opposition.

William Lai’s win in Saturday’s first-past-the-post presidential race means an unprecedented third straight term for what the mainland has dubbed the “pro-separatist” Democratic Progressive Party. We’ll hear what the victor - who is also the outgoing vice-president - had to say against the long and steady ratcheting up of tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the carefully-staged response from Washington with the visit of a high-level bipartisan delegation.

A Beijing weather station has recorded more hours of sub-zero temperatures than in any year since records began in 1951. That included nine consecutive days with lows below negative 10 degrees Celsius.

The US State Department has said that China's actions in the South China Sea undermine regional stability. The statement follows a maritime incident involving Philippine and Chinese vessels.

During their first in-person meeting since the pandemic, China and the European Union have agreed that trade between the two parties needs to be more "balanced". Officials from Brussels have been highlighting the bloc's trade deficit with Beijing, which has doubled in the last two years to reach almost €400 billion.

Beijing’s narrative pushes Taiwan to rethink its own history

The meeting is the first to be held in person between Xi and and the bloc's leaders in four years. The two sides have clashed over trade and their differing stances on the war in Ukraine.

After expanding by six members, BRICS countries met to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, with China seeking to use BRICS as a vehicle towards greater political influence around the world.

Chinese media are euphoric after Xi Jinping's trip to San Francisco for a summit with Joe Biden. The two leaders were friendly, but deep fractures still lurk beneath the surface.

Manila accused the Chinese coast guard of acting in a "provocative, irresponsible, and illegal" manner after Chinese and Philippine vessels collided in two separate incidents in the South China Sea.

Ties between China and the Philippines have deteriorated sharply since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised their "friendship" in early 2023. Now, new winds are blowing from Manila.