Economic Watch: China’s regional powerhouses turbocharge high-quality development

Having long propelled China’s economic ascent, major provincial-level regions are now leading the charge in the country’s transformative shift toward high-quality development.

China’s top 10 provincial economic heavyweights, including Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang and Sichuan, accounted for over 60 percent of the country’s GDP, despite covering less than 20 percent of its land area.

Their development is redefining China’s economic landscape and providing insights into how the world’s second-largest economy navigates domestic and global challenges in the final year ofREAD MORE

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton Mckenzie has demanded answers after Limpopo learner athletes were deprived of food and slept in a bus ahead of the 2025 national schools Sports Championship Autumn games.

The Limpopo athletic team pulled out of the sports championships Autumn games in the final stages due to accommodations and other logistical issues. The week-long championships were held in Bloemfontein in the Free State province from 2 to 6 April 2025.

According to one athlete’s parent whoREAD MORE

Zimbabwe’s airports experienced a significant 19 per cent rise in passenger traffic last year, attributed to the government’s efforts to upgrade and modernise its ports of entry. According to data released by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), passenger numbers climbed to over two million in 2023, up from approximately 1.9 million the previous year. The report highlights a positive trajectory for the country’s aviation sector.

In addition to passenger growth, cargo volumes also saw an uptick, surpassing 17READ MORE

Chinese researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough in biopharmaceutical science by developing a method to produce human serum albumin (HSA) from genetically modified rice. This is reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

In 2024, China consumed over 1,000 tonnes of HSA, with more than two-thirds sourced through imports.

This innovative rice-based method uses advanced genetic engineering to insert human genes into rice plants, allowing them to express and synthesiseREAD MORE

Spanish mentor Jose Riveiro could be tempted to remain in the African continent if reports are anything to go by.

Riveiro is on his way out at Pirates, following a recent announcement by the club that he’s opted not to renew his contract when it expires at the end of June.

Initial reports had suggested that he could be headed to Saudi Arabia or take over the Finland national team, with more reports claiming he’d prefer to be closer toREAD MORE

Lusaka, Zambia – Zambia is in mourning following the death of Edith Zewelani Nawakwi, a pioneering figure in the nation’s political landscape.

She passed away on Monday, April 7, 2025, at Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was receiving specialist medical treatment, her family said.

She was 66 years old.

Nawakwi, often described as a firebrand politician, made history in 1998 as Zambia’s first female Minister of Finance, a milestone that also marked her as the firstREAD MORE

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to participate in the IX CELAC Summit, where leaders from 33 Latin American and Caribbean nations will discuss regional cooperation, trade policies, and the upcoming selection of the next UN Secretary-General. The meeting will address key initiatives, including food security programmes and disaster relief funding.

CELAC members are expected to coordinate on a unified candidate for UN leadership, as reported by Metropoles,READ MORE

The forum “Russia-Africa: The Way of Friendship and Cooperation” will be held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa from 22 to 23 April. This is reported by ENA, a partner of TV BRICS.

The idea of the event is to create a platform for exchange of experience between Russian and African media. The organisers promise a rich programme: analytical reports, round tables, and discussions. Among the participants are leading journalists from Russia, asREAD MORE

Mohamed Salah has put an end to speculation regarding his future by pledging his future to Liverpool.

The ‘Egyptian King’ has agreed and put pen to paper on a deal that takes him to June 2027.

“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also, we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” said Salah, as quoted by Liverpoolfc.com.

“It’s great;READ MORE

University of South Africa (UNISA) students marched to the institution’s main campus in Pretoria on Friday, 4 April 2025, demanding urgent institutional action against gender-based violence (GBV) following the alleged rape of 7-year-old Cwecwe at Bergview College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape.

The march, which began at Sunnyside Police Station, saw students deliver a memorandum demanding Africa’s largest distance learning institution take a stronger stand against GBV.

The National Student Representative Council (NSRC) emphasised that while the victim – identified onlyREAD MORE