BEIJING, CHINA | Xinhua | As the sporting year draws to a close, here is Xinhua News Agency’s selection of the world’s top 10 athletes in 2025: 1. Lando Norris (Britain, Formula 1) Norris seized his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with seven wins, eight runner-up and three third-place …

KHARTOUM, SUDAN | Xinhua | The year 2025 proved pivotal in Sudan’s conflict, characterized by dramatic military shifts, stalled diplomacy, and a persistent humanitarian catastrophe widely regarded as the world’s largest. Militarily, the year saw a clear reversal of fortunes. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) made significant gains in the first …

CAIRO, EGYPT | Xinhua | As 2025 draws to a close, Egypt has reaffirmed its position as a key mediator in the Gaza crisis, pairing intensive diplomacy to sustain a fragile ceasefire with a large-scale humanitarian operation that has delivered hundreds of thousands of tons of aid and winter relief …

KAMPALA, UGANDA | Xinhua | Uganda on Monday rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, the self-declared region of Somalia, as an independent state, saying the territory is a product of prolonged insecurity in Somalia. Henry Oryem Okello, Uganda’s minister of state for foreign affairs in charge of international affairs, told Xinhua …

WASHINGTON, the United States | Xinhua | After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the two sides are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to a peace deal to end the Ukraine crisis. However, there …

LONDON, UK | Xinhua | Premier League leader Arsenal is at home to in-form Aston Villa in the most attractive and decisive of the six matches scheduled for Tuesday as the intense Christmas and New Year schedule continues. Arsenal goes into the game after an unconvincing 2-1 win at home …

CAIRO, EGYPT | TASS | Nearly 970 violations of the Gaza ceasefire by Israel have been reported since October 10 when the ceasefire came into effect, the enclave’s authorities said. Thus, over this period, Israel has reportedly violated the ceasefire 969 times, including 455 air and artillery attacks and 298 …

MOSCOW, RUSSIA | TASS | The situation in the Gaza Strip remains unstable and it is premature to start talking about establishing lasting peace, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with TASS on 2025 results. “The situation in Gaza remains shaky,” he said. “It is still too …

MOSCOW, RUSSIA | TASS | Uganda is considering the possibility to launch direct flights to Russia, head of the International Legal and Social Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda John Leonard Mugerwa told TASS. “In the future, depending on passenger traffic, of course, as this must …

MOSCOW, RUSSIA | TASS | Uganda invites Russia to participate in joint ventures and coffee processing projects, head of the International Legal and Social Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda John Leonard Mugerwa told TASS. “Uganda is Africa’s largest coffee producer. Globally, we rank seventh, producing …