WASHINGTON, the United States | Xinhua | The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was conducted on Friday at John F. Kennedy Center, setting the stage for the first 48-team edition of football’s biggest tournament. With expanded group formats and an unprecedented number of matches across Canada, Mexico and …

LONDON, UK | Xinhua | Third-placed Aston Villa will take on Premier League leader Arsenal in the standout match of the weekend, which is also the first game to be played on Saturday lunchtime. Aston Villa won a thrilling game 4-3 away to Brighton on Wednesday to climb to third …

KINSHASA,DRC | Xinhua | The leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a U.S.-brokered peace deal in Washington, aimed at ending the decades-long conflict in eastern DRC. Endorsed on Thursday by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the accord was hailed …

Johannesburg, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kayoola E-Coach, Uganda’s flagship electric bus developed by Kiira Motors Corporation, has arrived in South Africa, marking a significant milestone for Uganda’s growing innovation and e-mobility agenda on the continent. The arrival of the bus in Johannesburg on Friday, December 5, 2025, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | It was happiness, laughter and excitement in the air as Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda officially unveiled its Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan at the Railway Grounds in Kampala on Dec.3. Against a backdrop of music, bright decorations and cheerful crowds, the launch marked the beginning of a …

GAZA | Xinhua | With heavy steps, 11-year-old Mahmoud Abu Awda makes his way through puddles left by winter rains on a damaged street in Gaza City. His worn-out shoes sink into the mud as he clutches a small plastic box of biscuits, canned goods, and chocolates, praying he can …

KAMPALA,UGANDA | Xinhua | China’s expanded zero-tariff policy for African goods is expected to significantly boost Uganda’s coffee exports and raise household incomes, a leading Ugandan coffee entrepreneur has told Xinhua. Nelson Tugume, chief executive officer of Inspire Africa Group, which owns the African Coffee Park in Uganda’s western district …

COMMENT | Maya Majueran | The United States’ conspicuous absence from two major international gatherings — the G20 Summit in South Africa and the COP30 climate conference in Brazil — has raised pressing questions about Washington’s commitment to multilateralism. Yet paradoxically, both summits achieved significant breakthroughs in global cooperation and …

SAN FRANCISCO | Xinhua | Africa’s passenger air traffic is expected to grow an average of 6 percent annually through 2044, driven by a young population, an expanding middle class, rapid urbanization and continued investment in airports and connectivity, U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing said Tuesday. According to Boeing’s 2025 Commercial …

Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The COMESA Competition Commission has formally opened an inquiry into the proposed acquisition of Cold Solutions East Africa Holdings Limited by Inspired Evolution Managers Limited, setting in motion a regional regulatory review of the transaction under the bloc’s competition rules. In a Merger Inquiry Notice dated …