WORLD

WASHINGTON | Xinhua | U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday instructed his top envoys to halt their conversations with Iran, according to a CNN report, citing U.S. officials. Trump told his negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, not to engage with Tehran …

WASHINGTON | Xinhua | The 60-day window established under the June 18 peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States expires on Monday, marking a critical moment for an agreement that was meant to create space for diplomacy and de-escalation. Yet as the deadline arrives, Washington finds …

COMMENT | JAN-WERNER MUELLER | Here in the Albanian capital Tirana, the hotel receptionists go out of their way to stress that the ongoing protests outside are entirely peaceful. Apparently, there have been quite a few room cancellations since mass demonstrations began in the spring. But ask them directly, and they …

  BEIJING | Xinhua | At Mexico’s ancient Maya archaeological site of Chichen Itza, the stone pyramids and temples still tell stories of a remarkable civilization that flourished centuries ago. The historic site, which dates back to the 5th century AD, witnessed a dialogue between civilizations when Chinese President Xi …

  COMMENT |  UEFA, CONCACAF & AFC | Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the Member Associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future. It is in that spirit, as Confederations …

  After three decades of waiting, Uganda has finally put its weight behind the man it once might have backed when his moment was at its brightest   COVERY STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | On Saturday, Aug. 8, Olara Otunnu boarded a plane to the United States, headed for New York …

BEIJING | Xinhua |  “Friendship stands by a meaningful thing — a world of peace must be a world of friendship.” Chinese President Xi Jinping once quoted a foreign friend to illustrate the preciousness of friendship. In his view, people-to-people friendship is the foundation for stable and sustained international relations, …

MOSCOW, RUSSIA | TASS | It is possible that more candidates to become the next UN secretary-general are added to the current list, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said. “The list is not yet closed. The seventh candidate, a representative of Uganda, joined at the last moment. We see the …

MEXICO CITY/RIO DE JANEIRO | Xinhua |  Brazil’s decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with Argentina has pushed a bitter dispute between their presidents beyond political rhetoric, raising concerns over foreign influence in Brazil’s upcoming election and the future of South American integration. DIPLOMATIC TIES DOWNGRADED Relations between the two neighbors …

  JOHANNESBURG | Xinhua | South Africa and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have signed a 500-million-U.S.-dollar sovereign-backed loan agreement to improve urban services. In a joint statement issued on Friday, South Africa’s National Treasury and the AIIB said the financing, which marks AIIB’s first investment in South Africa, …