Beijing, China | AFP | China said Monday it would welcome UN officials to the restive western region of Xinjiang with the condition that they stay out of the country’s internal affairs. This comes after UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in December her office was seeking access to …

COMMENT | NAOMI SCHALIT | Editor’s note: As we came to the end of the year, Conversation editors took a look back at the stories that – for them – exemplified 2018. Our job at The Conversation is to work with scholars to publish analysis that helps readers make sense …

Washington, United States | AFP | China’s economy is more vulnerable to the fallout in the current trade stand-off with Washington and already has been hurt by the dispute, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Monday. Ross’s remarks emphasized President Donald Trump’s confidence that the robust US economy means Washington …

Brokers, agents told to prove their relevance Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | Predictions for Uganda’s insurance industry this year is positive but some players are likely to face uncertain future in their operations. The consensus view among industry players is that the industry will put a strong performance this …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Nationalist leaders are weakening the world’s system of multilateral diplomacy, Pope Francis warned on Monday in his annual address to ambassadors to the Holy See. The pope decried “the resurgence of nationalistic tendencies at odds with the vocation of international organisations to be …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | The African Union and France warned against any “unconstitutional” change of power in Gabon, whose government on Monday claimed to have foiled an attempted takeover. AU chief Moussa Faki Mahamat, in a tweet, said his organisation “strongly condemns the coup attempt” in Gabon. “I …

Ndwedwe, South Africa | AFP | Thousands of white-robed devotees of the Shembe Church in South Africa greeted the New Year last week by climbing the mountain of Nhlangakazi, sacred to them for more than a century. Every New Year, people mostly from Inanda township, near the coastal city of …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on Monday reopened a border crossing between their countries as part of an ongoing reconciliation between the former foes. The two leaders re-opened the border crossing between Humera in Ethiopia and Oum Hajer in …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | New Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz vowed Monday to give his all after completing a “dream” move to the Spanish giants from Premier League champions Manchester City. “This is the most important day in my life. I have joined the club which I have dreamed …

Kiev, Ukraine | AFP | Ukraine’s newly created independent Orthodox Church held its first service in Kiev on Monday after a historic break with the Russian Orthodox Church that has enraged Moscow. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attended the service in Kiev’s most ancient church, the 11th-century Saint Sophia’s Cathedral, as …