China builds, upgrades nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads across Africa

China has built and upgraded nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads across Africa as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to boost industrial and infrastructure development, as well as trade on the continent.

In Uganda, the 217.9-million-U.S.-dollar Masindi-Park Junction and Tangi Junction-Paraa-Buliisa road project serves as a vital link for both commerce and conservation in the country.

Funded by the China Export-Import Bank and built by China Communications Construction Company, the project is not just a ribbon of asphalt, but a lifeline connecting communities and catalyzing growth.

The road winds through the vast Murchison Falls National Park, reducing travel time and improving the tourist experience.

And the 51-kilometer Kampala Entebbe Expressway in the country, financed and constructed by China, reduces the travel time from Kampala to Entebbe airport to 30 minutes from 120 minutes before.

In Tanzania, the Chinese-built state-of-the-art Kijazi Interchange in Dar es Salaam is the biggest project of its kind in the country.

It consists of a three-level interchange with the maximum height of 17.5 meters and service roads.

The interchange significantly reduces traffic jams in the commercial capital, making heavy traffic jams lasting for hours at the busy Ubungo junction history.

The Keffi Road project in Nigeria, contracted by the China Harbor Engineering Company, was completed in 2023.

The project comprises the construction of the Abuja-Keffi expressway and dualization of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road in central Nigeria, facilitating local economic activities along with job opportunities and road-construction expertise.

The 27.1-kilometer Nairobi Expressway, built by a Chinese firm, is providing a faster route for motorists heading to and from the central business district, the city's industrial area and the main international airport.

It is part of a broader investment in Kenya's transport infrastructure, aimed at improving road connectivity and supporting the country's economic growth.

Since its launch, the toll road has significantly cut travel time between Nairobi's southern areas, home to the main airport, and the upscale Westlands suburb, from two hours during peak times to just 20 minutes.

China builds, upgrades nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads across Africa

U.S. President Donald Trump met with his national security team on Monday to discuss a new proposal offered by Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.

Leavitt said that it was unclear whether the meeting had concluded, but that the relevant proposal was indeed under discussion. However, she did not "want to get ahead of the president or his national security team" in making any statements.

Iran has informed mediators of a proposed three-phase framework for negotiations and said talks could resume if the United States agrees to it, according to Iranian media.

The first phase focuses on ending U.S.-Israeli aggression and securing guarantees that fighting will not resume against Iran and Lebanon. During this stage, Iran would not discuss any other issues. If agreement is reached on the first phase, discussions will move to a second phase centered on the management of the Strait of Hormuz. The third phase will address Iran's nuclear program.

Iran, through Pakistani mediators, has presented the United States with a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while postponing nuclear negotiations to a later stage, U.S. online media outlet Axios said Sunday, citing a U.S. official and two sources familiar with the matter.

The new proposal is aimed at breaking the current stalemate in the talks and bypassing the internal disagreements within the Iranian leadership about the scope of nuclear concessions it is willing to make, the report said.

However, reaching such a deal would leave Trump with little leverage to press Tehran to give up its stockpile of enriched uranium and suspend uranium enrichment, the report added.

Trump meets with his national security team to discuss new Iranian proposal