China holds 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Beijing

The 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue was held in the Chinese capital city of Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and honor the friendship between China and Africa.

The two-day event brought together more than 30 mayors and city representatives from six African countries including Morocco and the Seychelles, as well as representatives from the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).

On the sidelines of the dialogue, guests tried traditional Chinese calligraphy, learned about traditional Chinese culture on digital platforms, and interacted with high-tech Chinese products including robotic hands and augmented reality (AR) glasses.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, the first African country to establish relations with Beijing, and is also the "2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges”.

In May, another World Mayors Dialogue was held in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, where delegates discussed how cities can respond to mounting pressures from climate change, population aging, resource constraints and public safety risks.

China holds 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Beijing

All 1,248 players of the 48 teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been confirmed following the submission of final squad lists to FIFA, the world football governing body announced Tuesday.

Lionel Messi of Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico will feature in their sixth World Cup campaigns, while Cabo Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are going to play their first World Cup.

The tournament opens on June 11 and 104 matches will be played in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the final to be played on July 19.

"The confirmed squad lists underline the scale and enduring appeal of the tournament with 357 players returning after at least one previous FIFA World Cup squad inclusion. Some 891 players are set to experience the competition for the first time, highlighting both continuity and renewal across the global game," FIFA said.

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be the oldest player at the tournament at 43 years and 162 days old, while Mexico's Gilberto Mora will be the youngest at 17 years and 240 days old. There will be 22 players under 20 years old and seven players aged 40 or above at the start of the tournament.

FIFA World Cup squads confirmed