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With a dominant performance on the 22.6 km course, Bäckstedt clocked an impressive 30:56.16, securing not only the gold medal but also the coveted Rainbow Jersey. Her victory marks a milestone in women’s cycling as the U23 category was given its own dedicated race for the first time in the event’s history.

“I gave it everything I could. My legs didn’t feel 100%, so I was just giving everything I could with what I had in the tank today. So I’m really happy to have such a gap at the end,” she remarked after her victory.

Reflecting on the challenging course, she remarked: “The cobble climb just before the finish was really brutal, really super hard. I knew it was possible to gain some time there but also to lose time if something went wrong. So I had to make sure I had enough energy left at the end to go up this climb as fast as possible.”

The 20-year-old’s triumph capped off a remarkable season, adding this prestigious title to her already impressive list of accomplishments, including the 2025 National ITT Championship.

Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová secured the silver medal with a time of 32:47.01, just 1:50.85 behind Bäckstedt.

Federica Venturelli of Italy rounded out the top three with a solid bronze medal performance, finishing in 33:07.74.

Competing on home turf, Rwandan cyclists Martha Ntakirutimana and Claudette Nyirarukundo also took to the course in the Women’s U23 Time Trial. Despite facing a challenging route, both showed incredible resilience and determination. Ntakirutimana finished 27th with a time of 36:27.39, while Nyirarukundo took 32nd place with a time of 37:14.33.

Women Under 23 Individual Time Trial – Top 10 results

1. Zoe Bäckstedt (Great Britain) – 30:56.16
2. Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia) – 32:47.01 (+1:50.85)
3. Federica Venturelli (Italy) – 33:07.74 (+2:11.58)
4. Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Australia) – 33:17.91 (+2:21.75)
5. Alena Ivanchenko (Australia) – 33:18.60 (+2:22.44)
6. Millie Couzens (Great Britain) – 33:33.74 (+2:37.58)
7. Justyna Czapla (Germany) – 33:43.76 (+2:47.60)
8. Alli Anderson (Australia) – 33:49.22 (+2:53.06)
9. Tabea Huys (Austria) – 33:55.68 (+2:59.52)
10. Ava Holmgren (Canada) – 34:01.92 (+3:05.76)

The championships kicked off on Sunday, September 21, 2025, with both elite men and women showcasing their strength, precision, and determination.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel set the bar high in the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial, producing a blistering performance that earned him his third Rainbow Jersey in the discipline. His display of power and precision further elevated the stakes for the competitors across all categories.

Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser made history by claiming her first-ever rainbow jersey in the Women’s Elite Individual Time Trial, proving her elite status in the sport.

Great Britain’s Zoe Bäckstedt made history at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, claiming the first-ever standalone Women’s U23 Time Trial title in Kigali on Monday, September 22, 2025.

The 20-year-old’s triumph capped off a remarkable season, adding this prestigious title to her already impressive list of accomplishments, including the 2025 National ITT Championship.

Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová secured the silver medal with a time of 32:47.01, just 1:50.85 behind Bäckstedt.

Federica Venturelli of Italy rounded out the top three with a solid bronze medal performance, finishing in 33:07.74.

Rwandan cyclist Martha Ntakirutimana finished 27th with a time of 36:27.39.

Rwandan cyclist Claudette Nyirarukundo took 32nd place with a time of 37:14.33.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

The decision came as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, where he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday.

The additional tariffs, introduced in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports during Trump’s first term, had covered a wide range of products, including passenger cars, fruit, rice, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, solid fuels and chemical products.

The Turkish Ministry of Trade said in a statement on Monday that the additional tariffs on certain U.S. products were terminated, following negotiations with the United States and consultations conducted under the World Trade Organization framework.

Türkiye will continue to pursue the target of achieving 100 billion U.S. dollars of trade volume with the United States as one of its fundamental objectives, the ministry said.

It added that the country will continue to develop policies aimed at strengthening trade relations and developing new areas of cooperation.

Türkiye has terminated additional tariffs imposed on certain U.S. imports in 2018, according to a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Monday.

Xinhua

Their coffees, carefully selected to represent the future brand of Rwanda, based on the best quality coffee Rwanda can produce, have attracted numerous buyers, are slowly but surely winning international auctions, thereby steadily expanding their market.

'They taught us how to handle coffee from the farm all the way to the cup,' Moses Mbonimpaye, a coffee farmer and member of the KOPAKAKI cooperative, told IGIHE.

'Farmers knew about coffee, but the returns didn’t match their investments. An expert from JICA advised us to first help the farmer improve productivity at the tree level because that’s where it all begins,' he added.

Mbonimpaye noted that the program offered diverse training opportunities, including study tours to countries like Colombia, Costa Rica and the USA, to observe how top producers manage processing, rejuvenate old coffee trees, and prepare beans for export.

Benoit Habinshuti, representing the ARABICA Cooperative, said the process transformed their approach.

'Before, we processed coffee the way we thought best, without much ambition for the international market,' he said. 'But after working with JICA, we realised the value of global trade. They showed us how to prepare coffee that meets export standards. Now, we are confident our coffee can compete internationally.'

Building skills and confidence

JICA’s interventions have been especially impactful for coffee cooperatives, which received technical assistance, training, and exposure to global best practices. They have transformed the industry, helping them achieve higher yields and reach broader international markets.

The collaboration began in 2013 when JICA committed to assisting Rwandan coffee farmers and exporters in producing beans of exceptional quality—authentic, flavorful, and competitive on the global stage.

In 2017, this commitment expanded through partnerships with the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board (RAB).

Together, they launched two major projects focused on strengthening the entire coffee value chain. These initiatives aimed to equip farmers and processors with the technical knowledge and marketing skills needed to elevate Rwanda’s coffee internationally.

Rwanda to the world

In 2024, JICA and NAEB introduced Best of Rwanda, an initiative designed to promote Rwandan coffee on the global stage. The initiative invites coffee processors to present their best beans, and the top 19 selected from nearly 300 nationwide entries, were auctioned to international buyers in 2024.

At these auctions, the highest price has spiked over Frw 100,000 per kilogram, and the other top 18 sells for no less than Frw 50,000 per kilogram, while the recent international purchase price for Rwanda’s coffee averages Frw 10,000 per kilogram.

Kosuke Nakajima, a JICA expert, emphasized that Rwandan coffee is steadily building a strong reputation worldwide and reaffirmed JICA’s commitment to supporting both farmers and exporters.

He added that ongoing efforts are focused on developing a distinctive Rwanda Coffee Brand—a label that can stand out globally, just as other coffee-producing nations have successfully done.

Participants in Best of Rwanda highlight that even those who don’t win international bids benefit from the exposure.

By observing peers and learning from international buyers, they gain insights into how to further refine their products. Many say the showcase is invaluable, drawing attention from major international companies and opening new doors for the sector.

The farmers’ appreciation comes as JICA marks 20 years since reopening its Rwanda office, where it has supported several sectors, including coffee.

Some coffee farmers across Rwanda say the last 12 years have been transformative.

JICA’s interventions have been especially impactful for coffee cooperatives, which received technical assistance, training, and exposure to global best practices.

The coffee is selected to represent the future brand of Rwanda, based on the best quality coffee Rwanda can produce.

Participants in Best of Rwanda highlight that even those who don’t win international bids benefit from the exposure.

IGIHE

According to media reports, since September 14, SANDF aircraft — a Boeing 737 and an Il-76 — have been transporting soldiers and materiel from Lubumbashi and Kinshasa to Pretoria.

The phased withdrawal comes as SANDF faces disputes with the South African National Defence Union over unpaid allowances for troops deployed in the DRC.

South Africa’s troops were part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the DRC. The block decided to end its deployment in March 2025, with repatriation formally starting in May. At that time, a large number of soldiers and equipment transited through Rwanda en route to South Africa.

The drawdown came amid concerns over worsening insecurity and humanitarian challenges in eastern Congo.

SADC had deployed its military intervention force, SAMIDRC, in December 2023 with an offensive mandate to defeat M23 and other armed groups. The force consisted of troops from South Africa, Tanzania, and Malawi.

Although the mission was extended by one year in November 2024 due to persistent hostilities between M23 rebels and the Congolese army, it struggled to meet its objectives and suffered significant battlefield losses, particularly during the offensives that led to the capture of Goma earlier this year.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is still in the process of pulling out its contingent from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with equipment and personnel continuing to be flown home.

IGIHE

The study, which involved 292 participants from eight districts of Rwanda, focused on individuals from different categories, including youth, sex workers, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community.

In each group, the research uncovered various issues. For instance, sex workers were found to have limited knowledge about reproductive health and lacked awareness of how to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

It was revealed that at least 75% of sex workers do not have sufficient information. Among adolescent girls, 73% lacked adequate knowledge, while 70% of LGBTQ members were also uninformed. Additionally, 50% of people with disabilities lacked adequate information.

Tanga Community staff member, Josiane Uwizeyimana, stated that the idea for this research stemmed from the desire to understand the ongoing issues affecting access to information and services related to reproductive health.

“We looked at the high rate of teenage pregnancies and wondered, 'Why is the situation still the same despite the government’s efforts to address this problem?’ This motivated us to carry out the research,” she explained.

Djamali Shema, from the Feminist Action Development Ambition (FADA), a non-governmental organization also involved in the research, noted that LGBTQ members face a lack of information, but even those who are informed feel ashamed to seek reproductive health services at health facilities, fearing they may be ostracized or marginalized.

“There are times when people mistreat LGBTQ members, trying to make them feel outcast due to their beliefs, which makes them isolate themselves and avoid seeking reproductive health services.”

Shema suggested that one solution to this problem would be to “conduct awareness campaigns so that people understand that LGBTQ members are just like everyone else, and those who abuse them should face stronger consequences.”

She also praised the Rwandan government for the efforts made to address their health needs, including setting up special services for them at health centers.

Chantal Uwizeyimana, representing people with disabilities, emphasized that one of the main challenges identified was how people with disabilities access various services.

“There are times when these services are available at health centers, but getting there is a challenge,” she explained. She also highlighted the issue of patient confidentiality, particularly when a person with a disability is accompanied to the clinic.

She stressed that awareness campaigns are necessary, alongside infrastructure development to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.

Hakizimana Sylvestre Samuel noted that youth, especially in rural areas, struggle with affordability, particularly when it comes to purchasing items like condoms. “It’s difficult to find the resources, especially in rural areas,” he said.

Uwizeyimana expressed hope that this research would spark more discussions on the remaining challenges in accessing information and services related to reproductive health.

She stated, “Reproductive health services are the foundation for building a better future for the country. We need to talk more about these issues to solve the problems that still exist.”

IGIHE

“I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the terrible massacre of October 7,” Netanyahu said, referring to Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October 2023. “You are giving a huge reward to terrorism.”

He added, “It will not happen, there will not be a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.”

He added that he will give a response to the latest recognition after his return from the United States. “Wait for it,” he said.

Welcoming the move by the three countries, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, “It constitutes an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy,” according to a statement by his office.

Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video statement that Britain “formally recognizes the State of Palestine,” calling for a shift back to a two-state solution.

Meanwhile, a joint media release by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said “Australia recognizes the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday also issued a statement on Canada’s recognition of the State of Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denounced the decision by Britain, Canada, and Australia to recognize a Palestinian state.

Xinhua

The fighting escalated on Sunday, September 21, 2025, but ended with M23 defeating government forces and the Wazalendo militia.

According to Radio Okapi, heavy battles took place in Cisaza, Cibanda, Muyange, Karhuliza, and Kalongo.

Reports indicate that the clashes were so intense that M23 deployed armoured vehicles and other heavy weaponry.

Nzibira is one of the key towns in South Kivu, known for its mining activities, particularly coltan and gold. It had been an important area under FARDC control, meaning its loss would carry significant consequences.

On the same day, heavy fighting was also reported in North Kivu, particularly in the Masisi and Walikale areas.

The capture of Nzibira adds to other territories now controlled by AFC/M23 in South Kivu, including Bukavu. The group is also reported to be present in Mwenga, Kabare, Fizi, and Uvira.

Fighters from the AFC/M23 coalition have captured the town of Nzibira, located in Walungu Territory in South Kivu, following intense clashes with FARDC and their allied militias.

IGIHE

Accompanied by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gaibov, Kagame toured the eight-year-old track, which has hosted F1 races for nearly a decade and is one of 24 circuits on this year’s championship calendar.

The visit coincided with Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing claiming victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a win that brought him closer to reclaiming the season’s top spot from Oscar Piastri of McLaren.

Last year, President Kagame confirmed Rwanda’s bid to host a Formula 1 race, which would make the East African nation the first African host in three decades. Since then, discussions and preparations have been underway, with Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire confirming that the project is progressing steadily.

President Kagame’s tour of Baku follows visits to other notable circuits, including the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore and the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, highlighting Rwanda’s growing engagement with global motorsport.

Accompanied by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gaibov, Kagame toured the eight-year-old track, which has hosted F1 races for nearly a decade and is one of 24 circuits on this year’s championship calendar.

IGIHE

“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” the president wrote on his Truth Social account.

Located about 50 km north of Kabul, the Bagram Airbase was the hub of U.S. and NATO operations during the two-decade-long War in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of American forces in 2021 resulted in the Taliban taking control of the base.

During his recent visit to Britain, Trump said that the United States is “trying to take back” the Bagram Airbase. The remarks have attracted widespread attention and sparked speculation about whether the United States intends to redeploy troops to Afghanistan.

On Saturday, Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States is in talks with Afghanistan regarding regaining control of the airbase, saying, “We want it back, and we want it back soon, right away.”

“If they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m gonna do,” said Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Sept. 20, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened Afghanistan with “bad things” if it doesn’t “give Bagram Airbase back.”

Xinhua

The 25-year-old star completed the 40.6-kilometre route in 49:46.03, averaging an impressive 48.9 km/h. His performance reaffirmed his dominance against the clock and ensured Belgium’s flag flew highest on the opening weekend of competition.

Evenepoel’s ride was a test of both physical strength and mental resilience, as Kigali’s steep climbs and cobbled sections pushed every rider to the limit.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel produced a blistering display of power and precision to win the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, claiming his third rainbow jersey in the discipline.

'It felt pretty good right away on the first flat part; I could feel my legs turning. I held my pace without going over the limit. The first climb of the day was quite hard, along with the last two, so I really pushed it there,” he reflected on the effort required to secure gold.

“After that, I saw I had a big gap, so I kept a pace I could sustain until the bottom and then went flat out on every climb. I must say, the cobbles were brutal—I hated them at some point. It was so hard to push through them toward the end, but winning was the most important thing,” he added.

Vine takes silver, Van Wilder bronze

Australia’s Jay Vine rode strongly to secure the silver medal, clocking 51:00.83 — over a minute behind Evenepoel, but still clear of the chasing pack. The bronze went to Evenepoel’s compatriot Ilan van Wilder, who stopped the clock at 52:22.10, giving Belgium two riders on the podium in Kigali.

Pogačar and Del Toro in the mix

Pre-race favourite Tadej Pogačar, fresh from his fourth Tour de France title earlier this summer, had to settle for a disappointing fourth on his birthday. The Slovenian finished in 52:23.76, narrowly missing a medal. Rising Mexican sensation Isaac Del Toro followed closely in fifth with 52:26.89, adding another strong result to his breakout season.

Dutch rider Thymen Arensman, considered a podium contender, placed ninth in 53:25.71, while Swiss specialist Stefan Küng completed the top ten.

Rwanda’s cycling fans had plenty to cheer as two local riders lined up in the world championship field of 54 participants. Shemu Nsengiyumva delivered a spirited ride to take 25th place in 56:41.13, while Moise Mugisha came home 31st in 58:40.67

Men elite individual time trial — top 10 results

1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) — 49:46.03

2. Jay Vine (AUS) — 51:00.83 (+1:14.80)

3. Ilan van Wilder (BEL) — 52:22.10 (+2:36.07)

4. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) — 52:23.76 (+2:37.73)

5. Isaac Del Toro (MEX) — 52:26.89 (+2:40.86)

6. Andreas Leknessund (NOR) — 52:43.30 (+2:57.27)

7. Lucas Plapp (AUS) — 52:49.37 (+3:03.34)

8. Bruno Armirail (FRA) — 52:52.10 (+3:06.07)

9. Thymen Arensman (NED) — 53:25.71 (+3:39.68)

10. Stefan Küng (SUI) — 53:34.95 (+3:48.92)

The 25-year-old star completed the 40.6-kilometre route in 49:46.03, averaging an impressive 48.9 km/h.

Wycliffe Nyamasege