The accident occurred around 10 PM, as the minibuses were returning from a wedding at Sainte Famille and heading towards Muhanga.
Confirming the accident, SP Kayigi Emmanuel, a spokesperson for the Traffic Police, said the rear minibus collided with a front minibus, causing the latter to veer off the road and crash into barriers.
The officer attributed the crash to excessive speeding by the driver of the rear minibus, particularly as they approached a downhill area.
At the time of the incident, both vehicles were carrying around 40 passengers. While three passengers were killed instantly, 37 others sustained injuries, with six reported to be in serious condition.
The injured were taken to various hospitals, with some sent to facilities in Kigali and others to Kabgayi Hospital. The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Kacyiru Hospital mortuary.
Following the tragedy, SP Kayigi urged drivers to exercise caution on the roads and emphasized the importance of passengers speaking up when drivers make unsafe choices. He expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and reassured the public that the injured were receiving the necessary medical care.
The mother of a seven-year-old boy who was torn from the arms of his grandmother and drowned in one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters is among more than 620,000 claimants who will have their case heard this month in the largest group claim in English legal history.
Gelvana Aparecida Rodrigues da Silva, 37, lost her son Thiago on 5 November 2015 when the Fundão dam, near Mariana in eastern Brazil, collapsed, releasing about 50m cubic metres of toxic waste.
The avalanche of water reached the small community of Bento Rodrigues within minutes, killing 19 people, including Thiago, who had been staying with his grandmother at the time.
'His grandmother said that he asked for Jesus,' said Da Silva of her son's final moments. 'He called for Jesus to save him. But they got ripped apart.'
Thiago's body was found a week later, 60 miles (100km) away. 'That moment, my life ended,' she said. 'Everything changed.'
The iron ore waste stored in the dam rapidly moved down various watercourses, spilling over their banks and into the neighbouring municipalities of Mariana, Barra Longa, Rio Doce and Santa Cruz do Escalvado.
About 620,000 individuals, 46 Brazilian municipalities, 2,000 businesses and 65 faith-based institutions are to claim damages from the Anglo-Australian mining company BHP at a high court trial in London scheduled to be heard over 12 weeks, from 21 October.
Tom Goodhead, the chief executive of the international law firm Pogust Goodhead, which is representing the claimants, said they will argue that BHP is liable as a 50% shareholder in Samarco, the joint venture company responsible for managing the Fundão tailings dam.
It is further claimed that BHP, who were in a joint venture with the Brazilian iron-ore mining company Vale, were negligent in that although 'they were aware of the risks of the dam collapsing, they funded its expansion', Goodhead said. The claimants are seeking up to $44bn (£33.6bn) in compensation.
BHP, along with Vale and Samarco, established the Renova Foundation to provide compensation for individuals and some small businesses for loss and damages, as well as mitigating environmental impacts. The company said it would defend the legal action.
A BHP spokesperson said: 'The Fundão dam collapse was a tragedy and our deepest sympathies remain with the impacted families and communities.
'The Renova Foundation, established in 2016 as part of our agreement with the Brazilian authorities, has spent more than $7.7bn on emergency financial assistance, compensation and repair and rebuilding of environment and infrastructure to approximately 430,000 individuals, local businesses and Indigenous communities.
'BHP Brasil is working collectively with the Brazilian authorities and others to seek solutions to finalise a fair and comprehensive compensation and rehabilitation process that would keep funds in Brazil for the Brazilian people and environment affected, including impacted Indigenous communities.
'BHP continues to defend the legal action in the UK. We believe that the UK litigation, which, if successful, would not see claimants receive payment until 2028 at the earliest, duplicates â” and harms â” local remedial efforts in Brazil.
'As a non-operating joint-venture partner in Samarco, BHP Brasil does not have operational or day-to-day control of the business. BHP did not own or operate the dam or any related facilities.'
Thiago's father, who died two years ago, received a small payment for compensation after the disaster, which he shared with Da Silva, but she said she had not had any personal contact with the companies involved.
She said: 'The only thing that we are asking for is justice, for this to never happen to any other mother. No money in the world can bring my son back, but I want them to be responsible for this, for this crime.'
Goodhead said: 'To our knowledge, this is the largest ever group action in the English courts and we believe, probably the largest anywhere in the world. And that's likely by value as well as the number of claimants who are participating in it.'
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin voiced concern about Israel's attacks on UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) positions in southern Lebanon during a telephone call Saturday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Israeli attacks this week injured at least five UN peacekeepers and two Lebanese soldiers.
Austin 'expressed his deep concern about reports that Israeli forces fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Lebanon as well as by the reported death of two Lebanese soldiers,' Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement.
'The Secretary strongly emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese Armed Forces and reinforced the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible,' it said.
The defense secretary also raised the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip during the call and stressed that steps must be taken to address it.
'The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' unwavering, enduring, and ironclad commitment to Israel's security. He acknowledged Yom Kippur and the need to bring back all hostages to their families as soon as possible,' said the statement.
Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against, what it claims, Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing at least 1,411 victims, injuring more than 3,970, and displacing an excess of 1.34 million.
The aerial campaign is an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of its offensive on Gaza, in which Israel has killed nearly 42,200 victims, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.
Despite international warnings that the Mideast was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel's relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, it expanded the conflict by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.
The resolutions were signed on Saturday, October 13, 2024, during the Fifth Meeting held in Luanda, Angola, a country tasked with mediating and easing the tensions that have persisted between Rwanda and the DRC.
The ministers signed off on a plan that had been proposed by security experts from the three countries involved, who met at the end of August and the beginning of September this year.
The plan outlined the methods to be used in eliminating the FDLR, a group that has long collaborated with the DRC’s military and has been disrupting Rwanda’s security.
A ministerial meeting was held on September 14, 2024, to ratify the plan, but the DRC refused to sign following directives Minister Kayikwamba allegedly received from President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, instructing her not to sign.
As a result, another meeting that was supposed to bring together security experts in early October 2024, which was meant to finalize the methods and timeline for dismantling the FDLR, was postponed.
Rwanda has stated that if the plan to eliminate the FDLR is finalized and implemented, it will revise its defense strategies accordingly.
Minister Nduhungirehe announced that the signing of the Fifth Meeting’s resolutions marks a positive step toward peace and security in the region.
It is expected that security experts will meet again to refine the plan to get rid of the FDLR, and their conclusions will be reviewed at the next ministerial meeting.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kayikwamba Wagner, signed the resolutions of a meeting that outlined a plan to dismantle the FDLR, a group posing a threat to Rwanda’s security.
Minister Nduhungirehe announced that the signing of the Fifth Meeting’s resolutions marks a positive step toward peace and security in the region.
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signs the document outlining resolutions of the meeting.
The resolutions were signed on Saturday, October 13, 2024, during the Fifth Meeting held in Luanda, Angola, a country tasked with mediating and easing the tensions that have persisted between Rwanda and the DRC.
Led by a number of Sheikhs, senior officials and business owners, and organized by 'Dubai Cares’ under the supervision of the 'International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council’ chaired by H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chair of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, the event saw massive participation from various segments of the Dubai community.
Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Dubai Cares , pointed to the keenness of the country’s wise leadership, represented by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and with follow-up from His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, in directing swift humanitarian response to people affected by crises and emergencies across the world.
He added that the coordination of all UAE entities working in the humanitarian space with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council helps provide medical, food and shelter assistance to countries, communities and peoples affected by crises and conflicts in a way that ensures early recovery and meets the essential needs for the stability of societies.
The 24 donor organizations and volunteer institutions participating in the relief aid collection activities at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City include the Emirates Red Crescent, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Work.
Others are Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi Foundation for Humanitarian Work, Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, Dubai Humanitarian, Dubai Cares, Sharjah Charity Association and The Big Heart Foundation.
Others include Emirates Foundation, Volunteers.ae Platform, Sharjah Volunteer Centre, Fujairah Charity Association, Watani Al Emarat Foundation, International Charity Organisation, Emirates Charity Association, Beit Al Khair Society, Dar Al Ber Society, Dubai Charity Association, and the Day for Dubai initiative.
These lakes, believed to have formed simultaneously through volcanic activity, offer visitors a rare and peaceful experience. Known as the twin lakes due to their proximity and the fact that one feeds into the other, Burera and Ruhondo have a shared yet unique charm.
Historically, the lakes were formed when volcanic eruptions altered the course of the River Nyabarongo, redirecting its waters into the Burera valley.
As Lake Burera filled, its excess water flowed into Lake Ruhondo, eventually giving birth to the Mukungwa River. These lakes are nestled among rolling hills, majestic volcanoes, and vibrant local communities, offering a picturesque backdrop for exploration.
A narrow 1-kilometer strip of land separates the two lakes, which together cover an area of about 28,000 hectares. Beyond their natural allure, the lakes carry deep cultural significance.
One such story is the island of Akanyaseke, where pregnant girls were once exiled due to societal stigmas. While this practice has long since been abandoned, the island stands as a historical reminder of past cultural beliefs.
Lake Burera is dotted with several islands, some inhabited and others untouched, providing an ideal escape for those seeking tranquility and a closer connection with nature.
Tourists visiting the lakes can indulge in nature walks, boat trips, birdwatching, and exploring islands such as Bushongo, Bishosho, Munanira, Muhabura, and Cuza.
The terraced hills encircling the lakes also offer excellent picnic spots, providing a perfect setting to enjoy a meal while admiring the stunning views of the lakes, birds, and surrounding landscapes.
The twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo not only offer scenic beauty but also invite visitors to immerse themselves in the region’s unique history and culture. They are a perfect post-gorilla trekking destination for those exploring Volcanoes National Park.
Adding to their significance, the lakes are also home to Rwanda’s first hydroelectric power plant, Ntaruka, which was built in 1959 and continues to operate today, symbolizing the area’s contribution to Rwanda’s development.
Lake Burera provides an ideal escape for those seeking tranquility and a closer connection with nature.
The lakes are also home to Rwanda’s first hydroelectric power plant, Ntaruka.
Bird sighting is among attractions for tourists visiting Lake Ruhondo.
Ntaruka hydropower plant was built in 1959.
Locals fishing in the serene waters of Lake Ruhondo.
Tourists visiting the lakes can indulge in nature walks and boat trips.
Built in partnership with Shooting Touch Rwanda, this court represents a major milestone as the Foundation continues to expand its global reach, following three successful Clinics in Ireland last summer.
The Pat Connaughton Foundation is thrilled to be a global organization, committed to making an impact through sports both locally and abroad.
The partnership with Shooting Touch Rwanda brings the power of basketball to the forefront as a means to unite communities and create life-changing opportunities.
Shooting Touch’s innovative sport-for-development programs help uplift youth and women in rural Rwanda by providing access to health services and educational resources, which aligns with the Pat Connaughton Foundation’s vision of transforming lives through the game of basketball.
The new court, completed in August 2024, is already being utilized by nearly 1,000 boys, girls, and women every week. “We are extremely excited to partner with Shooting Touch to build our first Connaughton Court outside of America,” said NBA Champion Pat Connaughton. “
'This project is a great representation of our commitment to create access to athletics for the next generation of student athletes worldwide. My foundation is proud to help enhance the incredible work that is already being done in Rwanda. Basketball is a universal language that can positively impact change while inspiring the next generation to dream big, and we’re honored to be a part of it,” he added.
In addition to being a platform for sports, the new court will serve as the home base for Shooting Touch’s holistic programs, which address crucial issues related to public health, gender equality, and economic mobility.
“Building a basketball court with Shooting Touch isn’t just about creating a space for sportâ”it’s about giving an entire community access to something much bigger,' said Liza Gallagher, Executive Director of Shooting Touch.
'Thanks to the incredible support of the Pat Connaughton Foundation, thousands of youth and women in Rwanda will now have a safe place to play, learn, and grow. By combining the love of the game with vital education and services, this partnership is creating lasting change that will impact generations to come.'
The completion of the court in Rukara Sector highlights the Pat Connaughton Foundation’s growing presence around the world and its unwavering dedication to using sports as a tool for positive change. With 12 courts completed and five more underway, the Foundation continues to create spaces that foster growth, education, and community.
About the Pat Connaughton Foundation
The Pat Connaughton Foundation was founded in 2016 with the mission of creating access to athletics for the next generation of student athletes through Courts, Clinics, and Character.
The PCF focuses on teaching them the translatable life skills sports instill, including hard work, teamwork, leadership, accountability, and discipline. During the last 8 years the PCF has hosted 27 clinics, completed 13 Courts with 12 Schools/Organizations, and impacted over 25,300 youth student-athletes.
About Shooting Touch
Shooting Touch is an international sport-for-development organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, whose mission is to use the mobilizing power of basketball to bridge health and opportunity gaps for youth and women facing racial, gender, and economic inequalities.
Since launching Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR) in 2012, it has continued to expand its reach in Rwanda’s Eastern Province, now operating programs in six sectors within the Districts of Kayonza and Bugesera. STR focuses on providing access to basketball for youth and women, while working to improve public health and gender equality in rural communities.
This advanced satellite, designed by TRL Space Rwanda, is equipped with innovative sensors capable of capturing high-resolution images across a wide color spectrum. The satellite will primarily provide accurate data for agriculture, including crop monitoring and soil analysis.
TRL Space Rwanda, a subsidiary of the Czech-based TRL Space, specializes in small satellites known as CubeSats. The company has been operating in Rwanda for three years and is headquartered at Norrsken House in Kigali.
Most of the engineers working with the company are Rwandans, having received training from European experts.
The satellite, weighing between 10 and 12 kilograms, measures 10 cm by 20 cm by 30 cm.
Construction began this week with a team of 20 engineers, including seven Rwandans. The project is scheduled for completion within the next 20 months, targeting a June 2026 launch date.
Upon completion, the satellite will be shipped to the United States, where it is expected to launch from either Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral in Florida, using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
Once in orbit, the satellite will operate at an altitude of 510 kilometers for five years, delivering crucial agricultural data. It may also support other sectors, including security and communication.
The Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) is currently setting up a data center to process the satellite’s transmissions. The project has so far attracted an investment of $1 million (approximately Frw1.3 billion), with further investments expected as the project advances.
Petr Kapoum, CEO of TRL Space Rwanda, shared in an interview with IGIHE that the long-term goal is to launch a new satellite every year in Rwanda’s name, ultimately creating a fleet of five satellites. He emphasized that the first launch would unlock numerous opportunities, both for commercial and non-profit applications.
TRL Space Rwanda has ambitious plans to position the country as a hub for small satellite manufacturing. The company is developing infrastructure, including research laboratories, to build and sell satellites to other African nations. Reports indicate that by January 2025, the necessary facilities for satellite assembly and testing will be complete.
Kapoum expressed optimism that Rwanda will become self-sufficient in satellite technology within the next five years, reducing reliance on foreign resources and establishing sustainable infrastructure.
Rwanda currently operates a “Teleport” facility, located in Mwurire, Rwamagana District, designed to receive satellite data. This 20-hectare facility is open to investors seeking to establish their own satellite ground stations.
Investors who prefer not to use Rwanda’s facilities can install antennas at the Teleport, with RSA offering maintenance and essential services such as internet access.
The Teleport is expected to attract interest from countries and investors, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, providing them with the infrastructure to manage satellite missions.
RSA’s CEO, Gaspard Twagirayezu, highlighted the sector’s profitability, encouraging private investors to capitalize on the opportunities within Rwanda’s growing space industry.
A hyperspectral satellite, named the “Hyperspectral 6U CubeSat,” is currently being developed in Rwanda.
Donald Trump invented some more fanfiction about the presidential election Friday, imagining a world where Kamala Harris was replaced as the Democratic candidate.
During a scattered anti-immigrant rant at a rally in Aurora, Colorado, Trump seemed particularly out of it as he cascaded from one subject to another, turning suddenly back to his complaint that Harris should not have replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.
'She shouldn't be the one who was chosen anyway, because she is, in fact, by the way they chose her, a threat to democracy,' Trump said.
'And just in case you didn't know it: Biden ⦠hates her,' Trump shouted.
'I believe there is a small possibilityâ”very small, like 1 percentâ”there is a 1 percent possibility he hates her more than he hates Donald Trump. I think he hates her,' he rambled.
'He went way, way down. And I thought it was over. And thenâ”it's like a fighterâ”then they put a new person in, her. And we don't know anything about her. We have toâ”and now we learned, and now the people are learning, and she's crashing like a rock,' Trump babbled.
The former president had clearly lost his train of thought before perking up again.
'Uh oh! I just thought. Just a thoughtâ”from a very brilliant mindâ”they might want to put a third person in thaâ”oh, no!
'Please be nice to Kamala, to my people, I'm telling,' Trump said incoherently, implying that she might exit the race if they were too hard on her. (This would be impossible, as both parties have passed the deadline to change their ticket lineup.) 'Everybody that's on the Trump team, beâ”be nice to Kamala! Because they're going to put in a third person.
'Let's see, who are they gonna put in next?' Trump asked the crowd, which shouted names in reply.
Trump went on to whine that Hillary Clinton had 'serious Trump Derangement Syndrome,' because she still speaks about the 2016 presidential election, which Trump had already talked about during his speech that day. 'She talks about it all the time,' he whined.
Then Trump actually tried to brag about how outrageously off-topic his rant had become.
'Isn't it fun. Isn't it niceâ”cause I haven't looked at these stupid things in about 15 minutesâ”isn't it nice to have a president that doesn't need a teleprompter? Isn't that nice?' he asked.
If anything, Trump's winding speech should be a warning about the risks of not using a teleprompter.
Donald Trump has once again evoked Nazi rhetoric.
At a rally in Aurora, Colorado, on Friday, the Republican presidential nominee weaponized violent and dehumanizing language to describe immigrants, referring to them as the 'enemy from within' while advocating for harsher criminal punishments for the vulnerable demographic, including promising the death penalty.
'But I protect you from outside enemies. But you know I always say, we have the outside enemies, so you can say China, you can say Russia, you can say Kim Jong Un ⦠if you have a smart president it's no problem,' Trump said. 'It's the enemy from within.
'All the scum we have to deal with that hate our country,' he continued. 'That's a bigger enemy than China and Russia.⦠Everyday Americans like Cindy are living in fear all because Kamala Harris decided to empty the slums and prison cells of Caracas, and many other places. Happening all over the world.'
That is, on its face, untrue. But according to Trump, that (falsely) means crime is down in the rest of the world as a result.
'Every country, you know, prison populations all over the world are down. Crime all over the world is down. Because they take the world's criminals, gang members, drug dealers, and they deposit them into the United States. Bus after bus after bus,' Trump said to a cacophony of boos from the crowd of his supporters.
The world's prison population has, statistically, gone up by more than 25 percent since the year 2000, according to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
'They took the criminals out of Caracas, and they put them along your border, and they said if you ever come back, we're going to kill you,' Trump said.
'Think of that!' he continued. 'We have to live with these animals. But we won't live with them for long!'
At that, one person in the crowd shouted, 'Kill them!'
In the same speech, Trump called for the expeditious 'removal of these savage gangs,' promising that, if elected, he would appoint 'elite squads' to conduct mass deportations. He also vowed to enforce the death penalty for 'any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.'
Last year, the MAGA leader leaned on appalling language that immediately echoed Adolf Hitler's fascistic rhetoric designed to dehumanize his enemies. Trump referred to his political rivalsâ”the GOP-anointed 'Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs'â”as 'vermin,' and claimed that immigrants are 'destroying the blood of our country.'
