In a message shared on its social media platforms on the evening of September 19, 2024, the Ministry of Health emphasized that this vaccination effort is part of Rwanda’s ongoing strategy to prevent and combat the spread of MPox, a virus that has affected many African countries, including Rwanda, where cases have already been reported.

Julien Mahoro Niyingabira, spokesperson for the Ministry, recently told IGIHE that Rwanda’s approach to preventing MPox focuses on vaccinating those at greatest risk. He clarified, 'We will not begin by vaccinating everyone. Certain groups are more vulnerable, and they will be prioritized based on vaccine availability. As the situation evolves, additional groups may also be considered for vaccination.'

The African Union is coordinating vaccine distribution across several African nations, assisting in the containment of MPox on the continent.

In Rwanda, all four individuals who contracted MPox in July have received treatment and been discharged. Health authorities have reassured the public that the country is well-equipped to manage and treat MPox cases, should more arise.

Meanwhile, the outbreak has significantly impacted the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has recorded over 22,000 cases and more than 715 deaths in 2024.

The virus has now spread to 22 of DRC’s 26 provinces and is present in 13 other African countries. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) has allocated $600 million over six months to combat the virus globally.

Health officials continue to stress the importance of preventive measures such as frequent handwashing and avoiding sexual contact—both protected and unprotected—to prevent the virus’s transmission.

MPox symptoms typically manifest within three to fourteen days of infection and include a rash that primarily affects the face, hands, and genitals.

The rash begins as small fluid-filled blisters that dry out and form scabs as the patient heals. In addition to the rash, individuals may experience fever, fatigue, and weakness.

Recovery generally takes two to three weeks, and none of the patients treated in Rwanda have required prolonged hospitalization or succumbed to the virus.

Rwanda has reported cases of the less severe grade 1B strain of MPox, similar to that found in the DRC. In contrast, West Africa has seen cases of the more severe grade 2 strain.

Rwanda has officially launched the first phase of its MPox vaccination.

The first phase of MPox vaccination targets 10,000 individuals.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/health/article/rwanda-rolls-out-first-phase-of-mpox-vaccination

Israel committed a 'massacre' by detonating thousands of pagers across Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said, describing the operation, widely attributed to Israel's Mossad, as 'a declaration of war.'

In a highly anticipated speech following this week's attacks, Nasrallah accused Israel of committing a 'massacre' without regard for civilian casualties.

'This is sheer terrorism. We'll call them Tuesday's massacre and Wednesday's massacre. These are war crimes or at least a declaration of war,' Nasrallah said. Noting that some of the devices had detonated in schools, hospitals, and residential buildings, the Hezbollah chief said the operation had crossed 'all restrictions and red lines.'

'There is no doubt that we suffered a major security and humanitarian blow, unprecedented in the history of our resistance,' he conceded. 'We have been hit hard, but this is the state of war, and we understand that the enemy has technological superiority.'

Thousands of pagers — a low-tech and supposedly secure method of communication used by Hezbollah members — simultaneously detonated across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing a dozen people and injuring 3,000 more. A second wave of explosions took place on Wednesday, this time affecting handheld radios. As of Thursday, a total of 37 people had been killed, including at least two children, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the blasts, American, Israeli, and Lebanese sources have identified Israel's Mossad intelligence agency as the culprit. Citing anonymous sources, the New York Times claimed on Thursday that Mossad had set up a fake company in Hungary to produce the devices under license from a Taiwanese firm. The pagers were stuffed with an explosive compound called PETN, which could be remotely triggered, and were shipped to Lebanon from 2022, the newspaper claimed.

American officials told Axios on Wednesday that Mossad had intended to trigger the pagers as the first blow in an all-out war with Hezbollah, but decided to detonate them early in case Hezbollah discovered the plot.

Immediately after Wednesday's explosions, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that 'a new phase' of Israel's almost year-long war was beginning, this one focused on Hezbollah rather than Hamas. 'The center of gravity is moving north. We are diverting forces, resources, and energy toward the north,' he said, according to a statement published on social media by his office.

The post Lebanon in 'state of war' — Hezbollah chief appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/lebanon-in-state-of-war-hezbollah-chief/

Russia's military command had anticipated Ukraine's incursion into its Kursk region and had been making plans to prevent it for several months, according to a cache of documents that the Ukrainian army said it had seized from abandoned Russian positions in the region.

The disclosure makes the disarray among Russian forces after Ukraine's attack in early August all the more embarrassing. The documents, shared with the Guardian, also reveal Russian concerns about morale in the ranks in Kursk, which intensified after the suicide of a soldier at the front who had reportedly been in a 'prolonged state of depression due to his service in the Russian army'.

Unit commanders are given instructions to ensure soldiers consume Russian state media daily to maintain their 'psychological condition'.

The Guardian could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents, though they bear the hallmarks of genuine Russian army communications. In late August, the Guardian met the Ukrainian special operations team who seized them, hours after they had left Russian territory. The team said they had taken Russian interior ministry, FSB and army documents from buildings in the Kursk region and later provided a selection to view and photograph.

Some of the documents are printed orders distributed to various units, while others are handwritten logs recording events and concerns at specific positions. The earliest entries are dated late in 2023, while the most recent documents are from just six weeks before Ukraine launched its incursion into the Kursk region on 6 August.

The documents mostly come from units of Russia's 488th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment, and in particular the second company of its 17th Battalion.

Ukraine's incursion into Kursk took Kyiv's western partners and many in the Ukrainian elite by surprise, as planning had been restricted to a very small number of people. But Russian military documents contain months of warnings about a possible incursion into the area and an attempt to occupy Sudzha, a town of 5,000 residents that has now been under Ukrainian occupation for more than a month.

An entry from 4 January spoke of the 'potential for a breakthrough at the state border' by Ukrainian armed groups and ordered increased training to prepare to repel any attack. On 19 February, unit commanders were warned of Ukrainian plans for 'a rapid push from the Sumy region into Russian territory, up to a depth of 80km [50 miles], to establish a four-day 'corridor' ahead of the arrival of the main Ukrainian army units on armoured vehicles'.

In mid-March, units at the border were ordered to boost defensive lines and 'organise additional exercises for the leadership of units and strongpoints regarding the proper organisation of defences' in preparation for a Ukrainian cross-border attack.

In mid-June, there was a more specific warning of Ukrainian plans 'in the direction Yunakivka-Sudzha, with the goal of taking Sudzha under control', which did indeed happen in August. There was also a prediction that Ukraine would attempt to destroy a bridge over the Seym River to disrupt Russian supply lines in the region, which also later happened. The June document complained that Russian units stationed at the front 'are filled only 60-70% on average, and primarily made up of reserves with weak training'.

When the Ukrainian attack came on 6 August, many Russian soldiers abandoned their positions, and within a week Ukraine had taken full control of Sudzha. 'They ran away, without even evacuating or destroying their documents,' said a member of the special operations team who seized the files.

During Moscow's chaotic retreat, Ukrainian forces captured hundreds of Russian soldiers, many of whom were conscripts, who are not generally expected to face battle. The parents of one conscript soldier from the second company, featured in the documents, recorded a tearful video appeal in August, identifying him as their 22-year-old son Vadim Kopylov, saying he had been taken prisoner near Sudzha and calling on Russian authorities to exchange him.

The documents give an insight into Russian tactics over the past year, in one case speaking of the need to create decoy trenches and positions to confuse Ukrainian reconnaissance drones. 'Models of tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery launchers should be created as well as mannequins of soldiers, and they should be periodically moved around,' reads one order.

It adds that a few soldiers should be sent to the decoy positions to light fires at night and walk around with torches, and that Russia should create radio chatter about the decoy positions, with the aim of having it intercepted. It is unclear if such positions were ever created; members of a Ukrainian unit flying reconnaissance drones in the area in recent weeks told the Guardian they had seen no evidence of such positions.

In March, the Russian documents note that there were increasing incidents of Ukrainian sabotage groups disguising themselves for work behind Russian lines by wearing Russian uniforms. 'To prevent enemy infiltration into our combat formations … commanders are to implement the use of identification marker variant n6, made from materials 8cm wide, to be attached using invisible tape,' reads an order from that month.

Buried in the dry, meandering official language are signs of serious problems with morale at the front. 'The analysis of the current situation regarding suicides shows that the issue of servicemen dying as a result of suicidal incidents remains tense,' reads one entry. It recounts an incident that reportedly took place on 20 January this year, when a conscript soldier entered the summer washing area at a guard post and shot himself in the abdomen.

'The investigation into the incident determined that the cause of the suicide and death was a nervous and psychological breakdown, caused by his prolonged state of depression due to his service in the Russian army,' reads the handwritten report of the incident.

To prevent further such incidents, unit commanders are instructed to identify soldiers who 'are mentally unprepared to fulfil their duties or prone to deviant behaviour, and organise their reassignment and transfer to military medical facilities'.

Further instructions on keeping up morale come in an undated, typed document that explains that soldiers should get 5-10 minutes a day as well as an hour once a week of political instruction, 'aimed at maintaining and raising the political, moral and psychological condition of the personnel'.

The post Russia anticipated Kursk incursion months in advance, seized papers show appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/russia-anticipated-kursk-incursion-months-in-advance-seized-papers-show/

This follows an International call by President Emerson Mnangagwa in April 2024 declaring a nationwide state of emergency where President Kagame swiftly responded as it is in the culture of Rwandans to stand with each other in times of crisis.

'It is with a deep sense of humility that I officiate at this momentous occasion to receive humanitarian assistance by our all-weather friend, the Government Rwanda,' Garwe said.

'I am very grateful to the Government of Rwanda for responding positively to the clarion call for support by the Government of Zimbabwe following the 2023/24 Elnino induced drought disaster that we are grappling with. This is a clear demonstration of our seamless relationship,' Garwe added.

Rwanda has donated food relief to Zimbabwe

'The donation has come at a time when Government and partners are accelerating the implementing of the overarching Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and it will be distributed to the drought stricken communities across the country.' He emphasized.

Both Rwanda and Zimbabwe have a very special bilateral relationship based selflessness and mutual interests which are being fostered through various cooperation agreements.

During the Zimbabwe-Rwanda Trade and Investment Conference held in Harare in 2022, the two nations signed some cooperation agreements that are aimed at enhancing trade and investment between the two nations with the view to improving the standard and quality of life of the people of Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

The cooperation specifically targets Trade and Investment, Mining, Education, Tourism and Agriculture among others.
Overall, the cooperation between Zimbabwe and Rwanda is poised to enhance economic growth, promote cultural exchange, and further strengthen bilateral ties.

In May 2023, Mnangagwa mobilised humanitarian support for victims of flooding and landslides in Rwanda which claimed dozens of lives.

Rwanda and Zimbabwe share cordial relations

Rwanda’s Ambassador to Harare James Musoni and Minister Daniel Garwe sign documents during the event to hand over the food relief

The food relief given to Zimbabwe is prepared and packaged in Rwanda

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-donates-relief-food-to-zimbabwe

While each has unique aspects, China’s efforts to rise from a shattered past to becoming a global giant, speaks volumes about what it can offer and help the African continent along its development journey.

In 2021, China eliminated extreme poverty, lifting 770 million people out of poverty since 1978.

This is one of many examples , highlighting the yielding efforts of the Chinese people under the guidance of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Meanwhile, reports indicate that about 429 million people in Africa live below the extreme poverty line.

As China continues to urbanize, the Shiyou model demonstrates how thoughtful governance and resource integration can make a tangible difference in people’s lives, which Africa can leverage to develop more home grown solutions to enhance the wellbeing of its population.

Located in Dashiba Sub-district, Jiangbei District, Chongqing Municipality, Shiyou Community stands as a testament to modern community care and governance.

Originally established in 2001 as a residential area for a petroleum company, Shiyou has evolved from its industrial roots into a thriving hub focused on fostering a resident-friendly environment.

Covering an area of 0.33 square kilometers, the community accommodates over 5,000 residents from 2,510 households. Despite its past, Shiyou has redefined itself with forward-thinking initiatives, notably its model for elderly home-based care.

At the core of Shiyou’s transformation is its unique governance model, which integrates resources through community space construction and social space reconstruction. This initiative seeks to establish a governance system centered on all-lifestyle scenarios, all-age services, and all-process involvement.

According to Huang Haiyan, the head of the community, Shiyou’s primary goal is to provide residents with convenient, comprehensive services that improve their quality of life.

This focus on modern governance and service has earned Shiyou numerous accolades, including the prestigious National Civilized Community Demonstration Site and National Model Community for Creating Learning-Based Families.

Building an inclusive, modern community

Shiyou Community’s efforts to shape a modern community environment are evident in its all-lifestyle approach. Gone are the days of traditional platform-based offices. Instead, the community has reorganized its six functional divisions within the Party-Masses Service Center into undifferentiated processing windows, bolstered by intelligent equipment.
The result? A 24/7 intelligent station that delivers one-stop services for residents.

These services encompass everything from single-window integrated processing and proactive life assistance to online processing with remote guidance. Shiyou has also established a 15-minute urban living circle by transforming 13 stores into “neighborhood living bazaars.”

These diversified establishments cater to the daily needs of residents, offering household appliance repairs, grocery shopping, laundry services, and even volunteer clinics. By providing convenient, high-frequency services, Shiyou ensures that residents are never far from the help they need.

All-age services

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Shiyou’s community care model is its commitment to supporting residents of all ages, particularly its elderly population. Recognizing the challenges faced by senior citizens, especially those living alone or with mobility issues, Shiyou has transformed five stores into senior citizen canteens. These canteens operate under a service model that includes centralized meal distribution, nearby dining options, and door-to-door delivery.

This initiative has been a game-changer for elderly residents. With an average daily attendance of more than 370, the canteens have become a sustainable solution to the dining needs of the elderly. To further support this group, meal prices are subsidized based on age. Seniors aged 60 to 75 pay just 13 Yuan per meal, while those aged 80 and above enjoy meals for only 10 Yuan. Managed by the Center for Senior Citizens’ Care, the canteens provide nutritious meals and foster a sense of community among the elderly residents.

Beyond meal services, Shiyou offers a range of activities that engage residents of all ages. Fun knowledge quizzes, youth quality enhancement programs, and shared parenting spaces contribute to the vibrant, intergenerational atmosphere within the community. These initiatives ensure that residents not only receive essential services but also have opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together.

Grid-based services

Shiyou’s success lies in its collaborative governance approach, which involves residents at every stage of decision-making. To facilitate this, the community has adopted a grid-based governance system—a widely used model in China that divides the area into smaller grids for more effective management. This system allows for more personalized services and improved governance efficiency.

The community has selected 12 key individuals, including officials and governance team members, to serve as grid chiefs. Their efforts have led to the resolution of various property conflicts and the successful completion of livelihood projects, such as traffic diversion and elevator retrofitting. These accomplishments demonstrate the power of community collaboration and the importance of involving residents in governance processes.

Grid services further enhance Shiyou’s community care model. The community provides heated meals, charging stations, rented umbrellas, and other essential services directly to residents’ doorsteps. Additionally, Shiyou has established six volunteer service teams, allowing residents to exchange service hours for charity items or discounts on living services. This system promotes a culture of mutual assistance and fosters strong relationships among neighbors.

Shiyou Community’s innovative approach to elderly home-based care and community governance serves as a blueprint for other communities seeking to enhance the quality of life for their residents.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/borrowing-a-leaf-from-shiyou-community-s-home-based-support-model-for-the

The Head of State made these remarks at the 11th Annual Asia Summit in Singapore during a fireside chat moderated by Richard Ditizio, CEO of the Milken Institute, a U.S.-based organization.

The discussion focused on Rwanda’s journey of socio-economic transformation.

Kagame is currently in Singapore, where his visit is expected to conclude on September 23, 2024.

During the conversation, Kagame shared the homegrown solutions that have contributed to Rwanda’s development across various sectors.

“Governance is an issue of rights and accountability. You avoid things you know will undermine your progress. In governance, we fight corruption because we realized a lot of resources that could go into health, food security, and education—end up unfairly in the hands of a few,” said Kagame.

He added, “We have created an environment where people involved in corruption understand it’s not a good thing, especially when you are caught.”

With 74 percent of Rwanda’s population aged 35 years or younger, Kagame highlighted that the country’s efforts in promoting accountability and good governance are vital for guiding this large segment of the population towards a prosperous future.

“We ensure that as they grow up and take on responsibilities, they come from a background of understanding accountability and governance, and the benefits that come with it,” he noted.

'We have made sure that as they grow up and take these responsibilities, they come from this background and understand issues of accountability, governance and their benefits,' he noted.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment in decision-making roles are also among Rwanda’s most celebrated achievements over the past 30 years.

In the Chamber of Deputies, for instance, women make up 63.8% of the representatives.
When asked why Rwanda prioritized this policy, Kagame explained that it was essential to break away from the country’s tragic past and gender divide.

“We’ve been realistic from the beginning. When we look at our people, we consider everyone, irrespective of gender—not just in terms of numbers but also in terms of rights.

'We have had enough of the divide in our history. So, we learned our lessons to make sure that we increasingly bring our people together irrespective of their background and even gender. That is where it stems from,' he stated.

Kagame also noted that women in Rwanda now have access to education on par with their male counterparts, a change that has paid off for the country’s growth.

Highlighting that women make up 52 percent of Rwanda’s population, Kagame remarked, “I don’t know how intelligent anyone would be to exclude over 50 percent of your population. It doesn’t take much logic to understand that you simply cannot do that.”

In a remarkable achievement over the past 15 years, Rwanda has increased household access to electricity from 6% in 2009 to 75% as of March 2024.

Furthermore, Rwanda is among the top African countries with high health insurance coverage for its population, making significant strides in healthcare accessibility.

Kagame attributed these successes to the accountability of Rwandans and the collective choice to make good decisions for the future.

The Asia Summit, which Kagame is attending, began on Wednesday, September 18, and will conclude on Friday, September 22.

President Kagame emphasized the significance of accountability and the fight against corruption as pillars for the country’s progress.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/we-have-been-realistic-from-the-beginning-kagame-on-gender-parity

The bustling city of Shanghai marks national celebrations with world-famous light shows, illuminating its skyscrapers with dazzling colors, like beacons of Chinese innovation.

It is here that scientists and engineers work around the clock to pursue the next big thing in global tech, from 6G internet and advanced AI to next-generation robotics. It's also here, on an unassuming downtown street, a small start-up called Energy Singularity is working on something extraordinary: nuclear fusion energy.

US companies and industry experts are worried America is losing its decades-long lead in the race to master this near-limitless form of clean energy, as new fusion companies sprout across China, and Beijing outspends DC.

Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun and other stars, is painstakingly finicky to replicate on Earth. Many countries have achieved fusion reactions, but sustaining them for long enough to use in the real world remains elusive.

Mastering fusion is an enticing prospect that promises wealth and global influence to whichever country tames it first.

The city of Shanghai by night.

Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times/Redux

The prize of this energy is its sheer efficiency. A controlled fusion reaction releases around four million times more energy than burning coal, oil or gas, and four times more than fission, the kind of nuclear energy used today. It won't be developed in time to fight climate change in this crucial decade, but it could be the solution to future warming.

The Chinese government is pouring money into the venture, putting an estimated $1 billion to $1.5 billion annually into fusion, according to Jean Paul Allain, who leads the US Energy Department's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. In comparison, the Biden administration has spent around $800 million a year.

'To me, what's more important than the number, it's actually how fast they're doing this,' Allain told CNN.

Private businesses in both countries are optimistic, saying they can get fusion power on the grid by the mid-2030s, despite the enormous technical challenges that remain.

The US was among the world's first to move on the futuristic gambit, working on fusion research in earnest since the early 1950s. China's foray into fusion came later that decade. More recently, its pace has ratcheted up: Since 2015, China's fusion patents have surged, and it now has more than any other country, according to industry data published by Nikkei.

Energy Singularity, the start-up in Shanghai, is just one example of China's warp speed.

It built its own tokamak in the three years since it was established, faster than any comparable reactor has ever been built. A tokamak is a highly complex cylindrical or donut-shaped machine that heats hydrogen to extreme temperatures, forming a soup-like plasma in which the nuclear fusion reaction occurs.

Plasma confined in Energy Singularity's tokamak during an experiment.

Energy Singularity

For a fledgling company working on one of the world's most difficult physics puzzles, Energy Singularity is incredibly optimistic. It has reason to be: It has received more than $112 million in private investment and it has also achieved a world first — its current tokamak is the only one to have used advanced magnets in a plasma experiment.

Known as high-temperature superconductors, the magnets are stronger than the copper ones used in older tokamaks. According to MIT scientists researching the same technology, they allow for smaller tokamaks that can generate as much fusion energy as larger ones, and they can better confine plasma.

The company is planning to build a second-generation tokamak to prove its methods are commercially viable by 2027, and it expects a third-gen device that can feed power to the grid before 2035, the company said.

In contrast, the tokamaks in the US are aging, said Andrew Holland, CEO of the Washington, DC-based Fusion Industry Association. As a result, the US relies on its allies' machines in Japan, Europe and the UK to further its research.

Holland pointed to a new $570 million fusion research park in eastern China under construction, called CRAFT, on track to be completed next year.

'We don't have anything like that,' he told CNN. 'The Princeton Platinum Physics Laboratory has been upgrading its tokamak for 10 years now. The other operating tokamak in the United States, the DIII-D, is a 30-year-old machine. There's no modern fusion facilities at American national labs.'

There's a growing unease in the US industry that China is beating America at its own game. Some of the next-generation tokamaks China has built, or plans to, are essentially 'copies' of US designs and use components that resemble those made in America, Holland said.

A staff member welds parts together at the CRAFT fusion research park in in Hefei, eastern China, in September 2023. The BEST tokamak will be built next to CRAFT.

Xinhua/Shutterstock

China's state-funded BEST tokamak, which is expected to be completed in 2027, is a copy of one designed by Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Holland said, a company in Massachusetts working with MIT. The two designs feature the same kind of advanced magnets Energy Singularity is using.

Another machine being built by a private Chinese company looks very similar to one designed by the US company Helion, Holland said.

There is 'a long history' of China copying American tech, he added.›

'They're fast followers and then take the lead by dominating the supply chain,' Holland said, using solar panel technology as an example. 'We're aware of this and want to make sure that's not the way it goes forward.'

CNN did not receive a reply from China's National Energy Administration when asked whether state-funded fusion research had copied or been inspired by US designs.

Lasers vs. tokamaks

Nuclear fusion is a highly complex process that involves forcing together two nuclei that would normally repel. One way to do that is to turn up temperatures in a tokamak to the tune of 150 million degrees Celsius, 10 times that of the sun's core.

When they bind, the nuclei let off a large amount of energy as heat, which can then be used to turn turbines and generate power.

The US has been a fusion leader for decades; it was the first nation to apply fusion energy in the real world — in a hydrogen bomb.

In the early 1950s, the US military tested a series of nuclear weapons in the Pacific Ocean that were 'boosted' by gases that created a fusion reaction, resulting in an explosion 700 times the power of Hiroshima blast.

Sustaining nuclear fusion for long periods is much more challenging, and while China races ahead with its tokamaks, the US is finding an edge in other technology: lasers.

In late 2022, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California shot nearly 200 lasers at a cylinder holding a fuel capsule the size of a peppercorn, in the world's first successful experiment to generate a net gain of fusion energy. That means more power came out of the process than was used to heat the capsule (though they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers).

A component in the laser system at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where scientists successfully achieved 'ignition' to produce a fusion reaction.

Damien Jemison/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

There are yet more ways to achieve nuclear fusion, and the US is hedging its bets on a variety of technologies.

It's not impossible that approach could pay off.

'We don't know exactly which is going to be the best concept, and it may not be one,' said Melanie Windridge, a UK-based plasma physicist and CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. There may ultimately be several viable approaches for fusion power, she told CNN. 'And then it will come down to costs and other factors in the longer term.'

But the tokamak is the best-researched concept, she said.

'Over time, it's had the most research put into it, so it's the most advanced in terms of the physics,' said Windridge. 'And a lot of the private companies are building on that.'

With the money China is putting into research, the tokamak concept is rapidly evolving. China's EAST tokamak in Hefei held plasma stable at 70 million degrees Celsius — five times hotter than the core of the sun — for more than 17 minutes, a world record and an objectively astonishing breakthrough.

Related articleScientists successfully replicate historic nuclear fusion breakthrough three times

Mikhail Maslov of the UK Atomic Energy Authority described it as an 'important milestone,' adding that running long plasma pulses remains one of the biggest technical challenges to commercializing fusion energy.

While China's government pours money into fusion, the US has attracted far more private investment. Globally, the private sector has spent $7 billion on fusion in the last three to four years, about 80% of which has been by US companies, the DOE's Allain said.

'In the US, what you have is that entrepreneurial spirit of being able to really think outside the box and innovate and really address some of these gaps, not just in science, but also in the technology,' he said.

But if the Chinese government continues to invest more than $1 billion a year, that could soon eclipse US spending, even in the private sector.

And if those investments pay off, colorful celebrations in Shanghai will not only be powered by fusion, they will cast China in a whole new light.

CNN's Shawn Deng contributed to this report.

The post The US led on nuclear fusion for decades. Now China is in position to win the race appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/the-us-led-on-nuclear-fusion-for-decades-now-china-is-in-position-to-win-the-race/

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The former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has been accused of raping five women and sexually abusing at least 15 others when they worked at the luxury department store, according to a BBC investigation.

More than 20 women, all of whom were Fayed's former employees, told a BBC documentary they were sexually assaulted by him and that Harrods covered up the abuse.

The store's current owners said they were 'utterly appalled' by the allegations and apologised to the victims.

Fayed, who sold Harrods in 2010, died last year aged 94. His obituary in the Guardian noted there were repeated allegations of sexual harassment of female staff during his lifetime.

In 2009 the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge Fayed over the claim he had sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl at the store. In 2013 he was interviewed by police after a woman alleged he had sexually attacked her at his Park Lane apartment after a job interview. The police reopened the case in 2015 but took no further action. Fayed always denied the allegations.

The alleged victims give detailed accounts of the abuse, including some on camera, in the new documentary, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods. It alleges the abuse took place in London, Paris, Saint-Tropez and Abu Dhabi.

One woman told the BBC she was raped as a teenager in Fayed's Park Lane apartment. 'Mohamed Al Fayed was a monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass,' she told the BBC.

Three other women told the BBC they were also raped by him in the apartment. A fifth woman, named only as Gemma, said on camera that Fayed raped her at his Villa Windsor apartment in Paris and then made her wash herself with disinfectant.

She told the programme: 'Obviously he wanted me to erase any trace of him being anywhere near me.'

The documentary-makers say the women came forward after seeing Fayed sympathetically portrayed in the Netflix series The Crown. The episodes in question covered Diana, Princess of Wales's relationship with Fayed's son Dodi, and their deaths in a car crash in 1997.

One woman, whom the BBC names only as Sophia, says Fayed tried to rape her more than once when she was a personal assistant to him from 1988 to 1991. Speaking of Fayed's portrayal in The Crown, she told the BBC: 'People shouldn't remember him like that.'

Bruce Drummond, a barrister representing several of the women, told the BBC: 'The spider's web of corruption and abuse at this company was unbelievable and very dark.'

In a statement, Harrods said: 'We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed. These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time as a business we failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologise.

'The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010; it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.

'This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees.

'While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.'

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Petrol station investments have become increasingly popular among wealthy individuals due to their lucrative returns. Some station owners earn up to $10,000 monthly from leasing, depending on location.

This steady income stream has attracted many landowners to develop petrol stations, securing permits and partnering with petroleum companies, which often finance the construction in exchange for a profit-sharing lease.

However, the boom in petrol station investments has resulted in poorly planned developments, with more entrants rushing into the market without proper planning.

Authorities are now tightening construction regulations to ensure compliance with modern standards and curb the reckless spread of stations.

Recent inspections revealed that 19 petrol stations in Kigali do not meet the required standards and are set to be demolished.

Many of these stations were found to be located in wetlands, near water sources, or in environmentally sensitive areas.

Nine of these stations have been given a 60-day notice, starting September 4, 2024, to be demolished by their owners.

The affected stations were identified during a meeting between regulatory authorities and petroleum investors.

These stations are located in wetlands earmarked for restoration in Kigali, including Gikondo, Rwampara, Rugenge-Rwintare, Kibumba, and Nyabugogo, part of a larger project funded by the World Bank with an $80 million budget aimed at restoring 408 hectares of wetlands.

Among the stations marked for demolition are three Engen stations (one at Poids Lourd and two at Giticyinyoni), two SP stations (one at Rwandex and one at Rugunga), a Rubis station at Giticyinyoni, the Maxi station at Poids Lourd (formerly Car Wash), Lake Petroleum on the road to Rusororo, and the former Hashi station at Kinamba along the road to Gisozi.

While many investors acknowledge the inevitability of this decision—especially as nearby developments have already been cleared—the demolitions signal a broader crackdown on non-compliant stations. This is just the first phase, with more stations slated for demolition later.

Stricter construction regulations

The 2017 regulations required stations that did not meet standards to either renovate within two years or face demolition within five years.

The updated 2023 regulations shorten the timeline, giving owners two years to either renovate or demolish their stations.

With the revised rules in place, stations that fail to comply by 2025 will face demolition, including 10 additional stations identified in the recent inspections.

Many of these stations were built before current regulations, and their locations are now considered unsuitable under the new guidelines.

Increasing distance between stations

Rwanda currently has 337 petrol stations, with 129 located in Kigali. Many are situated too close to residential areas or in environmentally or safety-sensitive zones.

Along the seven-kilometer stretch between downtown Kigali and Remera, there are 13 stations, demonstrating the overcrowding problem.

In the Eastern Province along the Bugesera road, station construction is rapidly increasing as investors anticipate heavy traffic from the soon-to-be-completed Bugesera International Airport.

To address these issues, current regulations mandate a minimum distance of 1,000 meters between stations along the same road.

IGIHE has learnt that these regulations are under review, with potential increases in the required distance between stations to five or even 10 kilometers in some areas.

SP station located at Rwandex is set for demolition.

Engen station at Giticyinyoni will also be demolished.

Maxi station at Poids Lourd (formerly Car Wash).

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/petrol-stations-failing-to-comply-with-regulations-set-for-demolition