Category: Uncategorized

Manzi is facing charges including money laundering, illegal currency trading, and fraudulently acquiring property. Prosecutors allege he lured citizens into investing in Billion Traders by promising high returns, but later failed to deliver.

The defence maintains that part of the funds, equivalent to Frw 7 billion, was repaid, a claim prosecutors dispute, saying no proof has been presented.

Appearing before the court on September 29, Manzi said there was no intent to defraud, adding that he had even approached the National Bank of Rwanda and the Capital Market Authority seeking regulations for his business.

'I believed we were all building the country together, both the investors and us who were generating returns,' he said.

Defence lawyers argued that some investors had already reached repayment agreements, which they said should not be combined with the criminal proceedings.

But lawyers representing more than 100 complainants countered that the case is criminal, not commercial, and that any agreements with Manzi could serve as evidence of fraud rather than remove liability.

The Prosecution has requested a 15-year prison sentence and a $52 million fine, stressing that the scheme undermined public trust and damaged the economy.

The court will deliver its verdict on October 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

Businessman Davis Manzi, accused of defrauding investors of more than $10 million through Billion Traders entity, has told the court that complainants should not be awarded damages, arguing the dispute was contractual rather than criminal.

IGIHE

For the first time since the competition began 125 years ago, the world’s best cyclists battled for rainbow jerseys on African soil, and they did so before record crowds.

The UCI President called the event 'probably the most beautiful World Championships ever, here in Africa,' saluting the passion of over one million spectators who lined the routes.

'What amazing races we witnessed this week… There were one million people along the roads today. Thank you very much,' the UCI President said, praising Rwanda’s organisation and President Paul Kagame for delivering an unforgettable debut.

The UCI President called the event 'probably the most beautiful World Championships ever, here in Africa,' saluting the passion of over one million spectators who lined the routes.

Battle for the podium

More than 100 nations sent riders, but only 18 countries managed to convert their efforts into medals across the 13 races, a proof of just how intense and unpredictable the championship was.

At the top of the medal standings, the Netherlands emerged as the most successful nation, claiming two golds, one silver, and one bronze (4 total medals). Great Britain took a close second, powered by two crucial golds but no additional podium spots. France rounded out the top three with a balanced haul of one gold, two silver, and one bronze (4 total medals).

Not far behind, Belgium, Spain, and Switzerland produced a rare four-way deadlock for fourth, each earning one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

Medal scoreboard

Most decorated riders who lit up Kigali

Several riders delivered career-defining performances at the championship. Remco Evenepoel of Belgium once again proved his class, winning the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial and battling through two bike changes to claim silver in the road race, finishing just behind Tadej Pogačar, who lit up Kigali’s climbs with a trademark long-range attack to secure a second consecutive men’s road race world title on Sunday.

Remco Evenepoel of Belgium when he won the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial.

Jay Vine of Australia delivered versatility and power, pairing a silver in the men’s time trial with a pivotal ride in the gold-winning Team Time Trial Mixed Relay.

Jay Vine won the silver medal in the individual time trial at the UCI World Championships.

Swiss time trial specialist Marlen Reusser celebrated a long-awaited breakthrough by capturing the Women’s Elite ITT gold and contributing to Switzerland’s bronze in the mixed relay.

Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser claimed her first-ever rainbow jersey with victory in the Women’s Elite Individual Time Trial in Kigali.

Spain’s young phenom Paula Ostiz Taco made headlines with a stunning victory in the Women’s Junior Road Race — the first ever for her nation — and added a silver from the junior time trial.

Spain struck gold in Kigali as 18-year-old Paula Ostiz Taco delivered a perfectly timed sprint to capture the UCI Women’s Junior Road Race world title.

Meanwhile, rising Slovakian talent Viktória Chladoňová impressed with double silver in the inaugural Women’s Under-23 standalone events.

Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová impressed at the UCI World Championships in Kigali.

What comes next?

The peloton’s next rainbow dream will unfold in Montreal, Canada, host of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, with Kigali’s edition setting a new benchmark for sporting excellence as well as inclusivity and global reach, proving that the world’s biggest cycling stage can thrive far beyond its European origins.

For the first time since the competition began 125 years ago, the world’s best cyclists battled for rainbow jerseys on African soil, and they did so before record crowds.

President Paul Kagame awarded a gold medal and rainbow jersey to Tadej Pogačar, who lit up Kigali’s climbs with a trademark long-range attack to secure a second consecutive men’s road race world title on Sunday.

UCI President praised Rwanda’s organisation and President Paul Kagame for delivering an unforgettable debut.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

This law introduces previously unseen measures, including penalties for deceitfully carrying a pregnancy on behalf of another person and granting individuals below or above the required age.

The most severe offence in the law published in the official Gazette recently is outlined in Article 98, which addresses providing assisted reproductive technology to alter human genetic material.

Anyone convicted of this crime is subject to imprisonment of no less than 20 years but not more than 25 years, and a fine of no less than Frw 40 million but not more than Frw 50 million.

Other offences covered by the law include performing medical procedures that involve placing non-human embryos or gametes into a woman’s reproductive system. Those found guilty face 10 to 15 years in prison and a fine of Frw 20 million to Frw 25 million.

The law also punishes any medical professional who imports or exports gametes or embryos unlawfully, with sentences of 7 to 10 years in prison and fines of Frw 10 million to Frw 15 million.

Similarly, a doctor who provides assisted reproductive technology services aimed at choosing the sex of an unborn child faces six months to one year in prison and a fine of Frw 5 million to Frw 7 million.

Furthermore, the law states that placing gametes or embryos in a woman’s reproductive system without full and verifiable donor identity constitutes a criminal offence. Those convicted face six months to one year in prison and a fine of Frw 2 million to Frw 5 million.

Medical facilities are also held accountable under the new regulations. A facility that matches donors and recipients who are closely related by blood — up to the seventh degree of kinship — is liable to a fine ranging from Frw 5 million to Frw 10 million, along with the possible suspension of assisted reproductive services for three to six months.

Similarly, a facility that accepts anonymous or unlawfully obtained gametes or embryos, or uses gametes and embryos from individuals who are underage or above the permissible age, may face fines between Frw 2 million and Frw 10 million and suspension of services for one to six months.

Facilities that supply gametes or embryos from a single donor to more than one recipient are also subject to the same penalties.

The law further identifies other serious breaches, including using non-human genetic material, importing or exporting gametes or embryos illegally, manipulating human genetic material, and selecting a child’s sex through medical technology.

Facilities found guilty of these offences may be fined no less than Frw 80 million but not more than Frw 100 million, and their authorization to provide assisted reproductive technology services may be suspended for one to three years.

The new healtcare services law introduces penalties for deceitfully carrying a pregnancy on behalf of another person and granting individuals aged 15 and above the right to request any medical service without needing to be accompanied.

IGIHE

According to a statement from the Office of the President , Kagame was given the belt as he received Carlos Takam on the evening of September 28, 2025, shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships hosted in Rwanda.

'Carlos Takam also gifted the President with an original WBC World Champion belt as a tribute to Rwanda and the mission of the Foundation,' reads the statement.

Carlos Takam, is a heavyweight boxer who has competed at the highest levels of the sport against world-class opponents such as Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker.

Carlos Takam is a heavyweight boxer, known for his toughness and willingness to face strong opponents, including a world title challenge against Anthony Joshua in 2017.

He is the founder of the Carlos Takam Foundation, which supports education, healthcare, and sports for children in Africa. Born in Cameroon in 1980, he moved to France to pursue his boxing career and is currently considered one of Africa’s leading boxers.

On the same day, President Kagame also met Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, the Canadian cyclist who made history by winning the elite women’s road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships — becoming the first Canadian woman ever to earn the rainbow jersey.

Magdeleine Vallieres Mill triumphed in the 164.6 km women’s race, completing 11 laps in Kigali and finishing 23 seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black. The 24-year-old Canadian crossed the line in 4 hours, 34 minutes, and 48 seconds to claim the gold medal.

President Paul Kagame has received an original WBC World Champion belt from Cameroonian-French professional boxer Carlos Takam.

Kagame was given the belt as he received Carlos Takam on the evening of September 28, 2025, shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships hosted in Rwanda.

President Kagame also met Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, the Canadian cyclist who made history by winning the elite women’s road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.

IGIHE

In a communiqué issued on Sunday, the group said coalition forces composed of the Congolese army (FARDC), FDLR, Mai-Mai/Wazalendo militias, foreign mercenaries, and the Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) destroyed a bridge in Mpeti, Walikale Territory.

According to the statement, the incident has cut off riverside communities from vital necessities, disrupting the movement of people and goods. The group denounced the act as 'deliberate sabotage' and a violation of the ceasefire framework agreed under the Doha peace process.

'This premeditated and systematic campaign to destroy the Congolese people’s basic infrastructure is isolating civilian populations and obstructing the free movement of people and goods,' the AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka stated.

Terming the attacks as 'crimes against humanity,' the group accused Kinshasa and its allies of pursuing a strategy designed to 'starve and suffocate innocent civilians.' The movement also alleged that Uvira has been turned into 'a command centre of terror' for coordinating such operations.

While vowing to 'protect and defend civilians,' the AFC/M23 reaffirmed its determination to neutralise 'negative forces' threatening populations in eastern Congo.

The accusations come amid a highly volatile situation in eastern DRC, where both the Kinshasa government and M23 frequently trade blame over ceasefire violations and renewed hostilities. Regional leaders and international partners continue to push for a negotiated settlement, but clashes and claims of atrocities persist on the ground.

AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said the destruction of a bridge in Mpeti, Walikale Territory, has cut off riverside communities from vital necessities and disrupted the movement of people and goods.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

In a statement, the Abu Shouk Camp Emergency Room said 73 children under five and 22 elderly individuals had died from hunger and illness among camp residents.

“The security and humanitarian situation in El Fasher remains dire, with residents facing severe shortages of food, water, and healthcare, especially displaced people cut off from aid and basic services,” the statement said. The group warned of a looming health crisis, citing unburied bodies across the city amid ongoing insecurity, and urged international organizations to establish safe corridors for civilians fleeing the conflict.

The Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher, another volunteer group, confirmed the deaths and reported a sharp deterioration in humanitarian conditions, citing ongoing shelling, the collapse of basic services, and the shutdown of most charity kitchens amid funding shortfalls and rising prices.

On Thursday, the Sudan Doctors Network, a non-governmental organization, reported 23 deaths from malnutrition among children and women in El Fasher during the month. In July, the group said 239 children had died in the city since January due to shortages of food and medicine.

Violent clashes have been ongoing in El Fasher since May 2024, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied forces on one side and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the other, with fighting intensifying in recent days.

Sudan remains gripped by a broader conflict between the SAF and RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.

A woman prepares food for children at a displacement camp in El Fasher, North Darfur region, Sudan, on July 9, 2025. (UNICEF/Handout via Xinhua)

Xinhua

Peskov told Russia’s TASS news agency that the invitation extended by Putin to Trump remains on the table.

Peskov added that Putin is ready and willing to hold the meeting with Trump in Moscow. “Everything depends on Trump’s decision,” he said.

In August, following their meeting in Alaska, Putin proposed holding their next meeting in Moscow. The U.S. leader described the proposal as possible, though he acknowledged that he would face criticism for it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Moscow, but the decision rests with the U.S. side, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

Xinhua

Among those dispatched to Washington are Gen Patrick Sasa Nzita and other experts in military and intelligence matters. According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), the delegation is expected to remain in Washington for ten days.

The United States has indicated that, based on the peace agreement signed between Rwanda and the DRC on June 27, 2025, it is interested in collaborating with these nations on projects that will boost their economic development and that of the wider Great Lakes Region.

However, the Congolese delegation in Washington has expressed a desire for the partnership to extend beyond economic cooperation, calling for stronger American involvement in reinforcing the DRC’s security sector.

Currently, the United States is a close ally of both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In those cases, U.S. partnerships go far beyond economic development and include building robust defense and security capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty.

For example, the U.S. played a decisive role in liberating Kuwait in 1991 after its territory was occupied by Iraq. Since then, the partnership has expanded to military collaboration, trade, investment, and counterterrorism initiatives.

Representatives of the DRC stated that their country seeks to develop a relationship with the United States similar to these long-standing alliances with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, combining both economic and security cooperation.

The Congolese government has emphasized its willingness to grant the United States access to some of its mineral resources to help build its security capacity.

In return, it expects the U.S. to support efforts to strengthen the DRC’s ability to ensure its own security — without replacing the Congolese army itself.

According to the Congolese delegation, what the DRC wants is American involvement in modernizing its military, providing up-to-date equipment, and strengthening its defense systems.

This approach, officials say, would enable the DRC to protect its sovereignty and stability while benefiting both nations through a strategic security and economic partnership.

DRC looks to replicate Kuwait—Saudi security cooperation model with Washington.

IGIHE

The championships, held in Rwanda from September 21 to 28, 2025, marked the first time the prestigious cycling competition took place on the African continent.

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar claimed the elite men’s road race title, followed by Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel in second place and Ireland’s Ben Healy in third.

Following the weeklonfg race, President Kagame took to X to applaud everyone involved in the event’s success.

“Rwanda is proud to have hosted this historic UCI Road World Championships. I congratulate all the riders who competed across our capital city for their remarkable achievements and resilience.

'My sincere appreciation to my friend, David Lappartient [UCI President] , the UCI team, our partners, the security organs who kept the race route secure and the people of Rwanda whose energy and support made #Kigali2025 [the race] truly unforgettable,' he said.

The men’s road race started with 165 riders but only 30 managed to finish. None of the six Rwandan cyclists completed the challenging race.

According to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), nearly one million fans lined the streets to watch the elite men’s road race finale in Kigali.

UCI President David Lappartient also praised the event’s success on social media, expressing how the global cycling community was deeply moved by Rwanda’s passion and organization.

Pogačar, who successfully defended his world road race title, said the competition in Rwanda stood out for its challenging but well-prepared course compared to his experience in Australia.

The 2026 UCI Road World Championships are scheduled to take place in Montreal, Canada.

IGIHE

Watters made the comments during Jesse Watters Primetime on Tuesday while discussing U.S. President Donald Trump’s address to world leaders at the General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA). His remarks came after Trump experienced technical difficulties with an escalator and a teleprompter at the UN headquarters.

“What we need to do is either leave the UN or we need to bomb it… maybe gas it… we need to destroy it,” Watters said during the broadcast.

After the UN contacted Fox News about his remarks, Watters issued a private apology to Melissa Fleming, UN under-secretary-general for global communications.

Dujarric emphasized during a briefing that such language was unacceptable. “There is nothing funny or ironic in calling for the bombing, the gassing, the destruction of this building,” he said.

Regarding the technical issues, the UN confirmed that the escalator malfunction occurred after Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto it, because a White House videographer likely triggered the safety mechanism that caused the escalator to stop. A UN official said the teleprompter was being operated by the White House, according to Reuters.

“If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” White House Press Secretary Leavitt wrote on X on Wednesday.

The General Debate of the 80th UNGA officially opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Nearly 150 heads of state and government attended the high-level week of the UNGA.

Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General, said on Friday that Fox News host Jesse Watters apologized for his comments suggesting that the United Nations should be “bombed.”

Xinhua