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According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), NCA officers arrested a man in his 40s in West Sussex Tuesday evening on suspicion of “Computer Misuse Act offences.”

“He has been released on conditional bail,” an announcement added while providing no more details.

“Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing,” said Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit.

The cyberattack targeted Collins Aerospace, the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems. Airports in air hubs such as London, Brussels and Berlin reported delays and cancellations of flights after the attack over the weekend, which forced them to use manual check-in and boarding.

The empty departure hall of Brussels Airport is seen in Zaventem, Belgium, Feb. 13, 2025.

Xinhua

The race was a nail-biting contest, especially between Australia and France. As the French team—consisting of Bruno Armirail, Paul Seixas, Pavel Sivakov, Cédrine Kerbaol, Juliette Labous, and Maëva Squiban—crossed the line with a time of 54:35.71, they briefly held the hot seat but had to settle for silver. Despite holding the lead for the majority of the race, France could not hold off Australia’s final push. Switzerland, also battling hard throughout the race, secured third place with a time of 54:58.89.

Switzerland’s remarkable recovery

Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser showed exceptional resilience when an unexpected bike change left her temporarily behind the pack. Undeterred, Reusser rejoined her teammates and, with solid teamwork, helped Switzerland finish just 10 seconds behind France. The Swiss team’s recovery demonstrated their tenacity and ability to handle adversity under pressure.

Top times at the relay point

The race unfolded dynamically, with Switzerland setting the early pace, leading the field after the men’s trio finished their part. Italy briefly surged to the top, but France overtook them at the midway switchover, moving into the lead.

At that point, Switzerland remained in the top spot, holding a 20-second advantage. As the women riders took over, France put in the quickest women’s time of the day—12 seconds faster than anyone else and 28 seconds ahead of Australia. This fast-paced finish set up a dramatic showdown for the gold, with Australia ultimately securing victory by a narrow margin.

Amanda Spratt, reflecting on the intense final moments of the race, said, 'I knew from the cobbled climb on that it was just going to be like hell, just push through and push through. Brodie was so strong in that last part, so I knew I had to hold the wheel and that it was going to be close. Matt White, our director, was screaming at us to sprint, sprint, sprint.'

Teammate Michael Matthews added, 'It’s not often we get a chance to ride with other Aussies like this in a full Aussie event, so I think we had full focus for this after we won last year. Just being back with the team and mixing it with the girls in the last few days, and putting it together today was just the cherry on top of the cake.'

The Mixed Relay featured 15 teams, with fierce competition throughout the day. Germany, who lost the previous year’s title to Australia by less than a second, finished in 5th place with a time of 56:04.05, 1:33.58 behind the winners.

Meanwhile, Italy faded from second place at the midway point to finish fourth, with a time of 55:45.03. The battle for the top five spots was intense, with only seconds separating the teams.

Rwanda, with a team composed of Byukusenge Patrick, Nkundabera Eric, Uwiduhaye Mike, Ingabire Diane, Nirere Xaverine, and Nyirarukundo Claudette, put up a strong fight and finished in 11th place with a time of 1:03:08.97, 8:38.50 behind the winning Australian team. Their performance on home soil was a testament to their growing presence in international cycling.

2025 UCI mixed relay final results

1. Australia — 54:30.47

2. France — 54:35.71 (+5.24)

3. Switzerland — 54:40.47 (+10.00)

4. Italy — 55:45.03 (+1:14.56)

5. Germany — 56:04.05 (+1:33.58)

6. Spain — 56:25.99 (+1:55.52)

7. Belgium — 58:50.14 (+4:19.67)

8. Ukraine — 1:00:33.83 (+6:03.36)

9. China — 1:01:08.72 (+6:38.25)

10. Ethiopia — 1:02:22.60 (+7:52.13)

11. Rwanda — 1:03:08.97 (+8:38.50)

12. Mauritius — 1:03:28.23 (+8:57.76)

13. UCI World Cycling Centre — 1:03:34.14 (+9:03.67)

14. Uganda — 1:05:58.19 (+11:27.72)

15. Benin — 1:12:14.74 (+17:44.27)

Australia emerged victorious in the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, successfully defending their Mixed Relay Team Time Trial (TTT) title. The Australian team, featuring elite riders Michael Matthews, Luke Plapp, Jay Vine, Brodie Chapman, Amanda Spratt, and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, completed the 41.8km course in 54:30.47, narrowly edging out France by just five seconds.

The race was a nail-biting contest, especially between Australia and France.

Switzerland, also battling hard throughout the race, secured third place with a time of 54:58.89.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

According to an RDF statement released on Wednesday, Sergeant Sadiki Emmanuel, a military driver, accidentally strayed across the Gasenyi—Nemba border and was apprehended by Burundian police. He is currently being held at Kirundo Police Station in Busoni commune, Butanyera Province.

The RDF described the event as an 'unfortunate common border incident' and assured the public that diplomatic channels will be used to facilitate the soldier’s return.

'RDF regrets this unfortunate common border incident and will undertake necessary diplomatic actions with the Government of Burundi to bring the soldier back home,' the statement read.

IGIHE

Speaking at a high-level meeting on R2P held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, stressed that unchecked hate speech in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is laying dangerous ground for mass violence.

'These exchanges are not merely academic, they are part of our collective responsibility to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,' he said.

Nduhungirehe’s intervention comes amid escalating threats against Tutsi communities in eastern DRC, where armed groups, including the FDLR—formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi—continue to operate with backing from Kinshasa. He said the current patterns of ethnic incitement bear troubling similarities to the build-up to the 1994 tragedy in Rwanda.

'Rwanda knows more than most the cost of inaction,' he warned. 'Yet in the Great Lakes region today, we see once again the rise of hate speech, identity-based violence and a fast-spreading genocide ideology—warning signs we cannot afford to ignore.'

The Rwandan minister underscored that while the R2P framework, adopted in 2005, tasked states with protecting their citizens and empowered the international community to intervene when they failed, implementation has fallen short.

He criticised the selective application of the doctrine, saying that ignoring structural injustices and 'buying into fabricated narratives that invert the roles of victims and perpetrators' undermines the UN’s moral authority.

'Sovereignty must be understood as a responsibility, not a shield for inaction,' he said. 'When states fail to protect their own populations, the legitimacy of international action should not be in question. Lives lost because of our hesitation in the name of sovereignty are lives betrayed by the very UN Charter we swore to uphold.'

Nduhungirehe urged the UN to shift from statements to concrete preventive measures, calling for early warning systems to translate into early action and for clear accountability mechanisms against incitement.

'Hate speech is not free speech when it lays the foundation for genocide,' he said, stressing that actors who fuel violence should face institutional consequences and lose international support.

While acknowledging progress such as the creation of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and early warning tools, he insisted that gaps remain, particularly in the consistency and timeliness of responses.

'R2P will be judged not by the eloquence of our debate, but by whether it prevents the next mass atrocity. Rwanda, therefore, proposes concrete actions,' he said, adding that the doctrine must be rooted in the historical realities of the Great Lakes region, where land disputes, exclusion and historical injustice continue to drive conflict.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, stressed that unchecked hate speech in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is laying dangerous ground for mass violence.

IGIHE

The smartphones were distributed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, following a training session on the “Byikorere” campaign (do it yourself), which aims to improve access to e-government services. This initiative was a collaborative effort between the Rwanda Education Assistance Project (REAP) and Rwamagana District.

Of the smartphones, 150 were distributed to five individuals from each village, including village leaders, community health workers, and selected committee members, while six smartphones were allocated to cell advisory council leaders.

This distribution is expected to enable these leaders to assist residents in accessing Irembo services directly, eliminating the need for lengthy travel to find Irembo agents.

Theoneste Sindambiwe, leader of Nyantoki Village in the Budahanda Cell of Musha Sector, expressed his gratitude for the donation, noting the previous challenges faced by his community. Residents had to either walk for two hours or pay for a motorcycle ride to reach the Irembo agent at the sector office.

“I will now go to my people and help them access services like paying for Mutuelle de Sante, Ejo Heza, and more,” Sindambiwe said. “It was a struggle to reach Irembo services, as we had to pay Frw 3,000 for a round trip, which was very inconvenient.”

Jean Paul Gahamanyi, a community health worker from Rutoma Village, also shared his experience: “I used to need certain services from Irembo, which was exhausting because getting to the agent involved a Frw 1,000 transport cost. Now, I can access many of these services on my own. The money I used to spend on transport will now go towards other needs, and I will be able to assist my fellow citizens as well.”

Emmanuel Muhawenimana, a resident of Rwabiyange Village in the Budahanda Cell, echoed similar sentiments. “There were many services we struggled to pay for due to our remote location. Now, I am excited about using the smartphone to access these services. It will help us save the money we used to spend traveling to find Irembo agents. Additionally, we will be able to get services more quickly.”

Darius Habamenshi, the Country Director of REAP, explained that during a visit by Members of Parliament to Musha Sector last year, community members raised concerns about the challenges they faced in accessing digital government services. This feedback led to the initiative to provide smartphones, aiming to simplify the process for residents in accessing these essential services.

Jeanne Umutoni, the Vice Mayor of Rwamagana District in charge of social welfare, highlighted that providing smartphones would significantly contribute to the development of the community. She encouraged recipients to assist others in accessing government services.

“This will increase productivity, as people will be able to request services without traveling to the Cell or Sector offices,” Umutoni explained. “They can request these services from their homes or fields, improving their livelihoods and preventing people from missing out on important services due to the burden of travel.”

Umutoni also emphasized the district is working with various partners to expand the program, and ensure that more citizens in other sectors benefit from smartphones and the “Byikorere” campaign.

A total of 156 local leaders from Musha Sector in Rwamagana District have received smartphones to help residents access vital digital services.

The recipients were enthusiastic about the potential benefits of using smartphones.

This distribution is expected to enable these leaders to assist residents in accessing Irembo services directly, eliminating the need for lengthy travel to find Irembo agents.

The smartphones were distributed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

Jeanne Umutoni, the Vice Mayor of Rwamagana District in charge of social welfare, highlighted that providing smartphones would significantly contribute to the development of the community.

IGIHE

Speaking in a televised address less than two hours before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)’s scheduled announcement of final results for the election, Chakwera thanked all Malawians for their support over the past five years.

In the last update on the official presidential results Monday, Mutharika had over two million votes against Chakwera’s over 700,000 votes.

“It’s well clear that my main rival, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, had already secured an insurmountable lead and is the presumptive winner of the presidential election,” said Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party.

“For this reason, a moment ago I called Professor Mutharika directly to congratulate him on his historic victory and to wish him well in his upcoming tenure as the seventh President of the Republic of Malawi,” he said.

He thanked his supporters, saying he would “forever be grateful for your trust in me and for your support of my candidacy,” and urged all Malawians to support Mutharika’s drive for national prosperity.

Chakwera also hailed the MEC for what he described as a commendable job in presiding over the general elections.

Malawi’s incumbent president Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday conceded defeat in the Sept. 16 presidential election in which former president Peter Mutharika is leading by over one million votes.

Xinhua

Fabian Ndenzako, WHO representative to Botswana and the Southern African Development Community, made the remarks at the Fifth African Ministers of Health Session on Palliative Care, held as part of the eighth International African Palliative Care and Allied Services Conference from Tuesday to Friday in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

Ndenzako emphasized that Africa continues to bear the highest burden of life-threatening diseases while facing significant legal and logistical barriers to accessing essential pain-relief medications.

He commended the progress made by many governments in the region. “Many governments have included palliative care in their universal health coverage documents, strategies, and guidelines,” he said, also noting advances in training health professionals and supporting community and home-based care models.

Lawrence Ookeditse, Botswana’s acting minister of health, acknowledged the country’s strides, such as the launching of its National Hospice and Palliative Care Policy. However, he cited ongoing challenges, including political prioritization, financing, coverage, and commodity availability.

Ookeditse reiterated the government’s commitment to bolstering both community home-based care and palliative care. “Together we will advocate for stronger support, a higher level of investment, and better policies that prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable populations,” he said.

Xinhua

“I declare Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta, a duly nominated candidate in respect of the presidential elections 2026,” said EC Chairperson Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.

“The commission calls on all participants, their agents, aspirants, and the general public to uphold the values of peace, dignity, and mutual respect throughout the nomination process and mostly in the upcoming campaign period for the presidential candidates,” Byabakama added.

The ruling National Resistance Movement party in July endorsed Museveni, who has been in power for 39 years, as its sole presidential candidate and national chairman for the next five years.

Museveni, 81, accompanied by other senior party officials, thanked the commission for approving his candidacy. The president, seeking a seventh consecutive five-year term, said his priorities would include wealth creation programs, free education in government schools, road maintenance, improved health services, and tackling crime.

According to the commission, presidential campaigns will start on Sept. 29, with voting scheduled for Jan. 2, 2026.

Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday officially declared President Yoweri Museveni a candidate for the 2026 general elections after verifying his nomination documents at its headquarters in the capital, Kampala.

Xinhua

A collective voice

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on the first day of the general debate that “in Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” highlighting “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his years as secretary-general.

He called for the full and immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access, adding that “we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-state solution.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the Hamas terror attacks in his remarks on Tuesday, noting that international humanitarian law and the myth of Western exceptionalism were buried under the rubble there, and the survival of the Palestinian people requires an independent state.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reiterated his country’s complete support for the two-state solution, calling for both Palestine and Israel to be free and independent, safe and secure from threats and terrorism. Indonesia is ready to deploy 20,000 or even more people to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere, and this year, over self-sufficiency, it exported rice to other nations in need, including to Palestine, he said.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that security will only come when Palestine and Israel begin to co-exist side by side. “This is the two-state solution, in line with international law and UN resolutions: an independent and viable Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, … alongside a secure Israel, … living in peace with its neighbors,” he noted.

“We reaffirm our support of the two-state solution with the UN playing a central role. Kazakhstan acknowledges diplomatic initiatives aimed at regional reconciliation in the Middle East,” said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the deeply worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the continuation of political negotiations,” said Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, adding that “in line with the UN resolutions, we remain steadfast supporters of the two-state solution principle.”

Uncertainties ahead

Speaking Tuesday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump struck a different tone, urging immediate action in Gaza. “Release the hostages now — just release the hostages now,” he said, adding that “we have to negotiate peace, get the hostages back — all 20 back — and 38 dead bodies back.” Meanwhile, he warned against unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, saying it would amount to “a reward to Hamas for its horrible atrocities.”

A summit organized by France and Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of the general debate in New York was portrayed as an urgent effort to salvage the long-deferred vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, as Israel continues its offensive in Gaza City against Hamas and rapidly expands its settlements in the West Bank, the notion seems more distant than ever.

“We must pave the way for peace,” said French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, to applause from those at the meeting and a standing ovation from the Palestinian delegation. “Today, France recognizes the State of Palestine,” he said, noting recent statements of recognition, some not yet formalized, by Britain, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium and several others.

“France, Britain and the other countries recognizing a Palestinian state this week say they aim to salvage whatever hope remains for the internationally backed formula to end the half-century-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians: a Jewish state of Israel at peace with a neighboring Palestinian one,” reported The New York Times on Monday.

“But nearly two years into the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, Israelis and Palestinians alike say the possibility of a two-state solution seems more remote than ever,” it noted.

On Sept. 12, the General Assembly adopted by a wide margin the “New York Declaration,” which called for “just and lasting peace grounded in international law and based on the two-state solution.” To end the war, it urged Hamas to “end its role in Gaza, and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.” The United States and Israel voted against the text.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”

The idea of establishing one nation each for Jewish and Palestinian populations, living alongside each other in peace, predated the UN’s founding in 1945. Drafted and redrafted since then, the concept has appeared in dozens of UN Security Council resolutions, multiple peace talks and in the General Assembly’s recently resumed 10th emergency special session.

On Tuesday, Guterres warned that the viability of a two-state solution is steadily eroding, now reaching its most critical level in more than a generation, in a statement at a UN Security Council high-level meeting on the Palestinian question, highlighting relentless settlement expansion, de facto annexation, and forced displacement as evidence of the erosion.

“Cycles of deadly violence, including by extremist settlers, have entrenched an unlawful Israeli occupation and pushed us perilously close to a point of no return,” he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, September 23, 2025.

Xinhua

In an interview with Russia’s Izvestia newspaper, Galuzin said that what he described as a “war party” in the EU was seeking to undermine positive steps in U.S.-Russia contacts, including the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska, which focused on a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

“These forces … are trying to disrupt this process and pull the United States to their side,” Galuzin said. “They are resorting to unscrupulous methods such as baseless accusations against Russia of violating NATO countries’ airspace or sending drones into their territory.”

Galuzin stated that allegations of Russian airspace violations lack credible evidence.

His remarks followed recent statements by Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who said Tallinn had requested consultations with NATO allies under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty after claiming that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace last Friday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry denied the allegations, saying that the aircraft had conducted a planned flight from Karelia to the Kaliningrad region in full compliance with international airspace regulations.

The ministry underlined that the jets did not deviate from their approved route and did not cross Estonia’s borders, a fact confirmed by objective monitoring data.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin accused certain political forces in the European Union (EU) of attempting to derail dialogue between Moscow and Washington by leveling unfounded accusations against Russia, local media reported Wednesday.

Xinhua