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The AU chief made the comments while congratulating President Paul Kagame on his re-election in the recently concluded general election.

'H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat warmly congratulates President Paul Kagame upon his brilliant re-election as Head of state following the announcement of the official presidential and legislative election results by the Rwandan National Elections Commission on 22 July 2024,' a statement issued by AUC on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, reads in part.

'The Chairperson also commended the Government and the National Elections Commission for the successful organization and conduct of the elections judged to be peaceful, transparent, free and fair by both national and international observers, including the joint African Union/COMESA Election Observation Mission.'

According to Faki, the Rwandan authorities’ self-financing of the entire electoral process illustrates strong national ownership and commitment to the country’s democratic and governance credentials.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Togolese counterpart Faure Gnassingbé also joined other world leaders on Tuesday in congratulating Kagame for his landslide victory.

In his message to President Kagame, Jinping highlighted that Rwanda has traditionally been a friendly nation to China. He noted that in recent years, relations between China and Rwanda have developed rapidly, yielding fruitful results in various sectors and deepening their traditional friendship.

He committed to working with President Kagame to further enhance mutual political trust and to expand and deepen practical cooperation in various fields.

President Gnassingbe, on his part, said Kagame’s re-election reflects the renewed confidence of the Rwandan people in the RPF Inkotanyi leader’s leadership and vision for the country.

'I hope that this new term will strengthen the ongoing cooperation between our countries and the fraternity between our peoples,' he added.

Kagame secured a landslide victory in last week’s general election, garnering 99.18% of the votes. His opponents, Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, received 0.50% and 0.32% of the votes, respectively.

AU Commission chief Moussa Faki has congratulated President Paul Kagame on his re-election in the recently concluded general election.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/african-union-boss-commends-rwanda-for-free-and-fair-polls

In Rwanda, marriage is viewed as a significant decision that involves careful consideration of various factors, including financial stability, maturity, societal expectations, and individual needs.

In the wake of a legal proposal by the Rwanda government to reduce the marriage age from 21 to 18 years, the public is widely divided.

While some marry before the age of 25, others wait until their 40s or beyond based on personal experiences or observations. To some others, age is just a number.

To comprehensively explore perspectives on the ideal age for marriage and the factors influencing this decision, IGIHE spoke to different members of the society.

A 25-year-old motorcyclist, who preferred to remain anonymous, believes that marriage should begin from age 20.

“Marriage goes with financial ability. From my understanding, a person who is 20 years old or above can get married because at that age someone is at least financially stable to run a family,' he explained.

Yassin Munyentwari, a local journalist in his thirties thinks that there should be no specific age for getting married.

“A person should consider marriage when they feel fully prepared, both mentally and emotionally. This decision should be made after finding someone they believe can spend the rest of their life with them,' he reasoned.

According to him, once consensus between a couple is reached at considering current and future life needs, the decision to get married should apply equally to both girls and boys.

'Everyone should have the autonomy to decide when they feel ready for marriage, without being restricted by age,” he said.

Pascal Baziki, a 33-year-old airtime vendor from Rusizi District, observes that societal pressure often influences people to marry early.

“Some people do it under pressure basing on others who have got married or even given birth. However, I personally think this should be an individual choice,' he said.

Baziki has decided to marry in two years’ time when he clocks the age of 35 because that’s when he will be ready and well equipped to conduct a wedding ceremony without being a burden to anyone.

Solange Niyoniringiye is a 22-year-old businesswoman in Kigali. She shared her views emphasizing that no one should be compelled to marry just because others have.

“A person should be prepared enough to get married. Being engaged is one thing but transforming into a legal marriage involves many factors especially financially. It would be weird to get married and start soliciting for food from neighbors the next day,” she said.

Richard Twizeyimana, a 33-year-old man from Gatsibo District, says that engagements should last at least three years to allow for thorough consideration of one’s life partner.

“Nowadays, people’s engagements can last for one month, but it should be at least three years. That is when you will have enough time to get a thorough understanding of your life partner,' he says.

For ladies in particular, Twizeyimana explains that the perfect age for marriage should be 24 years old and above.

These diverse views highlight that marriage is a subject with varying perspectives.

To address this complex issue, the focus should be put on ensuring the well-being and future prospects of marriage as an institution. Young citizens should be empowered to enter marriage with the maturity and resources necessary for a stable and fulfilling relationship.

Rwandan family law currently sets the legal marriage age at 21. However, in March 2024, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion reported that numerous girls aged 18 to 20 sought permission from the Ministry of Local Government to marry, but their requests were denied.

Sources say that many of those seeking to marry before 21 were either pregnant or sought to take on employment opportunities abroad that require an affirmative marital status.

A legislative proposal is currently under review by the Rwandan Parliament that could potentially lower the marriage age to 18 if individuals have valid reasons.

According to The Barrett Academy, an international think-tank on human consciousness, there are seven stages of psychological development.

Between age 20 and 25, individuals typically reach physical and mental maturity, completing the first three stages: surviving, conforming, and differentiating.

Research by Nicholas H. Wolfinger from the University of Utah suggests that the optimal age for marriage is between 28 and 32.

Marriage is a legally and socially sanctioned union, typically between two individuals, that is regulated by laws, rules, customs, beliefs, and attitudes.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/social/article/relationship-talk-when-is-the-right-time-to-tie-the-knot

The incident occurred in Karongi Village, Nyarusazi Cell, Bwishyura Sector in Karongi District on July 22, 2024.

On the night of July 21st to 22nd, 2024, residents noticed the shed of Mukeshimana Dative on fire. Security patrols and residents rushed to extinguish the fire, but the pig inside did not survive.

After extinguishing fire, they saw another shelter belonging to Emmanuel Nshimyumukiza, which housed a calf, also up in flames but residents managed to save the calf before it was harmed.

Saïba Gashanana, the Executive Secretary of Bwishyura Sector, has told IGIHE that they went to the scene and spoke with the residents, but have not yet determined the exact cause of the arson.

He however, disclosed that three individuals have been arrested in relation to this case. 'Three people have been arrested on suspicion of setting these shelters on fire. They are detained at Rwanda Investigation Bureau [RIB] station in Bwishyura Sector,' he stated.

There are reports suggesting that the arson might be rooted in property disputes, but Gashanana mentioned that the information provided by residents could not be immediately verified.

They are waiting for the results of the investigation being conducted by relevant authorities.

Following the incident, a meeting was held in the area, attended by the Vice Mayor of Karongi District in charge of Economic Development, Theophile Niragire, and security personnel and other sector officials.

The authorities commended the residents and patrols for swift response to help their neighbors. They urged them to continue reporting incidents promptly and to seek assistance from authorities when conflicts arise.

The incident occurred in Karongi Village, Nyarusazi Cell, Bwishyura Sector in Karongi District on July 22, 2024.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/karongi-three-suspects-arrested-for-burning-livestock-shelters

Ugandan police deployed heavily around Kampala City on Monday to forestall planned protests by the youth against corruption in government.

In what reflects methods used by their counterparts in Kenya, where the youth, popularly referred to as Gen-Z, pushed President William Ruto to drop the controversial Finance Bill, 2024 and sack the Cabinet, the Ugandans have been mobilising online, particularly on social media.

Party leaders arrest

Meanwhile, security agencies on Monday deployed at junctions and roundabouts leading to and from the city centre, including Busega on the Kampala-Masaka highway, and Constitutional Square, which was akin to a makeshift barracks.

The National Unity Platform headquarters in Makere-Kivulu, where the party was set to hold a press briefing, was cordoned off by the Army and police, and the party Vice-President Lina Zedriga was arrested and bundled into a police vehicle.

A car belonging to another party leader, Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake, was towed by the police while he was still behind the wheel.

The police spokesperson termed the arrests 'a precautionary move' ahead of planned anti-government protests on Tuesday.

'We cannot surrender this country to such reckless processions. Whenever we have reliable intelligence that certain activities are likely to disrupt order, we heighten our deployment. NUP called everyone from all walks of life. We are saying the longer you take to recognise the rights of others, the longer you will not enjoy your rights too,' Kituuma Rusoke said.

On the social media platform, X, NUP party leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine confirmed the siege on his party headquarters.

'They have turned the National Unity Platform headquarters into a military barracks. Several leaders have been violently arrested. They have now blocked the roads leading to the office. All because they are scared of the people. And, yes, when we lose our fear for them, they will lose their power over us,' said Bobi Wine.

Youth mobilise

Bobi said his party supports the protest, even though he disassociated his movement from organising it.

'The effort by the regime to clamp down and make it look like an NUP initiative is meant to weaken it because they want to make it appear like a partisan matter,' said Bobi. 'The #AntiCorruptionProtests as we know them are organised by the young people of Uganda regardless of their age, religion, tribe or political affiliation!'

'But we support them with all our might because we are #PeoplePower and we absolutely believe in the Power of the People. We support every effort to protest against injustice, corruption and misrule,' he added.

Museveni warnings

President Yoweri Museveni warned protesters that they would be 'playing with fire' if they press ahead with plans to stage a march to parliament on Tuesday.

In a televised address, the President said: 'We are busy producing wealth… and you here want to disturb us. You are playing with fire because we cannot allow you to disturb us.'

Like his Kenyan counterpart Ruto, Museveni accused the protest organisers of 'working with foreigners' to cause chaos in Uganda.

On Saturday, the President had warned the youth against the protests, alleging they were sponsored by foreigners.

'Some elements, some of them from the opposition, are always working with the foreigners to foment chaos in Uganda — riots, illegal demonstrations, illegal and inconsiderate processions, etc. These people … should check themselves or we shall have no alternative but to check them,' he said.

The police refused to permit the march, but the protesters said they did not need permission to picket.

'We don't need police permission to carry out a peaceful demonstration. It is our constitutional right,' said one, Louez Aloikin Opolose.

In a mobilisation that has taken over a month, the group, which identifies itself as youth affiliated to no party, no religion, no tribe and with no leadership, sought permission from the police, which was declined, with security officers warning the organisers not to disrupt business.

A message to all police units in the country released last week ordered high alertness and preparedness ahead of Tuesday's demonstration after President Museveni warned that demonstrators would not be allowed to proceed with their plans.

The Kampala planned protests if they take place, will be a part of a wave gathering momentum on the continent as African youth move to the forefront in seeking changes in the way their states are run.

In Ghana, youth have been planning similar protests.

Kenyan protests

In Kenya, the Gen-Z protesters were on Monday raring for the weekly Tuesday marches to push President Ruto to effect sweeping governance changes, even as others said he should resign.

But, speaking on Sunday in Bomet in the South Rift region, President Ruto said 'Enough is enough' about the protests that have claimed more than 50 lives across the country, the majority blamed on the police.

'I want to promise it is going to stop. Enough is enough!' he said.

The Kenyan leader on Friday unveiled a new Cabinet of 'the first' 11 members, six of whom were retained from the previous Cabinet, something that angered those opposed to him.

'We will protect life, we will protect property, we will stop the looters, we will stop the killers, we will stop the mayhem, we will stop anarchy because Kenya is a democracy and we want a peaceful, stable nation. Our issues are resolved using democratic means,' the President said.

But in a defiant move, the youth said they would #OccupyEverywhere on Tuesday and Thursday.

The decision to retain some of the cabinet secretaries has angered a majority of the citizens, who accuse him of recycling the people they want out.

Calls for dialogue

The demonstrations initially started as a protest against the Finance Bill in June which the president eventually shelved after protesters stormed Parliament on June 25 when it was passed.

'They said we should not pass the Finance Bill, and I dropped it. Then I called them, and they said they didn't want to come for talks with me. They told me to go to X [spaces], and I went there, but they ran away,' the president said.

'Then they told me to call for a national dialogue, I have called for dialogue, and now they have refused. They are still saying they are faceless, formless. I have given everyone a chance to say whatever they want. I cannot continue like this. The country is much more important than any group of people. We must come together as a nation, protect our nation, and ensure that Kenya is a democracy. Anyone who has issues should use the front door and tell Kenyans what they want.'

Kabona Esiara, Luke Anami and Nelson Naturinda

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Source : https://thecustomreports.com/uganda-deploys-army-police-as-gen-z-protests-spread/

Electric-vehicle manufacturer Tesla plans to introduce humanoid robots for internal purposes starting next year, with plans for broader production by 2026, the company's chief executive Elon Musk has revealed.

Posting to X on Monday, Musk said the robots will be in 'low production' at the company's factories. He said they will 'hopefully' be in high production for other companies in 2026.

The announcement comes after the CEO said in April that the Tesla robot Optimus would be able to perform factory tasks by the end of this year and could be ready for sale by the end of 2025.

Tesla first unveiled plans to work on humanoid robots in 2021 at an AI Day event. A year later, the company unveiled Optimus, dubbed Bumblebee, saying that its expected cost will be less than a Tesla car and that it would be manufactured in large numbers.

Musk said at the time that many robots that came before the Tesla bot were 'missing a brain' and don't have the intelligence to navigate the world on their own. He said Optimus will be an 'extremely capable robot' and with a reasonable price tag of less than $20,000.

'Optimus is going to be incredible in five or ten years, like mind-blowing,' Musk claimed.

Humanoid robots are made to resemble and act like humans, imitating facial expressions and movements.

Several companies, including Japan's Honda and Hyundai Motor's Boston Dynamics, have been betting on humanoid robots to meet potential labor shortages in certain industries by performing repetitive tasks that may be seen as dangerous or tedious.

Musk has said previously that robot sales could become a larger part of the Tesla business than other segments, including its car manufacturing.

Valued at $1.8 billion in 2023, the global humanoid robot market is projected to soar to more than $13 billion over the next five years, according to research firm MarketsandMarkets.

The post Tesla to produce 'humanoid' robots next year — Musk appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/tesla-to-produce-humanoid-robots-next-year-musk/

At least 14 countries will trade freely within East, Central, and Southern Africa from Thursday, July 25 following the ratification of a Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Agreement that flattens the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) into a single commerce bloc.

This follows the submission of instruments of ratification by 14 out of the 29 partner states making up the Tripartite, thus meeting the threshold required for the TFTA to enter into force.

'Malawi, Lesotho, and Angola are the latest member states to ratify the agreement making it 14 countries. It takes effect on July 25, 2024,' Christopher Onyango, Director of Trade and Customs at the Comesa Secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia, said.

'This means that member states can start trading. But there are technical things which have to be put in place before they can begin trading freely.'

The other countries that have ratified the agreement include Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Eswatini, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and Zambia.

Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have ratified the tripartite, while for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, ratification is pending.

'In a significant way, it addresses the problem associated with membership in multiple regional economic communities,' said Onyango.

The Tripartite offers full liberalisation of tariff lines and elimination of non-tariff barriers to trade.

The Tripartite configuration also presents best practices in fostering transport and trade facilitation instruments and value chain development at regional levels which are key to boosting intra-African trade.

Among the key challenges hindering the operationalisation of the TFTA is the absence of a dedicated secretariat and institutional structure to coordinate and implement its programmes and activities.

'Presently, coordination is being conducted on a rotational basis among the three RECs. Therefore, the first thing the Tripartite will have to do is come up with a regional headquarters to coordinate its activities,' said Onyango.

'The other challenge has been acute financial constraints. Inadequate financing seriously slowed down negotiations of the various pillars as the RECs rely on their respective staff to facilitate these negotiations.'

At the moment, only the market integration pillar is being supported by the African Development Bank.

'This also explains why progress in negotiations in the infrastructure and industrial development pillars are slower, yet they are key in fostering sustainable trade and development,' he explained.

The Comesa — EAC — Sadc TFTA, which was signed in 2015 comprises 29 countries representing 53 percent of the African Union Membership, more than 60 percent of continental GDP ($1.88 Trillion; 2019), and a combined population of 800 million.

Under the market integration pillar, the Tripartite has a more ambitious tariff liberalisation schedule compared to the African Continental Free Trade Area— the world's largest free trade area bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union and eight regional economic communities to create a single market for the continent.

Whereas the latter's level of tariff liberalisation ambition is 90 percent for non-sensitive products, seven percent for sensitive products, and three percent for exclusion list, the tripartite level of ambition is 100 percent tariff liberation.

Except for general and specific security exemptions of which 60 percent to 85 percent of tariff lines are to be liberalised upon entry into force of the agreement and 15 percent to 40 percent of the remaining tariff lines are to be negotiated within five to eight years.

The post EAC, Comesa, Sadc merger into seamless market begins Thursday appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/eac-comesa-sadc-merger-into-seamless-market-begins-thursday/

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Source : https://thecustomreports.com/palestinian-factions-agree-to-end-divisions-after-talks-in-china/

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Source : https://thecustomreports.com/robin-and-the-hoods-review-nostalgic-battle-cry-for-childrens-imagination/

In a statement released on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the Head of State acknowledged messages of goodwill and wishes from close to 30 leaders from across the world.

“My sincere gratitude for the messages of congratulations and support from the friendly leaders of countries around the world. We look forward to continuing the mutually beneficial ties for and between our people,” Kagame stated.

He mentioned some countries including Barbados, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bisseau, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique and Oman.

Others are Qatar, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkiye, Uganda, Venezuela and Zambia.

Kagame secured a landslide victory in last week’s general election, garnering 99.18% of the votes. He defeated main opponent leader, Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.

Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman, is among the leaders who warmly congratulated Kagame and wished him success in leading the people of Rwanda towards further progress and prosperity.
His Majesty Tarik also expressed his commitment to deepen ties between the two friendly nations of Oman and Rwanda.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco also led African leaders in sending congratulatory messages to Kagame for his re-election in the just concluded presidential election.

The King expressed his warm congratulations on the Rwandan people’s renewed trust in Kagame’s competencies and ability to lead the country towards further achievements, progress and prosperity.

'I take this opportunity to reaffirm my determination to continue working with the President of the Republic of Rwanda to strengthen the fraternal relations rooted in mutual esteem between the two countries,' he said in a statement.

'I commit to reinforce the fruitful Moroccan-Rwandan cooperation, serving both people’s shared interests and promoting integration and solidarity between African countries,' he added.

Some of the messages seen by IGIHE include those from Presidents in the East African region.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said Kagame’s re-election was a testament to the trust and confidence the people of Rwanda have in his leadership.

Kenya’s President William Ruto, on his part, wished Kagame success as he continues to steer Rwanda in the “path of peace, stability and posterity”.

“I look forward to continuing working with you in regional and Pan-African affairs in strengthening the bonds of solidarity and fraternity between the peoples of Kenya and Rwanda.”

Tanzanian Head of State Samia Suluhu pledged to continue partnering with Kagame to foster ties between the two neighbouring countries.

“On behalf of the Government and the People of the United Republic of Tanzania, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Paul Kagame, on being re-elected as the President of the Republic of Rwanda. I look forward to continue working with you in fostering the relations between our two countries and in the pursuit of East Africa’s unity and prosperity,” she stated.

President Paul Kagame has acknowledged messages of goodwill and wishes from close to 30 leaders from across the world.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/politics-48/article/kagame-welcomes-re-election-congratulatory-messages-from-world-leaders

The northern hemisphere has had a large number of intense wildfires in the first half of summer, carrying vast amounts of smoke across Eurasia and North America.

Research by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams) showed large-scale and intense wildfires had been developing throughout the late spring and summer, with numerous fires burning in Canada, Alaska and eastern Russia.

These wildfires are generally caused by long periods of hot and dry conditions in areas of high vegetation, and have resulted in increased carbon and smoke emissions. Smoke has also begun to extend much farther north, reaching across the Arctic Ocean to the high Arctic.

Emissions from Russian wildfires in June and July were higher than for the preceding two years, and fires in the region of Amur Oblast led to the estimated release of 17.2 megatonnes of carbon for the two-month period, the highest in 22 years.

Canada has also had some of its highest totals on record, with total carbon emissions of 11.1 megatonnes and 13.2 megatonnes for British Columbia and Alberta respectively across June and July.

Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at Cams, said: 'We have been closely monitoring boreal fires in Cams over a number of years and noted some particularly extreme wildfire emissions and atmospheric impacts during that time, particularly in Canada, eastern Russia and the Arctic.'

Increasing wildfire activity is a major factor in these rising smoke emissions.

Guillermo Rein, a professor of fire science in the department of mechanical engineering at Imperial College London, said: 'In recent years the fire season is expanding, starting earlier and lasting longer. But it's not just the fact the wildfire season is widening, it's also that the intensity of wildfire season is becoming unprecedented.'

According to official Russian figures, the number of wildfires this year has decreased by 30% compared with the previous year, but the area burnt is 50% larger, highlighting the intensity of the wildfires.

These increased smoke emissions have led to very high levels of air pollution and can lead to various health complications.

'In the short term, the most obvious complications are to respiratory systems, proving particularly dangerous for people that have underlying conditions like asthma, heart disease and lung disease,' says Dr Marina Romanello, a research fellow at the UCL Institute for Global Health.

'However, as the incidence of wildfires is increasing, people are being repeatedly exposed to acute levels of wildfire related air pollution, increasing their risk of developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.'

Concentrations of very small harmful particulates in the smoke, known as PM2.5, have been found to be several times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended 24-hour mean exposure threshold across a widespread region that includes eastern Mongolia, north-eastern China and northern Japan.

Romanello said: 'PM2.5 particles are … able to go very deep into the lungs, past the lung-blood barrier, and enter the bloodstream, making these high levels of smoke emissions particularly concerning.'

While 2024's estimated wildfire carbon emissions are very high so far, the season is still well short of the catastrophic 2023 season, when much of North America experienced record high levels of PM2.5.

Rein said: 'We don't think this season is going to break any records but it's a strange situation where we've been seeing the worst in the records for so long that when you see it you think things are OK, when actually it's still pretty bad.'

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Source : https://thecustomreports.com/large-scale-and-intense-wildfires-carrying-smoke-across-northern-hemisphere/