The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund will help more than 90,000 people. Additional funds from other donors are helping to kick-start response efforts.
With the storm raging across eastern and central Madagascar, local authorities have reported 31 people dead, four missing and 35 injured. Preliminary reports indicated that more than 250,000 people have been affected, with nearly 7,000 people displaced.
The office said more than 65,000 homes were flooded, damaged, or destroyed, and about 600 classrooms were rendered partially or completely unusable.
OCHA said the government has called for international support and is leading search-and-rescue, evacuation, shelter and food assistance efforts, including the distribution of some 800 metric tonnes of rice, with support from the world body and partners.
OCHA said the cyclone could affect central and southern Mozambique in the coming days.
The Rwanda Formed Police Unit three (RWAFPU3-7) rotation seven commanded by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Devotha Nyinawumuntu, was operating serving in the capital, Juba.
They were replaced by RWAFPU3-8 under the command of SSP Dative Iribagiza, which was deployed earlier in the day.
The officer’s mandate in South Sudan focuses on restoring peace and stability, protecting civilians, safeguarding UN personnel and facilities, and promoting community well-being.
At Kigali International Airport, the contingent was received by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Yahaya Kamunuga, on behalf of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) leadership.
ACP Kamunuga commended them for their dedication and professionalism throughout the mission.
“You return to Rwanda to continue serving your country. You may find certain changes. However, your discipline and commitment should remain constant,” ACP Kamunuga said.
Speaking on behalf of the returning contingent, Superintendent of Police (SP) Vincent Mwine Rubimbura, the Deputy Contingent Commander, outlined the key responsibilities undertaken during their deployment.
In addition to the protection of civilians, UN personnel, and facilities, the contingent implemented community-oriented initiatives aimed at strengthening relations with the local population.
These included community work activities, rehabilitation of schools, distribution of mosquito nets, provision of scholastic materials to vulnerable students, and support to disadvantaged families through medical assistance and access to clean water.
SP Rubimbura noted that such initiatives enhanced trust and cooperation between peacekeepers and the communities they served.
Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent the greetings while attending an annual gathering with non-CPC personages at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Addressing the gathering, Xi noted that 2025 was an extraordinary year. He said that facing profound and complicated changes at home and abroad, the CPC Central Committee united and led the entire Party and all Chinese people to overcome difficulties and work hard to achieve the year’s main economic and social development targets and tasks.
These hard-won achievements stemmed from the Party’s strong leadership and the joint efforts of all Chinese people, including those from non-CPC political parties, the ACFIC and personages without party affiliation, Xi said.
Noting that 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Xi urged non-CPC political parties, the ACFIC and personages without party affiliation to actively fulfill their duties and responsibilities, contributing to the implementation of the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and plans.
He called on them to strengthen political guidance, forge unity, contribute to the country’s development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and strengthen their own development to show a fresh look as political parties and forces participating in state governance under socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi also urged them to rigorously improve their conduct and enforce discipline, with the aim of consolidating a sound political environment.
The gathering was also attended by Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. Wang, Cai and Ding are also members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on work related to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
Noting the NSFC’s positive role in advancing basic research and nurturing innovators over the past four decades, Xi urged the foundation to seize the opportunities presented by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and deepen the reform of the science funding system to further refine the funding framework and enhance funding efficiency.
He called on the NSFC to help foster a sound research ecosystem and expand international collaboration, thereby empowering scientists and researchers to yield a greater output of original innovations, and to contribute more to achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology.
The NSFC was established in February 1986 and has become a major channel for national funding of basic research.
Briefing journalists Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Mataboge called on African nations to enhance domestic resource mobilization to address the funding shortfall to support the continent’s infrastructure development.
“We find that globally capital is more expensive and even more so for the African continent, and that our development assistance is declining,” she said. “Africa needs to unlock domestic resources, including pension funds to meet its core infrastructure needs.”
The funding shortfall not only affected infrastructure development across the continent, but also held back the continent’s growth, slowed competitiveness and trading among AU members, Mataboge said.
According to the AU, Africa’s infrastructure needs are estimated at 130-170 billion U.S. dollars annually, and the funding gap is costing the continent a 2 percent annual reduction in its gross domestic product growth.
The commissioner called for the adoption of innovative financing solutions through domestic resource mobilization, strengthening African multilateral institutions, and negotiating effectively with international partners to tap into its resources and finance infrastructure development projects.
“It’s about strengthening our ability to negotiate with partners better so that our infrastructure projects are anchored on local content, local skills and local products. Whether we’re talking about steel or cement, that is going to be actually delivering the infrastructure needed to the continent,” she said.
Finance has been a critical challenge for infrastructural development in Africa and many African countries are in a financial dilemma, Mataboge said.
“Many African countries are unable to tap into domestic resources for infrastructural development, and international loans are expensive. Besides, many countries are experiencing poor credit rating, which means the cost of borrowing is much higher for them in the financial markets,” she added.
It also emphasized its ability to meet larger financing needs through partnerships with other Bank of Africa subsidiaries across Africa, as part of the broader BMCE Group.
The event drew leaders from various institutions, including Morocco’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Youssef Imani. Jean Havugimana, the Executive Head of Business at Bank of Africa Rwanda, described the past decade as one of steady growth and client trust.
“The past 10 years in Rwanda have been very positive and marked by growth, culminating in the inauguration of our headquarters,” he said.
“More importantly, the trust our clients and shareholders have placed in us confirms that Rwanda is a place where we can build profitable business while contributing to national development.”
He attributed this progress to the bank’s responsiveness to client needs and robust lending capabilities.
“In Rwanda, we can provide loans of up to Rwf 6 billion at once. More broadly, there is no financing level beyond our reach, as we are part of the BMCE Group, which includes around 20 Bank of Africa subsidiaries that can pool their capacity,” Havugimana explained.
Looking forward, he outlined priorities for the next decade: accelerating service delivery, deepening client partnerships, expanding engagement with the Rwandan diaspora, and supporting private sector growth.
Managing Director Serge Atikossie emphasized the institution’s evolution. “Through the dedication of our teams, professionalism, and accountability, we have built more than a bank, we have built a trusted institution,” he said. “Today’s inauguration is not just about a building; it represents modernization and confidence in the future.”
National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) Deputy Governor Nick Barigye praised the bank’s trajectory.
“As BNR, we view its journey as a positive example of how a financial institution can perform strongly in the market while strengthening our financial sector,” he said. “Banks in Rwanda do more than provide financial services; they support investment, job creation, and broader national economic transformation.”
Barigye urged the bank to further prioritize support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), advance financial inclusion, and invest in technology, key areas aligned with Rwanda’s development goals.
Businessman Eugène Higiro, a client for five years, shared his positive experience. The bank has provided him with loans exceeding Rwf 1.4 billion.
“Bank of Africa understands that in business, speed matters,” he said. “Their loan processing is fast, you receive financing and can immediately move forward with your projects.”
Bank of Africa Rwanda began operations in 2015 following its merger with the former microfinance institution Agaseke Bank.
Today, it serves over 25,000 clients through 14 branches nationwide (including eight in Kigali) and has disbursed loans totaling more than Rwf 80 billion across various sectors.
As part of the BMCE Group, Bank of Africa operates in 20 countries, primarily across Africa, with additional presence in Asia and France.
Construction work has largely finished, with final touches underway, including cleaning, interior landscaping, and minor corrections. The project is reportedly 99.8% complete.
A key part of the new facility involves installing modern, internationally standard medical equipment, reflecting the hospital’s high-level services.
The project is being carried out by the Chinese company Shanghai Construction Group Co. Ltd, at a total cost of approximately 85 billion Rwandan francs (around 580 million yuan).
The hospital will have a capacity of 827 beds, nearly doubling the current CHUK capacity of 400 beds.
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The new hospital will feature 18 surgical rooms, excluding operating theaters for maternity cases. It will also be equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies, including four X-ray machines, two anti-radiation devices, MRI machines, radiology equipment, and other modern medical instruments.
This expansion aligns with Rwanda’s vision to develop a world-class healthcare system in Africa and promote medical tourism. It is expected to reduce the number of Rwandans seeking treatment abroad, as advanced services will now be available domestically.
During the National Dialogue held on February 5–6, 2026, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, disclosed that Rwanda successfully performed 83 kidney transplants over the past three years, saving around $800,000. Heart surgeries included 543 pediatric patients and 318 adults.
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On-site, workers are completing final corrections identified by the Rwanda Housing Authority. Some employees are also preparing interior landscaping for the hospital. Local Rwandan laborers contributed to the construction, and most of the building materials, including sand, bricks, and stones, were sourced within Rwanda.
The hospital consists of three multi-story buildings, one with five floors and two with four floors. One building will house outpatient services, while another will serve as an inpatient unit. The remaining two buildings, located separately, will accommodate hospitalized patients and include a dedicated medical technology building for advanced treatments.
Each patient room is spacious and includes its own toilet and shower, a feature not common in other hospitals. The hospital is also designed to be environmentally friendly, with natural ventilation and private terraces in each room, allowing patients to enjoy fresh air and sunlight without relying on air conditioning.
Accessible pathways and elevators have been incorporated to accommodate patients with disabilities.
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The hospital will include a helicopter landing pad to transport critically ill patients from remote regions. It will also have a specialized room for medical gases, such as oxygen, which can now be generated on-site rather than imported in bulk. Piping systems will deliver these gases directly to patient rooms as needed.
The hospital is equipped with two generators to provide backup power, ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply. It also has advanced fire suppression systems capable of targeting specific areas in the event of a fire.
Medical equipment and patient beds are currently being installed. If all goes according to plan, CHUK’s relocation to Masaka is expected to begin in April 2026, though the process will be gradual.
The new hospital is located in a dedicated medical zone near IRCAD Africa, which specializes in teaching cancer surgeries and robotic-assisted procedures. There will also be specialized cardiac care units, as well as an infectious disease research and treatment center.
The proposal was put forward by Angola’s President, João Lourenço, in his role as Chairperson of the African Union, who indicated that the ceasefire should take effect on February 18, 2026, ahead of peace talks involving Congolese stakeholders.
On February 12, Amb. Nduhungirehe recalled that in 2024, ceasefires were announced twice, and in 2025, six peace or ceasefire agreements were signed yet the DRC government failed to implement any of them.
“We can stack peace agreements or ceasefire declarations endlessly, but as long as Kinshasa shows no political will to stop its air and artillery attacks, as long as President Tshisekedi remains fixated on impossible military solution, and as long as the international community continues to turn a blind eye to Kinshasa’s actions, which violate all these agreements, it will be in vain.” he shared on X.
Angola’s call for a ceasefire followed a visit by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi on February 9, 2026, during which he met with AU mediator Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé and Olusegun Obasanjo, a mediator appointed by both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The mediators emphasized the need to focus on African Union-led talks that include Congolese parties, stating that such dialogue is the only way to address the root causes of the DRC’s ongoing crisis.
The international competition, which concluded on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, drew 109 teams from 48 countries. It tested elite police and military units in realistic counter-terrorism and tactical scenarios across five challenging categories.
The culminating obstacle course, a grueling test of physical endurance, teamwork, wall scaling, and navigation through tough terrain, required five-member teams to tackle 19 complex stations as quickly as possible.
RNP SWAT Team I, Rwanda’s top-performing squad, completed the demanding course in 3 minutes, 40 seconds, and 90 milliseconds. This placed them third in the event, securing the bronze medal behind Kazakhstan’s dominant teams and ahead of strong showings from China and others.
In the overall standings, which combined results from all stages, RNP SWAT Team I finished an impressive sixth with 484 points, marking the team’s best-ever result in the competition. RNP SWAT Team II placed 29th with 386 points, while the Rwanda Defence Force Special Operations Forces (RDF SOF) Team came in 37th with 361 points.
Kazakhstan led the field decisively: their Team C claimed gold with 536 points, Team A took silver with 515 points, and China Police Team C rounded out the podium bronze overall with 493 points.
The study, led by Australia’s University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, is the first to show that sex modulates gene networks controlling bronchial responsiveness under normal physiological conditions, said a UTS statement on Thursday.
“Biological sex fundamentally shapes how the lungs function, even under healthy, non-diseased conditions,” said study lead author, UTS and Woolcock Institute Research Fellow Razia Zakarya.
“Male lungs are intrinsically more reactive to inhaled triggers than female lungs, which helps explain why the sexes experience respiratory disease differently,” Zakarya said, adding these differences arise from discrete gene network activity rather than a single gene or hormone.
The study, published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal, shows that sex differences in lung function exist at a deep molecular level, long before disease develops.
“Essentially, the sexes utilize different genetic toolboxes when exposed to environmental factors,” Zakarya said.
The team also found that early-life environmental exposures could alter these molecular networks in sex-specific ways, potentially influencing vulnerability to diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Zakarya said the findings underscore the need for sex-inclusive biomedical and environmental health research from the earliest stages of discovery.
