The delegations arrived in mid-August 2025 amid continued accusations from both sides of failing to respect the agreement, particularly on enforcing a permanent ceasefire and releasing prisoners.
Freddy Kaniki Rukema, deputy coordinator of AFC/M23 in charge of Economy and Finance, confirmed on 22 August that “two representatives travelled to Doha with a mandate to address prisoner release and the cessation of hostilities.”
On 2 September, DRC’s Minister of Internal Security, Jacquemain Shabani, who heads the government delegation, said discussions remain active: “The process is ongoing. The government’s team is still in Doha and works daily with Qatar as mediator. Talks covered declaration of principles, starting with confidence-building measures, including the release of prisoners.”
He noted that dialogue on prisoner releases had concluded and attention had shifted to the ceasefire, though he did not confirm whether consensus had been reached on the first issue.
“Negotiations are now focused on the principle of halting hostilities, and discussions continue,” he added.
On September 1, AFC/M23 accused the DRC government of failing to release around 700 detainees, including its members and suspected supporters, while also alleging continued military provocations.
The group claimed President Félix Tshisekedi is unwilling to pursue peace, warning it would respond firmly if government forces persist in targeting civilians or its positions.
According to official data, in 2022, wildfires destroyed 41 hectares of Nyungwe. The number rose significantly in 2023 to 138.5 hectares, before falling sharply again in 2024 to 25 hectares.
On August 31, 2025, as Rwanda concluded the month dedicated to conservation activities under the theme “Nyungwe National Park: A Source of Wellbeing and Sustainable Development for Surrounding Communities”, residents living near the park were reminded that fire outbreaks remain a serious threat. Burned areas take a long time to regenerate, disrupting the ecological balance of the park.
The awareness campaign featured football tournaments for both men and women, bringing together teams from the 23 sectors bordering the park, along with one additional sector whose residents are also involved in activities that pose risks to the park.
During the games, conservation messages were shared with the public, calling on communities to avoid harmful practices such as burning grass, harvesting honey with fire, illegal mining, tree cutting, and grazing livestock inside the park.
One of the participants, Tuyisenge Jeannette from Nyamuzi cell in Bweyeye sector, Rusizi District, emphasized the importance of the park, especially its role in maintaining regular rainfall for agriculture. She criticized those still involved in destructive practices.
“Some people who don’t understand its importance enter the park to hunt animals and end up setting fires just for meat. I would advise them to stop and find alternative ways to earn a living,” she said.
The Community Development Manager Pierre Ntihemuka, explained that the sports tournaments, known as the Colobus Cup Tournament, were introduced as part of education and awareness efforts.
“These tournaments are bringing real benefits because community attitudes are changing. In the past, when fires broke out, residents would run back into their homes, leaving us without support. But now, they are the first to respond, bringing tools and helping us extinguish fires. Cases of illegal hunting have also reduced, which has led to a decline in fire outbreaks,” he noted.
Statistics from the Nyungwe Management Company reveal a significant decline in harmful activities impacting Nyungwe National Park.
Such activities declined from 1,147 cases in 2022 to just 130 cases in 2024. At the same time, the area affected by wildfires fell from 41 hectares in 2022 to 25 hectares in 2024, after a peak of 138.5 hectares in 2023.
Between January and August 2025, only 50 square meters have been affected by fires, a promising sign that this year may record far fewer wildfire incidents compared to previous years.
The triad included JingLei-1 air-based long-range missile, JuLang-3 submarine-launched intercontinental missile, DongFeng-61 land-based intercontinental missile, and new type DongFeng-31 land-based intercontinental missile.
The weapons are China’s strategic “ace” power to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and nation’s dignity.
The remains, taken as trophies by French colonial troops after the 1897 Ambiky massacre, were handed over in Paris on August 27, marking the first such restitution since France passed a 2023 law easing the return of human remains from its colonial era.
The skulls, believed to belong to King Toera and two of his warriors, arrived in Madagascar late Monday. They were received at the airport by Sakalava representatives in traditional robes, who escorted the remains, draped in Madagascar’s national flag, to a mausoleum in the capital, Antananarivo.
A solemn ceremony on Tuesday, attended by President Andry Rajoelina and Sakalava dignitaries, honoured the return of the ancestral remains.
“If we want to move forward, we must know our past, our history,” President Rajoelina said, lauding the courage of King Toera and his warriors who resisted French colonial forces.
“It is a source of pride and immense inner peace that my ancestor is back among us.”
The repatriated skull, believed to be King Toera’s, will soon be reunited with his skeleton in a tomb in Ambiky, the site of his execution 128 years ago.
The remains of the two warriors will also be laid to rest in the Menabe region after a four-day, 800-kilometre journey from the capital.
For the Sakalava people, the return is a moment of profound significance. Georges Harea Kamamy, King Toera’s great-grandson and the newly crowned Sakalava king, performed a ritual with water from the sacred Tsiribihina River to welcome the remains.
“This is a day of joy for the Sakalava,” he said, though he expressed disappointment that the skulls were entrusted to the government rather than the royal family.
Joe Kamamy, a leader of another Sakalava clan and a royal descendant, echoed the sentiment of pride.
“Having my ancestor back brings immense peace,” he told reporters, though he noted a family disagreement over the burial site, preferring Mitsinjo, where other Sakalava kings’ relics are kept.
The skulls had been stored in Paris’ national history museum alongside numerous other remains from Madagascar, which gained independence from France in 1960 after over six decades of colonial rule.
France’s 2023 legislation has streamlined the repatriation process, replacing the need for case-by-case laws to return looted artefacts and human remains from its imperial past.
The remains will be buried later this week in Menabe, closing a painful chapter for the Sakalava and Madagascar as they reclaim their history.
In a video statement, Netanyahu addressed soldiers directly: “I want to strengthen you and express my deep appreciation,” he said, adding that the military campaign had advanced Israel “toward a sweeping victory.”
In the morning, Israel summoned about 40,000 reservists, the largest single call-up since the war began nearly two years ago, as part of its plan to capture Gaza City — a move approved by Netanyahu’s cabinet despite international warnings.
But turnout was reportedly lower than expected, according to state-owned Kan TV, which cited the strain and burden of repeated rounds of service.
The cabinet decision has also sparked dissent at home. More than 350 reservists announced in a letter on Tuesday that they would refuse to serve if ordered into Gaza.
At a news conference in Tel Aviv, they denounced the government’s decision as reckless and vowed not to take part. Ron Feiner, a reservist and member of the antiwar group Standing Together, called the planned operation “blatantly illegal” and warned it would endanger hostages, soldiers and civilians alike. “This is a political, cynical and dangerous step, intended to serve an extremist minority rather than the security of Israel’s citizens,” he said.
Feiner noted that senior members of Israel’s security establishment had also warned against the operation, citing the danger it posed to 50 hostages still held in Gaza, about 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.
Meanwhile, the military continued the strikes throughout the Palestinian enclave and prepared for the new offensive on the territory’s largest urban center.
Health authorities in the territory reported Tuesday that at least 76 people were killed and 281 injured by Israeli strikes and gunfire in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 63,633. Hospitals also recorded 13 deaths from famine and malnutrition, including three children, raising the total number of hunger-related deaths to 361, among them 130 children.
Avichay Adraee, an Israeli military spokesman, urged civilians across the Gaza Strip to move to the Al-Mawasi area “ahead of the expansion of fighting into Gaza City.”
“For your safety, we warn that approaching or returning to combat zones or to areas where the Israel Defense Forces are operating exposes you to danger,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Families of hostages, in a statement in English and Hebrew outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, urged U.S. President Donald Trump to press both Israel and Hamas to agree to a deal to stop the war and release the captives.
“It is hard to digest the news that Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, chose to prolong the war instead of making a deal that could have brought the hostages home,” said Ruby Chen, whose son, Itay, was killed in Gaza and whose body is still held there.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been stalled since mid-August, as Israel has yet to respond to a proposal from Qatari and Egyptian mediators that Hamas accepted about two weeks ago.
The ancient estate, found in Kafr Qasim in central Israel, includes colorful mosaic floors, ritual baths, and an olive oil press.
It was located at an archaeological site where an important Samaritan settlement thrived for about 400 years, from the late Roman period to the end of the Byzantine era.
Historical sources describe the site as the birthplace of Menander, a Samaritan magician and successor to Simon Magus, who was regarded as the father of Gnostic sects and one of Christianity’s earliest converts.
The archaeologists noted that the size and design of the buildings, the rich mosaic floors, and the agricultural facilities all reflect the great wealth of the Samaritan community that inhabited the area.
One building contained a mosaic decorated with a geometric pattern and plant designs. Its central medallion was framed by acanthus leaves and surrounded by images of grapes, dates, watermelons, artichokes, and asparagus.
In the northern part of the estate, the team found an olive press, a warehouse, and a purification bath. According to the team, the bath’s location near the press suggests olive oil was produced in ritual purity. The press was carefully designed with screw presses and a crushing basin.
Over time, the estate changed, with luxurious buildings giving way to agricultural production. Some mosaic floors were damaged, and architectural elements were reused in new walls.
Despite the turmoil of the Samaritan revolts against Byzantine rulers, the estate continued to function and even preserved its Samaritan identity, as shown by oil lamps uncovered in the excavation, the team said.
Over 8,000 residential houses, primarily in Kunar province, have been completely or partially destroyed due to the earthquake, Juma Khan Nayeel, head of information and publication at the Afghan Red Crescent Society, told Xinhua.
Relief and rescue teams are working to pull out people trapped under the rubble, and the figures for fatalities and injuries have not yet been finalized.
The earthquake struck the eastern part of Afghanistan at 11:47 p.m. local time on Aug. 31, with the epicenter located 27 km northeast of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, at a depth of eight km.
The disaster occurred on August 31, 2025, when massive amounts of earth and mud swept through the village, flattening homes and farmland. The Sudan Liberation Movement Army (SLM/A), which controls the area, reported that all residents had been killed except one.
In their statement, they described the tragedy as unprecedented and urgently appealed to the United Nations and humanitarian agencies to help recover bodies from the rubble.
“The village and its people disappeared. It’s an unprecedented tragedy,” a local farmer, Al-Amin Abdallah Abbas said.
He explained that the community was known for its citrus farming, making the destruction not only a human catastrophe but also an economic loss.
According to Reuters, the isolated location of Tarasin has made rescue efforts almost impossible.
The area can only be reached on foot or by donkey, and years of conflict in Darfur have already left communities cut off from aid.
Fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced millions, and humanitarian organizations say much of Darfur has become a “black hole” for relief operations.
Medical charities such as Doctors Without Borders have long warned that people living in the Marrah Mountains are among the most neglected in Sudan.
Speaking at a press conference on September 1, 2025, Nangaa criticized President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration for failing to pursue peace despite having signed the Declaration of Principles, with Qatar acting as mediator.
“AFC/M23 warns Mr. Félix Tshisekedi against the new offensives by his coalition of genocidaires, and it reserves the right to destroy them immediately. Let it be clear: they will face the necessary response until this evil is eliminated at its source,” Nangaa declared.
He explained that the DRC’s coalition had deployed 12,000 troops into the mountains of Uvira Territory, including Congolese soldiers, Burundian forces, FDLR fighters, Wazalendo militias, and members of the Imbonerakure youth wing, to prepare for what he described as large-scale assaults.
According to Nangaa, Kinshasa has also violated earlier commitments by refusing to release 700 prisoners, including M23 members and suspected sympathizers, despite agreeing to the condition when both sides signed the Declaration of Principles on July 19, 2025.
He added that M23 had formally notified Qatar, the African Union, the United Nations, and other peace partners that the DRC government is violating ceasefire agreement.
{{Congo-led dialogue proposals}}
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki recently invited both the Tshisekedi government and opposition leaders to peace talks among Congolese stakeholders, organized alongside his foundation’s annual peace and security forum.
Those invited include Tshisekedi’s advisor Désiré-Cashmir Eberande Kolongele, government representatives, Nangaa himself, Thomas Lubanga of the CRP armed group, former President Joseph Kabila, as well as opposition figures Martin Fayulu and Moïse Katumbi.
However, Tshisekedi has rejected the need for external mediation. Addressing members of his Union Sacrée coalition on August 29, 2025.
“I will not be distracted by dialogue agendas here and there. Talks must be continuous and held inside the DRC. Congolese people do not need a mediator to discuss among themselves, and they should not take up arms before sitting down for dialogue,” he said.
Nangaa countered that Mbeki’s initiative was not new, emphasizing that the foundation has long played a key role in resolving African conflicts and enjoys wide support across the continent.
He stated that if Tshisekedi refuses to send his representatives to the talks, other Congolese actors will still engage. For that reason, he confirmed that a large delegation representing AFC/M23 had already been dispatched to South Africa.
In 1936, American journalist Edgar Snow took a picture in northwest China: on the dusty Loess Plateau, a young Red Army soldier stood upright, holding a bugle to his lips. That image, symbolizing a rallying call for the nation to unite and fight Japanese aggressors, conveyed to the world a message of unyielding resistance from the East.
Through the arduous and heroic War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression from 1931 to 1945, a great spirit of resistance was formed. The Chinese people demonstrated to the world the patriotism that every citizen has a responsibility for the nation’s future, the national integrity of being ready to die and never yielding, the heroic spirit of not fearing violence and fighting to the end, and the indomitable and tenacious belief in victory.
When American journalist Agnes Smedley asked General Yang Hucheng in the 1930s if China could truly resist Japan’s tanks and bombers, Yang gave an unwavering answer: “They may have more planes and tanks. But we know we must fight. And when the will is firm, the strength follows.”
Over the 14 grueling years, a nation with limited military and economic resources stood its ground and ultimately prevailed.
Since the Opium War in 1840, China had been the constant target of invasions and bullying from foreign powers. Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression marks Chinese people’s first complete victory in national liberation and a historic turning point for the Chinese nation — from the depths of crisis in modern times to the path of great rejuvenation. Its people are no longer a pile of “loose sand,” but a people of national pride and unity.
The spirit behind the victory is an invaluable asset for the Chinese people. It has inspired and will continue to inspire Chinese people to overcome all difficulties and obstacles in their pursuit of modernization and national rejuvenation.
It is with this spirit that the country established a complete industrial system after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It is with this spirit that China eliminated absolute poverty and lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty in 40 years since the reform and opening up in the late 1970s. It is with this spirit that China achieved the feat of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability and became the world’s second-largest economy.
China, a country of 1.4 billion people, has no precedent to follow on its path to modernization. When Western observers ask how the Communist Party of China consistently gets things done, the answer is that it is the result of the enduring resolve, unity and perseverance of generations who have embraced self-reliance and sacrifice, and who have had unshakable faith in the power of collective will.
China is in a critical stage of realizing its national rejuvenation, during which internal and external difficulties and challenges remain. It has yet to realize complete national reunification.
Externally, the world is undergoing profound changes with tariff and trade wars disrupting global economic order and unilateral bullying challenging multilateral mechanisms. Certain countries are attempting to contain China’s development.
The greater the external pressure, the more important it is to harness spiritual strength. These challenges and difficulties will inspire the Chinese people to carry forward the unyielding courage, strengthen their conviction and confidence, confront problems head-on and manage their country’s own affairs well.
The victory 80 years ago has since proved a truth time and again: never underestimate China’s potential, resilience and strength.
