The stunning finalist will take to the stage on August 15, 2025, to battle it out for the state title, with hopes of advancing to Miss USA later this year.
Miss New York USA has a history of producing standout contenders. Last year’s crown went to Marizza Delgado, who represented the Empire State at Miss USA and proudly placed in the Top 20.
Melissa is a multicultural New York University graduate who grew up between England and Binghamton. She takes pride in hosting both virtual and in-person workshops designed to help young girls connect with and discover themselves.
Mbera says her main motivation for competing for the crown is to show the world what her version of confidence looks like.
“I want to help redefine what confidence means,” says Melissa. “Especially for young women who have been told they have to fit a mold. This isn’t about checking a box — it’s about building a platform that proves you can be multifaceted, creative, and deeply impactful without ever losing who you are.”
If Melissa clinches the title, she will follow in the footsteps of Kimberly Ann Pressler, New York’s last Miss USA winner in 1999. Pressler’s victory came two decades after Mary Therese “Tyger” Friel brought the crown home in 1979.
While New York winners have been rare over the years, the state holds a special place in Miss USA history it produced the very first titleholder, Jackie Loughery, in 1952. Loughery, a trailblazer in pageantry, passed away in February 2024 at the age of 92.
Melissa’s journey is now poised to add a new chapter to this legacy, as she aims to bring the crown back to New York and perhaps, make history for Rwanda along the way.
His arrival in Kigali on August 7, 2025, marked a new chapter in an exciting collaboration with Rwandan superstar Bruce Melodie, Tanzanian sensation Diamond Platnumz, and Nigerian hitmaker Joel Brown ahead of their eagerly awaited single Pom Pom.
The trio, through the Rwandan label 1:55AM Ltd, has enlisted Adesope to spearhead international promotions for “Pom Pom,” which is positioned to open new markets for the artists.
Adesope’s influence stretches far beyond hosting; he’s a key player in amplifying African popular culture worldwide. Having worked with continent-wide icons like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Olamide, his presence in Rwanda is no mere visit; it’s a strategic move to propel East Africa’s booming music scene onto the global stage.
Adesope first set foot in Rwanda during the 2023 Trace Awards, Africa’s premier entertainment event. But this return is more intimate and immersive.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, he described Kigali as “beautiful, clean, calm, with stunning hills and vibrant sights.”
“Any opportunity to come back, I’m first on the plane,” he said.
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The upcoming track Pom Pom is set to be a historic fusion of East, West, and Southern African sounds. Adesope explained the significance:
“People have been waiting for a Bruce Melodie and Diamond Platnumz collaboration—two East African giants. Adding Joel Brown, a rising Nigerian star with a monster hit last year, makes it even bigger. The song is fun, energetic, and unifying, blending Rwandan, Tanzanian, and Nigerian vibes with an Amapiano and Afrohouse sound.”
On the bigger picture, he noted, “Musicians have done what African governments haven’t — bridging gaps between countries, tribes, and ethnicities effortlessly. Collaborations like this are powerful unifiers.”
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Adesope’s role extends well beyond hosting and promotion. He is a vital connector, bringing African artists closer to global audiences. His partnership with Bruce Melodie, for example, was sparked by a genuine X (Twitter) exchange—no intermediaries, just pure passion.
He reflected on the importance of identity and cultural pride:
“As an African immigrant in the UK, our culture wasn’t mainstream or celebrated when I arrived. We wanted spaces where Africans could celebrate our music and culture without shame or discrimination. It’s about pride and comfort in our African identity.”
Looking at what it takes to maintain success, Adesope shared, “Hard work and consistency are key. Getting a hit is easy, but staying relevant requires relentless effort.” He urged Rwandan artists to keep evolving and tapping into global trends.
Optimistic about Pom Pom’s impact, he concluded, “I hope ‘Pom Pom’ will be remembered as a unifying song that brought together different cultures, tribes, and countries, creating something we can all enjoy for years.”
Masra was found guilty of inciting the public to hatred and hostility, according to the ruling handed down by Chad’s criminal court.
Masra’s lawyers called the verdict “an ignominy” and said they will appeal.
Masra was arrested in May after a government probe alleged that he incited people to violence, which led to the death of 42 people in clashes in Mandakao village in the southwestern province of Logone Occidental.
Masra, president of the opposition political party The Transformers, went into exile in 2022 but later returned and was appointed prime minister by President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.
After serving as prime minister for five months in 2024, Masra resigned to pave the way for the formation of a new government.
The announcement was made on Saturday, August 9, 2025, during a visit to the 5,600-hectare farming zone by Prime Minister Dr Justin Nsengiyumva.
Situated in Rwimiyaga and Karangazi sectors of Nyagatare District, the land was consolidated by the government, developed, and leased to large-scale farming investors. More than Frw 100 billion has been invested in the site, which is being developed by Israeli firm Netafim.
In the first phase, 5,600 hectares have been prepared, with over 4,000 hectares allocated to seven investors. These have already generated 6,000 jobs for locals in maize cultivation as well as fruit and vegetable production.
Project Director Aloyz Ngarambe said the scheme is now 98% complete, with contractors expected to hand it over to the government in September. The seven investors include those already farming, others installing infrastructure, and some who have begun harvesting.
Ngarambe added that the 5,600 hectares form the first phase of the project. A feasibility study for the second phase will soon begin, aiming to prepare an additional 10,000 hectares for investor use.
Bureshyo Peace, of Kinvest Company, which holds 500 hectares, said the firm currently employs 602 residents working on 170 hectares planted with chilli peppers, green beans, passion fruit, and avocados. Once farming begins on the full 500 hectares, the workforce is expected to rise to 1,000.
Bulgarian investor Chandra Trifonov, whose company EA Agro farms on 900 hectares, thanked the Prime Minister for his visit. He highlighted a challenge with the water distribution system that causes pooling in fields, but said they had been assured the problem would soon be resolved.
During his tour, Dr Nsengiyumva also visited former residents of the project area who have been resettled in the Shimwa Paul model village, which comprises 72 houses.
The meeting held on August 7-8 marks a critical step forward in implementing the Peace Agreement signed between the two countries in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025.
The JSCM is responsible for overseeing the execution of the Harmonised Plan for the Neutralisation of the FDLR militia group, as well as managing the lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda, all outlined in the Peace Agreement.
The Mechanism also serves as a platform for intelligence and information sharing, facilitating cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda to enhance regional security.
At the meeting, the permanent members—the DRC and Rwanda—adopted terms of reference to govern future sessions and began discussions on practical steps toward implementing the Peace Agreement.
Observers from the United States, the State of Qatar, the African Union Commission, and the Representative of the African Union Mediator participated actively, providing support to ensure the impartial and effective advancement of the peace process.
In a joint statement on Saturday, both countries expressed gratitude for the contributions and partnership of the African Union, the United States, and Qatar in supporting peaceful resolution efforts in the region.
U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos highlighted the importance of the joint security mechanism, stating that this cooperation is essential to transforming the Peace Agreement into lasting peace and stability for the communities impacted by conflict.
“This cooperation is what will turn the Peace Agreement into lasting peace and stability for communities in the region,” he stated.
The meeting marks a hopeful milestone in efforts to promote stability in the Great Lakes region. Follow-up meetings are expected in the coming days.
The course was jointly conducted by the RDF and the Qatar Armed Forces, aiming to enhance tactical skills and operational readiness.
The pass-out ceremony was presided over by the RDF Chief of Defence Staff, General MK Mubarakh, and attended by Ali Bin Hamad, Chargé d’Affaires of the State of Qatar to Rwanda, alongside senior RDF generals and a delegation from the Qatar Armed Forces.
The intensive programme covered four key areas: VIP protection, counter-terrorism, anti-riot operations, and fighting in built-up areas (FIBUA). These modules were designed to equip RDF Military Police personnel with advanced capabilities to respond effectively to emerging security challenges, protect high-profile individuals, and maintain public order.
In his remarks, General Mubarakh expressed gratitude to the Qatar Armed Forces for their continued support and partnership. He highlighted the importance of such joint initiatives in strengthening the RDF’s operational capacity and regional security cooperation.
“Readiness in today’s security environment requires not only robust institutions but also well-trained personnel capable of responding decisively to a wide range of threats. It is within this context that we deeply value our bilateral cooperation with the Qatar Armed Forces, as we continue to promote mutual benefits and a shared commitment to addressing evolving security threats,” said the CDS.
Maj Nader Alhajri, Chief of Training, praised the RDF for its dedication to deepening the partnership between Qatar and Rwanda through joint initiatives such as this training programme.
“This course was conducted as part of the cooperation between our two countries. The skills acquired will enable RDF Military Police to perform their duties with increased efficiency and professionalism,” he said.
The successful completion of this training marks another milestone in the strategic partnership between Rwanda and Qatar, demonstrating their shared commitment to enhancing security capabilities and regional stability.
During a visit to Kirehe District on August 8, 2025, the Prime Minister toured the Nasho irrigation project, which covers the Nasho and Mpanga sectors.
The project was launched in 2015 by businessman Howard G. Buffett and officially inaugurated by President Kagame in 2020. With an investment of $54 million, the initiative aims to help local farmers cultivate crops despite frequent droughts.
A 3.3-megawatt solar power system was installed to operate irrigation pumps, and 144 houses were built to provide better living conditions for farming families.
The Nasho Irrigation Cooperative (NAICO) has 2,099 members farming 1,173 hectares with 63 rotating irrigation machines.
NAICO Chairman Christophe Rwisumbura explained that before irrigation, crop yields were low due to harsh sun and drought. The cooperative members used to plant small amounts of corn and beans, and soybeans were not cultivated.
“Now, with irrigation, farmers consolidate their land, receive expert advice, use improved seeds, and achieve higher yields,” said Rwisumbura.
He noted that yields have increased to over six tons per hectare for some crops, with 2.5 tons per hectare for soybeans. Farmers have also started growing pigeon peas and chilli peppers to increase income.
The cooperative recently generated profits of 1.3 billion Rwandan francs, which were invested in treasury bonds at the National Bank of Rwanda. Dividends are distributed to members every six months according to the size of their land.
Rwisumbura added, “Farmers now afford health insurance, improve their homes, and ensure students pay school fees on time, issues that were difficult before.”
He expressed optimism about increasing yields to nine tons per hectare, even during the dry season.
Farmer Violette Kansangire shared her experience, explaining that before irrigation, poverty was widespread due to long droughts. After irrigation began, her harvests increased from two tons to nine tons per hectare. She also expanded her farm to eight hectares and improved her living standards.
Another long-time resident of Nasho Sector thanked the President for helping secure irrigation support, which enabled him to rebuild his house and now plan to buy a motorcycle.
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Besides creating jobs and improving livelihoods through irrigation, a new nearly 35-kilometre paved road has been constructed, connecting the irrigated fields to main transport routes.
NAICO Executive Director Shyaka Nshuti said the road has greatly facilitated access to markets and made it easier for farmers to transport fertilisers.
“Before, poor roads limited buyers and transport options. Now, trucks carrying 40 to 50 tons can easily access the farms, making marketing much easier,” he said.
Prime Minister Nsengiyumva praised the progress made by Nasho farmers and urged them to increase production, aiming to raise yields from 10 to 12 tons per hectare. He encouraged youth to work diligently and assured that local authorities are ready to provide support.
“Keep going, we support you. Whatever you need, local authorities are there. This is a program strongly supported by the government. Tell us what you need, and we will assist. When you are happy, we are happy,” he said.
Currently, NAICO farms maize, soybeans, beans, pigeon peas, and chilli peppers, with some produce exported abroad.
Lungu, who served as Zambia’s head of state from 2015 to 2021, died on June 5, 2025, in Pretoria while undergoing medical treatment. Plans for his burial in Johannesburg on June 25 were halted by the Pretoria High Court just hours before a private funeral ceremony was set to begin.
The Zambian government had approached the South African court to block the burial in South Africa, arguing that Lungu, as a former president, should be accorded a state funeral in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, consistent with the tradition for all presidents since independence in 1964.
The dispute arose because Lungu’s family wished to bury him in South Africa without the presence of his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, a longtime political rival. The family claimed Lungu did not want Hichilema to attend the funeral. However, the Zambian government insisted that as a former head of state, Lungu belonged to the nation and should be honoured with a state funeral at a designated site in Lusaka.
On Friday, the judge in Pretoria ruled that Lungu’s remains must be handed over to a representative of Zambia’s court system to facilitate repatriation. The decision brought relief to the government but was an emotional moment for Lungu’s family, with his sister Bertha Lungu visibly moved by the ruling.
The conflict over Lungu’s final resting place is the latest chapter in a prolonged political feud between the former president and his successor, which has now extended beyond Lungu’s death.
Initially, both the government and the family had agreed on a state funeral, but disagreements over the ceremony’s logistics and symbolism led to the family planning a private burial in South Africa. This prompted the government to seek legal intervention to reclaim control of the process.
In its court filing, the Zambian government argued that private wishes should not supersede national interests, citing a precedent from 2021 when the family of Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, also opposed a state funeral, but the court overruled them.
The company says the new system significantly reduces common AI pitfalls such as hallucinations, inconsistent instruction-following, and sycophancy, where models agree with users uncritically rather than providing fact-based responses.
GPT-5 is built as a unified system that can decide when to respond quickly and when to “think” for complex problems. A real-time router evaluates the complexity of each prompt, the tools required, and user intent—for example, when someone explicitly asks it to “think hard” about a question.
“Once usage limits are reached, a mini version of each model will handle the remaining queries,” OpenAI said in a blog post on Thursday, August 7, 2025, adding that it eventually plans to incorporate these capabilities into a single, integrated model.
The upgrade boosts performance in three of ChatGPT’s most popular uses: writing, coding, and health.
For developers, OpenAI says GPT-5 delivers its strongest coding abilities yet, capable of handling complex front-end projects, debugging large repositories, and producing more refined designs in layout, typography, and white space. The company highlights its ability to generate fully functional, visually polished websites, apps, and games from a single prompt.
A key focus of GPT-5 is minimising sycophancy, ensuring the model delivers independent, evidence-based answers rather than mirroring user beliefs. Combined with reduced hallucinations, OpenAI says this makes the system more trustworthy and useful for factual, high-stakes queries.
GPT-5 is available now to all ChatGPT users, with Plus subscribers getting higher usage limits and Pro subscribers gaining access to GPT-5 Pro, a variant with extended reasoning capabilities for more complex and detailed queries.
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The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the AI sector. Google’s Gemini Ultra and Meta’s LLaMA 3 have made significant gains, forcing OpenAI to push performance forward to maintain its edge.
Against Gemini Ultra, GPT-5 is competitive on reasoning and coding but still faces a rival strong in real-time web access, multimedia handling, and deep integration with Google’s ecosystem.
Against LLaMA 3, GPT-5 offers far larger context windows (up to one million tokens versus around 32,000) and better out-of-the-box performance, while Meta’s open-source model appeals to developers wanting full control and customisation.
On the other hand, compared to xAI’s Grok, GPT-5 boasts superior multimodal capabilities and an advanced reasoning router for complex problem-solving. Grok focuses on real-time interaction within Elon Musk’s X ecosystem, emphasising conversational AI that blends social media engagement with language tasks. While Grok is rapidly evolving, GPT-5 currently leads in versatility and the breadth of applications beyond social platforms.
According to analysts, OpenAI needed GPT-5 to address longstanding user complaints, most notably hallucinations, memory limitations, and the tendency to agree with incorrect statements. The company is also looking to advance toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) while defending market share from rapidly improving rivals.
The UN offices recently accused AFC/M23 of involvement in the deaths of 169 and 319 civilians in several localities within Rutshuru Territory between July 9 and 21, 2025. AFC/M23 dismissed the claims as unsubstantiated and politically motivated.
In a statement released on Thursday night, AFC/M23 questioned the credibility of the UN report, noting that many of the cited areas located within Virunga National Park are protected zones where farming is prohibited. The group argued that the alleged civilian massacres could not have occurred in “nonexistent farmlands,” calling into question the validity of the allegations.
AFC/M23 also criticised the UNJHRO’s investigative approach, accusing it of relying on sources aligned with the Kinshasa government without conducting independent verification. The group condemned the UN for allegedly releasing the report before AFC/M23 could respond, which they say fueled misinformation amplified by media outlets such as Reuters.
Furthermore, AFC/M23 challenged the OHCHR’s reliance on reports from armed groups and local organisations with no presence in the affected areas, including Wazalendo, FDLR, and the Rutshuru Territory Youth Council. The group called for an independent investigation and invited the UN offices to participate.
The statement also accused the UN of selectively ignoring documented atrocities committed by the Congolese government forces and their allies, including massacres of Banyamulenge and Hema communities, drone strikes on civilian areas, and repression of dissent.
“AFC/M23 strongly condemns this biased report, which propagates misinformation and undermines peace efforts. We hereby demand the immediate retraction of Report BCNUDH/OD/138/2025 and a public apology, as well as an independent investigation into the origins of these false allegations and internal accountability at the UNJHRO,” said the rebel coalition’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka.
The group has also urged the UN to address bias and ensure equal scrutiny of all parties involved in violations.
“AFC/M23 remains committed to protecting civilians and will not tolerate defamation or political weaponisation by institutions mandated to uphold impartiality,” he added.
The rebel group controls large swathes of territory in eastern DRC and is currently engaged in talks with the Kinshasa administration through a Qatar-led process aimed at ending the longstanding stalemate, which they attribute to the marginalisation and persecution of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities.
