In the three years since Spiro began operations in Rwanda, the company has distributed nearly 4,000 electric motorcycles. This initiative aligns with Rwanda’s national goal to phase out fuel-powered motorcycles as part of efforts to reduce air pollution.
Joseph Nsabimana, who has been a motorcycle taxi rider for five years and has been using a Spiro electric motorcycle for two months, highlighted the financial benefits. He explained that switching to an electric motorcycle helped him save money he previously spent on engine oil.
He said, “Every month, I used to pay about Frw 12,000 for oil changes, which adds up to Frw 144,000 annually. With Spiro bikes, that’s money I now save and can reinvest in other areas of my life.”
Nsabimana also thanked the Rwandan government for introducing electric motorcycles and expressed a common wish among riders: that more charging stations be installed in various areas for convenience.
Shanton Ngabire, Spiro’s Head of Sales, announced that the company plans to distribute 25,000 motorcycles this year, some of which will be offered at discounted rates. Spiro also intends to build 400 charging stations across the country.
He noted, “Rusizi is the first district in the Western Province where we’ve opened a branch. Thank you for choosing Spiro. We will increase charging stations as requested. I assure you that wherever motorcycles can reach, we will install stations, not just along major roads.”
Spiro motorcycles come equipped with GPS technology, which allows the company to remotely disable a bike if it is stolen, enabling the owner to recover it easily.
Nsekarije Venuste, Head of Investment and Employment Promotion in Rusizi District, welcomed Spiro to the district highlighting that the electric motorcycles support Rwanda’s green development agenda.
He added, “I encourage all motorcycle taxi operators to adopt them. As one of their peers testified, these electric bikes are more profitable than petrol-powered ones.”
Currently, four charging stations have been set up in Rusizi and Nyamasheke Districts, in locations such as Bugarama, Kamembe, Ntendezi, and Nyamasheke, with another under construction in Buhinga.
Outside of Kigali City, Spiro has opened branches in Rwamagana, Kayonza, Muhanga, and now Rusizi, with upcoming plans to expand to Karongi and Musanze Districts in the near future.
President Idriss Deby announced the decision in a Facebook post on Thursday, June 5, declaring the suspension a matter of national dignity.
“I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens,” Deby wrote.
“Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride,” he added.
The announcement comes in response to Trump’s recent order reinstating and expanding travel restrictions on foreign nationals from 19 countries, including Chad, citing national security threats, terrorism risks, and poor cooperation on immigration enforcement.
Chad was placed under a full travel ban, meaning most of its citizens are barred from entering the United States. Other African nations under similar restrictions include Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, the Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. An additional three—Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo—face partial bans targeting tourist, student, and business visas.
The U.S. administration cited high visa overstay rates and poor vetting infrastructure in Chad as reasons for its inclusion. According to the Department of Homeland Security, certain visa categories from Chad had overstay rates exceeding 50 percent.
President Trump, in a video statement, said the bans were necessary to protect the U.S. from “foreign terrorists and other threats,” citing a recent terror incident in Boulder, Colorado.
“We don’t want them,” Trump said bluntly, referring to migrants from countries flagged in the executive order.
“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States.”
Speaking to international journalists recently, Professor Zheng Qi of the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) outlined how the Party is rising to this challenge—not just through reforms or digital campaigns, but through a strategic effort rooted in ideological education, historical consciousness, and theoretical innovation.
During a recent exchange program in Beijing, international journalists were hosted at the Central Party School, a top-tier institution under the CPC Central Committee that plays a critical role in shaping the ideological direction of the Party and its governance capacity.
Professor Zheng Qi, from the Party Building Teaching and Research Department, addressed the group, detailing how the school is adapting its methods to resonate with a younger, globally minded Chinese population.
She explained that the CPC is not only addressing internal challenges such as corruption and governance capacity but is also focused on securing the support of the country’s youth. With this in mind, the Central Party School—once mainly responsible for training senior cadres—is now producing short video courses, hosting ideological outreach, and organising history education campaigns aimed squarely at younger audiences.
Founded in 1933 as the Marxist Communist School and renamed the Party School of the CPC Central Committee in 1935, the institution has played a central role in maintaining the ideological integrity of the CPC.
It trained generations of revolutionary and post-1949 leaders and became the intellectual engine behind major theoretical innovations that have shaped China’s modernisation. Since 1978, the school has been instrumental in supporting the country’s reform and opening-up agenda.
In 1994, the establishment of the National Academy of Governance aimed to professionalise China’s civil service, focusing on training mid-level and senior civil servants in public administration and policy. The two institutions were merged in 2018, creating a single entity with dual designations: the Party School of the CPC Central Committee and the National Academy of Governance.
It now stands as the highest-level educational institution within the CPC—an elite school for training Party cadres and promoting ideological and theoretical development. Its unique nature is reflected in the fact that nearly all of its students, faculty, and administrators are CPC members.
Professor Zheng Qi revealed that the CPC’s strategy to engage young people hinges on connecting ideology with current realities and cultural traditions.
“First, we need to always keep pace with theoretical development,” she said.
“Because our ideals and convictions are connected with our cultural practices and fine traditions. And they keep developing. So, from the past theoretical developments to today’s Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we endeavour to address the problems at present.”
By doing so, the Party seeks to show that its political thought remains relevant and responsive to the real-world issues that younger generations care about.
Recognising that many young Chinese are looking beyond material success and striving for personal meaning, the CPC is providing platforms that align national development goals with individual ambition.
“Many young people today may no longer be content with just meeting their material needs. They also aspire to have self-realisation,” Zheng said, noting that opportunities such as university teaching support and rural development initiatives are designed to “contribute their due share to our national development” while allowing them to “realise their potential and their value.”
To bring these ideas closer to youth, the Central Party School has taken to modern communication platforms.
“We also convey our theories—political theories—in a way popular among young people. We have many micro party courses. And me and many of my colleagues have made 10-minute-long courses,” Zheng explained.
“Those videos have been posted onto the Chinese version of TikTok and other new media platforms. They have been visited or clicked by a large number of netizens. In this way, we can enable young people to learn about our Party’s theories and to form their own opinion.”
Historical education also plays a key role in this engagement strategy. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party has prioritised campaigns that encourage young people to study the CPC’s and the nation’s past.
“General Secretary Xi also emphasised the importance of history,” said Zheng. “We have organized a study about Party history and our national history, by which we can draw inspiration and strength and show the important role of the CPC in China’s history.”
But this outreach to the younger generation is not taking place in isolation. Zheng underscored the broader internal challenges facing the CPC as it attempts to remain relevant and resilient.
“How can we continue to serve the people wholeheartedly or adopt a people-centred approach?” she asked, acknowledging that after over seven decades in power, the Party must remember “who we are and who we are for.”
She continued, “To govern such a country like China, we are facing so many arduous challenges of reform, which may be even more grave than when we just founded the PRC.”
Zheng noted that many of these reforms touch on entrenched interests and demand that the CPC constantly improve its governance capacity. She added, “This is attested to our leading capacity and governance level.”
Moreover, the CPC is grappling with the issue of corruption and the need to maintain the purity of its ranks—an issue Zheng said has contributed to the downfall of other political parties around the world.
“So, whether it’s in terms of resolve and our attitudes, as well as our reform measures, we can see that our Party has been committed to maintaining our purity,” she said. “People’s support rate or satisfaction rate for our combat against corruption is over 90%.”
In light of these challenges, the Party’s efforts to engage young people through theoretical development, historical education, and media-savvy communication are not merely tactics—they are existential necessities. And institutions like the Central Party School are playing an outsized role in ensuring that the CPC’s ideological roots remain strong, relevant, and persuasive in a rapidly evolving society.
In 2024, 86 percent of newly installed power capacity in China came from renewable energy sources, while the share of cumulative installed renewable capacity rose to a record high of 56 percent of the national total, official data showed.
The figures reflect years of arduous efforts of the world’s largest developing country to pivot from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources, spearheaded by Xi’s steady and strategic commitment to a low-carbon development path.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in 2020 that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The pledge represents the steepest cut in carbon emission intensity in the shortest period of time that the world has ever seen.
“Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are not something asked of us, but something we are doing on our own initiative,” Xi once said, adding that the goals cannot be achieved easily but efforts must be made immediately.
Calling for advancing green and sustainable development rather than GDP-oriented growth, Xi has urged regions burdened by outdated industrial models to accelerate green transitions while balancing the need for energy security.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China offers a vivid illustration. Rich in coal and central to the nation’s energy supply, the region had been leaning on high-polluting industries and resource-intensive growth.
In 2018, during a joint deliberation with fellow lawmakers from Inner Mongolia, Xi urged the region to develop the modern energy sector effectively by following the latest industrial trends.
Over recent years, the region has quickened its pace of transformation. Once known for coal and desert, it is now dotted with vast arrays of solar panels and wind turbines. By the end of 2024, the region’s installed new energy capacity, which includes wind power and solar energy, had overtaken thermal power for the first time, reaching the landmark a full year ahead of schedule.
The region’s green transition mirrors broader national efforts. To achieve its carbon reduction goals, the government has introduced sweeping measures, including the expansion of market mechanisms to drive change.
In July 2021, China officially launched its national carbon emissions trading market, a critical step in reducing carbon footprints and meeting emissions targets. The platform has since evolved into the world’s largest carbon market by the amount of greenhouse gas emissions traded. Notably, the carbon-emissions intensity in the generation of electricity has since decreased by 8.78 percent.
While striving to tackle climate change, China’s green push has also emerged as a powerful engine of economic growth. “Green, circular, and low-carbon development represents the trend of the current technological revolution, and the direction in which industry is shifting,” Xi said at a meeting in 2015. He also noted that with unparalleled future prospects and potential, the development will create a number of growth drivers.
Since Xi announced carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets nearly five years ago, China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system as well as the largest and most complete new energy industrial chain.
The country’s production and sales of new energy vehicles have secured the top position in the world for 10 consecutive years. It also emerged as a global technology leader in sectors such as solar panels, lithium batteries, and carbon capture, among others.
Xi has also underscored the key role a sound ecological environment plays in supporting China’s long-term development, and has long been concerned about land restoration and afforestation.
For 13 consecutive years, Xi has maintained a tree-planting tradition, joining officials and citizens to promote the country’s afforestation drive. From 2012 to 2024, China’s afforestation area was equivalent to over twice the size of Germany.
With nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, China’s green transformation carries global significance. The country has been working to help power the world’s green transition by sharing its expertise in green technologies and aiding clean energy projects in developing countries.
Between 2016 and 2023, China provided a total of 24.5 billion U.S. dollars in climate-related funding to other developing countries. In 2023 alone, China’s exports of wind and solar products helped other countries reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tonnes.
“However the world may change, China will not slow down its climate actions, will not reduce its support for international cooperation, and will not cease its efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind,” said Xi at the Leaders Meeting on Climate and the Just Transition in April.
“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline,” Trump wrote in the memorandum.
“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.”
The memorandum continued. “There are serious doubts as to the decision-making process and even the degree of Biden’s awareness of these actions being taken in his name,” it said.
The vast majority of Biden’s executive actions were signed using a mechanical signature pen, often called an autopen, as opposed to Biden’s own hand, it said.
The memorandum orders that the Counsel to the President, in consultation with the Attorney General and the head of any other relevant executive department or agency, investigate whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.
In a statement late on Wednesday, Biden dismissed those suggestions.
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
Biden called the move “a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a sweeping tax and spending bill, described by Trump as the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” The legislative package includes tax cuts and spending cuts, no tax on tips and overtime, increased child tax credits, and measures to reduce the federal deficit.
The former Zambian President is reported to have breathed his last at 6:00 a.m.
His demise was confirmed by Tasila Lungu-Mwansa, Chawama Member of Parliament and daughter of the late President, as well as Makebi Zulu, the family’s lawyer, who noted that the family is still in the process of informing relatives and close associates.
Dr. Lungu served as Zambia’s President from January 26, 2015, to August 24, 2021, leading the nation through significant political and economic developments.
His tenure left a lasting impact on Zambia’s governance and political landscape, and he remained an influential figure within the Patriotic Front and the nation at large.
In an official statement, Given Lubinda, Acting President of the Patriotic Front, expressed profound grief over the loss of the party’s leader. The statement indicated that further details regarding funeral arrangements would be shared in due course.
Led by Secretary General Benjamin Mbonimpa, the AFC/M23 delegation arrived in Doha in early May 2025 to engage in negotiations with representatives of the DRC government. The talks, facilitated by Qatari mediators, were part of a broader initiative launched in March 2025 to de-escalate fighting in eastern Congo and establish a framework for lasting peace.
Sources on the ground report that Mbonimpa and his team returned to Goma earlier this week, following a directive from the coalition’s senior leadership.
Neither AFC/M23 nor the DRC government has issued an official statement on the withdrawal, but insiders suggest that the two parties failed to reach a consensus on key issues, most notably, the confidence-building measures deemed essential to advancing the peace process.
At the heart of the impasse is the question of mutual trust. AFC/M23 had been asked to vacate territories under its control as a gesture of goodwill. In response, the group withdrew from the city of Walikale and nearby areas in early April.
In return, it presented the DRC government with a list of 700 detainees allegedly imprisoned for suspected affiliations with the movement, requesting their release. The government released only five individuals, none of whom appeared on the submitted list.
Despite high hopes for progress, a report by Africa Intelligence on May 15 indicated that Qatar had anticipated a preliminary agreement by May 10. The goal that was not realised, forcing talks to continue without resolution.
Recent developments in the conflict region have further strained the process. AFC/M23 has reportedly resumed military operations in several regions and is said to be attempting to seize the town of Pinga in Walikale territory. These actions have raised concerns that the group is losing faith in the negotiation track.
The fragile ceasefire agreement brokered at the end of April also failed to hold, with both sides accusing each other of violations. AFC/M23 has pointed to continued provocations by pro-government Wazalendo militias, which it claims are undermining the negotiation environment.
With its delegation now pulled from the Qatar talks, AFC/M23’s move casts doubt on the future of the peace process. Observers warn that without renewed diplomatic efforts and tangible steps from both parties, the conflict in eastern Congo could further escalate, undermining months of progress and risking a return to full-scale violence.
On June 3, 2025, Nathalie Clauwaert, General Director of the Belgian Cycling Federation, announced their participation in the upcoming Road World Championships in Kigali after consultations with Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
This decision has sparked considerable attention, given that Rwanda cut diplomatic ties with Belgium in March, accusing it of siding in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and disseminating misinformation aimed at destabilizing Rwanda.
In a message posted on the social media platform X, Minister Nduhungirehe described the Belgian Cycling Federation’s decision as a positive step, emphasizing that the Belgian team is welcome just like all other cycling teams.
“This is a positive decision that moves in the right direction. The Belgian cycling team is indeed welcome in Rwanda, just like all the other cycling teams. The Road Cycling World Championship in Rwanda [September 21–28, 2025], the first ever held in Africa, will undoubtedly be a popular and festive sporting event,” he said.
Belgium is among the countries with cyclists who have recently excelled at the Road Cycling World Championships, including Remco Evenepoel, who won the road race in 2022 and secured the Individual Time Trial titles in 2023 and 2024.
Belgian cyclist Lotte Kopecky also won the women’s road race at the Cycling World Championships in both 2023 and 2024.
In February, the Belgian team Soudal-Quick-Step Devo Team declined to participate in the 2025 Tour of Rwanda, citing security concerns related to the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, this did not prevent 14 other teams, including Belgium’s Lotto-Dstny Devo Team, from competing in the eight-day race, which proceeded peacefully until its conclusion.
Speaking in a televised interview, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Jerry Silaa confirmed that the restriction is a deliberate enforcement measure following what the government describes as the platform’s failure to comply with local online content regulations.
“Since X updated its content policies in May 2024, it has permitted explicit sexual material, including same-sex pornographic content, which directly contradicts Section 16 of our Online Content Regulations,” Silaa said, referring to legislation enacted in 2020.
“Such material is not only illegal under Tanzanian law but undermines our traditions, values, and cultural norms.”
Silaa emphasised the government’s responsibility in curating a digital environment that reflects the country’s ethical standards.
“Because the internet is like the sky—what you say here will be heard by Tanzanians, whether they like it or not. That’s why it’s important for the government to ensure online content aligns with national values and laws.”
The platform has reportedly become inaccessible across the country without the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The restriction comes amid broader digital surveillance efforts, with Silaa noting that other platforms, including YouTube, have also had content blocked as part of a nationwide crackdown on “illegal and harmful” digital media.
The restriction follows a recent wave of digital security breaches. On May 20, internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that X was blocked in Tanzania after pornographic content appeared on what was believed to be a hacked official police account.
The account also falsely claimed that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had died. Similar graphic content surfaced on the hacked YouTube account of the Tanzania Revenue Authority.
The platform restriction also coincides with the detention of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is facing a treason charge after threatening to boycott elections unless electoral reforms are enacted. Lissu denies the allegations, calling the charges politically motivated.
Tanzania was also in the spotlight after several prominent East African human rights activists who travelled to Tanzania in solidarity with Lissu were detained or deported.
Kenya’s former Justice Minister Martha Karua was turned back upon arrival, while Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, though initially allowed in, was detained for several days and later alleged that she was blindfolded, violently stripped, and sexually assaulted while in custody. Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was also briefly detained and reported experiencing torture and assault.
Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account that he finished a phone call with Putin and discussed the attacks on June 1. It was the first time the U.S. president publicly talked about the operation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touted being directed by himself.
“We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides… President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump wrote.
He said the Wednesday call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes, noting “It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”
