Addressing a press conference, Fico said the plan would threaten the operation of nuclear power plants in Slovakia.
The European Commission last month unveiled a new roadmap to end EU’s reliance on Russian energy. The REPowerEU Roadmap sets out a phased and coordinated plan to halt imports of Russian natural gas, oil, and nuclear materials across the 27-member bloc, according to the Commission.
“We’ve repeatedly declared this idea of the European Commission to be harmful, ideological and damaging to the competitiveness of the European Union,” said Fico, adding that Slovakia will intervene in the EU to fight for its national interests in the preparation of legislative changes concerning oil, gas and nuclear fuel.
As of April 2025, Slovakia has five nuclear reactors generating half of its electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Hadi Rahmat Hardjasasmita, a spokesperson for the Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency of West Java province, said that two more bodies were found by rescuers on Sunday in Gunung Kuda mine situated in Bobos village of Cirebon Regency.
He said that to ensure smooth search operations and relief efforts, a state of emergency has been imposed since May 30 and will end on June 6.
The search and rescue operation has been halted due to further landslides at the quarry, said Mamang Fatmono, acting head of the operational unit of the provincial search and rescue office.
“We face a challenge today. Further landslides occurred at 11:10 a.m., so the search operation was temporarily suspended. The search operation will resume tomorrow,” he told Xinhua.
The ceremony brought together Rwandans from across Belgium to honor the over one million lives lost during the genocide, and to reaffirm a collective commitment to remembrance, justice, and peace.
In her keynote address, Mayor Marie-Christine Marghem of Tournai paid tribute to the victims and reflected on the universal importance of remembrance.
“Memory is not limited to recording events in the course of history,” she said.
“This long history, in which we have always been involved, has undoubtedly been marked by mistakes. However, over time, thanks to the beings of light who are capable of reaching out and recognizing human dignity, we have learned that such injustices are fundamentally unspeakable, culpable, and condemnable,” Marghem added.
Claire Kayirangwa, representing Ibuka Belgique, emphasized the duty of remembrance and the importance of transmitting truth to future generations.
“We do not come merely to mourn the dead; we come to carry their memory through the generations,” she said.
“Even today, there are voices that dare to relativize or distort the truth of what happened. To those voices, we respond with dignity and determination: to remember is not to seek pity—it is a moral duty and a commitment to justice,” Kayirangwa added.
Ernest Gakuba, President of the Rwandan Community in Belgium (DRB-Rugari), delivered a stirring address highlighting the role of youth in preserving memory.
“One hundred days of darkness. One hundred days when humanity failed. Today, we remember—but more than that, we act. We must pass on the memory not just to Rwandan youth, but to youth everywhere. Because today’s silence can nurture tomorrow’s violence,” he noted.
Gakuba also paid tribute to Corporal Bruno Méaux and the nine other Belgian peacekeepers killed in 1994, calling them “symbols of the price paid for the silence of powerful nations.”
Gakuba praised the Rwandan Patriotic Front for its decisive role in ending the genocide when the world chose to look away.
“These young Rwandans acted—not for revenge, but to save what could still be saved,” he stated.
Speakers also addressed the painful reality that, even today, some genocide suspects continue to live freely in Europe, particularly in Belgium and France.
Arnold Turagara, President of the Rwandan Community in Mons and Tournai, called attention to this ongoing injustice.
“These individuals live settled and protected, while survivors wait for justice,” he said. “Despite these challenges, Rwanda rises—not through foreign aid, but through the will and unity of its people.”
Turagara also urged Rwandan youth to carry forward the torch of truth, resilience, and national unity.
“You inherit a difficult past, but also a bright future. Let your generation be the one that defeats the silence of forgetting.”
The ceremony included the powerful testimony of Lyamukuru Félicité, a genocide survivor who also served as the master of ceremonies. Her story served as a reminder of the personal loss and resilience that shape the Rwandan identity today.
Mourners laid wreaths at two memorial sites: one honoring the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi, and the other commemorating Corporal Bruno Méaux.
The event concluded with moving performances by Suzanne Nyiranyamibwa, whose songs of remembrance echoed the collective sorrow and hope of a people determined never to forget.
The agreements were signed in Kigali on Sunday, June 1, during the official visit of Lieutenant General Ahmed Fathi Ibrahim Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, who met with his Rwandan counterpart, General MK Mubarakh, at RDF Headquarters.
The three-day visit marks a significant step in deepening bilateral defence relations, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to a long-term and sustainable partnership.
Discussions between the two military chiefs focused on enhancing joint military initiatives and exploring new areas of collaboration.
Earlier in the day, Lieutenant General Khalifa paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
According to a statement released by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two diplomats reviewed cooperation relations between Doha and Kigali, exploring avenues to enhance them.
The discussions also focused on the conflict between Rwanda and the DRC and Qatar’s role in the mediation process.
The meeting comes on the heels of a similar diplomatic engagement on Saturday, when Sheikh Mohammed held talks with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf to discuss ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict between the two neighbouring countries.
Qatar has taken a leading role in efforts to restore peace in the Great Lakes Region. Talks between the DRC government and the AFC/M23 rebel group, which says it’s fighting for the rights of marginalised Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in the eastern DRC, are being held in Qatar.
The DRC accuses Rwanda of aiding M23 hostilities in the eastern DRC. Rwanda has repeatedly dismissed the claims, insisting that its primary concern is the continued presence and collaboration between Congolese forces and the FDLR militia group. The group, linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, continues to pose a security threat on the border with Congo, fueling the conflict between Rwanda and the DRC.
Meanwhile, the African Union has also taken a central role in the region’s peace efforts following the early 2025 decision by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to merge the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes into a unified framework. This unified initiative, coordinated by the AU, aims to streamline regional mediation efforts.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Burhan and other council members met with Idris to discuss government priorities, including stabilizing the economy, protecting civilian livelihoods, and restoring order across the country’s states, the statement said.
Idris’s appointment was formalized on May 19 through a constitutional decree issued by Burhan, who also serves as commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces. The decision was welcomed by the United Nations, the African Union Commission, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The prime minister’s post had remained vacant since the resignation of Abdalla Hamdok in January 2022, following a military coup led by Burhan in October 2021. Hamdok and other civilian leaders were briefly detained before being reinstated under a short-lived power-sharing deal. He stepped down weeks later, warning that Sudan was at a “dangerous turning point” as mass protests erupted against military rule.
Idris, who holds a doctoral degree in international law, previously served as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization and Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.
Sudan remains gripped by a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, both internally and across borders, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
It wasn’t unusual to see children playing in front of these fragile homes, causing parents to feel an instinctive fear as if their hearts had skipped a beat, worried that the walls might crumble on them at any moment.
Rainfall posed a major threat not only to the residents but also to local authorities, as it had the potential to destroy homes or even claim lives.
This persistent fear is what prompted the City of Kigali administration to commit to improving housing in the area, which lies at the entrance to the city.
The authorities came up with a plan to resettle residents in better-quality homes without displacing them. Additional housing was also built to accommodate those relocated from other life-threatening locations.
Today, after a relatively short period of construction, the area has undergone a complete transformation. The once-disparaged zone of Dobandi and similar neighbourhoods has become Ubwiza Modern Village, a new estate set to host more than 680 residents.
This village consists of 18 apartment blocks, each three storeys high (G+3), and is expected to serve as a model for affordable, modern, and environmentally friendly urban housing.
Residents of the new estate express disbelief and joy at their new living conditions, something they say they never imagined, like Umutoni Clarisse, who lives with her family of seven.
“We used to live in a terrible place that was a real threat to our lives. The houses were so weak, and when it rained, you’d go to bed unsure whether you’d wake up again. Then the government came up with this idea and built us these homes,” she said.
“We’re very happy now. We are thankful to His Excellency the President of the Republic, who made this happen. We never imagined we’d live in such houses, or that we could sleep peacefully. Now, it rains and we sleep soundly throughout the night. The place we came from was awful.”
Umutesi Vestine, who received a four-bedroom house where she also runs a business, echoed the words, saying, “The area we lived in used to put many lives in danger. There was a time when the Mpazi River overflowed and swept away a house nearby, along with a couple and all their belongings. We recovered the woman’s body, but we never found the man’s.”
She described how, during floods, the drainage channels would overflow and destroy homes. People couldn’t dig latrines, and makeshift roofs were held in place with tyres or stones.
She also noted that the new houses matched the value of the land residents previously owned, with some receiving two or three homes, depending on what they had before.
Uwimana Denise confirmed she received two homes, one of which she now rents out for Frw 80,000 per month.
The Mayor of Kigali, Dusengiyumva Samuel, stated that this approach will be replicated in other disorganised neighbourhoods across the city and encouraged private investors to participate in this kind of development.
“I just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly, helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reform programme in generations,” said Trump.
Trump credited Musk with “a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington” and said some of his staff would remain in the administration.
“I look forward to continuing to be a friend and advisor to the president,” Musk told reporters after Trump handed a golden key as a gift.
Having spent approximately 300 million U.S. dollars to back Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republicans, Musk recently said that he plans to cut his political spending substantially, because “I think I’ve done enough.”
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Musk criticised Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” describing the legislation, a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement, as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of DOGE.
Widely regarded as the father of the medical abortion pill, Baulieu revolutionised reproductive healthcare with the development of mifepristone (also known as RU-486), offering millions of women around the world a safe, non-surgical option to end a pregnancy.
“His research was guided by his commitment to progress through science, his dedication to women’s freedom and his desire to enable everyone to live better, longer lives,” said his widow, television producer Simone Harari Baulieu, in a statement on Friday, May 30.
Baulieu is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed him as “a beacon of courage” and “a progressive mind who enabled women to win their freedom,” adding, “Few French people have changed the world to such an extent.”
Born Étienne Blum in Strasbourg on 12 December 1926 to Jewish parents, Baulieu joined the French Resistance as a teenager during the Nazi occupation. He later adopted the name Émile Baulieu, adding Étienne back after the war.
Raised by a feminist mother following the early death of his father, he would go on to devote his life to scientific discovery and women’s rights.
After studying medicine and working in the United States, Baulieu was mentored by Gregory Pincus, the American biologist known as the father of the contraceptive pill. Under Pincus’s guidance, Baulieu began focusing on the biology of sex hormones, a path that would define his career.
His breakthrough came in 1982 when he developed a method to block the hormone progesterone, which is vital for a fertilised egg to implant in the uterus. This discovery led to the creation of mifepristone, which would become a cornerstone of medical abortion.
The drug was approved for use in France in 1988 and has since been authorised in over 100 countries.
However, Baulieu’s groundbreaking work was not without controversy. He faced threats, legal battles, and fierce opposition from anti-abortion groups, particularly in the United States.
In 2023, following Wyoming’s decision to become the first US state to ban the abortion pill, Baulieu described the move as “scandalous,” reiterating that he had spent much of his life fighting to “increase the freedom of women.”
Despite the resistance, mifepristone has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as an essential medicine since 2010. While critics continue to question its safety, scientific studies show it has a lower fatality rate than many common over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin.
Beyond reproductive health, Baulieu’s research extended into ageing, depression, and neurodegenerative conditions. Even into his mid-90s, he continued working from his office in Paris, with ongoing projects that explored treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and severe depression.
“I would be bored if I did not work anymore,” he once said.
In 2023, President Macron awarded Baulieu the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest national distinction.
At the ceremony, Macron praised his resilience in the face of vilification: “You, a Jew and a member of the Resistance, were heaped with the most atrocious insults and compared to Nazi scientists. But you held firm, out of love for freedom and science.”
Baulieu’s passion for life extended beyond the laboratory. A literature enthusiast, he befriended artists like Andy Warhol in the 1960s and expressed admiration for those who “claim to have access to the human soul.”
The event, held on Friday, May 30, 2025, brought together members of the Chinese community in Rwanda, Rwandan government representatives, and friends of China to celebrate both the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations and the traditional Chinese holiday.
Rwanda was chosen as the first African country to screen this film with a runtime of 2 hours 16 minutes, underscoring the growing cultural ties between China and Rwanda.
Detective Chinatown 1900, the fourth installment in the popular Chinese comedy-mystery franchise, directed by Chen Sicheng and Dai Mo, premiered globally on January 29, 2025, during the Chinese New Year.
The film, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1900, follows Qin Fu (Liu Haoran), a Chinese medicine practitioner, and Ah Gui (Wang Baoqiang), a Chinese man raised by a Native American tribe, as they investigate the murders of a white woman, Alice, and an elderly Native American man.
The prime suspect is Bai Zhenbang, son of Chinatown leader Bai Xuanling (Chow Yun-Fat). The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of anti-Chinese xenophobia fueled by the Chinese Exclusion Act, blending humor, action, and poignant social commentary on racism and cultural identity.
{{Who killed Alice?}}
The investigation reveals a complex conspiracy: Alice’s murder was orchestrated by a corrupt businessman in collusion with a xenophobic congressman (John Cusack) to frame Bai Zhenbang and stoke anti-Chinese sentiment for political and economic gain.
The elderly Native American’s death was a related cover-up. There is no indication that Bai Xuanling, the influential Chinatown leader, was involved in Alice’s death; rather, he plays a pivotal role in protecting the community.
Qin Fu and Ah Gui’s clever deductions expose the true culprits, resolving the case while highlighting ongoing racial tensions, leaving a bittersweet reflection on cultural harmony.
Speaking at the event, Lin Hang, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kigali, highlighted the film’s global success and symbolic importance for Africa and Rwanda.
“Detective Chinatown 1900 is a blockbuster, which was officially launched on January 29 and so far has made a revenue of 1.3 billion US$ globally. It’s the first screening of the movie in Africa, choosing Rwanda as the first and unique country. It’s a special and joyful occasion, the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival,” she noted.
She also reflected on the reasons behind the film’s widespread popularity.
“More importantly, it may be attributed to the focus on the respect and equality, tolerance and inclusiveness, mutual learning and appreciation, and harmonious coexistence of civilizations. This is particularly meaningful for today’s world, which is plagued by frequent conflicts and turmoils.”
{{The essence of Dragon Boat Festival}}
Dragons in Chinese culture symbolize, among others, good luck, protection and intelligence. The festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (May 31, 2025), commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Miluo River in despair over political betrayal.
Locals raced boats to save him and dropped sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) to protect his body, origins of the festival’s dragon boat races and zongzi traditions.
The Kigali screening also underscored the shared cultural values between China and Rwanda as highlighted by Hang who praised Rwanda’s support for China’s Global Civilization Initiative.
“Rwanda’s cosponsoring of [the UN resolution for the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations] is highly appreciated,” she stated.
“Like Rwanda, we oppose others imposing their own governance and development models on us. We are firmly against the interference of our internal affairs in the name of so-called democracy and human rights,” Hang added as she underscored shared values.
Hang also celebrated cultural exchanges, such as the upcoming participation of Rwanda’s Agaseke Culture Center in the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in June 2025, which will showcase Rwandan culture alongside Chinese traditions.
She concluded with a call to action: “Let’s work together for a better world with peace, stability and prosperity, for future and our next generations.”
