The report, issued by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), also found that both the Arctic and Antarctic recorded June sea ice extents ranking among their respective 10 lowest on record, while global tropical cyclone activity was above average.
Global surface temperatures in June were 1.09 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average, making it the second-warmest June on record, trailing only 2024, the report said.
Warmer-than-average conditions prevailed across much of the world during the month, with several continents and regions recording one of their 10 warmest Junes on record.
The report said global sea ice extent was the fourth smallest for June in the 48-year satellite record, covering 22.7 million square km, or about 2.02 million square kilometers less than the 1991-2020 average.
Looking at the year to date, the January-June global surface temperature was the third-highest on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2026 will rank among the five-warmest years on record.
An illuminated sign reads 41 degrees Celsius at the entrance to a local village in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, Occitanie, France, July 9, 2026. /VCG
Upon arrial, they were welcomed by a large crowd of journalists and supporters at Kigali International Airport.
Speaking shortly after his arrival, Ashton Hall expressed his excitement about visiting Rwanda, the home country of his friend Ashton Small, better known as Kagarara.
Asked whether he knew anything about Rwanda before meeting Kagarara, Hall replied, “To be honest, I didn’t know Rwanda before. It was Ashton Small who introduced me to it.”
Hall also encouraged Rwandans to continue believing in their dreams and never lose hope, even when others dismiss their ambitions.
“Keep dreaming big and never give up. Don’t listen to people who discourage you or call you crazy because of the goals you want to achieve,” he said.
He also praised Ashton Small for his rapidly growing social media presence, especially on Instagram, and urged Rwandans to follow him so that his work can reach an even wider audience.
On June 16, 2026, Ashton Small shared a video inviting Ashton Hall to visit Rwanda and witness the extraordinary talents of Rwandans living with disabilities.
Since then, Ashton Small’s popularity has surged on social media. He now ranks among the Rwandans with the largest Instagram followings, having surpassed 300,000 followers.
His rapid rise has been driven largely by his ongoing tour with Ashton Hall, the American social media personality widely known for his fitness content, particularly videos showcasing his intense running workouts.
Hall recently announced his commitment to helping Ashton Small reach at least one million Instagram followers while also supporting him in various initiatives.
Rwanda is the latest stop on their African tour, following visits to Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Benin.
In the coming days, Ashton Hall and his team are expected to visit several locations across Kigali, tour Kagarara’s family home, and take part in a range of activities planned during their stay in Rwanda.
Kagarara arrives in Kigali alongside Ashton Hall and Indian AshtonAshton Hall delighted by warm welcome in RwandaAshton Hall credits Kagarara for introducing him to RwandaAshton Hall lowered himself to Kagarara’s level during a brief interaction with journalistsAshton Hall, Ashton Small, and Indian Ashton Hall headed to their waiting vehicle after arriving in KigaliDespite the late hour, Ashton Hall took time to greet the people who had gathered to welcome himAshton Hall bid farewell to those who had gathered to welcome him before heading to the hotelAshton Hall wished those who had come to welcome him well before heading to the hotel
Khamenei’s eldest son Mostafa Khamenei led and performed the ritual prayers over the bodies before the late leader and his family members killed in the same attack were buried, the report said.
The funeral procession began at 15:00 local time (1130 GMT) on Thursday as huge crowds accompanied the coffins along the route to the holy shrine while gathering around the vehicle that was carrying them.
The several-day mourning ceremonies for Khamenei began on July 3 in Tehran, where many high-ranking Iranian and foreign officials paid their respects to the late leader at a ceremony at Imam Khomeini’s Mosalla prayer hall.
It was followed by a two-day farewell ceremony at the same venue on the weekend, and on Monday, a funeral procession was held in Tehran attended by huge crowds from across the country.
On Tuesday, a funeral ceremony was held in Iran’s central city of Qom, followed by mourning ceremonies in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala the next day.
Ali Khamenei served as Iran’s supreme leader for nearly 37 years. He was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Feb. 28. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was selected as Iran’s new supreme leader in March.
Huge crowds gather for the burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran, July 9, 2026. /VCG
The GPT-5.6 family includes three models: Sol, the company’s new flagship model; Terra, a balanced model for everyday work; and Luna, its fastest and most cost-efficient model, OpenAI said in a statement.
The company said GPT-5.6 Sol sets a new standard for intelligence and efficiency across coding, knowledge work, cybersecurity and science, while using fewer tokens and lowering estimated costs compared with previous and competing frontier models.
OpenAI also introduced two new capability settings for the model family. The “max” setting gives GPT-5.6 more time to reason, check and revise its approach, while the “ultra” setting coordinates multiple agents in parallel to handle more complex tasks.
According to the company, GPT-5.6 became available on Thursday across ChatGPT, Codex and the OpenAI API, with the global rollout expected to continue gradually over the next 24 hours.
OpenAI said GPT-5.6 is launching with its “most robust safeguards to date.” The company said the models are more capable than earlier models in biology and cybersecurity, but do not cross the “critical” threshold in either category under its preparedness framework.
The company added that the models underwent its most extensive safety evaluations to date before general availability.
GPT-5.6 became available on Thursday across ChatGPT,
The transaction is the world’s first Nature Bond from a commercial bank to receive the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Nature Bond secondary designation, and the first use-of-proceeds green bond from a commercial bank globally to carry the designation.
The bond is designed to support eligible lending across three categories: sustainable primary production, sustainable agri-processing, and water supply and sanitation. Financing will target projects across 24 markets within Ecobank’s operating footprint, with lending concentrated in countries where nature and biodiversity priorities are most significant.
The issuance reflects Ecobank’s broader role in mobilising African and international capital for sectors critical to the continent’s long-term resilience, including food systems, natural capital, supply chains, and water systems.
The bond attracted strong investor demand, with the final orderbook exceeding US$1.36 billion, representing 3.9 times oversubscription against the original target size of US$350 million. The strong demand enabled Ecobank to increase the transaction size by US$100 million to US$450 million and tighten pricing by 50 basis points from initial guidance, delivering a 50-basis-point greenium.
Moody’s assigned the transaction its highest Sustainability Quality Score, SQS1 (Excellent).
The bond attracted a diversified international investor base, with final allocations distributed approximately 55 per cent to the UK and Europe, 38 per cent to Africa, 3 per cent to the Middle East, 2 per cent to the United States, and 2 per cent to Asia. Participants included development finance institutions and sustainability-focused funds, with FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, serving as the anchor investor.
The bond is structured as a Tier 2 capital instrument with a 10.25-year tenor and is callable after 5.25 years.
Senior Ecobank representatives attending the Market Open Ceremony included Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, Chairman of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated; Jeremy Awori, Group Chief Executive Officer; Ayo Adepoju, Group Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer; and Rachael A.O. Antwi, Group Head of Sustainability.
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated acted as the issuer, originator, and sole sustainability structuring adviser for the transaction. Standard Chartered Bank and Renaissance Capital Africa acted as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners.
The London Stock Exchange ceremony marked the transaction as a milestone for African sustainable finance and highlighted the growing role of African financial institutions in developing credible, market-based solutions for climate and nature-related investment.
Ecobank Group is a leading private pan-African banking group with operations in 34 sub-Saharan African countries, as well as France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and China. The Group employs more than 14,000 people and provides consumer, commercial, corporate, and investment banking products and services to over 30 million customers across multiple channels, including digital platforms.
The transaction is the world’s first Nature Bond from a commercial bank to receive the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Nature Bond secondary designation, and the first use-of-proceeds green bond from a commercial bank globally to carry the designation.From left to right: Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group; Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, Chairman of Ecobank Group; and Charlie Walker, Deputy CEO, London Stock Exchange.
According to TransUnion Rwanda’s Q1 2026 Consumer Pulse Study, 98% of Rwandans consider access to credit and lending products important to achieving their financial goals. However, only 42% believe they have sufficient access to the credit products they need, exposing a significant gap between demand and availability.
The findings come as Rwanda continues to expand formal financial services and digital payments, with 96% of the population now having access to financial services, according to TransUnion Rwanda Chief Executive Officer Didier Mutambazi.
“As we look at the growth of our economy, 9.4% GDP growth is a good number. The conversation we want to have today is how we ensure that, as the country grows, we also see improvements in the lives of consumers and how, as a financial industry, we all come together to solve the real problems affecting them,” Mutambazi told journalists during the launch of the report at Kigali Marriott Hotel on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Demand remains high
The survey, conducted between February 10 and March 9, 2026, among 259 adults, shows that 56% of consumers plan to apply for new credit or refinance existing loans within the next year, reflecting sustained appetite for borrowing. Personal loans emerged as the most sought-after product, with 47% of prospective borrowers intending to apply, followed by student loans (28%) and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services (22%).
Yet many consumers are unable to translate that demand into actual borrowing.
Nearly half (49%) of respondents who considered applying for credit ultimately abandoned their plans. The most common reasons included concerns over income or employment (33%), the high cost of credit (30%), and the belief that refinancing would not significantly improve their repayments (22%).
Mutambazi said the findings indicate that the challenge is no longer simply expanding financial access but enabling more people to actively participate in the credit market.
“Today, only about 40% of consumers in the market are credit visible, while around 60% are not yet visible. This is a challenge we must address if we are to expand participation and increase usage of credit,” he said.
To tackle this, TransUnion is working with lenders to incorporate alternative data, including mobile money transactions, into credit assessments to help consumers with limited borrowing histories build credit profiles.
Financial optimism persists
Despite the access challenges, the survey paints a relatively optimistic picture of household finances.
About 76% of respondents expect their household income to increase over the next 12 months, while another 16% expect it to remain stable. At the same time, 38% reported their incomes had increased over the previous three months, compared with 24% who experienced declines.
However, financial pressures remain evident.
Half of respondents said they expect to be unable to pay at least one current bill or loan in full. Among those anticipating difficulties, many plan to make partial payments, use savings or take on temporary work to meet their obligations.
The report notes that these coping mechanisms reflect resilience rather than declining confidence, as households continue adjusting to economic pressures while maintaining cautious optimism.
From financial inclusion to economic inclusion
Speaking at the report’s launch, TransUnion Africa Regional President and CEO Lee Naik argued that Rwanda’s next challenge extends beyond simply expanding access to financial services.
“Financial inclusion is not just about accessing a way to pay bills or move money around. Financial inclusion is the ability to give people access to opportunity,” he said.
He noted that greater access to credit would enable more Rwandans to purchase homes and vehicles, finance education, and invest in small businesses, particularly given that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises account for more than 70% of employment across Africa.
Naik also described financial inclusion, digital trust, cross-border collaboration, agri-finance and renewable energy financing as key trends that will shape Africa’s economic future over the next five years.
Building on that vision, Jeannine Naude, Vice President and Head of Africa Regions at TransUnion, said unlocking greater financial inclusion will require stronger collaboration across the financial ecosystem.
She said banks, fintechs, telecommunications companies and regulators must work together to build trusted digital infrastructure and develop financial products that reflect how consumers actually earn, save and transact. Such collaboration, she noted, will be key to expanding responsible lending and ensuring more people can participate meaningfully in Rwanda’s growing digital economy.
Credit awareness on the rise
The study also found that consumers are becoming increasingly engaged with managing their financial profiles.
Seventy percent of respondents said they monitor their credit reports at least once a month, while 96% believe keeping track of their credit information is important. Meanwhile, 57% believe their credit scores would improve if lenders incorporated alternative data, such as rental payments and other non-traditional financial information, into credit assessments.
Mutambazi said this openness presents an opportunity for financial institutions to broaden lending without increasing risk.
“The future is bright,” he said. “As an industry, we must work collaboratively on initiatives to meet this demand.”
Digital trust remains critical
As Rwanda’s digital economy expands, the survey also highlights the importance of strengthening trust in digital financial services.
Some 62% of respondents said they had been targeted by at least one form of digital fraud during the previous three months. However, only 9% said they actually became victims, suggesting that while fraud attempts are widespread, many consumers are successfully avoiding scams.
Naik said Rwanda compares favourably with several other African markets, where fraud victimisation rates are considerably higher, but stressed that continued investment in digital security and consumer education remains essential.
“Access creates participation, but trust sustains it,” Mutambazi said, adding that expanding financial inclusion will increasingly depend on building confidence in digital systems while ensuring more consumers can access affordable and suitable credit products.
TransUnion, the global credit reporting and information services company behind the survey, operates across more than 30 countries, including Rwanda and several African markets. The company provides credit data and analytical insights that help financial institutions assess risk, expand access to credit, and enable consumers to participate more confidently in the financial system.
Beyond its traditional credit reporting services, TransUnion has expanded into areas such as fraud prevention, marketing, and advanced analytics, using data to support more informed financial decisions for businesses and consumers.
TransUnion Rwanda Chief Executive Officer Didier Mutambazi makes a presentation during the release of the survey on Thursday. Mutambazi said the findings indicate that the challenge is no longer simply expanding financial access but enabling more people to actively participate in the credit market.Speaking at the report’s launch, TransUnion Africa Regional President and CEO Lee Naik argued that Rwanda’s next challenge extends beyond simply expanding access to financial services.Jeannine Naude, Vice President and Head of Africa Regions at TransUnion, said unlocking greater financial inclusion will require stronger collaboration across the financial ecosystem.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, July 8, during the official unveiling of the rally at Zaria Court Kigali. The event, which is part of the African Rally Championship calendar, is expected to attract 36 competing cars this year.
Speaking at the launch, BPR Bank Rwanda PLC Chief Operations Officer, Godfrey Kariuki Kamau, commended the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) for its continued efforts to develop motorsport in Rwanda and for attracting some of Africa’s top rally drivers to the competition.
“We are proud to partner with you,” Kamau said. “As a member of the KCB Group, BPR Bank Rwanda PLC is committed to supporting initiatives that positively impact communities. Sport remains one of the strongest platforms for empowering young people, nurturing talent, promoting tourism and contributing to economic growth.”
He noted that over the years, KCB Group has invested more than KSh 3.5 billion in developing various sports, including athletics, rugby, football, volleyball, chess and golf, as part of its broader commitment to community development.
Kamau added that the group has invested more than Rwf 11 billion in motorsport over the years, helping drivers and co-drivers participate in regional and international competitions and showcase their talent.
For this year’s rally, he said BPR Bank Rwanda PLC and KCB Group have committed Rwf 150 million towards the organisation of the event and sponsorship of five drivers; Karan Patel, Queen Kalimpinya, Oscar Ntambi, Tinashe Gatimu and Nikhil Sachania.
Rwandan rally driver Queen Kalimpinya said she and her team are well prepared and optimistic about achieving one of their best results, especially as the rally will be held on the familiar Nemba and Ruhuha stages.
“As you become more familiar with the car, your times continue to improve,” she said. “I’m confident we’ll achieve a better result than in previous editions.”
Two-time African Rally Champion Karan Patel, who also won the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally in 2023 and 2024, said he was excited to return for this year’s competition.
“We’re ready as always. We love Rwanda, we enjoy being here, and we’ll do everything possible to ensure the car is fully prepared for the challenge ahead,” Patel said.
He also thanked BPR Bank Rwanda PLC and KCB Group for supporting the repair of his rally car after it was damaged in his previous event, enabling him to compete in this year’s Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
The five driver crews sponsored by BPR Bank Rwanda PLC in partnership with KCB Group pose for a group photo with bank and rally officials.Karan Patel (right) is among the drivers expected to shine at this year’s Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.Queen Kalimpinya is one of the five drivers sponsored by BPR Bank Rwanda PLC for this year’s Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.BPR Bank Rwanda PLC Chief Operations Officer, Godfrey Kariuki Kamau, commended the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) for its continued efforts to develop motorsport in Rwanda and for attracting some of Africa’s top rally drivers to the competition.Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC) President Christian Gakwaya thanked the sponsors of the 2026 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally for their support.Some of the highly anticipated cars competing in the 2026 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally will carry BPR Bank branding.
The incident occurred on July 9, 2026, in Nyamabuye Village, Kanzenze Cell, Ntarama Sector.
By the time of publication, security personnel and local residents had launched a rescue operation to retrieve those trapped.
The Executive Secretary of Ntarama Sector, Patrick Rwasa, told IGIHE that preliminary information indicated that between eight and 10 people were inside the quarry when it collapsed.
“We have been informed that between eight and 10 people were excavating in the quarry. It collapsed on all of them. We are doing everything possible to rescue them, although, given the time that has elapsed, we are not optimistic that they are still alive,” he said.
A quarry used for extracting construction stones in Bugesera District, Western Province collapsed on at several people on Thursday morning. Photo used for illustration
Trump made the remarks on July 8 while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after attending a NATO summit in Türkiye, where he portrayed the DRC conflict as one of eight wars he had helped bring to an end.
Responding to a question about Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado, who he said had credited him with resolving conflicts around the world, Trump cited the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda among disputes he claimed to have settled.
“Think of the wars settled, eight wars that were going to last 30 years. Even if you look in the Congo, the Congo versus Rwanda. I settled it. After 14 years and about 15 million people had their heads chopped off. I settled that one,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks appear to refer to the peace agreement signed by Rwanda and the DRC in Washington, which was designed to address years of tensions between the two neighbours.
The agreement outlines steps including the dismantling of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that Rwanda maintains remains a security threat and operates with support from elements within the Congolese security system.
Implementation of the agreement has faced significant challenges, with Kigali accusing Kinshasa of failing to honour its commitments, particularly regarding the neutralisation of the FDLR, while also questioning the neutrality of the US mediation.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe recently expressed disappointment, arguing that peace cannot be achieved if only one party implements its obligations under the agreement, following sanctions imposed on Rwanda.
The agreement was built on two key pillars: the neutralisation of the FDLR and the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures. However, Nduhungirehe argued that implementation has stalled mainly due to what he described as a lack of political will from Kinshasa.
“The main issue is the political will by the government in Kinshasa to cease fire,” Nduhungirehe said, adding that drone attacks had intensified after the signing of the agreement.
He further accused the Congolese side of failing to take action against the FDLR, instead citing continued collaboration with the group.
Nduhungirehe said that while US officials had acknowledged partial progress by Rwanda, Washington had overlooked the DRC’s failure to fulfil its commitments under the agreement.
“So for us, we are disappointed by the increasingly biased U.S. mediation,” he said, stressing that peace agreements require both parties to implement their obligations simultaneously.
He questioned why sanctions had been imposed only on Rwanda, including recent measures targeting Rwanda’s Gasabo Oil Refinery and the Rwanda Defence Forces, while similar action had not been taken against the DRC.
According to the minister, sanctions risk undermining the mediation process.
“Those sanctions are unfair, one-sided and counter-productive,” he said, warning that applying pressure on only one party could embolden the other and worsen insecurity.
Trump’s claim also comes against the backdrop of continued clashes in eastern DRC, where the AFC/M23 rebel group and forces aligned with the Kinshasa government remain engaged in fighting despite diplomatic efforts.
At the end of last week, MRDP-Twirwaneho fighters allied with AFC/M23 announced that they had captured areas including Point-Zéro, Kalingi, Mikenke, Gitavi, Ilundu, Kalongi, Gakenke, Lubemba, Bicumbi and Baruta Rwitsankuku, locations previously held by forces comprising the Congolese army, Burundian troops, FDLR, Wazalendo fighters and foreign mercenaries.
On July 8, 2026, intense clashes were again reported in the same areas, involving FARDC-aligned forces and Twirwaneho fighters. The fighting was concentrated around Rugezi, Mulima, Point Zero, Kazaroho, Bilalo Mbili and Mikenke.
This followed heavy fighting in late June 2026 between Wazalendo militias and AFC/M23 near Ngungu town in Masisi territory, as well as in Rubaya, Bibwe, Minjenje and Pinga.
United States President Donald Trump’s claim that he “settled” the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has drawn fresh questions over the state of the peace process, as continued tension in the region suggests that the crisis remains far from resolved.
The regional tournament is scheduled to take place in Kigali from July 24 to August 7, 2026, with matches to be played at Kigali Pelé Stadium and Amahoro Stadium. It will bring together top clubs from across East and Central Africa.
According to the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), the competition was initially expected to feature 12 teams, including representatives from Sudan. However, Al Merrikh confirmed that it will not take part after its technical staff requested a dedicated pre-season camp to help the team prepare for upcoming domestic and continental assignments.
“Al Merrikh SC confirms its withdrawal from the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup after the first-team technical staff requested a special training camp to prepare for the upcoming season,” the club said in a statement.
The club added that the decision followed an assessment of its preparation needs, with the coaching staff opting to hold an overseas camp to ensure the team is ready for the new season.
Al Merrikh, coached by Darko Nović, has recently strengthened its squad with new signings who are expected to arrive in Sudan on July 11. The team will then travel to Kigali on July 13 to begin its training camp.
Foreign players unable to join the squad in Sudan will link up with their teammates in Kigali, where the club plans to play a series of friendly matches as part of its preparations for the CAF Champions League and Sudan’s domestic league.
Al Merrikh’s withdrawal leaves fellow Sudanese side Al Hilal SC as the country’s sole representative in the tournament, which has been sponsored by President Paul Kagame since 2002.
The competition will now feature 11 teams, with the official draw set to take place on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Amahoro Stadium. Former Rwanda international Haruna Niyonzima will oversee the draw.
The 11 participating teams are:
• APR FC (Rwanda) • Rayon Sports (Rwanda) • Simba SC (Tanzania) • Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania) • Vipers SC (Uganda) • Al Hilal SC (Sudan) • Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) • Mogadishu City FC (Somalia) • Jamus SC (South Sudan) • FC Garde Républicaine (Djibouti) • KVZ FC (Zanzibar)
Sudanese giants Al Merrikh SC have withdrawn from the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup, opting to focus on preparations for the 2026/27 season in which they are set to compete in the CAF Champions League.Al Merrikh, coached by Darko Nović, has recently strengthened its squad with new signings who are expected to arrive in Sudan on July 11.
