The latest assessment places Rwanda ahead of countries with comparable income levels, reflecting notable progress across health, education, and labour market performance.
The country achieved a score of 157 on the HCI+, significantly surpassing the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 126 and the low-income country benchmark of 116.
The HCI+ evaluates how effectively nations are building and utilising human capital by measuring the future productivity of children born today.
It considers access to quality healthcare, education, and employment opportunities, while also accounting for inefficiencies such as underused skills.
Compared to the original index, the HCI+ introduces broader indicators, including higher education attainment, job quality, and transitions within the labour market.
Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Yusuf Murangwa attributed the achievement to Rwanda’s long-standing policy focus.
“Our focus on health, quality education, and creating pathways to productive employment is delivering measurable results for Rwandans and the economy,” he stated.
He further noted that sustainability is being embedded across sectors to secure lasting impact.
Key indicators underline this progress. The probability of surviving to age 60 has reached 79 per cent, exceeding the regional average of 73.8 per cent.
Efforts to combat child stunting have also advanced, with 70.2 per cent of children expected to grow without stunting.
In education, Rwanda posted a harmonised learning score of 417 and a tertiary completion rate of 22.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, employment data shows encouraging trends, particularly among youth and wage earners, pointing to improved access to stable jobs. Overall, the gains reflect steady advancement since 2010, especially in health and workplace learning.
Rwanda has achieved a score of 157 on the HCI+, significantly surpassing the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 126 and the low-income country benchmark of 116 in the latest World Bank human capital index.
Baghaei, speaking on state-run IRIB television, said that recent public statements by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi were made within the framework of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States announced on April 8, not as signals of a new diplomatic opening.
Earlier Friday, Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz would remain “completely open” to commercial shipping for the duration of the current truce between Iran and the United States.
Baghaei moved to clarify the foreign minister’s position, saying that following a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday, Tehran chose to apply safe-passage conditions outlined in its agreement with Washington to vessels transiting the strait.
“We have reached no new agreement,” he said. “The ceasefire agreement is the one announced on April 8.”
He accused the United States of failing, from the outset of the truce, to honor a commitment to extend its terms to Lebanon, a provision Iran insists was included in the April 8 agreement. Washington and Jerusalem have rejected that characterization.
Baghaei also warned that Iran would take “countermeasures” if a United States naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz persisted. He said no talks on extending the ceasefire had taken place, and that mediation efforts led by Pakistan remained focused on ending the conflict and protecting Iran’s interests.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait beginning Feb. 28, when it barred safe passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following joint strikes on Iranian territory.
The United States subsequently imposed its own blockade, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway after peace negotiations in Islamabad collapsed over the weekend.
Axios reported Friday, citing people familiar with the talks, that a second round of United States-Iran negotiations is expected to take place in Pakistan this weekend, most likely on Sunday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei speaks at a weekly press conference in Tehran, Iran, April 6, 2026.
In late March, the relatively unknown Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO clinched back-to-back titles in the World Supersport category at the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championship, breaking a decades-long monopoly held by established global brands.
Hailed by international media as a testament to China’s manufacturing strength and comprehensive local supply chain, the victory highlights a larger reality: as global economic turbulence intensifies, China’s manufacturing sector is proving its resilience and capacity for high-quality growth.
From big to strong
Having maintained its position as the world’s largest manufacturing hub for 16 consecutive years, China has fortified its key industrial and supply chains to become more resilient, providing strong support for weathering major risks.
The country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) has made moving faster to boost its strength in manufacturing a central task, calling for maintaining a reasonable share of manufacturing in the economy and building a modern industrial system led by advanced manufacturing.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, during the 2026-2030 period, the country will shore up weak links, strengthen competitive edges and seize early-mover advantages, with the goal of moving from key breakthroughs to all-round advantages.
Xin Yongfei, an expert with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, noted that China’s manufacturing sector already has the scale and innovation foundation.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, he said, maintaining strategic focus and concentrating on crucial areas will allow China to leap from “following” to “running alongside” and even “leading,” laying a solid foundation for basically achieving new industrialization.
Local governments have also rolled out concrete plans: Hunan Province in central China will implement landmark projects for an advanced manufacturing highland, Shanghai in east China aims to build the “Made in Shanghai” brand, and southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality is pushing to become a strong manufacturing city.
Core-reshaping innovation
In Beijing’s Yizhuang District, also known as E-town, humanoid robots can be seen training for a half-marathon. Many of them can now run at speeds of up to six meters per second, rivaling the pace of professional athletes.
This leap mirrors a broader push toward higher-end, smarter and greener manufacturing. The 15th Five-Year Plan outlines a series of concrete steps: improving manufacturing quality, boosting the resilience of industrial and supply chains, and achieving breakthroughs in core technologies.
One telling example is the recent release of China’s domestically developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, now the strongest industrially produced carbon fiber in the world.
“Thanks to this technological breakthrough, our domestically produced large aircraft will be lighter, deep-space exploration can go farther, and new energy vehicles will have longer range. It provides a stronger ‘skeleton’ for future industries,” said Chen Qiufei, the R&D lead.
Meanwhile, companies are shifting from selling hardware to offering integrated solutions. DJI, known for its drones, now provides agricultural plant protection solutions, with related service revenue accounting for more than 30 percent of its total.
Similarly, Chinese battery maker Sunwoda has built a six-dimensional maglev production line and a digital twin system to improve its own manufacturing efficiency, and is now exporting smart manufacturing solutions to others.
The results are visible in the data. In the first two months of 2026, the value-added output of high-tech manufacturing enterprises grew 13.1 percent year on year, while that of equipment manufacturing rose 9.3 percent.
The “AI plus manufacturing” initiative has been implemented, with the adoption rate of AI technology among major manufacturing firms exceeding 30 percent. Meanwhile, more than 8,300 green factories have been established nationwide.
More open landscape
At the same time, China’s manufacturing sector is opening up further. In Zhanjiang, south China’s Guangdong Province, German chemicals giant BASF’s massive production complex, known as a Verbund site, has started production, marking the largest single investment project wholly owned by a German enterprise in China.
Thousands of miles away in Tatabanya, Hungary, Chinese heavy machinery manufacturer Zoomlion’s first European smart factory has opened, providing a stable and efficient product supply and better localized services for European customers.
All foreign investment restrictions in the manufacturing sector have been lifted in China. In the first two months of this year, China’s exports of high-tech and high-value-added mechanical and electrical products reached 2.89 trillion yuan (about 418.9 billion U.S. dollars), up 24.3 percent year on year.
As China navigates an increasingly volatile world, its manufacturing sector is actively integrating into global markets, offering vast cooperation opportunities for the world.
This photo taken on April 2, 2026 shows a view inside an aircraft manufacturing workshop of Wanfeng Auto Holding Group in Laixi City, east China’s Shandong Province.
Running from April 13 to 18 in Haikou, capital of China’s island province of Hainan, the annual expo is showcasing premium global products and facilitating cooperation between international brands and local partners.
Despite the diversity of their product categories ranging from health, food and cosmetics to art, exhibitors share a common goal: to expand their presence in China.
As this year’s guest country of honor, Canada has brought its largest-ever delegation, with around 40 companies participating. A highlight among its premium offerings is a wide range of natural, health-boosting products.
Among the companies is Canada Royal Milk (CRM), a powder formula producer based in Ontario. The company is leveraging the expo to capitalize on China’s huge market potential, driven by its large population and consumption upgrading.
Reago Li, the China region general distributor for the Canadian brand, told Xinhua that at this year’s expo, the company is highlighting Capriss, a goat milk powder brand under CRM that targets adult consumers, particularly those aged 45 and above.
According to Li, compared to cow milk, goat milk has smaller fat molecules, making it easier to digest and more friendly for people with lactose intolerance.
Since its debut in the Chinese market in 2023, Capriss has expanded its sales and built a growing presence in local supermarkets and shopping malls. It has also established a sales channel on a popular online pharmacy platform in the country, Li said.
Next to Li’s booth, DPA is displaying seal oil soft capsules, an Omega-3 health supplement. Song Bingbing, the brand’s chief nutritionist, said that five consecutive years of participation in the expo has helped the Canadian brand gain growing market recognition, with its products now sold in over 5,000 retail stores nationwide.
Explaining the Chinese market’s strategic importance, Song said there is a shift in the country from a treatment-centered approach to one centered on chronic disease management, and that the product aligns well with growing health management needs, such as weight management and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. “With a large population base, the Chinese market is a top priority.”
Li echoed this sentiment, categorizing China’s consumer market as top-tier in both scale and quality. “Indispensable” was his word for the market, expressing the Canadian brand’s confidence in competing for a share in it.
The information provided by the two exhibitors has offered a clear lens into how increasingly important the Chinese market is becoming for global companies. Further evidence of their eagerness to explore this market is inside the hall, where live-streamers are invited to promote premium products to online audiences, and hired staff are hospitably offering samples of delicacies to visitors and inquirers — from butter on biscuits from Ireland, wine from France, to ginseng tea from Canada.
The numbers tell the same story. International exhibits accounted for 65 percent of the total this year, up 20 percentage points from last year, according to expo data. Meanwhile, the number of professional buyers is expected to reach 65,000, a 10-percent rise from the previous edition, said Lu Min, director of the Hainan provincial bureau of international economic development.
While the convergence of global brands demonstrates their continued interest, the market’s diversity, speed and complexity are also prompting them to refine their marketing strategies, pricing and product design in response to rapidly evolving consumer preferences. In a recent commentary, the Macau Post Daily noted that rather than simply a question of scale or growth, the Chinese market is where global companies’ strategies get tested and refined.
Chen Lifen, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said China’s consumer market is seeing increasingly pronounced trends toward smarter, greener and higher-quality consumption upgrades. Chen noted that the expo has built an efficient and convenient channel for high-quality global consumer goods to enter the domestic market, and injected new momentum into expanding and upgrading consumption while unlocking the potential of China’s mega-market.
Since its launch in 2021, the CICPE has become an important platform for multinationals to stay abreast of consumer trends in China, with over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions participating in the past five editions.
People visit the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, April 13, 2026.
Titled A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough, the film offers an in-depth look at gorilla behaviour, social structures and lineage through the story of Pablo’s gorilla family. It is narrated by renowned naturalist David Attenborough, whose connection to Rwanda’s gorillas dates back to 1978 when he first visited Volcanoes National Park and encountered Pablo as an infant.
The documentary was produced by Silverback Films in collaboration with Appian Way Productions, the Rwanda Development Board, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
Filming took place over an extended period in Volcanoes National Park, allowing filmmakers to capture rare insights into gorilla social dynamics, interactions and generational continuity. The production highlights the complexity of gorilla family life while underscoring Rwanda’s long-term conservation efforts.
Irène Murerwa, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board, said the documentary reflects decades of sustained conservation work.
“Over the past two decades, Rwanda has made consistent progress in protecting and growing its mountain gorilla population through a conservation model that prioritises community partnership, sustainability, and long-term investment,” she said. “This documentary provides an opportunity to share that story with global audiences in a way that reflects both the science and the human effort behind it.”
Beyond conservation storytelling, the production also contributed to Rwanda’s tourism value chain by utilising local services such as accommodation, transport, guiding and permits. It further supported Rwanda’s creative sector by engaging local filmmakers and facilitating skills development through workshops coordinated by the Rwanda Film Office.
A cinematic screening of the documentary is scheduled to take place in London on April 21, 2026, bringing together stakeholders from conservation, media and the creative industries, with Rwanda’s conservation journey at the centre of the event.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement that “the passage for all commercial vessels” through the strait would remain open for the remainder of the truce. The narrow waterway, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes, has been a focal point of conflict during recent hostilities involving Iran, the United States, and its regional allies.
The announcement triggered an immediate reaction in global markets, with oil prices dropping sharply, falling by more than 10 percent to below $89 per barrel, amid expectations of stabilised supply.
The global impact of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz has also been felt far beyond the Middle East, including in Rwanda, where fuel prices have surged in recent days. Authorities raised the price of petrol to Rwf 2,938 per litre, up sharply from Rwf 2,303, citing sustained pressure from international oil markets and supply constraints linked to the conflict.
While petrol prices have been increased to align more closely with these global trends, the government has opted to hold diesel prices steady through targeted interventions. Diesel is a key input in Rwanda’s transport and logistics sectors, and keeping its price unchanged is aimed at limiting knock-on effects on public transport fares, goods movement, and overall inflation.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Iran’s move in a post on Truth Social, writing: “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!” However, in a follow-up statement, he emphasised that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until a permanent agreement is reached.
“This process should go very quickly,” Trump added, suggesting that most elements of a broader deal had already been negotiated.
Despite the reopening, uncertainty remains over how shipping will operate in practice. Iranian authorities indicated that vessels should follow “coordinated routes” set by the country’s Ports and Maritime Organisation, though it is unclear whether new conditions, such as transit fees, could apply.
The move comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to bring a broader end to the conflict. Talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Islamabad reportedly identified control and access to the strait as a major sticking point.
Meanwhile, a separate 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has taken effect, raising cautious hopes for de-escalation across the region. Celebrations were reported in Beirut, though the humanitarian toll of the conflict remains severe.
More than 2,000 people in Lebanon have been killed over six weeks of fighting, and roughly one in five residents has been displaced. Israel has reported the deaths of two civilians and 13 soldiers.
Iran announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” to commercial shipping for the duration of a fragile regional ceasefire.
Lithium is the lightweight metal that powers many technologies we use every day, especially lithium‑ion batteries in phones, laptops, and electric vehicles.
These batteries are essential for moving toward cleaner energy sources like solar and wind. But as demand grows for electric cars and renewable energy storage, finding enough lithium in ways that don’t harm the environment has become a big challenge.
Traditionally, lithium comes from specific types of rocks and materials like volcanic clay or pegmatites. Mining these sources can be expensive and can have negative ecological effects.
That’s why scientists are now looking at unconventional sources including rocks and even leftover industrial waste that used to be considered worthless.
A research team led by scientists at West Virginia University studied a rock type called shale, which formed about 380 million years ago in the Appalachian region of the United States.
Within this shale, they found lithium inside pyrite crystals an unexpected place to find it. Pyrite is famous for its metallic look but was never known to contain lithium before.
This discovery surprised researchers because previous studies had rarely connected lithium with sulfur‑rich minerals like pyrite. Now, it opens up a new possibility: if lithium can be found in shale and similar rocks, then large amounts of lithium might exist in places we didn’t know to look before.
The implications are exciting. If these findings hold true across more locations, scientists might be able to extract lithium from old rocks or even from materials left over from past mining activity.
Doing this would reduce the need to dig new lithium mines, helping to protect the environment and support the rapidly growing demand for batteries.
However, researchers emphasize that this study is still in the early stages. The current results are based on samples from one specific area, and more research is needed to know if the same patterns occur elsewhere.
Even so, this discovery offers a hopeful glimpse into a more sustainable way to power the future without relying entirely on new mining projects.
Scientists uncover hidden lithium in fool’s gold, offering new possibilities for clean energy.
The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Oklahoma, revealed that FGF21 operates through a region of the brain known as the hindbrain, a surprising finding since most researchers expected signals to come from another area called the hypothalamus.
The hindbrain is the same part of the brain targeted by some existing weight‑loss medications like GLP‑1 drugs, but FGF21 works in a completely different way.
Instead of suppressing hunger, FGF21 triggers parts of the hindbrain called the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the area postrema (AP). These regions then communicate with another brain structure known as the parabrachial nucleus.
This pathway appears to increase metabolic activity meaning the body burns more energy which leads to weight loss.
According to lead researcher Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., understanding this brain circuit is important because it might help scientists design new weight‑loss therapies that are more effective and have fewer side effects than current options.
While some experimental FGF21‑based drugs are already being tested for a serious liver condition called MASH (metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis), this research focuses specifically on how the hormone affects weight and metabolism.
One of the reasons this discovery is so promising is that FGF21 and existing medications target similar brain areas but produce different outcomes. GLP‑1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy reduce appetite, which helps people eat less.
FGF21, on the other hand, appears to increase the body’s natural ability to burn fat and use energy more efficiently, which could lead to powerful new ways to treat obesity.
Although these results are still early and have been observed in mice, the findings offer scientists a valuable new perspective on how the brain controls metabolism and body weight.
If future research confirms similar effects in humans, FGF21‑based therapies could eventually become a part of treatments for obesity and related conditions such as fatty liver disease.
Scientists uncover hormone FGF21 that triggers weight loss in mice, paving the way for new obesity treatments.
For decades, scientists have known that sponges, the simplest of animals, almost certainly existed far earlier than the fossils suggested.
Genetic studies implied that sponges may have evolved around 700 million years ago, but convincing physical fossils were only known from much later. This created a puzzling 160‑million‑year gap in our understanding of early animal life.
The breakthrough came when a team led by geobiologist Shuhai Xiao from Virginia Tech and collaborators from the University of Cambridge and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology uncovered a rare fossil preserved in marine carbonate rock along the Yangtze River in China.
Unlike most fossils, which form from hard body parts like bones or shells, this fossil shows an exceptionally well‑preserved soft‑bodied sponge.
What makes this find so important is that scientists now think the earliest sponges lacked mineral skeletons or rigid structures. Because traditional fossilization usually preserves hard parts and not soft tissues, this has made early sponge fossils extremely rare and difficult to find.
The new fossil shows that ancestral sponges could have been soft‑bodied and therefore easily lost over time, explaining why earlier fossils have been scarce.
The fossil itself is unusual not only for its age but also for its detailed surface pattern and relatively large size about 15 inches long, challenging earlier expectations that early sponges would be tiny and simple. These features give researchers new ideas about how early animals lived and evolved.
This discovery not only fills an important gap in the fossil record but also reshapes how scientists search for evidence of ancient life. By broadening their focus beyond hard parts to include special rocks that preserve soft tissue, researchers may now uncover more of life’s earliest chapters.
New fossil discovery sheds light on the origins of early sponges, closing a 160-million-year gap.
The State Minister for Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, made the appeal following a recent increase in petrol prices, emphasizing that public transport fares will remain unchanged since diesel, widely used in public transport, has not increased in price.
On April 16, 2026, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) announced that the price of petrol had risen from Rwf 2,303 to Rwf 2,938 per litre, an increase of Rwf 635. The new prices took effect on the morning of April 17, 2026. Meanwhile, the price of diesel remained unchanged at Rwf 2,205 per litre.
Speaking to Radio Rwanda, Uwihanganye attributed the rise in petrol prices to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran, the United States, and Israel—regions that are key sources and transit routes for petroleum products imported into Rwanda.
“We are in an extraordinary situation caused by the war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel in a region that supplies petroleum products. Supply has decreased, pushing prices up by nearly 20%,” he said, noting that global price fluctuations remain unpredictable as the conflict continues.
Despite the increase in petrol prices, the minister stressed that public transport fares will not be revised upward, since diesel prices have remained stable. He explained that this is part of government measures to cushion citizens from the full impact of global fuel price shocks.
“The price of public transport will not change because diesel, which is mainly used in public transport, has not increased,” he said.
Uwihanganye added that the cost of goods is also not expected to rise significantly, as diesel—commonly used in the transportation of goods—has remained stable.
However, he cautioned that price adjustments may continue depending on how the conflict evolves, noting that the government will keep balancing necessary changes with the welfare of citizens.
He explained that the government’s priority is to ensure a steady supply of petroleum products in the country, even as rising global prices require additional financial resources to maintain supply—costs that are partly passed on to consumers.
Sufficient fuel reserves
Addressing concerns about fuel availability, Uwihanganye reassured the public that Rwanda still has adequate reserves of both petrol and diesel.
“There are minimum stock levels that fuel traders are required to maintain, and these are still in place. In addition, the country has strategic reserves that can be used in case of disruptions,” he said.
He noted that Rwanda relies entirely on international markets for petroleum products, meaning supply chains can take time, which makes maintaining reserves essential.
However, he warned that despite the current stability in reserves, Rwanda is not immune to shortages, as seen in some countries affected by the ongoing conflict.
Eng. Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye says public transport fares will remain unchanged.
Call for responsible consumption
In light of the situation, the minister urged citizens to reduce non-essential travel and prioritize public transport such as buses instead of using private cars. He also encouraged households to use petroleum-based energy responsibly.
On the issue of subsidies, Uwihanganye said the government is already providing support, noting that without intervention, fuel prices—especially petrol—would be significantly higher based on international market trends.
“Current prices already reflect government efforts, including subsidies and support to fuel importers. Diesel has remained stable partly due to these measures,” he explained.
He also warned traders against exploiting the situation by unjustifiably increasing the prices of goods, stressing that the rise in petrol prices should not disrupt market stability.
Long-term measures
Looking ahead, Uwihanganye said the government is continuing efforts to secure fuel supply routes and maintain reserves, even as delays in deliveries have started to emerge due to the conflict.
He also encouraged Rwandans to consider adopting electric vehicles as a long-term solution to reduce dependence on petroleum products.
In the meantime, citizens have been advised to expect broader price increases due to the global situation, avoid unnecessary spending, and rely on government measures aimed at protecting livelihoods.
MININFRA has urged private car owners to opt for public buses
