The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has infected more than 1,000 people and claimed over 200 lives in the DRC. In neighboring Uganda, nine infections and one death have been recorded.
In response to the situation, Rwanda has strengthened preventive measures at all border posts with the DRC and Uganda, as well as at Kigali International Airport. Travelers are being screened for Ebola symptoms, while foreign nationals who have been in the DRC within the previous 30 days are currently not permitted to enter the country.
Rwandan citizens and legal residents returning from affected areas are allowed to come back but must undergo quarantine and monitoring.
Speaking to Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) on Friday, May 29, 2026, Dr. Nsanzimana stressed that no Ebola case has been detected in Rwanda.
He said several individuals are being closely monitored by health officials, but none has shown symptoms of infection.
“The most important message is to reassure Rwandans. Ebola outbreaks have occurred in our region before, and we have successfully dealt with them. Our goal is to ensure that Ebola does not reach Rwanda,” he said.
The minister described the Bundibugyo strain as particularly concerning because it is difficult to diagnose. He noted that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the strain, prompting countries worldwide to heighten preparedness efforts.
Dr. Nsanzimana also warned against using unofficial border crossing routes, commonly known as “panya” routes. He urged travelers returning from affected countries to follow established health procedures, including the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.
Despite the heightened precautions, the minister emphasized that cross-border trade will continue. However, measures have been introduced to reduce the movement of large numbers of people by encouraging representatives to transport goods on behalf of traders.
Residents living near borders with affected countries have also been encouraged to remain vigilant and help authorities prevent the virus from entering Rwanda.
Dr. Nsanzimana has stressed that no Ebola case has been detected in Rwanda.
“Cases of conflict-related sexual violence verified by the United Nations in 2025 rose sharply from 2024, marked by extreme brutality, and overwhelmingly targeted women and girls,” said the annual report of the UN secretary-general.
A total of 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were documented in 2025, more than doubling the figure from 2024 (with 4,617 cases), according to the report, which was submitted to the Security Council on Thursday and was made available to the press on Friday.
The report notes that the cases of conflict-related sexual violence should be understood not as the full picture, as violations remained largely unseen and underreported when ongoing conflict, insecurity, and restrictions on humanitarian access increasingly obstructed reporting and documentation, which was further undermined by mission drawdowns and budget cuts in which specialized capacity on gender and women’s protection were often the first to be reduced.
A total of 77 parties, including state and non-state actors, are listed for cases of conflict-related sexual violence in this 17th annual report, which covers 21 conflict-affected countries for which information verified by the United Nations was available.
Two new state actors are listed: the Israeli armed and security forces, and the Russian armed and security forces. Three new non-state actors operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are listed in this report.
The report says that in 2025, documented cases of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression surged, while multiple and overlapping political, security and humanitarian crises worsened. Civilians were targeted with rape, gang rape, abductions and sexual slavery by state and non-state actors.
Sexual violence and exploitation in the context of abduction and trafficking in persons continued to be observed as a tactic of terrorism. Displaced, refugee and migrant women and girls faced elevated risks of sexual violence. Sexual violence was perpetrated in detention in multiple settings, such as in Israel and the State of Palestine, Russia and Ukraine, according to the report.
Impunity for conflict-related sexual violence persisted in 2025. Overall, the level of compliance by parties to conflict with applicable international norms remained low. Over 65 percent of the parties listed in the annex to the present report are persistent perpetrators, appearing in the annex for five or more years without taking remedial or corrective action, according to the report.
Conflict-related sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war.
Putin made the remarks at a press conference following the conclusion of his state visit to Kazakhstan, RIA Novosti reported Friday.
He said Russia’s strikes on Kiev were carried out in response to Ukrainian attacks on the Lugansk region, adding that Russian forces are conducting offensives along the entire frontline of the special military operation zone.
Putin also described statements by some European politicians about preparing for war with Russia as “nonsense,” saying Russia has neither threatened European countries in the past nor does so now, but any location posing a direct military threat to Russia would be regarded as a “legitimate target.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday, November 27. Alexander Kazakov/Reuters
“The Situation Room meeting has concluded and lasted approximately two hours. President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his redlines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” a White House official said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear why Trump did not reach a decision.
Earlier on Friday, Trump outlined conditions for a deal with Iran in a post on Truth Social, claiming he will be meeting his national security team “to make a final determination” on the day.
Among the U.S. key demands are the elimination of Iran’s enriched nuclear materials, reopening the Hormuz Strait with no tolls and removing water mines left.
“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated,” Trump wrote.
The U.S. Naval blockade “will now be lifted,” said Trump.
Iran’s enriched nuclear material, the so-called “nuclear dust” which has been buried deep underground due to U.S. bombing in June last year, will be unearthed by the United States in close coordination and conjunction with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency and destroyed, said Trump.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a phone interview with Iranian state media on Friday that current negotiations were limited in scope and did not include “the nuclear issue.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump outlined conditions for a deal with Iran in a post on Truth Social, claiming he will be meeting his national security team “to make a final determination” on the day.
The trio consisting of Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang are all in good health, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), noting that the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission is a complete success.
At 7:20 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command via the ground station, and in response the orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship separated from the return capsule.
The brake engine then ignited, and the return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The return capsule touched down at 8:11 p.m. at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the CMSA said, while by 8:59 p.m., the Shenzhou-21 crew had all left the return capsule.
“One person’s voyage to the sea of stars rests on a whole team’s absolute devotion and loyalty,” said Zhang Lu, mission commander of the crew and a veteran astronaut on his second spaceflight, expressing his gratitude for the support of his family, all staff participating in the manned space program, and most importantly, the motherland and the Chinese people.
Zhang Lu has completed a total of seven extravehicular activities (EVAs) so far, becoming the Chinese astronaut who has performed the most spacewalks to date.
Ahead of China’s National Science and Technology Workers Day on May 30, Zhang also brought a carefully preserved apple back to Earth as a tribute to all science and technology workers across the country.
“On the launch day of the Shenzhou-21 space mission, the ground support team gave us an apple to wish us a safe and smooth mission,” he said. “So when we departed the Tiangong space station, we deliberately brought an apple back to give to all sci-tech workers, and say to them: thank you for your tireless hard work.”
Wu, the spaceflight engineer of the crew, who completed three spacewalks during his 210-day maiden mission to the Chinese space station, is the youngest Chinese astronaut so far to carry out EVAs.
“Being entrusted with such an important responsibility on my first spaceflight is the result of my motherland’s trust, my predecessors’ guidance, and the entire crew’s concerted efforts, which enabled me to fulfill the mission successfully,” said Wu.
Zhang Hongzhang, payload specialist of the crew, oversaw a slew of scientific experiments in the space station, including the projects he co-designed.
“Moving from a ground-based laboratory to the space station, it is our great motherland that has allowed me to realize the perfect integration of my scientific aspirations and spaceflight dream,” he said.
During the Shenzhou-21 mission, the crew conducted three spacewalks and completed tasks such as the inspection and photographing of the Shenzhou-20 spaceship return capsule’s viewport window and the installation of space debris shielding devices on the space station, while they also carried out multiple cargo in-and-out operations.
China launched the Shenzhou-21 spaceship on Oct. 31, 2025 to send the Shenzhou-21 crew to its space station for rotation with the Shenzhou-20 crew. However, the Shenzhou-20 crew later found that the Shenzhou-20 spaceship’s return capsule viewport window had suffered a suspected impact from space debris during its mission and was unfit for the crew return mission.
On Nov. 14, 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew returned safely aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. On Nov. 25, 2025, China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship to provide an emergency return vessel for the Shenzhou-21 crew.
Diverse space experiments
The Shenzhou-21 crew achieved new results in an array of scientific experiments and technological tests covering microgravity fundamental physics, space material science, space life sciences, aerospace medicine and new space technologies.
The crew completed electrochemical optical in-situ research of lithium-ion batteries in terms of space applications, as well as related experiments in the fields of life sciences, fluid and combustion experiments.
The crew also achieved, for the first time aboard China’s space station, the closed-environment breeding of mice, laying a technical foundation for future space mammal experiments. In addition, they grew low-defect indium selenide crystals in orbit, which have been used to prepare high-performance field-effect transistor prototype devices on the ground, demonstrating significantly superior performance.
In the field of space medicine, the crew achieved non-contact detection of in-orbit physiological indicators through intelligent recognition of facial micro-movements, and constructed a preliminary model for astronaut exercise fatigue.
They realized the aeroponic cultivation of cherry tomatoes and wheat for the first time on China’s space station, validating related key technologies. They also successfully achieved in-orbit ignition of a new ionic liquid propellant, obtaining dynamic optical information on the catalytic ignition and sustained combustion processes.
Astronaut Wu Fei, a member of the Shenzhou-21 crew, is out of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship’s return capsule after it touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 29, 2026. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site on Friday.Astronaut Zhang Lu, commander of the three-member Shenzhou-21 crew, is out of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship’s return capsule after it touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 29, 2026. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site on Friday. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, is about to touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on May 29, 2026. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site on Friday.
In a statement on Friday, May 29, RwandAir said it recognises the importance of the routes to its customers and remains committed to restoring connectivity while maintaining high operational standards.
“As services resume, the safety, security, and comfort of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” the airline said.
Customers have been advised that they can book, manage, or update their travel arrangements through the airline’s official website, www.rwandair.com, or contact the reservations team via reservations@rwandair.com for assistance.
RwandAir suspended its flights to Dubai and the broader Middle East in February.
The suspension was introduced following escalating military tensions and widespread airspace disruptions across the Middle East. The decision came after coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, which triggered retaliatory missile and drone responses in the region.
In response to the heightened security situation, several countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait, temporarily restricted or closed their airspace to commercial aviation, disrupting regional and international flight operations.
At the time, RwandAir said the suspension was a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety of passengers and crew amid active security risks.
With conditions gradually stabilising, the airline has opted to restore operations on a phased basis, signalling a cautious return to one of its most important international markets.
Held from May 18 to 21 in Rwanda’s capital, the summit brought together African leaders, policymakers, energy experts, and international nuclear industry stakeholders to discuss the future of nuclear power on the continent.
At the centre of Rosatom’s participation was its promotion of small modular reactors and floating nuclear technologies, which the company says are particularly suited for remote regions and developing economies with rising energy demand.
The Russian corporation highlighted its operational experience in the SMR segment, including the Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear power plant commissioned in Russia in 2020. Rosatom also pointed to its first export SMR project currently under implementation in Uzbekistan since 2024 as evidence that the technology is commercially viable and deployment-ready.
Beyond small-scale technologies, Rosatom used the Kigali summit to demonstrate its broader experience in delivering large-scale nuclear infrastructure projects worldwide. The company says it is currently constructing 22 export nuclear power units globally, making it one of the leading players in the international nuclear energy market.
In Africa, Rosatom’s flagship project remains Egypt’s El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, where construction is ongoing on all four units simultaneously. The project is considered the largest nuclear construction initiative currently underway on the continent.
Rosatom’s exhibition booth was visited by several high-profile leaders attending the summit, including Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Togolese Prime Minister Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
During the summit’s business sessions, Rosatom representatives outlined the company’s strategy for expanding nuclear cooperation across Africa, with discussions focusing on practical deployment of SMRs, advanced nuclear technologies, and long-term industry development.
The summit also provided an opportunity for Russia and Rwanda to discuss next steps related to potential SMR projects and the planned Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNS&T).
“The Rwanda Atomic Energy Board sincerely appreciates Rosatom’s participation in Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit 2026 and the continued collaboration in advancing nuclear energy development in Rwanda,” said Dr. Fidele Ndahayo, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board.
Ryan Collyer, CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa, said small modular reactors could offer African countries flexible and scalable energy solutions capable of supporting industrialisation while reducing carbon emissions.
“For many African countries, small modular reactors can become an optimal solution due to their scalability, flexibility of use, and relatively short deployment timelines,” Collyer said.
Rosatom also used the summit to highlight its human capital development programmes aimed at supporting national nuclear industries across Africa. The company showcased partnerships with Rwanda that have already enabled more than 100 students to participate in nuclear-related training programmes, including studies at Russian universities.
Some graduates of these programmes are already working in Rwandan institutions involved in developing the country’s nuclear sector.
By combining technology transfer, infrastructure development, and workforce training, Rosatom is increasingly positioning itself as a long-term strategic partner for African countries pursuing nuclear energy as part of their future power mix.
Rosatom’s exhibition booth was visited by several high-profile leaders attending the summit, including Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Togolese Prime Minister Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
The dinosaur, named Kank australis, lived around 70 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. Fossils including teeth, vertebrae and toe bones were found near El Calafate in Argentina’s Santa Cruz Province.
Researchers say the animal belonged to a group of dinosaurs known as unenlagiids, relatives of the famous Velociraptor. Unlike the fast land predators often shown in movies, Kank may have spent much of its time catching fish in rivers and ponds.
Paleontologist Dr. Matías Motta, who led the study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, said the dinosaur lived in a humid environment filled with winding rivers, seasonal ponds, fish, insects and aquatic plants.
Scientists estimate Kank reached between 2.5 and 3 meters long. Its neck bones showed unusual features linked to strong and flexible neck movements, similar to those seen in modern herons that strike quickly to catch prey.
Researchers also found fish fossils alongside Kank remains, strengthening the idea that it specialized in fishing. However, it likely also hunted frogs, lizards and small mammals while sharing its habitat with giant predators such as the 10-meter-long Maip macrothorax.
The dinosaur’s name comes from Aonikenk Indigenous mythology. “Kank” refers to a giant rhea whose footsteps were believed to form the Southern Cross constellation, while “australis” means “from the south.”
The first fossils were discovered in 2018, but additional remains found in later excavations helped scientists confirm it as a new species.
A reconstruction of Kank by the artist Gabriel Díaz Yantén. Credit: Gabriel Díaz Yantén
Longtai Group began operations in Rwanda in June 2025 and focuses mainly on electric and hybrid vehicles powered by both electricity and fuel.
Speaking to IGIHE, the company’s Head of Sales, François Regis Irareba, said the decision follows positive market reception for the company’s vehicles in Rwanda.
He explained that the planned facility would assemble Dongfeng vehicles locally for both the Rwandan market and exports across the region.
“We want to build a vehicle assembly plant here in Rwanda. Naturally, it will create jobs for Rwandans and also contribute to reducing the amount of money the country spends importing vehicles. Once completed, vehicles will be assembled locally and distributed across the region. We expect the factory to start operations by 2030,” he said.
Longtai Group Rwanda is also planning to establish what it describes as the country’s largest electric vehicle charging station.
According to Irareba, the charging hub will be located in Kigali and will have the capacity to charge between 50 and 80 vehicles simultaneously, with each vehicle taking around 30 minutes to fully recharge.
He noted that existing charging stations in the country currently accommodate between two and six vehicles at a time, adding that the new facility is expected to be operational before the end of 2026.
Longtai Group operates in China, Rwanda, Tanzania and Angola, specialising in electric vehicles. Outside China, Rwanda has emerged as one of the company’s strongest markets.
In Rwanda, one of the most popular models is the Dongfeng Nammi Vigo, also known as the Nammi 06. The company says that about 246 units have been sold in the past four months alone.
The vehicles are supplied with home charging equipment, allowing users to recharge without relying entirely on public charging stations. Their batteries are said to last between 15 and 20 years.
Depending on the model, a fully charged vehicle can travel between 330 kilometres and 1,000 kilometres.
According to the company, a round trip between Kigali and Rubavu using one of its electric vehicles costs around Rwf18,000 in electricity, compared to approximately Rwf90,000 currently required for fuel-powered vehicles, up from about Rwf60,000 before the rise in fuel prices.
Dongfeng Motor was founded in 1969 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, and is currently among the five largest automobile manufacturers in China. The company produces vehicles under several brands including Venucia, Fengdu, Aeolus, Forthing, Voyah and Dongfeng.
Through partnerships with other manufacturers, Dongfeng also produces vehicles for brands such as Honda, Nissan and KIA.
Earlier this May, Dongfeng Motor entered into a partnership with the Dutch-based automotive giant Stellantis, one of Europe’s major vehicle manufacturers.
The partnership aims to establish a joint company responsible for the production, distribution and sale of new Dongfeng vehicles in Europe.
Under the agreement, Stellantis will hold a 51% stake in the venture, while Dongfeng will own the remaining 49%.
François Regis Irareba, the Head of Sales at Longtai Group Rwanda, said that a Dongfeng vehicle assembly plant will be built in Rwanda before 2030.Rwanda could host Dongfeng vehicle assembly plant by 2030.
The San Francisco-based company announced the funding round on Thursday, saying the investment would help it meet growing global demand for its AI technologies and expand deployment of its flagship assistant, Claude.
The latest valuation places Anthropic ahead of OpenAI, whose most recently reported valuation stood at about $852 billion following a major fundraising round earlier this year. Anthropic also reported annualized revenues of $47 billion, driven largely by businesses and organizations using Claude for coding, research, and workplace automation.
Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives, Anthropic has rapidly emerged as one of the leading firms in the increasingly competitive global AI industry. The company also unveiled a new AI model, Claude Opus 4.8, which it says delivers improved performance in coding and professional tasks.
The funding round was led by investment firms including Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Greenoaks Capital, and Sequoia Capital.
“This funding will help us serve the historic demand we are experiencing, stay at the research frontier, and bring Claude to more of the places where work happens,” Anthropic chief financial officer Krishna Rao said in a statement.
Anthropic’s rise comes as countries around the world race to integrate artificial intelligence into critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and public services.
In Rwanda, the company signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Rwanda in February to support the responsible use of AI in health, education, and public sector service delivery.
The partnership includes plans to strengthen AI capacity within government institutions, support health initiatives such as cervical cancer elimination and malaria reduction, and expand AI-powered learning tools for educators and public servants.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Hon. Paula Ingabire, described the partnership as “an important step in Rwanda’s AI journey,” emphasizing the country’s focus on deploying AI solutions that align with local priorities and public needs.
The San Francisco-based company announced the funding round on Thursday, saying the investment would help it meet growing global demand for its AI technologies and expand deployment of its flagship assistant, Claude.
