Researchers from Edith Cowan University found that positive experiences during travel can support the body’s ability to stay balanced and resilient, potentially improving both physical and mental well‑being. This discovery adds an exciting new perspective to how we think about tourism and health.
The idea behind this research comes from the concept of entropy, which refers to how systems naturally move toward disorder over time. In the context of the human body, aging is seen as a gradual move toward this disorder.
The researchers suggest that positive travel experiences may help the body resist that disorder, keeping internal systems more stable and functioning better than they might otherwise. However, they emphasize that travel doesn’t stop aging; it may simply help the body stay healthier as it ages.
One of the main reasons travel might be beneficial is because it places people in new environments and encourages movement and social connection. Being active whether walking through a new city, hiking in nature, or engaging in cultural activities could help the body’s metabolism and immune system stay strong.
At the same time, meeting new people and forming connections can support emotional health and reduce stress. All of these effects may contribute to a more resilient body and mind over time.
Researchers also point out that travel can act like a kind of “therapy” by stimulating the body’s natural defense systems.
New experiences can trigger positive changes in hormones and immune responses, which help the body repair itself and defend against external threats more effectively. This effect could support better health and help combat stress, which is linked to negative aging processes.
It’s important to note, though, that not all travel is equally beneficial. Travel that is stressful, unsafe, or poorly planned might actually have the opposite effect and contribute to health problems.
For example, exposure to unsafe food or environments, accidents, or high stress could increase strain on the body. The researchers stress that the key is positive, restorative, and active travel experiences that combine movement, relaxation, exploration, and social interaction.
While travel can’t stop aging, it may help the body stay healthier and more resilient as we grow older. These findings open up new possibilities for thinking about travel as a meaningful way to support health beyond just making memories.
As scientists continue to explore this connection, more research will help clarify exactly how travel influences aging and who benefits most.
This innovation addresses both plastic pollution and the need for cleaner energy solutions by converting discarded plastics into valuable resources like hydrogen and acetic acid, which can be used as fuels or industrial chemicals.
The process, known as solar-driven photoreforming, uses sunlight to break down plastic at low temperatures, making it a cleaner and energy-efficient method compared to traditional plastic recycling.
The photocatalysts, light-sensitive materials, absorb sunlight and use its energy to decompose plastic into hydrogen, a clean fuel that produces no emissions when used. Additionally, other valuable products like diesel-range hydrocarbons can be produced, making the method highly versatile for generating different fuels.
This new technology has shown promising results in laboratory experiments. Some systems have operated continuously for over 100 hours, demonstrating that it’s possible to generate high levels of hydrogen while maintaining efficiency. The researchers see this as an important step toward practical implementation, though there are still significant challenges to address.
Plastic waste is diverse, with many types of materials mixed with additives, which complicates the recycling process. For this technology to be effective in the real world, sorting and pre-treating plastic waste will be essential to ensure the process works smoothly.
In addition, improving the photocatalysts is crucial to ensure they are durable and perform consistently over time. The system will also need to efficiently separate the fuels and chemicals produced, which remains a challenge.
Despite these obstacles, the research team is optimistic about the potential of this solar-powered process. With continued technological advancements and better system designs, this innovative method could significantly reduce plastic waste and help in creating clean, renewable energy.
By turning pollution into a valuable resource, this technology has the potential to support a more sustainable, low-carbon future for the planet.
Solar-powered innovation turns plastic waste into clean fuel, offering a sustainable solution for the future.
Speaking before members of the parliamentary Defence and Security Committee, Muadiamvita explained that AFC/M23 possesses more advanced communication capabilities compared to those of the Congolese armed forces.
He noted that weaknesses in FARDC’s communication infrastructure have created serious operational challenges on the battlefield.
According to him, enemy forces have been able to intercept military messages, disrupting planned operations.
“The lack of strong communication systems in this modern technological era has caused frontline troops to face difficulties, as the enemy has been able to access their communications, making military operations difficult to execute. The adversary has built an advanced communication system that allows it to intercept exchanges between command structures and troops on the ground,” he said.
A report from the parliamentary committee also highlights that the minister stressed the importance of secure communication in military operations, warning that failures in this area have contributed to repeated setbacks for FARDC.
Muadiamvita further informed lawmakers that the government of the DRC is engaging friendly countries to secure modern communication equipment for the army, designed to prevent further infiltration by AFC/M23.
Recent high-level discussions between President Paul Kagame and a delegation from Chery Holding, led by Xu Hui, Chairman of Rich Resource International Investments (RRII) and Vice President and Board Secretary of Chery Holding, have drawn attention to the possibility of establishing a local EV assembly plant in Rwanda.
A day after meeting with the President last month, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Deputy CEO Juliana Muganza and Xu Hui signed a strategic partnership framework, laying the groundwork for sustainable investment and the growth of e-mobility solutions.
The talks were aligned with Rwanda’s broader industrialisation and e-mobility strategy, which prioritises sustainable transport and value-added manufacturing.
Chery Holding is among China’s leading car manufacturers and an increasingly influential player in the global mobility industry.
Established in 1997 in Wuhu, Anhui Province, the company has expanded into a Fortune Global 500 firm, now producing over 2.6 million vehicles each year and exporting to markets across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
The group manages a diverse portfolio that covers traditional internal combustion vehicles, hybrids, and electric mobility solutions. Its brands include Chery New Energy, Exeed, Jetour, and Omoda, alongside other emerging EV-focused lines.
Over time, it has also built joint ventures and technological partnerships, particularly in areas such as advanced driver assistance systems and electrification, underscoring its shift toward smarter and lower-carbon transport solutions.
Chery was among the early Chinese automakers to invest in electric vehicle development, launching its EV programmes in the late 2000s and steadily expanding its capabilities in battery-electric platforms.
In recent years, the company has further accelerated its global EV push through strategic partnerships and investments aimed at boosting production capacity and strengthening its technological edge.
Discussions between President Kagame and Chery delegation recently focused on potential investment opportunities.
A project still at the exploratory stage
Speaking to IGIHE, Gao Zhiqiang, the Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda, has clarified that while the idea of an EV assembly plant in Rwanda is being actively discussed, it remains at an early stage.
According to him, Chery has expressed interest in deepening cooperation with Rwandan counterparts in the electric mobility sector, including the possibility of setting up an assembly facility. However, he emphasized that this is still an intention rather than a confirmed investment.
“There are many technical issues that still need to be discussed, and follow-up steps are required,” he noted, adding that both sides are still engaging to explore feasibility and market potential.
Jetour is a modern SUV brand from Chery, and it is gradually winning the Rwandan market.
Rwanda positioned as a potential regional hub
Despite the early stage of discussions, Gao has expressed optimism about Rwanda’s attractiveness as an investment destination. Gao highlighted Rwanda’s stable governance, improving business environment, and strategic positioning as key advantages for foreign investors.
He further encouraged Chery to think beyond Rwanda’s domestic market and consider the broader regional opportunity, suggesting that the country could serve as a production and distribution hub for East Africa and beyond.
“Rwanda could become a business hub, especially with upcoming infrastructure such as the new Bugesera International Airport,” he said, pointing to long-term economic potential driven by improved connectivity and logistics.
Timeline
While interest is growing, officials cautioned that the project is unlikely to materialize in the immediate future.
According to Gao, setting up such a facility would require significant preparation, coordination, and investment planning.
“It will take time — at least two years or more. It will not happen next year,” he explained, underscoring the complexity of establishing automotive manufacturing operations.
Broader wave of Chinese industrial interest
Beyond the proposed EV assembly plant, Gao said, other Chinese investors are also engaging with Rwanda, exploring opportunities in manufacturing and industrial parks.
Among them is Asia Machinery, a firm proposing the development of an automobile industrial park, with submissions already made to Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM).
Another firm in the medical equipment sector is also considering establishing an industrial park in Rwanda’s Eastern Province, reflecting a broader trend of diversified Chinese investment interest.
Although exact figures were not disclosed, preliminary estimates suggest that combined investments from these emerging projects could reach tens of millions of dollars.
Chery is seeking to establish an electric vehicle assembly plant in Rwanda.
Alignment with Rwanda’s e-mobility agenda
The discussions come at a time when Rwanda is accelerating its transition toward sustainable transport. The government has introduced policies requiring public institutions to allocate at least 30% of newly procured vehicles to electric models, a move aimed at reducing emissions and supporting green mobility adoption, amid global oil disruptions.
In this context, a potential EV assembly plant would align closely with national priorities, including industrialisation, job creation, and technology transfer. It would also support Rwanda’s long-term ambition to develop a domestic automotive value chain anchored in clean energy solutions.
While the Chery EV assembly project is still in its early stages, both Rwandan and Chinese stakeholders appear aligned on its long-term potential. If realized, the investment could position Rwanda as an emerging player in Africa’s electric mobility ecosystem, while strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Rwanda and China have maintained strong cooperation over the years, with total trade between Rwanda and China reaching $849 million in 2025, an increase of 26.9 percent year-on-year, while Rwanda’s exports to China rose by 42 percent.
Tiggo 7 is one of the modern vehicles gaining traction in the European market.Luxeed is one of the high-quality electric vehicle brands produced by Chery.
The move comes as the country continues to face a worsening security crisis nearly two weeks after an alliance of jihadist fighters and separatist rebels launched nationwide assaults. During the attacks, Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an apparent suicide truck bombing targeting his residence near Bamako.
A decree read on state television on Monday confirmed Goïta’s new role as defence minister. He will be supported by army chief of staff Gen Oumar Diarra, who has been named minister delegate.
Goïta’s decision to hold both the presidency and the defence portfolio is widely seen as an effort to tighten his control amid growing pressure on his leadership.
The unrest began on 25 April when residents across Mali woke to gunfire and explosions as the separatist Azawad Liberation Front and the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group launched coordinated attacks. Since then, the insurgents have reportedly imposed partial blockades on Bamako and other major cities.
The offensive, which also forced Malian and allied Russian forces to withdraw from the northern city of Kidal, has raised questions about the strength of Goïta’s military government, which came to power following a coup in August 2020.
Authorities say several soldiers have been arrested for alleged links to the attacks, with investigations suggesting involvement of both former and serving military personnel in planning and execution.
Mali has also coordinated with Niger and Burkina Faso to carry out air strikes against the insurgents. The three military-led countries, which form the Alliance of Sahel States, have expelled French troops and turned to Russian support in their fight against armed groups. However, insecurity persists, with large areas still outside government control.
Mali’s military leader Gen Assimi Goïta has taken over as defence minister after the officer who previously held the post was killed in a wave of surprise attacks.
The ministry confirmed that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country were the result of the successful interception of the aerial threats.
It urges the public to obtain information from official sources, verify the facts, and adhere to all public safety measures upon receipt of warning messages.
Meanwhile, the UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority said air defenses are responding to a missile threat, urging residents to remain in safe locations and follow official updates.
This photo taken on Oct. 17, 2024 shows a city view of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
“We are going to see inflation climbing up, and then inevitably, inflation expectations would start de-anchoring,” she said at a conference hosted by the Milken Institute in Washington, D.C.
She noted that current conditions, including a prolonged conflict, oil prices hovering at or above 100 U.S. dollars per barrel, and mounting inflationary pressures, have already activated the IMF’s “adverse scenario.”
In April, the IMF issued three scenarios for global GDP growth in 2026 and 2027, namely the main “reference forecast,” a middle “adverse scenario,” and a much worse “severe scenario.”
Under the adverse scenario, global growth would slow to 2.5 percent in 2026, while inflation would rise to 5.4 percent.
The reference scenario, which assumes a short-lived conflict, projects growth of 3.1 percent and inflation of 4.4 percent.
“This scenario, with every day that passes, is further and further behind in the rear-view mirror,” Georgieva said.
For the severe scenario forecast, global growth would be just 2 percent, with inflation hitting 5.8 percent.
FILE – Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, attends the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
The country imported 195,610 tonnes of sugar valued at $145 million (approximately Rwf 212 billion) in 2025, down from 308,000 tonnes worth $238 million (about Rwf 348 billion) in 2024.
The imports comprised raw sugar for industrial refining, inputs for beverage and food manufacturing, and refined sugar for household consumption.
Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi attributed the decline to a combination of reduced demand for refined sugar, increased domestic production, and a drop in re-exports to neighbouring countries.
“The decrease in imports can be attributed to a drop in refined sugar consumption locally, coupled with increased domestic production,” Sebahizi told The New Times.
He added that re-exports, particularly of raw sugar destined for further processing, also declined in 2025 compared to the previous year, contributing to the overall drop in import volumes.
According to the minister, the trend reflects broader market adjustments rather than the impact of new policy measures, pointing to evolving consumer preferences and supply dynamics.
The decline follows a surge in 2024, when sugar imports rose to 308,000 tonnes valued at $238 million, up 24 per cent from $192 million recorded in 2023.
Rwanda continues to apply the East African Community Common External Tariff alongside safeguard measures aimed at balancing consumer affordability with the protection of local producers. To stabilise prices, the government also permits strategic imports under managed quotas.
Additionally, authorities have temporarily eased the application of the regional external tariff on sugar and other essential food commodities to cushion consumers from rising costs, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Looking ahead, the government plans to allocate 8,000 hectares of land for sugarcane cultivation and mobilise at least $50 million in private investment. The initiative is intended to expand processing capacity, strengthen the domestic sugar industry, and further reduce reliance on imports.
Rwanda imported 195,610 tonnes of sugar valued at $145 million (approximately Rwf 212 billion) in 2025, down from 308,000 tonnes worth $238 million (about Rwf 348 billion) in 2024.
The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of coordinated threats during the passage, said the report, citing Pentagon officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity.
No U.S. warship was struck, though Iran launched small boats, missiles and drones against them as a sustained barrage, the officials were quoted as saying.
None of the projectiles launched by Iran reached the U.S. vessels, they said, adding that the U.S. military’s assisting efforts, bolstered by air support, successfully intercepted or deterred each incoming threat.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News on Monday that the Iranians are “more malleable” than they were before.
In a phone interview with Fox News, the president threatened that if Iran targets U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz as the Pentagon begins operations to restore commercial shipping transit through the strait, they would be “blown off the face of the Earth.”
However, in another phone interview with ABC News on Monday, Trump stopped short of saying Iran’s Monday attacks had violated the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
“[It was] not heavy firing,” Trump said, downplaying the attacks.
Brad Cooper, chief of the U.S. Central Command, told reporters earlier on Monday that Iranian forces had launched “multiple cruise missiles, drones, and small boats at ships we are protecting.”
U.S. forces have sunk six Iranian small boats targeting civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones, said Cooper.
Iran later rejected the U.S. claims, saying that “no commercial vessels or oil tankers” have transited the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.
On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. targets across the region and restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for vessels linked to Israel and the United States.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8, followed by talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Islamabad that ended without a deal.
Two U.S. Navy destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, U.S. media outlet CBS News reported on Monday night.
As is tradition, the 21st edition of the ceremony will take place in Kinigi Sector, Musanze District, at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park.
“Join us in Kinigi, @MusanzeDistrict for the 21st @KwitaIzina, Rwanda’s annual baby gorilla naming ceremony, celebrating community-centred conservation and the collective responsibility to protect mountain gorillas and their habitat at @VolcanoesPark,” RDB said in a post on X on Monday, May 4, 2026.
The 20th edition of Kwita Izina took place on September 5, 2025, during which 40 baby gorillas from 15 families were named.
Prime Minister Dr Justin Nsengiyumva served as the guest of honour at the ceremony, which was also attended by several high-level dignitaries, including First Lady Jeannette Kagame.
In his address, PM Nsengiyumva highlighted the global significance of the event:
“Thanks to the leadership of Rwanda, the dedication of conservationists, and the commitment of our communities, mountain gorillas have come back from the brink. Today, there are over a thousand mountain gorillas worldwide, including more than 600 in the Virunga Massif,” he said.
The Prime Minister also affirmed a bold plan to expand Volcanoes National Park by nearly 25%, ensuring future generations of gorillas have secure habitats while simultaneously improving local livelihoods.
Since its launch in 2005, Kwita Izina has become a flagship conservation event, with 435 baby gorillas named to date.
Tourism revenues continued to grow in 2025, reaching $685 million, up from $647 million in 2024, representing a 6 percent increase.
Visitor arrivals also rose by 9 percent to 1.49 million, with a significant share visiting Volcanoes National Park, known for gorilla trekking, as well as other national parks.
Gorilla trekking permits are priced at $1,500 for foreign non-residents. Reduced rates of $500 apply to foreign residents living in Rwanda, other African nationals, and foreigners residing elsewhere in Africa. Citizens of Rwanda and the East African Community (EAC) qualify for the lowest rate of $200.
