IATA projects airline profits will reach $36 billion in 2025—$600 million less than previously expected—while total revenues are set to hit $979 billion, falling short of the earlier $1 trillion estimate.
Speaking at IATA’s annual meeting in New Delhi, Director General Willie Walsh warned of mounting economic headwinds, including rising tariffs and geopolitical tensions.
“It’s still a thin buffer and any new tax, increase in airport or navigation charge, demand shock or costly regulation will quickly put the industry’s resilience to the test,” he said.
Air cargo is also expected to slow, with 69 million tonnes forecast this year—down from 72.5 million. Trade tensions, including recent U.S. tariff moves, are partly to blame.
On the bright side, lower oil prices could ease pressure on airlines. Jet fuel is expected to average $86 a barrel, significantly below the $99 average in 2024, helping to reduce the sector’s fuel bill by $25 billion.
IATA urged policymakers to consider aviation’s vital role in global employment and economic activity, warning that increased regulation or taxes could hinder recovery.
Addressing a press conference, Fico said the plan would threaten the operation of nuclear power plants in Slovakia.
The European Commission last month unveiled a new roadmap to end EU’s reliance on Russian energy. The REPowerEU Roadmap sets out a phased and coordinated plan to halt imports of Russian natural gas, oil, and nuclear materials across the 27-member bloc, according to the Commission.
“We’ve repeatedly declared this idea of the European Commission to be harmful, ideological and damaging to the competitiveness of the European Union,” said Fico, adding that Slovakia will intervene in the EU to fight for its national interests in the preparation of legislative changes concerning oil, gas and nuclear fuel.
As of April 2025, Slovakia has five nuclear reactors generating half of its electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Hadi Rahmat Hardjasasmita, a spokesperson for the Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency of West Java province, said that two more bodies were found by rescuers on Sunday in Gunung Kuda mine situated in Bobos village of Cirebon Regency.
He said that to ensure smooth search operations and relief efforts, a state of emergency has been imposed since May 30 and will end on June 6.
The search and rescue operation has been halted due to further landslides at the quarry, said Mamang Fatmono, acting head of the operational unit of the provincial search and rescue office.
“We face a challenge today. Further landslides occurred at 11:10 a.m., so the search operation was temporarily suspended. The search operation will resume tomorrow,” he told Xinhua.
The ceremony brought together Rwandans from across Belgium to honor the over one million lives lost during the genocide, and to reaffirm a collective commitment to remembrance, justice, and peace.
In her keynote address, Mayor Marie-Christine Marghem of Tournai paid tribute to the victims and reflected on the universal importance of remembrance.
“Memory is not limited to recording events in the course of history,” she said.
“This long history, in which we have always been involved, has undoubtedly been marked by mistakes. However, over time, thanks to the beings of light who are capable of reaching out and recognizing human dignity, we have learned that such injustices are fundamentally unspeakable, culpable, and condemnable,” Marghem added.
Claire Kayirangwa, representing Ibuka Belgique, emphasized the duty of remembrance and the importance of transmitting truth to future generations.
“We do not come merely to mourn the dead; we come to carry their memory through the generations,” she said.
“Even today, there are voices that dare to relativize or distort the truth of what happened. To those voices, we respond with dignity and determination: to remember is not to seek pity—it is a moral duty and a commitment to justice,” Kayirangwa added.
Ernest Gakuba, President of the Rwandan Community in Belgium (DRB-Rugari), delivered a stirring address highlighting the role of youth in preserving memory.
“One hundred days of darkness. One hundred days when humanity failed. Today, we remember—but more than that, we act. We must pass on the memory not just to Rwandan youth, but to youth everywhere. Because today’s silence can nurture tomorrow’s violence,” he noted.
Gakuba also paid tribute to Corporal Bruno Méaux and the nine other Belgian peacekeepers killed in 1994, calling them “symbols of the price paid for the silence of powerful nations.”
Gakuba praised the Rwandan Patriotic Front for its decisive role in ending the genocide when the world chose to look away.
“These young Rwandans acted—not for revenge, but to save what could still be saved,” he stated.
Speakers also addressed the painful reality that, even today, some genocide suspects continue to live freely in Europe, particularly in Belgium and France.
Arnold Turagara, President of the Rwandan Community in Mons and Tournai, called attention to this ongoing injustice.
“These individuals live settled and protected, while survivors wait for justice,” he said. “Despite these challenges, Rwanda rises—not through foreign aid, but through the will and unity of its people.”
Turagara also urged Rwandan youth to carry forward the torch of truth, resilience, and national unity.
“You inherit a difficult past, but also a bright future. Let your generation be the one that defeats the silence of forgetting.”
The ceremony included the powerful testimony of Lyamukuru Félicité, a genocide survivor who also served as the master of ceremonies. Her story served as a reminder of the personal loss and resilience that shape the Rwandan identity today.
Mourners laid wreaths at two memorial sites: one honoring the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi, and the other commemorating Corporal Bruno Méaux.
The event concluded with moving performances by Suzanne Nyiranyamibwa, whose songs of remembrance echoed the collective sorrow and hope of a people determined never to forget.
The agreements were signed in Kigali on Sunday, June 1, during the official visit of Lieutenant General Ahmed Fathi Ibrahim Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, who met with his Rwandan counterpart, General MK Mubarakh, at RDF Headquarters.
The three-day visit marks a significant step in deepening bilateral defence relations, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to a long-term and sustainable partnership.
Discussions between the two military chiefs focused on enhancing joint military initiatives and exploring new areas of collaboration.
Earlier in the day, Lieutenant General Khalifa paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
According to a statement released by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two diplomats reviewed cooperation relations between Doha and Kigali, exploring avenues to enhance them.
The discussions also focused on the conflict between Rwanda and the DRC and Qatar’s role in the mediation process.
The meeting comes on the heels of a similar diplomatic engagement on Saturday, when Sheikh Mohammed held talks with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf to discuss ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict between the two neighbouring countries.
Qatar has taken a leading role in efforts to restore peace in the Great Lakes Region. Talks between the DRC government and the AFC/M23 rebel group, which says it’s fighting for the rights of marginalised Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in the eastern DRC, are being held in Qatar.
The DRC accuses Rwanda of aiding M23 hostilities in the eastern DRC. Rwanda has repeatedly dismissed the claims, insisting that its primary concern is the continued presence and collaboration between Congolese forces and the FDLR militia group. The group, linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, continues to pose a security threat on the border with Congo, fueling the conflict between Rwanda and the DRC.
Meanwhile, the African Union has also taken a central role in the region’s peace efforts following the early 2025 decision by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to merge the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes into a unified framework. This unified initiative, coordinated by the AU, aims to streamline regional mediation efforts.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement released late on Saturday night, said the two leaders reviewed the evolving situation in Africa, with particular emphasis on diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the protracted conflict in eastern DRC.
The talks also focused on enhancing cooperation between Qatar and the AU in promoting peace and regional stability across the continent.
Chairperson Youssouf commended Qatar’s growing role in supporting African peace initiatives, especially its mediation efforts in the Great Lakes Region, where tensions between Rwanda and the DRC have persisted despite multiple peace attempts.
Qatar has taken a leading role in efforts to restore peace in the Great Lakes Region. Talks between the DRC government and the AFC/M23 rebel group, which says it’s fighting for the rights of marginalised Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in the eastern DRC, are being held in Qatar.
The DRC accuses Rwanda of aiding M23 hostilities in the eastern DRC. Rwanda has repeatedly dismissed the claims, insisting that its primary concern is the continued presence and collaboration between Congolese forces and the FDLR militia group. The group, linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, continues to pose a security threat on the border with Congo, fueling the conflict between Rwanda and the DRC.
Meanwhile, the African Union has also taken a central role in the region’s peace efforts following the early 2025 decision by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to merge the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes into a unified framework. This unified initiative, coordinated by the AU, aims to streamline regional mediation efforts.
Togo is currently guiding the final stages of this mediation process, in coordination with a panel of distinguished African leaders who were appointed as facilitators of the process earlier this year. The leaders include former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic), and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia).
The international community has also increased its engagement. In May, U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, announced that Washington had presented a draft peace agreement to the leaders of Rwanda and the DRC for their review.
A historic ceremony is scheduled for June at the White House, where Presidents Kagame and Tshisekedi are expected to formally sign the peace accord in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Burhan and other council members met with Idris to discuss government priorities, including stabilizing the economy, protecting civilian livelihoods, and restoring order across the country’s states, the statement said.
Idris’s appointment was formalized on May 19 through a constitutional decree issued by Burhan, who also serves as commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces. The decision was welcomed by the United Nations, the African Union Commission, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The prime minister’s post had remained vacant since the resignation of Abdalla Hamdok in January 2022, following a military coup led by Burhan in October 2021. Hamdok and other civilian leaders were briefly detained before being reinstated under a short-lived power-sharing deal. He stepped down weeks later, warning that Sudan was at a “dangerous turning point” as mass protests erupted against military rule.
Idris, who holds a doctoral degree in international law, previously served as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization and Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.
Sudan remains gripped by a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, both internally and across borders, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
It wasn’t unusual to see children playing in front of these fragile homes, causing parents to feel an instinctive fear as if their hearts had skipped a beat, worried that the walls might crumble on them at any moment.
Rainfall posed a major threat not only to the residents but also to local authorities, as it had the potential to destroy homes or even claim lives.
This persistent fear is what prompted the City of Kigali administration to commit to improving housing in the area, which lies at the entrance to the city.
The authorities came up with a plan to resettle residents in better-quality homes without displacing them. Additional housing was also built to accommodate those relocated from other life-threatening locations.
Today, after a relatively short period of construction, the area has undergone a complete transformation. The once-disparaged zone of Dobandi and similar neighbourhoods has become Ubwiza Modern Village, a new estate set to host more than 680 residents.
This village consists of 18 apartment blocks, each three storeys high (G+3), and is expected to serve as a model for affordable, modern, and environmentally friendly urban housing.
Residents of the new estate express disbelief and joy at their new living conditions, something they say they never imagined, like Umutoni Clarisse, who lives with her family of seven.
“We used to live in a terrible place that was a real threat to our lives. The houses were so weak, and when it rained, you’d go to bed unsure whether you’d wake up again. Then the government came up with this idea and built us these homes,” she said.
“We’re very happy now. We are thankful to His Excellency the President of the Republic, who made this happen. We never imagined we’d live in such houses, or that we could sleep peacefully. Now, it rains and we sleep soundly throughout the night. The place we came from was awful.”
Umutesi Vestine, who received a four-bedroom house where she also runs a business, echoed the words, saying, “The area we lived in used to put many lives in danger. There was a time when the Mpazi River overflowed and swept away a house nearby, along with a couple and all their belongings. We recovered the woman’s body, but we never found the man’s.”
She described how, during floods, the drainage channels would overflow and destroy homes. People couldn’t dig latrines, and makeshift roofs were held in place with tyres or stones.
She also noted that the new houses matched the value of the land residents previously owned, with some receiving two or three homes, depending on what they had before.
Uwimana Denise confirmed she received two homes, one of which she now rents out for Frw 80,000 per month.
The Mayor of Kigali, Dusengiyumva Samuel, stated that this approach will be replicated in other disorganised neighbourhoods across the city and encouraged private investors to participate in this kind of development.
“I just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly, helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reform programme in generations,” said Trump.
Trump credited Musk with “a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington” and said some of his staff would remain in the administration.
“I look forward to continuing to be a friend and advisor to the president,” Musk told reporters after Trump handed a golden key as a gift.
Having spent approximately 300 million U.S. dollars to back Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republicans, Musk recently said that he plans to cut his political spending substantially, because “I think I’ve done enough.”
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Musk criticised Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” describing the legislation, a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement, as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of DOGE.
