Category: Business

Kigali / Menlo Park Messaging platform WhatsApp has announced plans to introduce a new security feature aimed at strengthening the privacy of user conversations and preventing messages from being shared outside the app without consent. The new feature, called “Advanced Chat Privacy,” is designed to give users greater control over their private and group conversations,…

Kigali / Menlo Park May 27, 2025 Technology company Meta has announced that it will begin using public data shared by users on Facebook and Instagram to train its artificial intelligence system, Meta AI, starting May 27, 2025. According to Meta, the data to be used will include public photos, posts, comments, captions, and interactions…

California, United States January 26, 2026 Technology giant Google has reached a preliminary settlement agreement to pay $68 million in a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of unlawfully collecting users’ private voice data through its Google Assistant technology without proper consent. According to a report by Reuters, court filings from San Jose, California, indicate that…

A newly completed road in northern Rwanda is improving lives, boosting trade, and opening new economic opportunities for local communities. For years, residents of Burera District struggled with poor roads that made travel slow and expensive. However, the Base–Butaro–Kidaho (BBK) road has changed that reality. The 63-kilometre road now links remote areas to major towns,…

The University of Rwanda has welcomed 422 new Mastercard Foundation Scholars. At the same time, the university celebrated the graduation of 38 students from the programme’s first cohort. The milestone marks significant progress in a 10-year partnership focused on expanding access to higher education and developing future African leaders. The combined reception and graduation ceremony…

The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Jeannette Kagame for her leadership in education, health, and equity. The award was presented on Sunday at UGHE’s graduation ceremony in Butaro. The event also marked the university’s 10th anniversary. In addition, UGHE graduated its first cohort of medical doctors. A historic graduation…

TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, said Thursday it has completed a deal to create a majority American-owned joint venture. The move aims to protect U.S. user data and prevent a nationwide ban of the app, which more than 200 million Americans use. The agreement marks a major turning point after years of political and legal…

Authorities in Huye District have called on families to fully assume their responsibility in raising and protecting children, as the district continues to face a growing challenge of street children, particularly in Huye Town and its surrounding areas. An increasing number of young children are seen roaming the streets, surviving through begging and, in some…

Members of the Rwandan Senate have raised serious concerns over the persistently high cost of animal feed, warning that the situation is pushing many livestock farmers into financial losses despite their heavy investment in animal husbandry. The concerns were expressed during a Senate plenary session held with the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI),…

The integration of AFC/M23 fighters into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national army will feature prominently in peace talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, a senior United States official has said. Sarah Troutman, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, said the issue remains central to efforts to end the conflict in…

Residents of Nyagatare District are questioning a project that involved building agricultural storage warehouses, commonly known as hangars. According to them, poor planning has left many of these structures unused and already deteriorating. During interviews with local residents, many said the warehouses no longer serve their intended purpose. Instead, they are slowly falling apart due…

The Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) has announced the launch of a new digital platform called Mbaza, designed to help Rwandans submit complaints, track their progress, and receive feedback from responsible institutions without physically visiting offices. The platform, accessible via mbaza.gov.rw, will officially begin a pilot phase on January 20, 2026, targeting residents of Kigali…

The Gisagara District administration has announced that 10,003 children who had dropped out of school have been successfully reintegrated into the education system, thanks to targeted interventions that include sports and recreational activities aimed at keeping children connected to school. Over the past ten years, Gisagara District recorded 10,583 school dropouts. However, through coordinated efforts…

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and its major partner Microsoft, demanding $134 billion in damages. He accuses the two companies of generating unlawful profits linked to his early role in founding OpenAI. According to court documents filed on Friday, Musk claims that OpenAI earned between $65.5…

Disruption Satellite Powerful solar activity recently detected by space weather experts could disrupt satellite operations and GPS systems, according to the United States Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). SWPC reported that the Sun has released high-energy solar emissions classified at Level Four, one of the strongest categories of solar storms. These emissions pose potential risks…

Rwanda is steadily expanding its presence on the global digital map. Today, demand is rising for locally developed systems that support governance, justice and public finance across Africa and beyond. As a result, officials expect exports of Rwandan digital solutions to grow further this year. In addition, the introduction of the Digital Trust Seal has…

Animal feed prices continue to rise across Rwanda, putting pressure on livestock farmers and threatening meat, milk, and egg production. The issue has gained attention as senators carry out nationwide consultations from January 20 to January 28. The discussions focus on livestock development, especially access to affordable and quality animal feed. Farmers and feed producers…

Journalists and journalism students from the University of Rwanda have been encouraged to use the media as a powerful tool for social transformation, national development, and protection of vulnerable groups. The call was made during a training organized by the Observatory of Vulnerable Peoples’ Rights (OVPR) in Huye District, which focused on constructive journalism, media…

The Government of Rwanda has announced plans to reduce the high cost and limited supply of animal feed by increasing local production and cutting reliance on imports, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye. The minister made the remarks on January 19, 2026, while addressing members of the Rwandan Senate…

Gisagara District has distributed more than 36,800 cows to residents, mainly vulnerable families, over the past five years under the One Cow per Family Program, local authorities have confirmed. The initiative, which began in 2020, complements the national Girinka Munyarwanda Program and aims to improve nutrition, boost household incomes, and reduce poverty among rural families….

Some residents of Huye District say access roads constructed through their land have left them landless without compensation. The affected residents live in Tumba Sector, specifically in Cyimana and Cyarwa cells. They claim they have spent nearly two years seeking answers without success. The roads were built as part of urban planning projects aimed at…

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) have arrested senior managers of Urubuto Hotel, located in Nyanza District, following the death of a security guard who drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool. The deceased has been identified as Charles Nzabihimana, aged 45, who was employed as a security guard at the hotel. Urubuto Hotel is situated in…

The political confrontation between Donald Trump and Nicolás Maduro has dominated global headlines for the past two weeks. Political analysts, financial markets, and the cryptocurrency community have all followed the developments closely. Beyond the diplomatic fallout, the episode has fuelled intense speculation in crypto circles. At the centre of the debate is a reported Venezuelan…

China has submitted a request to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) seeking approval to deploy up to 200,000 satellites into space. Reports indicate that on December 29, 2025, two Chinese companies formally filed applications to launch the satellites. The request was submitted to the ITU, a United Nations agency responsible for coordinating global telecommunications, including…

The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) has directed all public and private institutions to harmonize their USSD service codes across all mobile networks by February 15, 2026. The directive aims to simplify access to digital services and reduce confusion among customers who currently struggle to remember multiple USSD codes for similar services. What Are USSD…

Global technology companies, including Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, have signed agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation to pay for data sourced from Wikipedia used to train their artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The move marks a major milestone for Wikimedia, a nonprofit organization, as it creates a new and sustainable revenue stream from companies that rely heavily…

Residents of Huye District have welcomed the steady development of the Sovu Industrial Zone, saying it is already improving their livelihoods through job creation and economic growth. Local authorities say the industrial zone remains a priority area for investment, with continued improvements in infrastructure aimed at attracting more industries and increasing productivity. Growing Opportunities for…

A group of vulnerable elderly women in Huye District say a project meant to lift them out of poverty has left them in financial distress. The women were given more than three million Rwandan francs to invest in poultry farming. Instead of profits, they report heavy losses. Project Aimed to Reduce Poverty The beneficiaries are…

Residents living near the industrial zone in Rwamagana say nearby factories are harming their health. They blame a livestock feed processing factory for releasing a strong and unpleasant smell into the area. According to Emmanuel Nayituriki, one of the residents, some factories release harmful gases into the air. In addition, he said a metal-processing plant…

In Kirehe District, 90 families received cows through Rwanda’s Girinka program, also known as “One Cow per Poor Family.” The initiative, run under the RDDPII project in partnership with Heifer International Rwanda, aims to improve nutrition, provide fertilizer, and support local livelihoods. Cows Delivered Across Three Sectors On January 14, 2026, officials delivered cows to…

Four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule safely returned to Earth early Thursday. The crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after leaving the International Space Station (ISS) a day earlier. NASA approved the early return to allow doctors to examine a medical issue affecting one crew member. The astronauts undocked from the ISS…

Technology experts say SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has begun providing free Starlink satellite internet in Iran. The move comes as Iranian authorities face accusations of violently suppressing nationwide protests. Internet Shutdowns Spark Global Concern In recent days, the Iranian government cut off internet access across the country. Authorities claimed protesters were being influenced by…

Major U.S. banks posted higher profits in the fourth quarter, supported by rising demand for loans, a sign that the U.S. economy remains resilient and supportive of future earnings growth for lenders. Loan Demand Signals Economic Strength Bank of America reported an 8% year-on-year increase in average loans, while its net interest income reached a…

VFD Group has outlined its 2026 growth strategy during an Executive Leadership Retreat held in Kigali, bringing together senior executives to align on institutionalisation, disciplined execution, and leadership development. The retreat marked a strategic shift as the Group positions 2026 as a consolidation year focused on strengthening governance, scaling impact, and embedding execution into daily…

Starlink has reportedly waived subscription fees for users in Iran, after authorities shut down the internet amid a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. The move, which has not yet been officially confirmed, came after Iran cut off internet access last Thursday, isolating millions of people from communication, livelihoods, and independent information. Since then, satellite internet…

Scott Adams, the creator of the long-running comic strip Dilbert, has died at the age of 68, months after revealing that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Adams’ family confirmed his death on Tuesday. His former wife, Shelly Miles, announced the news during a YouTube message to fans, saying simply that Adams was “no…

The Ministry of Health has urged students across Rwanda, particularly in Huye District, to adopt hygiene as a permanent culture rather than a temporary practice. The call was made by Jean Marie Vianney Ndayizigiye, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, during a hygiene and sanitation awareness campaign known as “Fresheri ku Ishuri” (Freshness at…

The Trump administration’s decision to open a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has intensified the president’s campaign against the central bank. Powell called the move a “pretext” aimed at influencing interest rate decisions and warned it threatens the Fed’s independence. ALSO READ: Trump signs emergency order protecting Venezuelan oil funds Market Reaction…

Three Democratic U.S. senators are pressing Apple and Google to take X and its built-in AI chatbot, Grok, off their app stores. The lawmakers argue that the platform has failed to stop the spread of nonconsensual sexual images involving women and minors. In a letter released on Friday, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ben Ray…