- 5d ago
US to drop South Africa and Rwanda from AGOA trade preferences from 1 January 2027
The Trump administration will end duty-free access for South Africa and Rwanda under AGOA from 1 January 2027, citing trade barriers, rights concerns and national security. Pretoria calls the decision regrettable and says it will speed up export diversification.
- Oct 23
Hamilton backs F1's Rwanda race and hints he may keep racing to see it
Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday, 22 October, that he wants to race in Rwanda's Grand Prix, planned for the early 2030s near Kigali. Amnesty International has called the deal a "sportswashing prize".
- Oct 21
Five EU states near deal with Rwanda on first return centre for rejected migrants
Germany, Denmark, Austria, Greece and the Netherlands are reportedly close to an agreement with Rwanda on a first return centre for people refused asylum, and a deal could be signed in November 2026.
- Oct 19
Kagame critic Robert Kabera found beheaded near Kampala, head still missing
Ugandan police are investigating the killing of Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major who lived in exile and criticised President Paul Kagame on YouTube. Residents found his body on Saturday, 17 October, and the head has not been recovered.
- Oct 19
CNN's Christiane Amanpour to leave network in June 2027 after 43 years
Her daily program ends in late 2026 and she leaves the network in June 2027, weeks after Paramount Skydance completed its takeover of CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Oct 13
DR Congo condemns F1 African Grand Prix in Rwanda as morally indefensible
Formula 1 plans an African Grand Prix at a circuit yet to be built at Bugesera, near Kigali, from the early 2030s. Congo's foreign minister says hosting it in Rwanda would polish the image of President Paul Kagame's government.
- Oct 12
Joseph Kabila takes lead of M23-backed FRN rebel movement in eastern Congo
Former president Joseph Kabila, sentenced to death in absentia a year earlier, has been named leader of a new movement that replaces the AFC/M23 alliance in eastern Congo.
- Oct 12
Navi Pillay defends international justice after Nobel Peace Prize amid US criticism
Navi Pillay, 85, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on 9 October in Oslo. Hours after the announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court, where she once sat as a judge.
- Oct 8
Rwanda agrees deal to host Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2030 with Qatari backing
Formula 1 has reached an agreement with Rwanda to stage a Grand Prix from 2030, returning the motorsport series to Africa for the first time since 1993 with financial backing from Qatar.
- Sep 30
Spain casts lone vote against EU return hubs as Ceuta migrant crisis persists
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska rejected new EU deportation hub rules in Luxembourg, citing legal risks, while Madrid moved to relocate 2,500 migrant minors from Ceuta to the mainland.
- Sep 24
UCI awards 2032 cycling world championships to India and 2034 edition to Netherlands
The International Cycling Union selected Pune to stage the 2032 Road World Championships, while the Dutch region of Groningen and Drenthe will host the 2034 competition.
- Sep 23
Belgium and Rwanda restore diplomatic relations after 18-month rift over DR Congo conflict
Foreign ministers from Belgium and Rwanda agreed in New York to reopen embassies and resume dialogue after an 18-month diplomatic rupture triggered by fighting in eastern DR Congo.
- Sep 21
UK charges doctor Vincent Brown with genocide over 1994 Rwanda massacres
British prosecutors charged 65-year-old Vincent Brown with genocide offences following a seven-year police investigation, with a court appearance set for Tuesday.
