Sports Minister Habineza calls for team work

The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) has been awarded the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Policy Award for 2014 in recognition of its “innovative and impactful financial inclusion policies”. John Rwangombwa, the central bank governor tweeted after receiving the award that the accolade was in “recognition of Rwanda’s visionary leadership”, to which he attributed the success of the Umurenge Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Saccos) programme”. The...

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Ubumwe coach Bahigye eyes more glory

After lifting their first league and playoffs trophies, Ubumwe women basketball club are now looking to dominating the local scene in the coming seasons. Only two years since making their league debut, Ubumwe have now dethroned APR, who had dominated the women’s league since 2007. Ubumwe beat Rwandans Allied for Peace Progress (RAAP) in three games to win the playoffs title over the weekend. Speaking to Times Sports after being crowned the playoffs champions on Sunday, Ubumwe head coach Jacques Bahigye, said: “We are very happy to win this...

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Rayon VC close gap on leaders APR

Rayon Sports volleyball club have closed the gap on leaders APR to within three points after winning their two rescheduled league second round matches. Rayon secured double 3-0 wins against University of Rwanda’s College of Education (UR-CoE) and Petit Séminaire Virgo Fidelis-Karubanda on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The six points took the Nyanzabased side into second place in the 15-team league table standing with 24 points,...

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Mugwaneza sends Rwanda U-20 girls’ handball team into semis

Aline Umugwaneza scored 10 goals as Rwanda beat South Sudan 39-12 at this year’s U-20 handball Zone V Challenge Trophy and secured a place in the semifinals where they will meet hosts Uganda. The women team lost to Kenya 20-16 in the first game, a defeat coach Anaclate Bagirishya says was an eye opener to them and are now ready to win the rest of the matches. Bagirishya is optimistic of breaking the jinx of failing to bring any...

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Tom Close releases new single

The 2011 Primus Guma Guma Superstar winner Thomas Muyombo best known as Tom Close, has released a new single dubbed Ihogoza, which is already enjoying airplay on local radio stations. Ihogoza comes out shortly after Tom Close revealed that he had plans of launching two albums in December this year. “Ihogoza is about people who society underestimates because of old age yet they are still strong and capable of working,”...

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Queen Cha releases new video

A few days after promising her fans a strong musical comeback, local artiste Yvonne Mugemana, aka Queen Cha, has released a new video, Kizimyamoto, featuring Urban Boys’ Safi Madiba. The new video, released on Monday, comes after Queen Cha had been off the music scene for months as she embarked on completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology. “The wait is over. I have been at school...

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Rwandan films to feature at Swiss festival

Five Rwandan films will be featured at the 9th annual edition of Festival cinemas d’Afrique Lausanne that kicks off August 21 to 24 in Switzerland. The five films include The Rwandan Night, Rwanda, l’autrerevanche, Imbabazi, Ma vie en Rue and Blandine et Les Siens. In 2013, Cinemas d’Afrique Lausanne featured Rwanda: Beyond The Deadly Pit and Scars of My Days, the first of independent films from Rwanda with a personal approach. From...

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Knowless says Dream Boys favourites to win PGGSS 4

Music powerhouse Jeanne Ingabire Butera aka Knowless predicts Dream Boys as favourites to win PGGSS 4 competition when the grand finale takes place on August 30 at Amahoro stadium. Her suggestion caused uproar among music fans who thought of it as a way of telling her fans to vote for Dream Boys considering that she has a huge fan base compared to most artistes in Rwanda. Speaking to The New Times, Producer Clement, and Knowless’...

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Dharamshala:QUEEN OF THE HILLS

In the Himalayan wilderness Dharamsala is a lovely place. Spectacular views of the snow-laden mountains, striking culture, quaint old monasteries and packed with Buddhist nuns and monks together form the tourist attractions in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is blessed with picturesque natural beauty covered with oak, deodar, pine and lush greenery, and has everything for a perfect holiday. It is full of life and yet peaceful. Dharamshala has a number...

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Samsung launches Solar-powered Internet School in Ghana

Samsung Electronics West Africa and the Korean Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), in collaboration with the government of Ghana, this week launched the first Solar Powered Internet School (SPIS) in the country. In a move that aims to bridge the digital divide and enhance educational capability of teachers and students in rural areas that have little or no electricity, the SPIS was launched at the Dago LA Junior High School,...

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South Africa, MTN, LTE Prepaid SIMs

South Africa has launched Long Term Evolution (LTE) PayAsYouGo SIM cards for prepaid customers. The company said the move was designed to give them access to high-speed internet access that is ideal for a range of applications including online gaming, high definition television, and video conferencing. Now customers can enjoy doing the things they love doing online faster. “South Africans want world-class internet access that is capable of...

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App Makes Ebooks Available in African Languages

To many, the fact that literacy in African countries often leaves a lot to be desired comes as no surprise. A lot of organisations, however, are looking for ways to turn this around. Take for example Worldreader, who is planning to distribute nearly 400 African ebooks for free! In cooperation with the African division of the African Cambridge University Press, NGO digital book provider Worldreader will soon release more than 390 titles on the...

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Vodafone Partners Samsung for Galaxy Tab S Experience

Samsung Electronics Ghana has partnered Vodafone Ghana to launch its new Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 in Accra.The Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 are Samsung's latest flagship devices, built to show off the very best of the company's hardware and software prowess. The Galaxy Tab S devices have been built to go toe-to-toe with Apple's slates, a brave and perhaps foolhardy undertaking. Both models have a 2560 x 1600 pixel WQXGA Super AMOLED screen,...

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Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan Agree to Cut Roaming Charges

Northern Corridor countries have agreed on a regional telecommunications framework to establish a "One-Network-Area" by 31st December 2014. When fully operational, charges on phones calls within the region could drop by 60 percent. The One-Network-Area is being implemented following a directive of the 5th Heads of State Summit held in Kenya back in May 2014. At another summit in Rwanda on July 03, the leaders expressed satisfaction with progress. Regional...

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Facebook Takes a Stand with Free Access to Women’s Rights Info in Africa

No one should be denied understanding of their human rights just because they can’t afford a mobile data plan. Now women in Zambia won’t be, as Facebook and Internet.org’s new app gives them free Internet connection for accessing women’s rights resources like MAMA (Mobile Alliance For Maternal Action), WRAPP (Women’s Rights App), and Facts For Life by UNICEF. Facebook worked with Zambian carrier Airtel and local governments to identify the need...

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Tanzanian villages to benefit from $6m telecoms upgrade

Fixed network operator Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) has announced US$6 million worth of investment for telecom equipment in 202 villages targeted at improving telecommunication services. The upgrade will benefit 300,000 people living in 16 regions including Arusha, Tabora, Iringa, Kagera, Manyara, Dodoma, Lindi, Mbeya, Morogoro and Mtwara. Other regions earmarked for future development include Mwanza, Pwani, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida and Tanga. The equipment upgrade follows an agreement signed between TTCL and Universal...

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ADEA, AfDB and KOAFEC launch the 2014/2015 Education Research in Africa Award

The competition for the 3rd and 4th editions of the Education Research in Africa Award (ERAA) is now open. The Award aims to promote high quality education research, produced by African universities, research centres and research networks. It is awarded to four categories of researchers or institutions: the best emerging researcher, the best accomplished researcher, the outstanding mentor of educational researchers, and the best enabling institutional...

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Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa supports Mali in promoting renewable energy

The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) approved on 11th of August in Tunis a US$530,000 grant to Mali as co-funding for a project to promote renewable energy in the country (PAPERM project). The overall objective of the grant is to strengthen the enabling environment for catalyzing renewable energy investments from the private sector. Specifically, SEFA will finance policy, legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks, as well as capacity building for various audiences involved in developing, financing, and operating renewable energy...

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Aviation Day sets agenda for enhanced intra-African connectivity

Johannesburg – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) African Aviation Day emphasized the need for intra-African air connectivity to spread economic and social prosperity across the continent. In particular, IATA noted that the liberalization of air rights for intra- Africa flights could yield significant benefits in both jobs and GDP growth. Africa is well-placed to enjoy sustained economic growth thanks to a young, expanding and...

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