NEWS IN BRIEF

National backbone on courseThe fiber optic cable extending to the rest of the country has started.“Civil works have started on the fiber optic wire that will extend across the country,” Emmanuel Nsekanabo, the RDB/IT communications officer said. He said that the first phase that was to cover the metropolitan area has been completed. “We had said that we would complete by the end of this year. But there might be delays and we might end mid next year,” Nsakanabo said. Drop in tea sales Anthony Butera, the Director General of Rwanda Tea Authority [OCIR-THE] has disclosed that there has been a slight drop in the sales of tea for the first half of this year. He revealed that of the 47 metric tonnes sold, $23.5m was earned. There was a slight drop as compared to $24.7m earned during the same period last year. Butera attributed the drop to low rains that led to low tea yields. Entrepreneurs for competitionRwanda-Bpeace, is calling on Rwandans to join a business competition. A total of 15 finalists will be selected and awarded with professional consulting and technical assistance to start their own projects. Bpeace is a non-profit international volunteer network of business professionals. It mostly operates in developing world in a bid to revive the private sector and creating employment opportunities. The deadline for handing in of the business proposals is 15th August.Musicians in countryRha Goddess, a musician and Ana Garcia, a dancer, both famous American artistes are in the country.Goddess is also an author, an activist and a social entrepreneur and Garcia also known as Rokafella doubles as a choreographer. They are scheduled to hold a press conference at the American Embassy on 13 July. Exam phobia quelledThe widespread fears by students mostly from predominantly French speaking schools that senior six and four final exams would be set only in English have been laid to rest. John Rutayisire, the Executive Secretary of Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) confirmed that the final exams would be set in both English and French. Uncertainty emerged at the start of this year when the Ministry of Education made a directive for the transition from French to English as the language of instruction in all schools. Teacher for Rwanda Melanie Pearson, 27, of Medforth Boston, United States, a teacher by profession is expected to be deployed in Rwanda. For two years, she will be tasked to improve local teachers’ skills and how to make learning effective in Nyanza, Southern Province. Her coming to Rwanda was made possible by Voluntary Services Overseas, an international development charity. Muslims petition Friends and relatives of one Yusouf Bucyana who recently died in Uganda have threatened to petition the Rwanda embassy in Uganda to have the body exhumed from where it was buried. Bucyana was after his death buried in Mpigi district in Uganda where his parents reside. Bucyana was a Rwandan and was immediately buried by his family in Uganda. Local Muslims have called for the body to be exhumed saying he was buried contrary to the Islamic custom. Relatives in Uganda have called on those calling for exhumation to refund the money spent on burial arrangement amounting to 500,000 Ugandan Shillings. Compiled by Tony Barigye