Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

A Southwest Airlines plane rapidly dropped in elevation after departing from the Los Angeles area on Friday, with passengers posting online that the pilot was forced to rapidly change course to avoid a potential collision with another aircraft. Flight 1496 from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Las Vegas plummeted rapidly, lifting passengers out of their seats and injuring two flight attendants. The crew “responded to two onboard traffic alerts… requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts”, Southwest said in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was investigating the “incident”. It comes less than one…

Lori Vallow Daybell was sentenced to life in prison Friday on two murder conspiracy convictions in Arizona, marking an end to a winding legal saga for the mother with doomsday religious beliefs who claimed people in her life had been possessed by evil spirits. Vallow Daybell, already serving life sentences in Idaho in the killings of her two youngest children and a romantic rival, was convicted at separate trials this spring in Phoenix of conspiring to murder her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, and her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Vallow Daybell, who chose to represent herself in both Arizona cases even…

Safaricom PLC has sustained its impressive dividend streak, maintaining a Sh48.08 billion payout for the financial year ended March 31, 2025, following shareholder approval during the telco giant’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held this week. Shareholders greenlit a final dividend of Sh0.65 per share, bringing the total dividend for the year to Sh1.20 per share. The company had earlier paid an interim dividend of Sh0.55 per share in March 2025. This announcement comes against the backdrop of a bullish year for the company’s stock, with the Safaricom share price climbing 68.7% year-on-year — a strong signal of investor confidence and…

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) recovered Kitale government housing property valued at Sh65 million after a court battle. The parcel of land known as Kitale Municipality Block 11/18, measuring 1.732 acres, where Government House No. KITA/HOU/HG/2 stood was irregularly allocated to Charles Lugano, now deceased. In his Judgment on July 4, 2025, Justice Dr. Fredrick Nyagaka of the Environment and Land Court held that Kitale Municipality Block 11/18 was not available for allocation to private individuals having been alienated and in use for a public purpose, to wit, government housing, and ordered that the same should be returned to…

The United States of America Embassy in Nairobi issued a new directive requiring all Kenyans applying for a Visa to list all their social media usernames or handles on every platform. The embassy, in a statement on Friday, said the social media details – dating back the last five years – should be indicated on the DS-160 Visa application form. The DS-160 Visa grants one temporary travel to the U.S, be it for tourism, business, studies, or medical treatment. “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last…

Social media activist Mwabili Mwagodi, who is a staunch critic of President William Ruto’s regime, has been reported missing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, under unclear circumstances. He is suspected to have been abducted. His disappearance has raised concerns as he was at the frontline in voicing opposition to church fundraising campaigns. CEO of Vocal Africa which is a human rights organisation Hussein Khalid shared the news in a post on X, confirming that Mwagodi’s sister, BBC Swahili news anchor Isabella Kituri had reached out to him over the matter. Kituri shared that her brother, who works for Amani Beach…

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would not destroy Elon Musk’s companies by taking away federal subsidies and that he wants the billionaire tech entrepreneur’s businesses to thrive. The remarks follow a public clash with his former close ally over his tax bill. In July, the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill would bankrupt America. “Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large-scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government. This is not so!” Trump said…

Tesla shares tumbled more than eight percent early Thursday after it reported lower profits and CEO Elon Musk warned the company faced more potentially “rough” quarters ahead. Near 1415 GMT, Tesla shares were at $304.15, down 8.4 percent. Tesla reported second-quarter profits of $1.2 billion, down 16 percent from the year-ago level, its third quarter in a row in which profits fell. Musk, on an earnings conference call, suggested the company’s recent slump would continue or worsen in a difficult interim period until new autonomous transport ventures can be monetized. The company expects lower sales after a $7,500 federal tax…

Detectives are investigating an incident where a one-and-a-half-year-old was electrocuted in a food café in in Nakuru’s Section 58 area. The boy had accompanied his father to the Yadah Fast Food for chips when the incident happened on July 22, police and witnesses said. According to the witnesses, the boy was wandering in the café and accidentally touched an open electrical socket with naked cables. The cables had power, which electrocuted him. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police said they are investigating the incident. In St Mary’s area, Nakuru, the body…

France will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said, which will make it the first G7 nation to do so. In a post on X, Macron said the formal announcement would be made at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York. “The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” he wrote. Palestinian officials welcomed Macron’s decision, while Israeli…

US President Donald Trump has spent months attacking the head of the US central bank on social media and in remarks to reporters, calling Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell names like “numbskull”. On Thursday, the dispute played out in person, with cameras rolling, as the two men clashed over the cost of building renovations. The tense moment came as Trump has been escalating his pressure on Powell, who Trump says is moving too slowly to cut interest rates. He has repeatedly floated the possibility of firing Powell, only to quickly disavow the idea, which analysts say would rock financial markets…

An $8bn (£5.9bn) merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media has been approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The merger between the independent film studio and one of Hollywood’s oldest and most storied companies was first announced in 2024. The approval came just weeks after Paramount Global agreed to pay $16m (£13.5m) to settle a legal dispute with US President Donald Trump over an interview it broadcast on subsidiary CBS with former Vice-President Kamala Harris. FCC head Brendan Carr, who was appointed by the president, announced the merger’s approval on Thursday, saying he welcomed Skydance’s ideas to make…

A US tech company’s chief people officer who was apparently caught on a big screen at a Coldplay concert embracing the company’s CEO has resigned. Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, is no longer with the company and has resigned, the firm told the BBC in a statement. Her departure follows that of Andy Byron, the company’s former CEO, who left last week after the company announced he would be placed on leave and investigated. The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the identities of either person in the clip. It shows a man and a woman, who were…

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is likely to tap Prime Cabinet Secretary and former ANC Party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, to spearhead its campaign in the upcoming Malava Constituency by-election. Mudavadi is expected to rally support across Malava, one of Western Kenya’s politically active constituencies, with a message grounded in unity, continuity, and service to the people. Speaking in a consultative meeting with over 100 clan chairpersons and elders drawn from the 29 Kabras clans, the dominant sub-tribe in Malava, Mudavadi reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that UDA fields a candidate who embodies the values and aspirations of the people. “Until…

Kenya has intensified a campaign to boost tourist numbers into the country, President William Ruto has said. With a target of five million international visitors by 2027, Ruto said the campaign aims to promote Kenya as the home of human origin and a top travel destination for innovation, sports and conference tourism, adventure, wildlife, culture, and beach holidays. “We are expanding our tourism products beyond wildlife, national parks and beaches to include a wide array. Digital innovation, sports and conference tourism, and culture are the new areas on offer,” he said. He made the remarks when opened the 2025 Great…