Singer Chris Rea, widely known for the festive hit Driving Home for Christmas, died aged 74, his family confirmed Monday. A somewhat reluctant popstar, the Middlesbrough native was shy of the spotlight, and even admitted rallying against the record label’s decision to release his biggest hit – though accepted he was thankful when they eventually did in 1986. The drive-time anthem came to exist while Rea was on a driving ban – more on that in our earlier post. Reluctant or otherwise, he even resisted a more marketable name swap, the fame the track brought Rea is indisputable; nearly 40…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
CBS News is facing scrutiny after pulling a segment from its flagship Sunday broadcast about the Trump administration’s deportations of Venezuelan men to a detention centre in El Salvador. The last-minute decision by top editor Bari Weiss sparked widespread criticism, including from the CBS correspondent who reported the story. Sharyn Alfonsi, the CBS reporter, told colleagues on Sunday that the move was “political”, according to a private note that leaked to the media. CBS had promoted the segment on social media ahead of its scheduled airtime on 60 Minutes, but said in a statement on Monday that the piece needed…
The gold price has hit another record high, trading above $4,400 (£3,275) an ounce for the first time. The price of the precious metal has risen on expectations the US central bank will cut interest rates further next year, analysts said. Gold started the year worth $2,600 an ounce, but geopolitical tensions, the Trump tariffs and expectations of rate cuts have added to investor demand for safe haven assets, such as gold and other commodities. The prices of other precious metals also rose on Monday, with silver hitting a record high as well. The gold price has risen more than…
Seven soldiers accused of trafficking methamphetamine valued at Sh192 million were on Monday released on bond after a Mombasa court declined to further extend their custodial detention. Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Ollimo ordered that each suspect be released on a Sh500,000 surety bond or an alternative cash bail of a similar amount, provide one contact person, and report weekly to the Anti-Narcotics Police Unit. The suspects, Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo Gacog’u, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad, and Abdirahman Abdi Kuno allegedly trafficked 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, packed in whitish crystalline packets. The court heard that investigations were…
The High Court Monday suspended garnishee orders that froze all Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) bank accounts over Sh10 billion claim. Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued the conservatory orders following an application filed by Lalashe Consulting. The company argued that the action for garnishee orders threatens to cripple national electricity transmission and disrupt essential services across the country. It added the action threatens to cripple national electricity transmission and disrupt essential services across the country. “Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of the Petitioner/Applicant’s Notice of Motion Application dated 22/12/2025, a conservatory order be and is hereby issued restraining…
The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) moved to court seeking 15 days to complete investigations into alleged terrorism-related activities against a Turkish national. The suspect, Ahmet Mustafa Gungor, who is a teacher was arrested in the early hours of December 21, 2025, at the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Nairobi Terminus shortly after arriving from Mombasa. According to court documents, ATPU officers acted on reasonable suspicion that the suspect was involved in terrorism-related activities with both local and transnational dimensions. Following the arrest at about 12.05 a.m., the suspect was escorted to ATPU Headquarters in Nairobi, where he was formally booked under…
If you create creator style content, marketing creatives, or personal branding assets, two “identity” tasks come up constantly. Swapping faces for fun concepts or quick mockups. Generating clean, professional headshots without booking a shoot. These needs do not always overlap, so it is smarter to evaluate the tools separately, then choose what fits your use case. Pick 1. Fast photo face swaps For photo face swaps, speed and realism matter, but so does simplicity. Free photo Face Swap is positioned as a browser tool that supports face swaps across photos, videos, and GIFs, with no download and claims of no…
On Monday, December 22, 2025, a powerful explosion occurred in the southern part of Moscow, resulting in the death of a senior Russian military officer. According to authorities, an explosive device detonated under a vehicle early that morning as it was leaving a residential courtyard on Yasenevaya Street. Secret Magazine The driver was Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The explosion seriously wounded him, and he later died from his injuries. Law enforcement officials have opened a criminal investigation into the incident. At this stage, they have…
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 hosts Morocco began their campaign to win a second continental title with a somewhat nervy win over Comoros in the tournament opener in rainy Rabat. The Atlas Lions spurned a glorious chance to take an 11th-minute lead after Iyad Mohamed brought down Brahim Diaz in the box but Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor got his left knee to Soufiane Rahimi’s penalty. The Indian Ocean islanders sat back and frustrated their opponents until 10 minutes into the second half when Diaz was left unmarked near the penalty spot to sweep home Noussair Mazraoui’s low ball across the…
Morocco carry a huge weight of expectation into their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as the hosts, with star man Achraf Hakimi returning from injury, aim to see off stiff competition to claim continental glory. Senegal, reigning champions Ivory Coast, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt and a Nigeria side led by Victor Osimhen are among the biggest rivals for Morocco at the AFCON, which runs into the New Year with the final on January 18. Morocco, Africa’s best team in the FIFA rankings in 11th place, kicked off the tournament on Sunday at 1900 GMT against minnows…
A fan was killed in chaos that broke out during a match between Nairobi United and Gor Mahia at the Dandora Stadium, Nairobi. Several other fans were injured in the chaos that prompted officials to abandon the game at 58th minute. Property was destroyed and many people were robbed in the chaos. Gor Mahia said the match was abandoned at 58th minute after home team (Nairobi United) equalised and their fans threw flares on the pitch and to our fans’ stand / side prompting retaliation that turned chaotic. The FKF Premier League Matchday 15 delivered drama, controversy and decisive results…
More than 800 migrants in 13 boats crossed the English Channel on Saturday, according to Home Office data. The figure is a record for a December day in recent years, and is believed to be due to a backlog of people wanting to get across to Kent because of recent bad weather. It takes the total for the year to 41,455 people, surpassing 2024, when there were 36,816 for the entire year. A Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better.” The 803 migrants were brought ashore at Dover by…
Saudi Arabia has surpassed its record for the number of executions carried out annually for a second year in a row. At least 347 people have now been put to death this year, up from a total of 345 in 2024, according to the UK-based campaign group Reprieve, which tracks executions in Saudi Arabia and has clients on death row. It said this was the “bloodiest year of executions in the kingdom since monitoring began”. The latest prisoners to be executed were two Pakistani nationals convicted of drug-related offences. Others put to death this year include a journalist and two…
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a review into the police and national intelligence agencies after the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney. “The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation,” Albanese said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group. “Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.” The shooting, in which 15 people were killed after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish festival, has been declared a terrorist incident. Police say the attackers were inspired by “Islamic State ideology”. A national day of reflection is being held on Sunday.…
The process of handing your passport over to a border agent and getting a stamp that signals your arrival in a new nation may soon be a thing of the past. In October 2025, the European Union began rolling out its Entry/Exit System (EES), a new digital border-management tool that records biometric data as well as entry and exit dates of non-EU nationals travelling in and out of the Schengen area. Once fully implemented in April 2026, the system will replace manual passport stamping with digital screening, making the process more efficient and secure – and marking a significant shift…