An HR executive caught on the big screen at a Coldplay concert embracing her boss has described how “the harassment has never ended” following the viral moment. Kristin Cabot has spoken publicly for the first time about the video in which she was seen hugging Andy Byron, then-CEO of tech company Astronomer, at the show in July, before they abruptly ducked and hid from the camera. Ms Cabot, 53, who was the company’s chief people officer, stepped down following Mr Byron’s resignation after the firm announced he would be placed on leave and investigated. Speaking to the Times, Ms Cabot…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
A Uganda prison officer was sacked for criticising the government on TikTok, in a rare move authorities said amounted to “gross indiscipline”. Lawrence Ampe had been under investigation over social media posts accusing senior government officials of corruption, human rights abuses and mistreatment of lower-ranking prison officers. “The standing orders don’t allow a public officer to participate in politics, which he is doing even now,” prisons spokesman Frank Baine told the BBC, saying Ampe was sacked for “politicking in the wrong forum”. The opposition has condemned the move, describing it as evidence of “systemic oppression” and double standards within the…
The South African government has dismissed accusations by the US that it harassed and intimidated American officials during a raid on a centre processing applications by white South Africans for refugee status in the US. Tuesday’s raid saw seven Kenyans expelled from South Africa for working in the country illegally. The US accused South Africa of publishing the passport details of its officials, saying this was “unacceptable” and warning of “severe consequences”. But South Africa has denied this, saying it treats “matters of data security with the utmost seriousness”. The US is offering asylum status to members of South Africa’s…
The suspect in last week’s mass shooting at Brown University has been found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, following a six-day multi-state manhunt, police say. They identified the suspect as Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national who studied at the university in Providence, Rhode Island, about 25 years ago. Providence police chief Oscar Perez said video evidence and tips from the public led investigators to a car-rental location where they found the suspect’s name and matched him to their person of interest. Officials said they also believe Valente killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)…
The United States sanctioned two more judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) – the latest step in the Trump administration’s campaign to punish those involved with efforts to investigate Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said he was imposing sanctions against Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia for being “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent, including voting with the majority in favor of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on December 15.” On Monday, the Hague-based…
The High Court lifted restrictions that had barred Marie Stopes Kenya from offering abortion services, post-abortion care, and related public information, after finding that the directives were issued without legal authority. Justice Chacha Mwita quashed decisions made by the Kenya Films & Classification Board (KFCB), the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), and the Director of Medical Services (DMS), terming them unconstitutional, unlawful, and ultra vires. The ruling followed a petition filed in November 2018 by the Network for Adolescents and Youth of Africa (NAYA–Kenya) and Jackline Mary Karanja, who were represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights. The…
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades. The order directs the US attorney general to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug – placing it under the same category as Tylenol with codeine. Cannabis will remain illegal at the federal level. But classifying it as a Schedule III narcotic would allow expanded research to be conducted into its potential benefits. Several Republican lawmakers cautioned against the move, with some arguing it…
A court barred businessman Kung’u Muigai from publishing or circulating statements alleging that Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola received a bribe to influence a court decision. This followed an application dated September 30, 2025, in which Justice Lenaola sued Muigai for defamation over claims made on social media and other digital platforms. Justice Lenaola told the court that Muigai falsely accused him of receiving Sh1 million to deliver an adverse judgment in a case involving the businessman and a company associated with him. The judge argued that the statements, made during interviews and online postings, were widely shared across platforms…
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologised to Burkina Faso for the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen. Tuggar’s spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been released and were due to return to Nigeria, without saying when. The plane was flying to Portugal when it developed a technical problem and had to land in Burkina Faso, according to the Nigerian Air Force. The unauthorised landing sparked a diplomatic row with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) made up of Burkina Faso…
The rebel group which last week seized the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira say they have begun withdrawing, promising to complete the pullout on Thursday, following pressure from the US. The M23 group captured the strategic city near the border with Burundi, days after a “historic” US-brokered peace deal between Congolese and Rwandan governments aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo. However, DR Congo’s government says the reported withdrawal is a “diversion” and needs verification. On Thursday morning some Uvira residents told the BBC it was not clear if the M23 were leaving, with some…
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will crack down on hate speech following Sunday’s deadly shooting at Bondi Beach that targeted a Jewish festival. Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at an event to mark the first day of Hanukkah. New laws will target “those who spread hate, division and radicalisation”, Albanese told reporters in Canberra. The home affairs minister will also be given new powers to cancel or refuse visas for those who spread hate and a new taskforce will be set up to ensure the education system “prevents, tackles and properly responds to…
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and war correspondent Peter Arnett has died at the age of 91, US media has reported. Arnett won the international reporting prize in 1996 for his Vietnam War coverage at the Associated Press (AP). But he was also well known for his work at CNN, having become a household name while reporting on the first Gulf War. His career spanned decades and covered several conflicts in countries including Iraq, Vietnam and El Salvador. The New Zealand-born journalist died on Wednesday surrounded by family and friends in California, his son told reporters. He was receiving hospice care for…
Price increases in the US eased in recent months, as costs for items including hotels, milk and some kinds of clothing fell. The latest figures from the Labor Department showed prices rose 2.7% over the 12 months to November. That pace was down from 3% in September and lower than many analysts had expected, potentially bolstering the case for the US central bank to continue cutting interest rates. The signs of cooling came as frustration over years of rising prices has raised pressure on US President Donald Trump to deliver on his promises of relief. The consumer price index (CPI)…
A former anaesthetist has been jailed for life for intentionally poisoning 30 patients, 12 of them fatally. Frédéric Péchier, 53, was convicted Friday at the end of a four-month trial in the eastern city of Besançon. In one of France’s biggest ever medical malpractice cases, Péchier was found to have introduced chemicals like potassium chloride or adrenaline into the infusion bags of patients. His youngest victim, a four-year-old child, survived two cardiac arrests during a routine tonsil surgery in 2016. The oldest victim was 89. “You are Doctor Death, a poisoner, a murderer. You bring shame on all doctors,” said…
Truth Social parent company Trump Media & Technology Group announced a deal on Thursday to merge with nuclear fusion company TAE Technologies. The surprise merger drove shares of Trump Media 28% higher before the market open. The companies said the all-stock transaction is valued at more than $6 billion and will create one of the first publicly traded fusion companies. After the deal closes, shareholders of Trump Media and TAE would own about 50% of the combined entity. The news comes as Trump Media’s share price has plunged this year.Truth Social has struggled to gain traction, remaining a far smaller…