Mali l announced that US nationals visiting the West African country will be required to post a bond of up to $10,000 (£7,500) for business and tourist visas, in response to a similar requirement the Trump administration has imposed on its citizens. The US embassy in Mali said on Friday the fee had been introduced to reinforce Washington’s “commitment to protecting America’s borders and safeguarding US national security”. Mali’s foreign ministry said on Sunday the bond had been imposed unilaterally, and it had decided to “establish an identical visa programme” for US citizens. The visa policy shift comes despite moves…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
A mass shooting at a crowded bar in the southern US state of South Carolina has left four people dead and at least 20 injured, officials said. Hundreds of people were gathered at the popular bar on St Helena Island in the early hours of Sunday morning when gunfire broke out, leading multiple victims and witnesses to run to nearby businesses for shelter, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s office. Four people were declared dead at the bar and at least 20 were injured, including four who were sent to local hospitals in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said. The…
The Philippines and China accused each other on Sunday of responsibility for a maritime confrontation near disputed islands in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions in the resource-rich waterway. The Philippine Maritime Council, an inter-agency government body, blamed Chinese maritime forces for deploying water cannon and ramming a Filipino vessel near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, “strongly condemning” the incident and vowing to pursue “appropriate diplomatic action”. According to Manila’s coast guard, three vessels were anchored near the island early on Sunday as part of a government program to protect local fishermen when Chinese ships reportedly…
The office of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has said an attempt to seize power illegally and by force is under way in the country. Hours later, an army unit known as CAPSAT claimed that it had taken over the leadership of the military command, and was now in control of all the armed forces – land, air, and naval. This is the same unit that played a crucial role in the 2009 Malagasy political crisis, which helped Rajoelina rise to power. Madagascar was first hit by youth-led protests on 25 September against water and power cuts, but they have escalated…
Stock analysis market is helping us feel a little overwhelmed right now. It seems so confusing and full of new products that are trying to reinvent the wheel. With a vast number of options available to you, wading through the noise to determine which solutions work and provide the best ROI is no small task. To help you find the best platform for stock analysis in a sea of options, we’ve taken an in-depth look at the top offerings on the market today. In this post, we share our discovery of the 8 best tools, as we dive into these…
Detectives attached to Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) arrested a crafty university student accused of orchestrating an elaborate online scam selling fake KNEC examination papers. The suspect, Chrispinus Nandafu Naisuma, a fourth-year student at Meru University of Science and Technology, was smoked out of his hideout in Kianjai, Tigania West Sub-County, following a meticulously planned operation by detectives. It has since been established that, Nandafu is the mastermind behind an online syndicate trading under the banner “The Teacher’s KNEC Exam 2025.” In the platform he operates under multiple online personas: Dr. Ibrahim, Madam Salim, Chat GPT, and Violent Kathini Mwendwa,…
South Africa’s world-famous Kruger National Park could become known by a new name if some local politicians have their way. The vast wildlife sanctuary, called the Sabi Game Reserve at the time, was re-christened in 1926 to honour Paul Kruger. He was president in the late 19th Century of what was known as the South African Republic, which forms part of what is now the east of South Africa. For Afrikaners, descendants of 17th Century European settlers, Kruger is revered as a hero who led the resistance against British colonialism. But for the majority of South Africans, he is viewed…
Police officers at the Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi are on the spot for failing to arrest a businessman accused of assault and unlawful detention of a car. Despite the Office Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) recommending that Aloise Kinyanjui Kuria and his employees be charged for attacking and unlawfully detaining Anthony Kariuki Theuri, no action has been taken against the businessman said to be the brother of an influential Kiambu politician. Both Kinyanjui and Kariuki are businessmen with the former contracting the latter on several occasions to make doors for some of his construction projects. They fell apart on…
Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital officially commenced the construction of a new 53-bed Newborn Unit to address the growing influx of patients and ease congestion at the facility. Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Fredrick Obwanda, described the project as a historic milestone in tackling longstanding congestion challenges. He noted that the new unit will create adequate space for mothers and enhance the quality of neonatal care. “Congestion has been one of our biggest challenges. The construction of this unit will provide enough space for mothers and promote skin-to-skin (kangaroo mother) care,” said Dr. Obwanda. The…
vSeychelles’ main opposition leader Patrick Herminie won presidential elections, defeating incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan in a runoff vote, according to official results released by the electoral commission. Herminie gained 52.7% of the vote, compared with Ramkalawan’s 47.3%. In his victory speech, Herminie promised to lower the cost of living, revive public services, and unite the island nation, saying the result marked “a new chapter for all Seychellois”. After losing his bid for a second term, Ramkalawan congratulated Herminie on his victory, saying he leaves “a legacy that makes many presidents blush”. The election went to a run-off after neither candidate won…
A Plymouth-based ship intercepted three small boats travelling across the Gulf of Oman carrying £35m worth of illegal narcotics, the Royal Navy has said. Commando snipers from Bickleigh barracks were used to disable the boats and the Navy said it was the first time they had been called on to use non-lethal force in the specific area. A spokesperson said the crews on the small boats tried to throw their cargo into the water and speed away, with two of the skiffs subsequently abandoned. After disabling the third boat’s engine, teams found more than 1.5 tonnes (1,500kg) of drugs including…
The Taliban government has confirmed that it attacked Pakistani troops in multiple mountainous locations on the northern border. A Taliban spokesman said 58 Pakistan military personnel had been killed in what it called “an act of retaliation”. It claimed Pakistan had violated Afghan airspace and bombed a market inside its border on Thursday. Pakistan has disputed that figure, saying 23 of its armed forces’ members had died and claiming that “200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized”. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the Afghan attacks were “unprovoked” and civilians were fired at, warning that his country’s forces would…
The office of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has said an attempt to seize power illegally and by force is under way in the country. Hours later, an army unit known as CAPSAT claimed that it had taken over the leadership of the military command, and was now in control of all the armed forces – land, air, and naval. This is the same unit that played a crucial role in the 2009 Malagasy political crisis, which helped Rajoelina rise to power. Madagascar was first hit by protests on 25 September against water and power cuts, but they have escalated to…
Beijing has vowed countermeasures against Washington if US President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump’s latest threat came after China unleashed a raft of export restrictionson rare earth minerals last week. The escalating tensions threaten to derail months of progress in trade talks. “Resorting to threats of high tariffs is not the right way to engage with China,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Sunday, in Beijing’s first comments on the threat. “If the US persists in acting unilaterally, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights…
Four people were killed and 12 others injured, four critically, after a mass shooting in the US state of Mississippi. The shooting happened at around midnight on the main street in Leland, a small town 120 miles (190km) north-east of the state capital Jackson, the small city’s Mayor John Lee told the BBC. Four of the injured were airlifted to hospital, Lee added. No suspects were in custody, but a police manhunt was under way. Leland was busier than usual on Friday with the local high school scheduled to play a football game to mark homecoming, an annual US tradition,…