Armed men in Haiti kidnapped the defence minister’s chief of staff, the highest-ranking official to be kidnapped in the violence-wracked Caribbean country in recent years. Top security official James Boyard, who is also inspector general of Haiti’s police, was seized in the island’s capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday. Both the Associated Press news agency and the New York Times confirmed his abduction via sources, with the newspaper adding Boyard’s wife and six-year-old daughter were also taken. A ransom has been requested, according to the New York Times, who cited a person familiar with the case. Boyard, a highly respected security expert,…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen Sunday condemned the disruption of a post budget forum at All Saints Cathedral by goons, terming the incident unfortunate and unacceptable. He said those behind the incident will be arrested. “That was extremely unfortunate and unacceptable,” he said. Murkomen claimed that several suspects have already been arrested in connection with the incident, while security agencies continue with investigations and the pursuit of other individuals involved to ensure they are brought to justice. “We will take those people to court and they will be held accountable,” he said. Goons invaded a meeting at…
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee. Artan was interrogated for 11 hours by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport on Monday before being told he would not be allowed into the country after his diplomatic passport and single entry US visa were rejected. A US government official said Artan had not been allowed to enter the country because of an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations”. Artan said he had been questioned by border officials over his links…
Royal Marine Commandos have boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel in the early hours of Sunday morning. Marines, joined by National Crime Agency officers, with the support of the RAF, intercepted and boarded the vessel in a six-hour operation – the first operation of its kind by UK armed forces. The vessel, Smyrtos, will be held and monitored off the south coast of England as investigations continue, the MoD said. Sir Keir Starmer said: “This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not…
Voters in Switzerland have rejected a proposal to limit the country’s population to 10 million, early projections suggest. Not all votes have been counted, but the current trend suggests 55% of participants voted against, to 45% for. The proposal came from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which has long campaigned on an anti-immigration platform. The divisive vote risked putting the country’s free movement agreement with the European Union in jeopardy. Switzerland’s population has grown rapidly since 2002, when it stood at 7.3 million. Now it is 9.1 million, 27% of whom are not Swiss citizens. However, the People Party’s argument…
A deal to end fighting between the US and Iran is “scheduled to get signed” on Sunday, US President Donald Trump has said – but Iran has cast doubt on the timing. In a post on social media, Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, would be “open to all” following the deal. Pakistan, a key mediator, also said finalisation of the deal was expected within 24 hours and they were “preparing for the electronic signing”. Before Trump’s comments Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei expressed caution saying: “We will have to wait and see about…
A 67-year-old foreign tourist who had been reported missing while kitesurfing off the Watamu coastline has been found safe, bringing relief to fellow surfers and local authorities. Police identified the tourist as Gustavo Pascual Adolfo Strazza, an experienced kitesurfer who disappeared on Friday afternoon while participating in the sport along the Watamu coast. According to police, Strazza had joined five other surfers at around 3 p.m. for a kitesurfing session between Garoda Beach and Ocean Sports Beach using their personal equipment. However, at about 4:30 p.m., strong winds and rough waves pushed him off course, causing him to lose sight…
A 78-year-old man was found dead in a lodge room in Meru Town on Friday evening, with police launching investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death. The deceased, identified as Patrick Ndungu M’Geramburi, a resident of Athwana in Tigania Central Sub-County, had checked into Tokkos Lodge, located opposite Best Lady Shop in Meru Town. Staff at the facility conducted a routine check on the guest at about 5.30 p.m. and found him responsive and in normal condition. However, when the caretaker returned to the room an hour later at around 6.30 p.m., he found the occupant unresponsive. Efforts to wake…
Can a country put a fixed limit on its population? That is the question Switzerland will be answering on Sunday when voters go the polls to decide on a proposal to cap their population at 10 million, a move that has exposed divisions about immigration in the Alpine nation. The move is backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which describes it as a “sustainability initiative” aimed at easing pressure on housing, public services and the environment. Dubbing it a “chaos initiative”, the government, other political parties, business leaders and trade unions argue it will deprive hospitals and hotels of…
Anthropic suspended its powerful new AI model after US authorities raised security concerns just days following its public release. In a statement published on its website, Anthropic said it was ordered to suspend foreign nationals from using Claude Fable 5, a program that the company self-described as “too powerful”. “The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance,” the company wrote. Anthropic and the Trump administration are involved in a separate ongoing lawsuit over an order to stop government agencies using the company’s AI tools.…
Workers have begun taking down US President Donald Trump’s name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, a day after the court deadline for its removal. The president’s name had been added to the performing arts venue unlawfully, a federal judge found last month, ordering it to be taken down by Friday 12 June. Crews erected scaffolding on Friday as onlookers gathered into the evening, though thunderstorms delayed the work until early on Saturday. A last‑minute attempt by the Trump administration to pause the order was rejected by the judge. The case stems from a broader legal dispute…
A retired Nigerian army general who had been kidnapped by gunmen in the country’s north-west has died while being held captive, the military has said. Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, who had a high-profile job as military spokesman between 2015 and 2017, was abducted with his wife while travelling in Katsina state last month. No group has said it was behind the kidnappings. The abduction and death of Abubakar highlights the continuing security challenges facing parts of north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs known locally as “bandits” frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, as well as cattle rustling and attacks on rural…
Residents of Gikomba and surrounding areas can now access maternity services closer to home following the launch of a fully operational 36 bed capacity maternity wing at Pumwani Majengo Health Centre. The move expected to ease pressure on larger referral hospitals and improve maternal healthcare outcomes in Nairobi. The health centre, which is accredited by the Social Health Authority (SHA), has already welcomed its first mothers and newborns, marking a significant milestone in the county government’s efforts to expand access to quality healthcare services. Located within the densely populated Majengo-Gikomba area, the facility now offers safe delivery services alongside antenatal…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX made its highly anticipated stock market debut Friday morning, establishing him as the first person to ever be worth $1 trillion. The spacecraft and satellite communications company began trading on the Nasdaq with shares opening at $150, about 11 percent above the initial public offering (IPO) price of $135. It is expected to be the largest IPO ever, with SpaceX aiming to raise $75 billion at a $1.77 trillion valuation. “It is certainly hard to believe that a little company that started in a warehouse in El Segundo is now going public with the largest IPO ever,”…
About a dozen people were shot Friday morning in the west Texas city of Midland, the mayor said, and the suspect is still holed up hours later. “We do have 11 known victims at this time,” Mayor Lori Blong said at a news conference Friday. “There’s at least one victim that is dead on the scene.” Officers heard gunfire coming from a building in the 4600 block of West Wall Street and “worked quickly to secure and clear the area,” Police Chief Greg Snow said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Efforts to bring the standoff with the shooter to…