Panama has denied making changes to allow US government vessels to transit the Panama Canal for free, following White House claims it had agreed to such a move. The State Department said in a statement on X that its government vessels “can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year”. Responding to the comments, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said it was “empowered to set tolls and other fees for transiting the canal,” adding that it had “not made any adjustments to them”. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that prevents transgender women from competing in female categories of sports. The order provides guidance, regulations and legal interpretations, and it will enlist the Department of Education to investigate high schools thought to be non-compliant. Republicans say it restores fairness to sports but LGBT advocacy and human rights organisations have described the move as discriminatory. The order, which goes into effect immediately, largely covers high school, universities and grassroots sports. A number of sporting governing bodies, including swimming, athletics and golf, have banned transgender women from competing in the female category…
Israel’s defence minister has told its military to prepare a plan to “allow any resident of Gaza who wishes to leave to do so”, in line with President Donald Trump’s proposal for the US to take over the territory and resettle its 2.1 million Palestinians elsewhere. Israel Katz said Gazans should have “freedom of movement and migration” and countries critical of Israel’s war with Hamas were “obligated” to take them in. Trump meanwhile said Gaza would be “turned over” to the US by Israel “at the conclusion of fighting”. But the Palestinian presidency reiterated its rejection of the plan, which…
Not many people would have predicted that Liverpool would do so well under Arne Slot after the departure of Jurgen Klopp from Anfield. Given how Liverpool declined in Klopp’s last season, many thought this team had seen its best days behind it and was headed for a dark age. In fact, sports pundits worldwide analyzed Slot’s formation and tactics, with some unsure if the Dutchman would deliver the kind of success that his predecessor had brought to Liverpool. However, they were in for a surprise right from the moment he hit the ground running. So what were the things Arne…
Two of the slain Mlolongo men Justus Musyimi and Martin Mwau, who went missing in December 2024 and whose bodies were recovered at Nairobi Funeral Home, died of multiple injuries in the chest, head, abdominal, and neck. Government pathologist Dr Richard Njoroge, who conducted the postmortem on the bodies on Wednesday, said Musyimi’s body had visible defensive injuries, pointing to a struggle between the killers and the deceased. The two men disappeared together on December 17, 2024. The report showed they suffered multiple injuries. “The first body of Musyimi was very decomposed, but the main findings there were multiple abdominal,…
Kenya sent 168 more police officers to Haiti to join others on the ground in fighting criminal gangs terrorizing locals. The team left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on February 5 at night and was expected in Port-au-Prince on Thursday February 6 evening. The officers mainly from paramilitary General Service Unit were exited to leave for the mission after months of training and waiting. Top government officials saw the team off at the airport aboard a Kenya Airways flight. The arrival of the new team rises to 800, the number of Kenyan cops on the ground under the Multinational…
The Argentine government led by Javier Milei has announced that it plans to pull out of the World Health Organisation (WHO). A spokesman for President Milei said the decision to exit the WHO was triggered by “deep differences regarding health management especially during the [Covid-19] pandemic”. The announcement comes just over two weeks after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing from the international health body. The two leaders have expressed admiration for each other, with Milei calling Trump’s re-election the “greatest political comeback in history”, while the US president described his Argentine…
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the US next week and meet President Donald Trump, the White House says. Other reports say Modi will attend a dinner hosted by the US president on the two-day trip. The dates of the official working visit have yet to be announced. Modi will be among the first foreign leaders to meet Trump at the White House during his second term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently in Washington and Japan’s PM Shigeru Ishiba is due this week. Modi and Trump shared warm relations during the US president’s first term. Last week…
Morocco is the land of vibrant cities, sprawling deserts, rugged mountains, and stunning coastlines—all perfect for a road trip. Rent car Morocco means being able to discover this varied country at your leisure, from the boisterous souks of Marrakech to the towering dunes of the Sahara. Here are some of the best routes and essential tips to ensure your road trip adventure in Morocco is both smooth and memorable. Best Moroccan Road Trips When you rent Range Rover Casablanca or any other model, you can take these interesting road trips: Marrakech to Merzouga: Sahara Adventure. Of all the road trips…
Buying a home in Maryland is a significant investment, and for many, it’s one of the biggest financial decisions they will ever make. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or an experienced homeowner looking for an upgrade, knowing how to navigate the market wisely can save you thousands of dollars. Fortunately, there are strategic ways to reduce costs while still securing a home that meets your needs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through essential steps to save money when purchasing a home in Maryland. Understand the Maryland Housing Market Before jumping into the home-buying process, take the time to research…
Heavily armed gangs in Haiti have attacked a neighborhood that’s home to most of the country’s elite and had been largely untouched by criminals, and police have demanded help repelling the assault that has killed at least 40 people. “It’s been eight days since Kenscoff has been under attack,” Mayor Jean Massillon told The Associated Press on Monday. He blamed the attack on the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, with gunmen going home to home and indiscriminately opening fire. “As we speak, they have surrounded the area,” Massillon said as he called for reinforcements. The dead include pastors, teachers and children,…
The Taliban have warned that the military weapons left behind by the United States in Afghanistan now belong to them as “spoils of war” and will be utilized to defend against any attempts to reclaim them. The statement marks the first official response from the internationally unrecognized government in Kabul to President Donald Trump’s pledge on the eve of his Jan. 20 inauguration to retrieve U.S. arms from the de facto Islamist Afghan leaders. “The weapons that America abandoned in Afghanistan, as well as those provided to the former Afghan regime, are now in the possession of the Mujahideen [or…
Swedish police say “around 10” people have been killed in a shooting on a school campus in the central city of Orebro. Police believe the perpetrator is among the dead and that he acted alone, but a motive is not yet clear. The shooting happened at a school for adults, although there are children’s schools on the site. Students and staff were kept inside buildings when police thought the attacker was still at large – they are now being evacuated. Police first warned people to stay away from the area at 13:20 local time (12:20 GMT). Swedish Prime Minister…
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to defuse a row with the new US administration over a new land law by speaking to Elon Musk. Mr Musk is a close adviser to US President Donald Trump, who on Sunday threatened to cut all future funding to South Africa over allegations that it was confiscating land and “treating certain classes of people very badly”. The South Africa-born tech billionaire joined in the criticism asking on X why Ramaphosa had “openly racist ownership laws”. Ramaphosa’s office said that in the call to Mr Musk the president “reiterated South Africa’s constitutionally embedded…
El Salvador has offered to take in criminals deported from the US, including those with US citizenship, and house them in its mega-jail. The deal was announced after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele during his visit to the central American nation. Bukele – whose iron-fist approach to gangs has won him plaudits from voters but been heavily criticised by human rights groups – said he had offered the US “the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system”. Rubio said the US was “profoundly grateful” to Bukele, adding that “no country’s ever made an…