South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has threatened to take unspecified “further action” if Ukraine does not issue a public apology for revealing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been sent to the South. Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky made the disclosure to the UN general assembly last week, angering Seoul, who said the move was meant to stay secret. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday described the situation as a “diplomatic misunderstanding”, adding that Kyiv was “working” to resolve it. Lee rejected this characterisation on X, saying it concerned “the dignity of the Korean people and the…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has said he opened the cockpit door of the Israel-bound Flydubai plane to allow passengers to come in and halt its rapid descent. In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Capt Machchhar said he was on the ground and still being attacked by his co-pilot when he realised the plane was sinking and he had to do something. “I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said. “Others came in and also played a role [in controlling…
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki issued a terse warning to sellers of harmful alcoholic drinks, declaring that they will be arrested and made to account for putting the lives of Kenyans at risk. Kindiki said the fight against the harmful drinks has been intensified and no one will be spared to ensure no single Kenyan is exposed to poison in the name of liquor. “I am warning those selling harmful drinks that their days are numbered. We will come for you. I assure you that we will not allow anyone to sell poisonous drinks in the name of alcohol to our…
President William Ruto has vowed to protect Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and the Sh2.2 trillion refinery investment in Lamu from extortionists seeking to frustrate him through frivolous demands and court cases. He claimed a cabal of political leaders was behind attempts to frustrate the businessman, warning that his administration would not allow vested interests to derail major investments in the country. He pointed out that he would not allow the forces that previously frustrated Mr Dangote’s efforts to establish a cement factory in Kenya to undermine his new investment. He spoke at Shanzu Teachers College in Kisauni Constituency, Mombasa Count.…
Tennessee officials were unable to put Christa Gail Pike to death Wednesday for a 1995 murder after administering two doses of a lethal drug. A death penalty expert said it was an unprecedented failure, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted the one remaining execution for the rest of the year. Pike, 50, was alive and loudly snoring after the attempted lethal injection and taken by ambulance from the prison, her attorneys said. She was being treated at a hospital, but they said they hadn’t been told about her condition. She had been scheduled for execution at 10 a.m. Wednesday for…
Explosions were heard overnight in Ethiopia’s capital, some in the area of the military headquarters in the west and another in the south of the city, residents and diplomatic sources say. The blasts came hours after drone flights were banned over Addis Ababa and a week after fighting erupted in the north between the army and a newly launched alliance of armed groups including forces from the Tigray region. A source linked to the opposition fighters told the Reuters news agency they were behind what they said were drone strikes. “It was very loud. It was strong enough to set…
Two stadium gigs in Russia by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West have officially been cancelled. West had been due to perform at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on 10 and 11 October. But there was confusion in the lead-up to the shows, as the venue had said it wouldn’t host him for what would have been the biggest show by a western artist since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. In a post on messaging app Telegram, gig organisers Say Agency confirmed the concerts had been cancelled with “sincere regret”. “The Ye concerts in St Petersburg will…
The family of an American woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has filed two civil lawsuits related to her death, according to court records filed Thursday in Minnesota federal court. Renee Good was killed January 7 by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis during the height of the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge, prompting significant protest in the city and sparking national outrage. One lawsuit names the United States of America as the sole defendant under the Federal Tort Claims Act, a federal law that allows people to sue the US government for…
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said Kenyans living outside the country will not be discriminated against when seeking national identification documents or registering as voters. Murkomen dismissed opposition to the registration of Kenyans living in neighbouring countries, saying the government would not deny citizens their constitutional rights based on where they reside. “All Kenyans, including those in our neighbouring countries, have the right to register as voters. That is why we have a whole State Department for Diaspora Affairs. It is meant to support Kenyans outside our borders,” Murkomen said. The CS spoke in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County, at…
A South Korean court has handed a suspended one-year prison sentence to K-pop singer Song Min-ho after he was convicted of violating the country’s military service law. The 33-year-old member of the boy band Winner was found to have been absent multiple times at a community centre in Seoul, where he had worked as a social worker from 2023 to 2024. All able-bodied men in South Korea have to serve at least 18 months in the military. But some are alternatively assigned as social service personnel for health reasons. The prison sentence handed on Thursday is suspended for two years.…
The tragic crash in Zimbabwe is a heartbreaking reminder of the inherent risks of aviation. While flying remains one of the safest modes of transportation, accidents do happen, and when they involve helicopters, they often capture global attention. Here is a look at some of the other significant helicopter crashes reported around the world in 2025 and 2026. Kenya: A Safari Tragedy on Mount Ololokwe (August 2026) One of the most high-profile crashes this year occurred in northern Kenya. On August 19, 2026, an Airbus EC130 B4 helicopter, operated by Lady Lori (Kenya) Limited, crashed on Mount Ololokwe in Samburu…
The world of Zimbabwean high society was rocked this week by the devastating news of a helicopter crash in the Marondera Rural area, a tragedy that claimed the lives of prominent businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, and four others. The crash, which occurred around 5 p.m., left no survivors and has left a nation in mourning. As details emerge, one crucial question for aviation experts and the public alike is: what type of aircraft was involved in this fatal accident? According to multiple reports and statements from the Zimbabwean government, the helicopter was a private aircraft linked…
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has put his cabinet ministers and other senior government officials through military training, saying armed forces discipline can help build stronger leaders and advance the country’s development. Photos shared by him on social media show him taking part in military exercises alongside ministers, deputy ministers and heads of government institutions at the Hurso military training centre. The move is unusual in Ethiopia, where senior civilian government officials are rarely seen undergoing military training. Those taking part include Speaker of the House of Federation Muferiat Kamil, Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa and Health Minister Mekdes Daba. It…
Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, are reported to have been killed after a helicopter crashed in Marondera Rural, east of Harare, on Wednesday evening. The Zimbabwean government confirmed that the crash was fatal and that there were no survivors. Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said the aircraft was carrying a high-profile businessman, other passengers and two pilots when it crashed at about 5pm local time. “The Government wishes to confirm that a helicopter crash has occurred,” Mangwana said in a statement, adding that initial information indicated that there were no survivors. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)…
At least 52 civilians have been killed during three days of heavy fighting around Alamata in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, hospital sources have told the BBC. It appears government troops have taken control of the town from regional fighters and intend to push north towards Mekelle, the region’s main city. Social media clips show army tanks on Alamata’s streets. Clashes broke out last week after months of tension between the government and the party that controls Tigray, with both accusing each other of violating a 2022 deal that ended a two-year civil war. Fighting has also affected neighbouring regions with…