Troops patrolled the unusually empty streets of Colombia’s Caribbean resort city of Santa Marta on Wednesday as President Abelardo de la Espriella tried to restore order a day after an outburst of violence blamed on a drug-trafficking gang. Residents in a working-class neighborhood in the city’s northeast lined up outside the few supermarkets that remained open as police officers carrying rifles stood guard. “We woke up this morning afraid to go out and see what the situation was, but you have to go out to stock up on supplies,” taxi driver Antonio Ochoa said. On Tuesday, arsonists set ablaze at…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
The US Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on the Trump administration to use a controversial federal database that uses citizenship information and other sensitive data to identify voters suspected of being non-citizens. Critics have questioned the reliability of the data, warning it could result in US citizens being wrongly removed from electoral rolls. In June, a federal judge ruled that the system was illegal and violated the privacy rights of Americans. But the top court’s conservative majority ruled that the National Voter Registration Act prohibits broad purges of voter rolls in the weeks before an election, which limits any “potential…
A wanted Kenyan woman who has been on the radar of detectives since last year has been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), as she attempted to leave the country for Bangladesh with 3383 grams of cocaine valued at approximately Sh13.53 million concealed in three small bags. The suspect, Jane Waithera Wateri, was intercepted by detectives from the Kenya Airports Criminal Investigations (KACI), following a stop order issued by detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) over alleged trafficking in narcotic drugs. Police said Wateri was preparing to board a flight to Bangladesh when detectives brought her…
The US government is seeking to join Elon Musk’s legal challenge to overturn a €120m (£105m) EU fine against X over its blue tick badges. In December 2025, the European Commission said the platform “deceives users” by allowing people to pay for a blue verified check mark, because it is not “meaningfully verifying” who is behind the account. But US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said on Thursday that the commission had “inappropriately attempted” to expand its reach to American companies outside its control. Musk, who spent millions helping elect Donald Trump and other Republicans, has previously claimed EU…
School strikes are taking place across Germany to protest against the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service. One of the organisers of the strike, Bela Breitner, from School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service said the federal government was “serious about gradually reintroducing compulsory military service”. At one protest in Hamburg, demonstrators waved flags and held up banners emblazoned with the words “We won’t take part in your wars”. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made boosting Germany’s military a priority following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A new law introducing voluntary military service came into force in January, with the aim of…
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has announced that he is helping to fund a new $660m (£500m) fuel pipeline between Ethiopia and Djibouti The project will include a 120km- (75 mile-) pipeline connecting Djibouti’s Damerjog port to a distribution facility in Dewele, Ethiopia, as well as storage capacity of about 400 million litres. It is expected to begin operations within 18 months. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the pipeline would reduce the time needed to transport fuel from Djibouti’s port to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, from five days to one. The first phase will transport key petroleum products, including…
Canadian prosecutors have dropped charges against two men accused of being involved in a massive gold heist in Toronto in 2023. Amit Jalota and Ali Raza both had charges against them withdrawn last week. More than 6,500 gold bars worth C$20m ($14.5m; £11.6m), were stolen from Toronto Pearson Airport in April 2023, along with millions in cash. A year later, police announced a series of arrests linked to what was the biggest gold theft in the country’s history. Lawyers for both men told Canadian media that their clients had long maintained their innocence and were relieved to be able to…
Pope Leo XIV has issued a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) at the start of his four-day visit to France. The pontiff cautioned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines” in wide-ranging remarks to Church and state officials at the Élysée Palace, following an hour of talks with President Emmanuel Macron. Leo made a similar warning earlier this year when he spoke of the need for AI to be “disarmed” in the first major teaching document of his papacy. In his May appeal, he mentioned the slave trade in relation to AI, suggesting that the…
Florida’s construction industry moves fast. Insurance gaps can cost you a contract, a license, or your entire operation. Many contractors get caught underinsured mid-project with no real safety net left, and the mistakes that get them there aren’t always obvious, but the financial hit from each one definitely is. Here are five mistakes Florida contractors repeat constantly, and what you should do differently to stay protected on every job. Carrying the Wrong Coverage Limits for Florida Projects Florida’s construction environment is high-risk by nature. Hurricanes, flooding, and complex multi-trade worksites create liability exposures that standard, low-limit policies can’t handle. Many…
Fort Lauderdale is a vibrant coastal city with busy highways, thriving commercial districts, and a steady flow of freight traffic supporting businesses throughout South Florida. Major roadways are shared by commuters, tourists, delivery vehicles, and large commercial trucks every day, creating conditions where serious collisions can occur despite careful driving. When a truck wreck happens, the consequences are often far more severe than those of a typical traffic accident, leaving victims to cope with significant injuries, financial hardship, and uncertainty about their future. Beyond the immediate medical concerns, injured individuals may also face complicated insurance issues and questions about who…
The investigation into the murder of lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu yielded another breakthrough, with detectives recovering the motorcycle allegedly used to ferry the gunman to and from the scene of the fatal shooting. The recovery comes in the wake of the arrest of three suspects, including Nicholas Lemiso Naula, a boda boda rider suspected of transporting the gunman on the day of the attack. During interrogation, Naula told detectives that he was riding motorcycle registration number KMGL 516L at the time of the September 9, 2025 shooting. Detectives immediately embarked on a painstaking trail to establish the motorcycle’s movements and…
A woman who accused Jay-Z of raping her when she was 13 has formally said her allegation was untrue. The unnamed woman filed a lawsuit in 2024 claiming she had been drugged and raped by Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, and Sean “Diddy” Combs at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. The stars denied the allegation and she dropped the lawsuit last year. Carter then sued her and her lawyers. In a statement filed in that case on Thursday, she wrote: “Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter never raped me. I have never met or spoken to Mr. Carter.…
An activist moved to the High Court seeking an independent investigation into a Kenya Power tender, raising questions over the procurement process and whether it complied with legal and constitutional requirements. Francis Awino filed the petition in the public interest concerning Tender No. KP1/9A.2/OT/001/PJT/25-26, which involved the provision of labour and transport construction services for vegetation management. According to the petition, the tender attracted 346 submissions, 20 of which were later withdrawn. Following preliminary, technical and financial evaluations, the Evaluation Committee recommended 91 bidders for contracts, comprising nine regional awards and 82 Distribution Area awards. Awino argues that the scale…
The government has disclosed intentions of engaging the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on reviewing the allowances for players in the national teams as part bolstering their morale and enhancing their welfare. The Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi said the current rates for allowances paid to all athletes representing Kenya on different sporting events are determined by the SRC as required by law. The PS was speaking at Kandara town on Saturday during a public engagement exercise with residents and leaders. The PS however said that the Ministry was open to constructive engagement with stakeholders especially the men’s National…
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki asked leaders in Mt. Kenya region not to disregard orders by elders to unite the region in spite of political differences. The DP said elders have asked him as the region’s seniormost leader to ensure the area is not split into East and West as some politicians have been pursuing for months because of party affiliations. “I have clear orders to unite Mt. Kenya region. We might be affiliated to different formations but the elders requested me to ensure peaceful political contests. Aspirants will sell their agenda and voters will decide who to vote for,” he…