South African police are handing over six Nigerians wanted in the US for alleged online romance scams to FBI agents later on Friday. The group is accused of targeting over 100 women in the US and defrauding them of more than 100m rand ($6m; £5m), the South African authorities said. Those being extradited were arrested in 2021 and are believed to be members of crime syndicate Black Axe – a Nigerian mafia-style gang tied to human trafficking, internet fraud and murder. Some of their reported victims included pensioners and businesspeople “who were targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
A Singaporean man has lost a court case to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars that he had lavished on his ex-girlfriend while they were together. The S$468,000 ($369,200; £273,260) that Chander Agarwal attempted to recover from Felicia Lee was money he had “willingly” spent on her, the Singapore High Court ruled. Agarwal “displayed a consistent pattern of showering [Lee] with lavish gifts” even before they got together and would reassure her that he did not expect repayment, Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin said. Agarwal, the CEO of a logistics company, met Felicia Lee, a former flight attendant, during…
Five people have died and dozens are injured after a tourist coach crashed in the south-eastern Swiss Alps, police say. The Dutch tour bus hit a safety barrier in a roadworks area, left the road and overturned between Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region late on Thursday afternoon. Swiss police said on Friday that the deceased had not yet been identified. They added that the other 40 people on board the coach – whose injuries ranged from serious to minor – had been transported to hospitals by rescue helicopters and ambulance crews. The coach reportedly left the Netherlands on…
Anthropic says it has identified and disrupted attempts to use its AI model for “malicious activity” which could support the development of biological weapons. The findings, made in the firm’s recent threat intelligence report, is the latest in a growing series of warnings from AI researchers and industry insiders about the technology’s potential risks to humanity. The warnings have prompted calls to action, with US Senator Bernie Sanders demanding a pause on advanced AI development and a ban on artificial superintelligence. President Donald Trump has so far rejected such fears, saying on Thursday he was concerned “if we don’t win…
Global banking leaders are moving rapidly towards immediate transaction settlement across international financial markets. Traditional batch processing systems are turning into dangerous commercial liabilities for modern retail banks. To maintain transaction speed and satisfy customer expectations, financial companies need real-time payment rails. Legacy systems are being driven out of daily cash management by tighter regulatory restrictions and evolving business demands. Banks delaying system improvements risk major operational disruption in addition to losing valuable business customers. Ivo Bozukov believes this shift is happening far quicker than predicted. “Batch windows belong to a previous era of operational finance,” states Bozukov. “Modern financial…
The price of oil has jumped to $105 a barrel amid signs the conflict in the Middle East will not be resolved quickly, fuelling fears that inflation could accelerate. With the conflict between the US and Iran in the Gulf intensifying in recent days, the cost of both crude oil and gas has been rising sharply. Brent crude went back above $100 a barrel on Wednesday and has continued to climb. The war has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, preventing supplies of oil and gas from the Gulf from reaching global markets. US and UK…
At least 24 schoolchildren died in a stampede as they tried to flee a fire that engulfed two schools in rebel-held Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials there have said. Adults are also reported to have died in the fire and there are fears that the death toll could rise further in the densely populated Kadutu commune. Survivors have been taken to nearby hospitals, and footage of the scene shows children lying on hospital floors in pain. Some 300 houses have also been destroyed in the fire, the cause of which is unknown. Rebel‑appointed authorities released a…
A city lawyer who presented forged documents before the Nairobi Employment and Labour Relations court was arrested, following the prosecution directive to police in Parklands, Nairobi to charge him. The suspect, Benard Odero Okello of Benard Odero & Company Advocates was arrested at his office located at The Westery building in Westlands, Nairobi. The Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP’s) directive to charge Odero followed painstaking investigations into a complaint filed by three Kenya County Government Workers Union officials, Nairobi Branch who discovered that the suspect had presented a case before the said ELRC at Nairobi Cause No. E068…
Teachers must develop new skills to keep pace with artificial intelligence and other technologies reshaping how students learn, Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba has said. Ogamba said the growing use of digital tools in education was changing the role of teachers from being primarily transmitters of knowledge to facilitators who help learners think critically, solve problems and apply what they learn to real-life situations. “The digital revolution is no longer approaching. It is already here. Artificial intelligence, digital learning, online resource platforms and emerging technologies are changing the way knowledge is created, shared and applied,” Ogamba said. He said the…
CHWELE, BUNGOMA — Four traders from Chwele Market in Bungoma County have been confirmed dead following a tragic road accident in Mai Mahiu. Five other members of the business community were injured and are receiving treatment. The deceased have been identified as Mercyline Wefwafwa, Centrine Juma, Jane Baraza, and a trader known as Anthony. They were part of Chwele’s tomato-trading community. Reports indicate the traders were travelling to Karatina to procure groceries when the accident occurred. The incident has plunged the Chwele business community and Bungoma County into deep grief. Families, friends, and colleagues are mourning the loss of the…
Dr Duncan Ojwang Oburu has been sworn in as the fourth Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), taking charge of the civilian oversight body at a critical period ahead of the 2027 General Election. Ojwang assumed office during a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court Martha Koome at the Supreme Court, where Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya administered the oath of office. President William Ruto appointed Ojwang following his approval by Parliament. He will serve a six-year term. Chief Justice Koome urged the new IPOA chairperson to exercise independence, courage…
The prosecution moved to extradite a Kenyan fugitive wanted in the United States of America to face sentencing following his conviction over a fatal drunk-driving offence. The prosecution presented Sancho Kibutu before the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi to commence extradition proceedings following his arrest in Runda, Nairobi County. Kibutu is wanted by the United States authorities pursuant to a formal extradition request dated December 3, 2019, submitted through the Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice. He was convicted in the United States of Gross Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated, contrary to Section 191.5(a) of the…
The Taskforce for Coordination on the Framework for Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests has started to verify documentation of police officers whose details had been submitted for having been victims of Human Rights Violations. The police officers also want to be compensated for having been victims of Human Rights Violations exclusively as a result of demonstrations, public protests and riots between January 1, 2013 to June 2, 2025. A memo from police headquarters to all police commanders dated September 7, 2026 said the verification will be done between September 8 and October 29. “Following the establishment of…
A Nairobi court Thursday granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) four additional days to hold two suspects as detectives race to complete investigations into the murder of Dr Victoria Mutiso. At least eight suspects have been arrested and others charged in connection with the murder. The DCI had sought seven more days to detain the two suspects, Daniel Mwangi and Kevin Kinuthia, citing fresh information obtained from them and other suspects, pending forensic and financial reports, and the identification of additional witnesses. Kinuthia, is alleged to have used motorcycle registration number KMGZ 980D to transport the gunman to and…
At least five people have died and 86 are missing after a fire broke out on a ferry in the Philippines, the country’s coastguard said. The MV June Aster, which set off from Manila ferrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members, was nearing its destination at the tourist hotspot of Coron when it caught fire. The blaze, which erupted at 18:45 local time (10:45 GMT) Wednesday, was still burning as of 11:00 on Thursday. The strong currents and thick smoke were a challenge to those working to extinguish it, the coastguard said. A survivor said he floated in the sea…