Security arrangements for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their return to the UK are a “private matter,” Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said. He added: “It’s a matter for Harry and for Meghan, and we wish them well in the move that they are making.” It comes after it emerged that the couple intend to relocate with their children from the US to the UK later this month to a private, non-royal residence outside London. Security for the couple has long been a point of tension, with Prince Harry losing a legal challenge last year over the levels…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
The founder of Evergrande, the property giant at the centre of China’s housing market slump, has been sentenced to life in prison and had all of his personal property confiscated. Hui Ka Yan pleaded guilty in April to several charges, including embezzlement of assets and corporate bribery. Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court also fined his former companies a total of 15.82 yuan (£1.73bn; $2.35bn) over multiple crimes, including falsifying records and concealing debt, according to state media. Hui’s sentencing marks a key moment in the fallout from Evergrande’s collapse, which shook China’s property sector and hit investors and domestic banks hard.…
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday lashed out at the United States after Washington slapped sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane, calling it a “flagrant attack” on the court’s independence. The US sanctioned Akane of Japan and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on Tuesday, as part of Washington’s campaign against what it calls a “corrupt and fatally politicised” body. The EU’s top officials immediately threw their support behind Akane, saying they “stand firmly” with the ICC president and her top officials. In twin statements on X, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa…
Iran’s armed forces warned Gulf countries against assisting the US military on Wednesday, hours after the United Arab Emirates announced it was severing economic ties with Tehran following new attacks on shipping. The Gulf is dotted with US military installations, including in the UAE, which said on Tuesday that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles at vessels off its coast. Despite a recent lull in hostilities between the United States and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz — which Tehran has blockaded — remains a flashpoint, and attacks on commercial ships have continued. A framework US-Iran deal aimed at reopening the…
Equity Bank Holdings has posted a 32 per cent growth in net earnings for the first six months of the year, boosted by rising contributions from its regional subsidiaries. The lender’s net profit hit Sh45.5 billion in the period under review compared to Sh34.6 billion reported in the corresponding half last year. Net interest income continued to strengthen, rising 17 per cent to Dh69.3 billion from Sh59.3 billion, reflecting the depth of the Group’s lending franchise and disciplined balance sheet management. Total income grew 25 per cent to Sh124.9 billion, up from Sh100.2 billion, driven by a sharp rise in…
Michele Sensi-Contugi, Director General of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Center (CIES), and his wife, Stephany Vásconez, were among seven people killed when a tourist helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya, on Wednesday. The Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashed at about 9:13 a.m. while flying from the Loisaba area towards the Ewaso Nyiro River. All seven people aboard, including the Kenyan pilot, died in the accident. Authorities identified the pilot as Josh Outran and the passengers as Sensi-Contugi, Vásconez, Roger Duarte, Adam Navaty, Henry Parra and Suian Suarez. Sensi-Contugi, 44, was an Italian citizen with dual Ecuadorian nationality and headed…
Four Americans died in a helicopter crash in Samburu County, Kenya, on Wednesday, a State Department spokesperson confirmed. “The U.S. Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” the spokesperson said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss.” The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said that seven people were aboard a helicopter that crashed near Lolokwe Mountain in Samburu County, in northern Kenya. The deceased have been identified as Josh Outran — Pilot, Roger Duarte, Adam Navaty, Stephen Vascanknez, Henry Parra, Michele Contugi and Suarez — Female. Ecuador’s Director of…
Police in Kitui County have arrested a 42-year-old man after recovering a firearm from his possession in Lower Yatta Sub-County. The arrest followed a report made to police on Tuesday, August 18, by a woman who alerted authorities that her husband was in possession of a firearm. A team of National Police Service officers from Lower Yatta Sub-County proceeded to the scene and recovered a black firearm manufactured in England and marked T.J. Harrington and Son, Walton, Survey, 4.5mm. The suspect aged 42, was arrested in connection with the possession of the firearm. Police documented and photographed the scene before…
A 30-year-old man died after he slipped into a septic tank while draining sewer waste at a business premises in Marsabit town. The deceased, Enos Masogo, was reportedly working at or with Abyssinia Juicy Cafe when the incident occurred on Tuesday night. Masogo slipped into the septic tank at about 11:30pm while workers were draining sewer waste. Crime scene investigators from Marsabit County processed and documented the scene before the man’s body was retrieved. The body was taken to Marsabit County Referral Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination. Police also took into custody a three-wheeler…
Detectives in Mlolongo, Machakos County, launched a manhunt for a 35-year-old man after his five-year-old son was found dead in a single-roomed house in Mlolongo Phase III. The body of the boy was discovered on Tuesday afternoon after his mother went to the house to prepare food for her children. The mother had separated from her husband about a month ago following a disagreement and had left with their two children, police said. On August 16, the man reportedly contacted her and instructed her to return the children. She took them back to their father the same day. On Tuesday…
The Government resolved the long-running Cheluget land dispute, ending a three-decade standoff that left thousands of families living on the expansive farm facing the threat of eviction Speaking at a public gathering at Kwalela Primary School in Narok South on Wednesday, Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Nixon Korir said the government had taken possession of the land and would immediately begin processing title deeds for individual families occupying the property. “The resolution of the Cheluget land issue is part of the long list of historical land problems solved by the current Administration.” “I thank Narok Governor Patrick ole Ntutu…
The Israeli military has confirmed for the first time that it opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed along with six relatives in Gaza in 2024. Rajab initially survived the attack and answered a telephone call during which she pleaded for help. The call lasted hours. An ambulance sent to reach her – in a move co-ordinated with the Israeli army – was then shelled, killing two paramedics. Hind’s body was recovered days later, along with the others killed. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it would open a…
Five-time Grammy award winner Angélique Kidjo has made history as the first African musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “We Africans just don’t know what we’ve given to the world, and what we continue giving to the world for the music to exist. Without us, there’s no music possible on this planet,” the musical icon, who comes from Benin, said at the ceremony. She was joined by her family, friends and stars such as Hollywood actors Willem Dafoe and Djimon Hounsou, who is also from Benin, and Nigerian musician Adekunle Gold. For more than four…
At least 23 people, among them two children, have been killed and another five injured in a head-on collision between a minibus and a lorry in southern Brazil, highway police say. The crash happened early on Wednesday local time on the BR-373 highway in the southern state of Paraná. Local media reported that the minibus belonged to the health authorities of the nearby city of Imbituva and was transporting patients and their relatives to health appointments in Ponta Grossa, some 60km (36 miles) away. Authorities have opened an investigation to determine what may have caused the two vehicles to crash…
Interpreting the behavior of the audience is one of the main advantages of using modern digital marketing resources. Any communication initiated by the audience on social media, reviews, customer service, blogs, forums, and other digital media can provide valuable clues about their behavior. When combined with website analytics, this data helps organizations identify behavioral patterns and better understand customer needs. Instead of guessing what the audience wants, marketers can rely on conversation analysis, media monitoring, and digital marketing analytics to uncover behavioral patterns and determine how to address audience needs effectively. Monitoring and analyzing conversations and opinions about the brand…