Japan said it “strongly protests” against Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril islands on Thursday, the first time the Russian president had visited the disputed island chain. Russian state media reported that Putin visited Iturup – known in Japan as Etorofu – one of four islands in the Kuril chain that are claimed by Russia and Japan. Japan’s foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the islands were “inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and the Government of Japan strongly protests this visit”. The countries have been locked in a dispute over the Kurils for decades, and it is…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Confidence after 30 looks different for every woman, and the growing interest in quality injectables is part of a bigger shift in how women approach aging on their own terms. Something has shifted in how women over 30 talk about aging. Where the conversation used to center on “anti-aging” as a fight against the inevitable, more women are now framing it as one part of a broader wellness routine, alongside sleep, movement, and how they eat. Quality injectables have become part of that shift for many, not as a dramatic transformation but as a small, considered piece of a larger…
The sneaker game in Kenya has changed. What was once a simple matter of walking into a shop along Moi Avenue or scrolling through Instagram pages for the latest Air Jordans has evolved into a full-blown digital economy, one where young Kenyans are earning serious money buying and reselling limited-edition sneakers sourced from international markets. From Nairobi’s Gikomba-adjacent thrift culture to the high-end sneaker boutiques popping up in Westlands and Kilimani, footwear has become both a fashion statement and an investment vehicle. And for a growing number of hustlers, the real money is not in wearing the shoes. It is…
Lionel Messi said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football as he posted an emotional tribute after his father’s death. Messi’s father Jorge was 68 when he died last week following a long illness. Jorge had been the Argentina forward’s agent since he was 14 and watched him become one of the sport’s greatest ever players. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi wrote on social media. “I don’t know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll…
More than 60,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for the US ambassador in Ottawa to be expelled for undermining diplomatic relations between the two neighbours. The online petition accuses Pete Hoekstra of “making repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse” and of having “normalised the Trump administration’s threats to annex Canada as the ’51st state'” of the US. In a statement to the BBC, the US embassy said it was aware of the petition but declined to comment further. Canada and the US are currently engaged in intense period of trade talks, aiming to reach an agreement before new US…
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) have agreed to strengthen their partnership in the fight against corruption and the promotion of ethics, integrity and accountability in Kenya. The commitment was reached on Wednesday during a consultative meeting between the EACC leadership and a KCCB delegation led by Samwel Omondi, National Director of Caritas Kenya, who represented KCCB General Secretary Very Rev. Fr. James Waweru. The delegation also included Dennson Machuki, a communication strategist at the Loyola Centre for Media and Communications. The two institutions explored practical areas of collaboration, including promoting ethical…
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who spearheaded China’s entry into global trade and laid the foundation for its explosive growth, has died at the age of 97. He served in the country’s second-highest office from 1998-2003 and played a leading role in securing its entry into the World Trade Organization, opening Chinese factories to the international market and drawing foreign investment. He was one of the most important economic reformers who moved local tax powers to the central government, closed or privatised failing state firms and promoted home ownership. Many in China remember him as a tough and pragmatic leader…
A petitioner challenging the continued tenure of Kenya Railways Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Philip Mainga moved to withdraw the case. This was hours after the Employment and Labour Relations Court temporarily barred him from exercising the powers of his office. Mainga has served as MD for almost 11 years which is seen wrong and immoral. He was seen untouchable due to the deals he handles. The notice seeking withdrawal of the petition was filed on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, a day after the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisumu issued interim orders restricting Mainga from occupying or…
N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Group, has said that he will not seek reappointment when his term ends in February. The 63-year-old said the decision came after the board of Tata Sons could not reach a resolution on a five-year extension of his term, months after the proposal first came up. The news sent shares of listed Tata companies plunging and has led to questions over what lies ahead for the gigantic salt-to-steel conglomerate that owns Air India, Tata Steel and Jaguar Land Rover. Chandrasekaran’s resignation, which comes days ahead of Tata Sons’ annual general meeting, points to tensions…
Spotify is introducing a new feature that will highlight if an artist has been generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The streaming service says the AI Persona badge, that will start appearing on some profiles from mid-September, will flag to listeners if an “artist’s identity may be AI-generated and does not represent a real person”. The changes are being introduced to give listeners “more transparency” about what they’re hearing, Spotify says. It comes after some music fans made it “clear” to the streamer they don’t like seeing a profile that seems to be a human, to then realise it’s AI-generated. AI-generated…
David Crowley is projected to have won a primary election to become the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor, in a surprise result that dents a winning streak for the party’s left wing. Crowley, the more centrist candidate, has secured a narrow victory over Francesca Hong, according to a projection by the BBC’s partner, CBS News. Anti-establishment Democrats across the US had previously notched up victories that have rattled the party leadership in Washington. That trend continued in another closely-watched Democratic contest in Minnesota. But in Wisconsin, the governor’s race in November will be contested by Crowley and Tom Tiffany, who…
Diego Maradona showed “warning signs” that went unheeded during the home hospitalization leading up to his death in 2020, a witness on Tuesday told the trial examining the Argentine football legend’s demise. Seven healthcare professionals have been on trial since mid-April in Argentina for potential negligence that may have contributed to his death The World Cup winner died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema — a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs — two weeks after undergoing surgery. Forensic physician Carlos Cassinelli said he had observed “warning signs” including edema in the lower limbs, swelling in the fingers,…
Ebola has killed more than 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the latest outbreak, which is nearing the country’s deadliest ever. The current outbreak, which has hit the DRC’s conflict-plagued eastern and northeastern regions, was declared on May 15 but is thought to have already been spreading for several weeks. It is the DRC’s 17th surge of the highly contagious disease and is already considered the largest in the country’s history “and could well become the largest outbreak ever”, Sania Nishtar, chief executive of the Gavi global vaccine alliance, has said. According to figures released on…
“I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well, I got him first.” That was President Donald Trump’s observation, made to ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl, in a phone conversation the day after he launched the US military campaign against Iran in February An Israeli airstrike, conducted with US approval and co-ordination, had just killed the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian leaders – and Trump drew a direct line from that attack to threats and alleged plots the Iranians had made against him in previous years. Trump has refrained from similar remarks in the ensuing six months…
Multiple people were feared dead after a ferry with 95 passengers capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police and eyewitnesses said. The boat, which provides transport between the northern town of Kariba and several islands and fishing camps, overturned after hitting strong waves. Lake Kariba lies on Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) northeast of the capital Harare. It is the world’s largest man-made lake by volume. The ferry “with 90 people and five crew members has capsized in Lake Kariba”, police said. One witness told AFP that the boat left as normal in…