Google’s artificial intelligence assistant Gemini has surpassed one billion monthly users, CEO Sundar Pichai announced Tuesday, a week after a major reorganization of the tech giant’s AI division. “It’s our fastest growing product ever,” and the 14th product to reach a billion users, Pichai posted on social media. The milestone, which Google calculated based on how many people use the Gemini app across its ecosystem, gives the search giant a victory amid a major overhaul of its AI division. Demis Hassabis, who won a Nobel Prize in chemistry, recently stepped back from the day-to-day management of Google DeepMind, the lab…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
President Donald Trump said a US Marine held in a Russian prison, whose health was reportedly in extremely poor condition, has been released. “After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that no prisoner swap took place. In 2022, Gilman, who is from Massachusetts, was arrested for allegedly kicking a police officer while aboard a train. He had recently been moved from prison to a civilian hospital in Russia after going into a catatonic-like state. Trump said the 32-year-old was on a flight…
Hungary’s parliament has elected András Baka, 73, a respected judge and former head of the Supreme Court, as head of state. The Hungarian president is a largely figurehead role, but Baka’s rule promises to be tempestuous. His task will be to monitor Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s efforts to dismantle the interlocking economic and political powerhouse established by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He will also oversee the writing of a new constitution, to replace Orbán’s constitution of 2011. “We cannot build the new Hungary on revenge,” András Baka told Parliament, after he was elected by 140 votes to 6. “The…
Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe has announced his decision to leave the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), accusing President William Ruto’s administration of failing to honour key campaign promises made to residents of the constituency. Kagombe, who was elected on a UDA ticket in the 2022 General Election, said he could no longer continue supporting a government that had, in his view, failed to deliver meaningful development to Gatundu South despite the constituency’s strong backing of the Kenya Kwanza administration. The lawmaker made the announcement during the burial of community leader Phyllis Njoki Kuria at Karangi village in Gatundu South, Kiambu…
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of attempting to extort Sh300 million from a Chinese construction company during his tenure in government. Ichung’wah alleged that Gachagua sought the money from China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) over alleged transgressions committed during the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta. The Majority Leader claimed CRBC, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, rejected the alleged demand. “Rigathi’s bitterness with China Roads and Bridges Corporation exposes his insatiable greed,” Ichung’wah said, accusing the former Deputy President of hypocrisy in his criticism of corruption within the Kenya Kwanza administration. The…
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) cleared five Kenyan alcoholic beverage brands temporarily suspended by the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA), saying fresh laboratory tests have confirmed their compliance with applicable safety and quality standards. The Rwanda FDA announced the temporary suspension of selected alcoholic beverages on August 5, 2026, among them five products manufactured in Kenya. The affected products are Kenya King Gin and Safari Gin, manufactured by London Distillers Kenya Ltd; Avalon and Sweet Berry Potable Spirits, manufactured by Zheng Hong (K) Ltd; and Gilbey’s Gin, manufactured by Kenya Breweries Ltd. KEBS said the products had…
On August 11, 2026, Nigerian Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke (Davido) publicly appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump and the international community to closely monitor the upcoming Osun State governorship election. In an open letter shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Davido expressed concerns about “growing tensions and the possibility of violence, intimidation, or disruption of the democratic process”. He urged that “every voter is protected and every vote is respected,” stating, “We do not want bloodshed. We do not want intimidation. We want peace, transparency, and a free and fair election”. Davido, who holds both Nigerian and U.S. citizenship,…
A Chinese rocket set to launch a satellite into orbit blew-up seconds after liftoff Monday, marking the relatively rare failure for a rocket considered a workhorse of Beijing’s space program. The Long March 7A rocket erupted into a massive fireball just 85 seconds after blasting off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the island of Hainan on Monday night, video showed. Unlike other successful launches, the incident appears to have been downplayed on China’s state media with scant mention of the explosion. State news agency Xinhua confirmed the failure three hours after the launch, saying “the rocket experienced an…
Amid swathes of criticism and calls for him to resign from his role as FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has now received public backing from a familiar friend in US President Donald Trump. With the walls seemingly closing in on Infantino, Trump posted a message on Truth Social Monday night in support of the beleaguered leader. “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump said. “He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be…
Nvidia has teamed up with some of Wall Street’s largest banks and investors to raise $500bn (£370bn) in capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The chipmaker said it had struck deals with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR, and that the investors were for the first time treating AI hardware and infrastructure, often referred to as “compute”, as an asset class. “In AI, compute is revenue,” Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said. “We are bringing the world’s leading long-term capital providers together to independently underwrite AI infrastructure.” The financing will go towards Nvidia’s own projects and those being built…
The High Court ordered the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests to set aside Sh105 million for victims of torture, abductions and enforced disappearances. Justice Gregory Mutai issued the order pending the hearing and determination of a petition challenging the government’s authentication process for identifying and verifying victims eligible for compensation. The disputed verification process was introduced as part of the implementation of Presidential Proclamation No. 1 of 2026. Justice Mutai barred the first and second respondents from implementing, applying or relying on the contested authentication process until the petition is determined. However, the…
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under fire for comments he made about two melons gifted to him by his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi, after a former Japanese envoy called it an insult. During an appearance on the Bush Deep podcast, Albanese gestured near his chest while referring to the crown melons, calling them “pretty strange” gifts that “ended up being quite good”., That episode, which aired in July, had already landed the PM in hot water because of “inappropriate” comments he made about popstar Kylie Minogue. Opposition leaders are now demanding he apologise to Takaichi, but Albanese’s position is…
More than 10 customers have signed up to Trump Media’s controversial service that offers faster access to market-moving posts made on its Truth Social platform. The service, Truth API, launched at the beginning of August and gives Wall Street traders first sight of posts from the social media site’s most influential accounts. Its earliest customers are mostly in high-frequency trading firms who are being charged between $60,000-$100,000 (£44,000-£74,000) a month for the service, interim chief executive officer Kevin McGurn said during an earnings call. He was speaking after Trump Media reported a loss of $238m between April and June. The…
Donald Trump secretly swapped planes as he left a Nato summit in Turkey last month, as part of an elaborate ruse in response to a possible Iranian threat, US media report. The US president boarded Air Force One in view of television cameras before being transported to a military aircraft with the help of a catering truck, the Washington Post said. Journalists and some White House staff on board did not know he had been smuggled out. Officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that the US had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the…
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have resolved to constitute two committees, one that will help establish a coalition framework and the other to prepare a joint manifesto in preparation for the August 2027 General Election. Making the announcement after a two-day retreat of the ODM-Kenya Kwanza/UDA retreat in Naivasha on Monday, President William Ruto, in the company of ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga and 312 MPs, 48 senators, 24 governors and 24 deputy governors, said: “This formalises the political partnership we have built and gives it a clear mandate to consolidate the progress we…