Belfast councillors have expressed frustration at what have they said is a lack of information from the Public Health Agency (PHA) following the deaths of two people who died after attending the Emerge dance music festival in Belfast at the weekend. Mia Keevan, 17, from County Tipperary became unwell at the event and died shortly afterwards in hospital. In a separate incident, 24-year-old Trae Keenan, from County Down, died in rented accommodation in the city centre a few hours after the event ended. Two other people remain in hospital after attending the dance festival. The PHA said it “cannot comment on ongoing…
Author: David Wafula
Ariana Grande is to go on her first tour for seven years next summer, with five dates in London the only shows so far scheduled outside North America. The pop star’s The Eternal Sunshine Tour is named after her latest album, which came out in March 2024. Since then, she has focused on acting, earning an Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda in Wicked, with the sequel Wicked: For Good due for release this November. The tour will begin in Oakland, California, on 6 June 2026 and will conclude with five nights at London’s O2 arena on 15, 16,…
The Champions League league phase draw has been made – and it has handed English clubs some huge challenges. Trent Alexander-Arnold will face his former club after his Real Madrid side were drawn against Liverpool. Manchester City will also meet Madrid in what promises to be a tough set of fixtures for the Premier League champions. Elsewhere, Arsenal face a difficult road after being drawn against Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid. Tottenham will take on defending champions Paris St-Germain, while Chelsea have been paired with Barcelona. Newcastle also face a tough group with Barcelona, PSG and Benfica. The…
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has been airlifted to hospital after suffering multiple injuries in a crash in southern France. The 40-year-old Briton was flown to hospital by helicopter on Wednesday afternoon after the crash near Toulon, about 170 kilometres from his home in Monaco. Froome’s team described the accident as “serious” but said he was in stable condition and did not suffer any head injuries. Scans revealed that he sustained five broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a fracture in his lower back. He is scheduled to undergo back surgery on Thursday. French newspaper L’Equipe reported that…
Arsenal striker Kai Havertz is set to have surgery on a knee injury but is not expected to spend a long time on the sidelines. The 26-year-old came off the bench in Arsenal’s opening win against Manchester United but missed the 5-0 victory over Leeds United due to the injury. Manager Mikel Arteta had earlier said the club needed “more time” to decide on the best way forward, but now hopes the Germany international will be out for weeks rather than months. The news is a slight relief for Arteta, who is already dealing with several injuries in the squad.…
UEFA has announced that the Champions League final will now kick off earlier, starting from the 2025-26 season. The final, which is set for Saturday, 30 May 2026 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, will begin at 17:00 BST instead of the traditional 20:00 BST slot. According to UEFA, the decision was made to “enhance the matchday experience and benefit fans, teams, and host cities.” The organisation added that the new time will also open the final to a wider global audience through more accessible broadcasting hours. “With this change, we are placing the fans’ experience at the heart of…
Police have launched an investigation after a man was arrested over racist messages sent to England defender Jess Carter during this summer’s Women’s Euros. Lancashire Police confirmed that a 59-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sending malicious communications after Carter was targeted with abusive messages online. He has since been released under investigation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had earlier expressed his support for Carter when the abuse first came to light. Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts condemned the incident, saying: “The messages directed towards Carter were appalling, and I would like to commend her for standing up…
Former West Ham and Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins has thrown his support behind Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner as a potential candidate for the Manchester United job if current manager Ruben Amorim is dismissed. United’s struggles continued on Wednesday night after they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town. The Red Devils were forced into penalties after falling two goals behind in the first half due to errors by goalkeeper Andre Onana. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire brought United level, but Grimsby went on to win the shootout and secure a…
Chelsea will be honoured with a special award from UEFA for becoming the first club in history to win every major European competition. The award will be presented just before the Champions League group stage draw for the 2025/26 season in Monaco. The Blues completed the historic ‘European set’ earlier this year after beating Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final. With that victory, they added the Conference League to their list of European titles, having already lifted the Champions League, Europa League and the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup. Chelsea’s first European success came in 1998 when they defeated…
A delegation of MPs from the Decentralized Funds Accounts Committee has uncovered irregularities in the construction of Suneka Police Station in Bonchari Constituency, where Sh3.6 million meant for the project cannot be accounted for. Led by Committee Chairperson Dr. Gideon Mulyungi, the lawmakers inspected the station following a complaint by area MP Charles Onchoke to the NG-CDF Board over delayed payments to the contractor. During the inspection, the legislators established that part of the funds had been withdrawn by members of the Project Management Committee (PMC) without proper approvals. “We have come to ascertain the state of the project, to…
Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohammed Amin has urged African countries to unite in the fight against transnational organised crime. Speaking at the 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference in Cape Town, Mr. Amin said financial crimes have devastating effects on economies and ordinary citizens. “When money is stolen through corruption or fraud, it’s not just figures on a spreadsheet, it’s schools not built, medicines not bought, and dreams denied,” he said. The three-day conference, which began on August 27, 2025, has brought together security leaders from across the continent under the theme: “Leveraging Cooperation, Innovation, and Partnerships to Fight Transnational…
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will resume on Monday, September 29, 2025. IEBC Chairperson Erustus Edung Ethekon said the exercise targets all citizens aged 18 years and above. He urged young people, in particular, to take advantage of the opportunity to register or update their voter details. “In readiness for the upcoming CVR exercise, the Commission has initiated several preparatory activities to ensure the process is efficient, inclusive, and transparent,” said Ethekon. “These activities are critical in laying a strong foundation for a successful nationwide rollout.” Among the ongoing preparations are…
The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) of the National Assembly has completed approval hearings for three nominees to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). The session, chaired by Tharaka MP George Murugara, vetted John Cox Lorionokou for the position of Registrar of Political Parties, Agatha Wanjiku Wahome for Assistant Registrar, and Claris Awuor Ogangah for Chairperson of the KNCHR. Ogangah was the first to face the committee. Lawmakers questioned her on how she plans to work with other institutions that safeguard human rights, avoid duplication of roles,…
Recruitment to the National Youth Service will be significantly scaled up from the current 18,000 young people to 100,000 in the next three years, President William Ruto announced. This increase, Ruto said, reflects the growing role of NYS in skills’ training, job creation and solving youth unemployment in the country. “NYS is becoming a productive enterprise in agriculture, engineering, construction, textiles, and hospitality,” he said on Thursday. “It is already producing maize meal, cooking oil, and fruit products, cutting costs, and generating revenue. Soon, NYS will also award nationally and internationally recognised qualifications.”He made the remarks when he presided over…
President William Ruto Thursday pledged to ease the housing journey for Harambee Stars players and offered each of them a Sh1 million grant to cover half the cost of a two-bedroom affordable house. With the homes capped at Ksh 2 million, players will be able to pay the balance through mortgage plans or a one-time cash-off payment, with the properties accessible in any part of the country. Ruto made the announcement when he treated the Harambee Stars players to a special luncheon at State House, Nairobi in recognition of their inspiring run at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN). Harambee…