Fresh headlines and publisher-supplied excerpts from Kenya, Africa and the world—collected in one transparent, attributed briefing.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta avoided a direct political response to President William Rutos recent attacks but appeared to mock the Sponyo label during a funeral in Muranga.
Read briefingUS Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng shake hands during trade talks at Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development headquarters in Paris, France, on March 16.WASHINGTON - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent plans to discuss AI, trade, rare earths and economic issues when he meets with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York City this weekend, according to a source familiar with his plans.The discussions are significant because the US and China are the two major forces driving development of advanced AI tools and the global adoption of the technology. Rare earths play a crucial role in the manufacturing of technology.Bessent and He will meet ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept 24 in Washington.Bessent said in a statement that he expects the discussions to cover “both open- and closed-weight models.” Open-weight models are AI systems with publicly accessible core elements. Users can download and fine-tune them for specific tasks.Chinese open-weight models are becoming more popular with US companies because they can be cheaper than so-called closed-weight AI tools, such as those developed by Anthropic, OpenAI and other US companies.Chinese AI models have even been used by the US government. Reuters reported on Sept 17 that a US government website employed an AI model from a Chinese company to allow users to search proposed federal regulations even though the FBI accused the model’s developer, Alibaba, of “malicious” copying of Anthropic’s technology.“The United States remains the leader in AI. And we are open to discussions on avoiding shared risks and avoiding bifurcation of our two systems,” Bessent said in his statement regarding the China talks.The Treasury secretary has recently called for the US and China to agree on AI “guardrails” aimed at keeping powerful models out of the hands of malign non-state actors.Questioned on AI safety at a House of Representatives Financial Services Committee hearing on Sept 15, he said it was up to US AI firms to decide whether to slow down their development, but argued they should be held liable for what they build and generate as a safety measure.Details about the meetings in New York, which are expected to explore possible areas for Trump and Xi to agree on, have been scant. The source said that the meetings could extend to Sept 21 on a technical or “working” level.Other key topics for Bessent and He to discuss include potential extension of a tariff truce that expires on Nov 10, and improving flows of Chinese-produced rare-earth magnets and critical minerals that China had severely curtailed in 2025.The truce capped tariffs imposed during Trump’s second term in office at about 20 per cent. The Supreme Court later struck down Trump’s tariffs invoked under a national emergencies law, but his administration has been rebuilding them under new authorities.In May, China pledged to increase purchases of US agriculture products and at least 200 Boeing aircraft, but details on those transactions have yet to emerge. REUTERS
Read briefingCBK (Central Bank of Kenya) received bids worth KSh81.41 billion at the second Treasury Bonds Auction conducted within a fortnight, in the month of September. The CBK was targeting to raise KSh60 billion for Budgetary support in this second auction. The Re-Opened 20-year Treasury Bond, first sold in 2019 and maturing on 21st March 2039, […]
Read briefingHARRY KANE has made history as the fastest ever to register 100 Bundesliga goals to boost his Ballon d'Or hopes. Kane, 33, has reached a raft of milestones throughout his glittering 17-year career, some of which saw him becoming England and Tottenham's record goalscorer. And now the star striker has cemented his legacy as one...
Read briefingCHELSEA sorely missed talisman Joao Pedro as they were shut out of Brentford's goal and sent back to Stamford Bridge with their tails between their legs. Xabi Alonso's side visited their West London neighbours with a new striker leading the line and another midfield partnership in Valentin Barco and former Bees man Jordan Henderson. Unfortunately,...
Read briefingBRILLIANT Brentford sent Jordan Henderson and the rest of Chelsea’s Dad’s Army back home across west London with their tails between their legs. Blues boss Xabi Alonso gave Henderson his debut against his former club alongside fellow thirtysomethings Danny Welbeck and Emi Martinez. But the oldest Chelsea Premier League starting 11 since May 2023 produced...
Read briefingANGELINA Jolie suffered a wardrobe malfunction as her lace bra slipped out of her silk dress while walking through JFK Airport. The Maleficent actress, 51, was seen strutting through the terminal in New York City wearing a sheer ivory dress with draped sleeves. Angelina then accidentally flashed her lace nude bra which in the low-cut...
Read briefingIn tonights programme, investigation is ongoing into the death in custody of thirty-seven people, accused of illegal mining in Nigeria. Also,Tunisia is emerging as a major boat-building hub, serving both local buyers and international markets. And finally, we speak to the author of “The Moon Will Not Burn Us”, Ricci Shryock.
Read briefingSam Altman’s remarks are expected to focus on the steps OpenAI is taking to ensure AI is safe, and the need for international coordination, says a company spokesperson.UNITED NATIONS - OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman will brief the United Nations Security Council next week during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York for the UN General Assembly, an OpenAI spokesperson said on Sept 18.The 15-member Security Council is due to meet on Sept 23 on artificial intelligence and international security, just weeks after several AI industry leaders called for a coordinated slowdown of the development of the increasingly powerful technology, warning that it could soon improve on its own and slip beyond human control.“Sam Altman will brief an open UN Security Council meeting in person next week,” an OpenAI spokesperson told Reuters. “His remarks are expected to focus on the steps OpenAI is taking to ensure AI is safe and benefits people globally, along with the need for international coordination and shared safety standards.”The UN Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, met for the first time on the risks of artificial intelligence in 2023, when China said the technology should not become a “runaway horse” and the United States warned against its use to censor or repress people.In a 2015 essay titled Machine Intelligence, part 1, he said the “development of superhuman machine intelligence is probably the greatest threat to the continued existence of humanity”. REUTERS
Read briefingBaseline Interferon Activity in Monocytes Predicts mRNA Vaccine Adverse Effects, Study Finds Pharmacy TimesWhy Do Some People Feel Worse After A Vaccine? Technology NetworksYour Blood Holds Clues to How Well a Vaccine Will Work. Researchers Just Found a Way to Read Them inc.comThe Gut Microbiome And The Role It Plays In Vaccine Side Effects Luxurious MagazineExplaining COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects to Anxious Patients Drug Topics
Read briefingGoogle, NASA launch AI model to map methane emissions from space Waste DiveSee more headlines and perspectives on Google News
Read briefingSept 18 - A Russian glide bomb hit an apartment building in the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Friday, killing two people and injuring seven, leaving three of them in serious condition, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials said.Zelenskiy, writing on the Telegram messaging app, denounced the "absolutely inhuman strike". He said emergency crews had rescued four people after the attack and said others could still be trapped under rubble."There was a direct hit by an aerial bomb between the third and fourth floors. Four people have already been rescued from under the rubble, including a child," he wrote. "There may still be people under the rubble."Regional Governor Oleh Hryhorov said three of the seven injured were in a serious condition. Among the injured was a 13-year-old girl.Zelenskiy said Russian forces had also hit a clinic in the central city of Pavlohrad and a logistics centre outside Kyiv, but provided no details on casualties.An earlier Russian strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed two people and wounded two, Vitali Karabanov, the head of the city's military administration, said on Telegram.Sumy, near the Russian border, has been a frequent Russian target in an area where Moscow says it wants to establish a buffer zone.Balakliia, located in Kharkiv region, was captured by Russian forces in the early weeks of Moscow's February 2022 full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour, but retaken by Ukrainian troops in a large counteroffensive later in the year.The Ukrainian capital Kyiv had come under a Russian missile attack earlier in the evening, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, but there was no indication of casualties or damage.
Read briefingThe US president has had a tense and fiery relationship with the US media throughout his political career.
Read briefingThe England boss was speaking at Wembley after naming a 27-man group for a four-game Nations League camp, starting with a clash against world champions Spain on September 26. England's German head coach Thomas Tuchel talks to his forward Noni Madueke at the hydration break during the 2026 World Cup football tournament quarter-final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 11, 2026. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)Thomas Tuchel said on Friday England can build on the "fantastic spirit" of their World Cup campaign as he targets glory on home soil at Euro 2028.The England boss was speaking at Wembley after naming a 27-man group for a four-game Nations League camp, starting with a clash against world champions Spain on September 26.It comes just nine weeks after the end of the World Cup, where England conceded two late goals in a painful semi-final defeat by Lionel Messi's Argentina.Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Chelsea forward Cole Palmer were the headline picks after both were controversially overlooked for the World Cup.Tuchel also included Liverpool's teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, uncapped Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in his first squad since the tournament in North America.A number of players who were in the World Cup squad, including John Stones, Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Jord...
Read briefingAcross Eastern and Southern Africa, endangered wild dogs are still capable of making long journeys between distant ecosystems, according to research published by Ecology journal in mid-September. The study expressly provides new evidence that wildlife corridors still connect protected areas even with expanding human activity. It documented 19 groups of wild dogs dispersing across thousands […]
Read briefingWhy Kenya’s tourism growth faces new mobility test as passport ranking falls People Daily
Read briefingWhy Kenya’s tourism growth faces new mobility test as passport ranking falls People Daily
Read briefingThousands of people cheered as they welcomed Syrian icon Assala Nasri back at a sold-out concert in Damascus. She spent more than 15 years in exile after publicly supporting the 2011 uprising against the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Read briefingPresident Donald Trump on Friday said he was banning several media organisations from the White House, accusing them of publishing “fake news” about his administration.In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said CNN, MS NOW and Politico would not be allowed in the White House “effective immediately”.“I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW ... and Politico ... from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ fake news!” he wrote.“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”Mr Trump did not specify the scope of the ban or whether it would affect journalists’ credentials, or their access to the White House grounds and attendance at presidential events. He said other media organisations would follow.Asked about the ban in an Oval Office event later on Friday, Mr Trump said media "purposely write negative news"."They do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration," he said. "It's one-sided. It's never good.""I don't want them in my office. I don't want them here," he told reporters in the Oval Office.The move is the latest in Mr Trump’s long-running and often contentious relationship with the news media. He frequently engages directly with journalists, including taking calls from r...
Read briefingCustomers shopping in an Auchan supermarket in Moscow. The Russian authorities have seized the assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and three French groups in response to Western sanctions.WARSAW - The Russian authorities have seized the businesses and assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and three French groups, a move the Kremlin defended on Sept 18 as a justified measure against firms representing “unfriendly countries” that back Ukraine.A decree signed by President Vladimir Putin transferred the Russian operations of Nestle, French retailer Auchan and the former Leroy Merlin DIY chain, now known as Lemana Pro, to a company called LEV Management.The decree, issued late Sept 17, also covers the Russian subsidiaries of French logistics group FM Logistic.France late Sept 18 called on the Russian authorities to “reverse this decision”.Investigative outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that LEV Management was created only at the end of 2025, and is headed by a Russian interior ministry general. It had no known business activity.It was the latest move by Russia against Western firms in response to a barrage of sanctions over its war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year.Most Western companies quickly sold their Russian operations and holdings after the Ukraine invasion, or at least isolated them, as sanctions have made trading in most goods difficult.Others remained, citing concerns for their employees or citizen’s well-being, but often sharply scaling back their operations.Russia has since made it difficult for firms to leave, requiring presidential authorisation for deals, or seizing the assets outright.In a short statement, Nestle said it was “committed to taking all necessary steps to protect its rights and ensure continuity of business operations in the interests of all stakeholders, particularly its employees”.Nestle has six factories and Russia and employs around 7,000 people, mainly for coffee, pet care, infant nutrition and confectionary products, a spokesperson said.Jean-Philippe Bertschy of the Swiss investment bank Vontobel said he expected the financial impact to Nestle would be small “given Russia’s limited contribution to group sales”.He said Russia now accounted for just over one percent of the group’s sales, down from around two percent before the Ukraine war.It has suspended “the vast majority of sales, non-essential imports, advertising and capital investment”, he said, while continuing to supply essential food items.“This practice has historically often been a precursor to a forced sale or effective expropriation of operations in the market,” said analysts at the brokerage Jeffries.“This was the case already for Danone and Carlsberg for example in 2023,” they wrote, estimating that a write-off of Nestle’s Russia business, including money it had not been able to repatriate, could cost the Swiss firm around one billion francs (S$1.5 billion).Auchan and Leroy Merlin are both controlled by France’s Mulliez family, which also owns the Decathlon sports retailer.Auchan’s Russian subsidiary said on Sept 18 that it had requested “clarifications” from the authorities over Putin’s decree.The French foreign and economy ministries said in a joint statement late on Sept 17 that France “condemns” the move, and urged Moscow to go back on its decision.Auchan’s subsidiary is one of Russia’s main retailers, with 241 stores in the country, including 62 hypermarkets, and over 33,000 employees according to its website.“Once the corresponding information has been received, we will be able to provide more detailed comments,” Auchan Retail Russia said a statement to Russian news agencies.The latest seizure echoes a string of other forced asset transfers, including Moscow’s 2023 takeover of Danone’s Russian business, which was later sold to a nephew of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. AFP
Read briefingEd Sheeran Philadelphia Tickets Slashed By Nearly 50% Following Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ Controversy ForbesUS fans with Ed Sheeran tickets are left torn by Macklemore controversy BBCTicket prices rise for Macklemore solo concert after Ed Sheeran tour removal CNBCRobert Kraft Defends Banning Macklemore From Ed Sheeran Tour VarietyPatriots' Kraft says Macklemore performance would cross line ESPN
Read briefingFILE PHOTO: A general view of The John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., July 27, 2021. REUTERS/Nicholas Pfosi/File PhotoBOSTON, Sept 18 - A US federal appeals court rejected on Friday a Trump administration policy that allows authorities to rapidly deport migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to raise safety concerns.Ruling in a case that is likely headed to the US Supreme Court, a three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld a February decision by a lower-court judge that declared the US Department of Homeland Security's policy was unlawful.The case is a key test of what due process protections the government must provide migrants before removing them to countries they have no connection to.Under Trump, the administration has entered into a series of agreements that have allowed it to send more than 25,000 migrants to at least 29 third countries, in many cases Mexico, according to Third Country Deportation Watch, a project run by Refugees International and Human Rights First.DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday's court decision.US District Judge Brian Murphy had concluded that the policy, adopted in March 2025 as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, failed to protect migrants' due process rights and could lead to their swift deportation without notice to unfamiliar and potentially dangerous countries.The Trump administration had twice before in the same case convinced the Supreme Court to intervene after Murphy had ruled against it in earlier phases of the litigation over the third-country policy, and it had indicated a willingness to go back to the high court again if the 1st Circuit upheld Murphy's latest ruling.That ruling came in a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of migrants facing deportation to countries not previously named in their removal orders or identified in their immigration court proceedings.Under the policy, migrants can be deported to such countries if immigration authorities have credible diplomatic assurances they will not be persecuted or tortured there. Alternatively, authorities can proceed if they have given migrants as little as six hours of notice that they are being sent to such a country.Murphy, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, set aside the policy and declared that migrants who had been subject to it had a right to meaningful notice and a chance to raise objections to being deported to third countries. REUTERS
Read briefingThe DFB was one of the few federations not to sign a letter of support for Infantino's re-election as FIFA president in six months' time. FIFA president Gianni Infantino gestures during a visit to a sports complex in Cali, Colombia, on August 7, 2026. (Photo by Jaime SALDARRIAGA / AFP)Gianni Infantino must leave the FIFA presidency "no ifs or buts", according to Hans-Joachim Watzke, one of the vice-presidents of the German Football Association (DFB), as he spoke at a festival dedicated to artificial intelligence in Berlin on Thursday evening.The DFB was one of the few federations not to sign a letter of support for Infantino's re-election as FIFA president in six months' time."He has to go, no ifs or buts," declared Hans-Joachim Watzke, who said that three points in particular counted against the Swiss.The first was the FIFA Peace Prize, launched by Infantino and awarded in December 2025 to US president Donald Trump, to whom Infantino is close, during the draw for the 2026 World Cup.Infantino "created this prize himself, and he decided on it himself," said Watzke."You can't just invent something on your own and then announce it, it's madness," said Watzke.Watzke also condemned the controversial handling of the Folarin Balogun red card during this year's World Cup which was hosted in USA, Canada and Mexico.The American forward was sent off in the last 32 but his automatic one-ma...
Read briefingAccording to Sudan’s Defence Ministry, the attack was informed by intelligence about RSF activity in the area and was carried out as a preemptive strike by the army and allied forces.
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