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Kahawa Tungu

US backs Elon Musk’s bid to overturn €120m EU fine against X

The US government is seeking to join Elon Musk’s legal challenge to overturn a €120m (£105m) EU fine against X over its blue tick badges. In December 2025, the European Commission said the platform “deceives users” by allowing people to pay for a blue verified check mark, because it is not “meaningfully verifying” who is behind the account.But US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said on Thursday that the commission had “inappropriately attempted” to expand its reach to American companies outside its control.Musk, who spent millions helping elect Donald Trump and other Republicans, has previously claimed EU tech regulation “inhibits progress” for companies.The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an application with the EU’s General Court in support of Musk’s and X’s attempts to dismiss the case.It claims that under a section of law in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the EU, a state may intervene in disputes before the court if it “can establish an interest in the result of the case to the court”.The DOJ said the US “has a clear interest” in ensuring any decision by the commission was applied consistently with “how territorial jurisdiction is generally understood in international law”.It also wants to make sure it would not “otherwise prejudice” US-headquartered digital services that “contribute significantly” to its economy.In a press briefing on Friday, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said it was “ready to defend” its position in court.He added that the commission had an “solid case” at its disposal, due to the alleged breach of its Digital Services Act.In addition to its use of blue ticks, EU regulators had accused X of failing to provide transparency around its adverts and denying researchers access to public data.Henna Virkkunen, the regulator’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, said at the time of the fine’s issue it was “holding X responsible for undermining users’ rights and evading accountability”. “Deceiving users with blue checkmarks, obscuring information on ads and shutting out researchers have no place online in the EU,” she said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had criticised the EU regulator, accusing it of attacking and censoring US firms.“The European Commission’s fine isn’t just an attack on X, it’s an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments,” Rubio wrote in a post on X. “The days of censoring Americans online are over.”The European Commission denied targeting any specific nationality, stating it is simply protecting its digital and democratic standards to maintain its role as a global benchmark.The action marked the Commission’s first official non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act (DSA), one of two mandatory rulebooks governing online platforms in the EU.However, the EU is also conducting several other investigations into the platform, including one into its integrated AI assistant Grok over concerns it was used to create sexualised images of real people.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel

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KBC

PS Oluga: Health partnerships key to sustainability and self reliance

Kenya is strengthening its health system through partnerships that improve efficiency, safeguard public health gains and support long-term sustainability and self-reliance. Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga said the Government-to-Government partnership with the United States is helping align technical and financial support with Kenya’s national health priorities. The approach, he explained, directs resources towards stronger health institutions, efficient service delivery and sustainable investment Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Initiative on Health and the Economy panel, “One Year On: Retrospective on the America First Global Health Strategy,” Dr Oluga said Kenya has established structured mechanisms for technical engagement, governance, oversight, implementation and bilateral diplomacy. “We are keen on sustainability, we are keen on self-reliance, and we are keen on improving the in-built efficiencies of the healthcare system,” he said at the forum on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where he was a panellist. The PS emphasised the need to protect progress in HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, disease surveillance and global health security while building a resilient health system. The panel included Mr Brad Smith, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Securi...

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Kahawa Tungu

Students strike across Germany in protest against military service

School strikes are taking place across Germany to protest against the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service.One of the organisers of the strike, Bela Breitner, from School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service said the federal government was “serious about gradually reintroducing compulsory military service”.At one protest in Hamburg, demonstrators waved flags and held up banners emblazoned with the words “We won’t take part in your wars”.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made boosting Germany’s military a priority following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.A new law introducing voluntary military service came into force in January, with the aim of recruiting volunteers to increase the number of soldiers.However, if the security situation worsens or if too few volunteers come forward, a form of compulsory military service could be considered by Germany’s Parliament, the Bundestag.Under the law, all 18-year-olds in Germany are being sent a questionnaire asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces.One protester, 16-year-old Elias Bernhard, from Hamburg, said that the responses to the questionnaires “show that young people do not want to join the Bundeswehr [Germany’s army]”.“That is why I am out on the streets today. That is why we are serious about striking until compulsory military service is off the table. We will carry on.”The questionnaire is mandatory for men and voluntary for women. All 18-year-old men will have to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for possible military service.The organisers of the protests, say the trigger came after some 18-year-olds in the northern German towns of Kiel and Flensburg, were sent official invitations for medical exams, even though they expressed no interest in joining the army on their registration forms.The group says over a hundred demonstrations are planned across Germany, including in Kiel, Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt.A spokesperson for the Defence Ministry told the BBC that under the law, the obligation to undergo a medical examination applies “to all men liable for military service who were born after 31 December 2007”.This also applies to people who have stated that they have no interest in compulsory military service. The spokesperson said that since July around 1,000 18-year-old men, who showed no interest in the army, have had the medical exam.During the Cold War, Germany, like many other European countries, had a large army. But it reduced its armed forces during the 1990s after the fall of the Iron Curtain.Germany’s former Chancellor, Angela Merkel, ended compulsory military service in 2011.But now, in the face of perceived threats from Russia and heavy pressure from Germany’s traditional ally, the US, Merz has vowed to transform the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest conventional army.The Bundeswehr currently has around 186,700 troops. By the early 2030s, Germany wants to raise the number to 260,000, supplemented by around 200,000 reservists, in order to meet new Nato force targets and strengthen Germany’s defences . By BBC NewsEmail your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel

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Kahawa Tungu

Africa’s richest man helps fund $660m fuel pipeline between Ethiopia and Djibouti

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has announced that he is helping to fund a new $660m (£500m) fuel pipeline between Ethiopia and DjiboutiThe project will include a 120km- (75 mile-) pipeline connecting Djibouti’s Damerjog port to a distribution facility in Dewele, Ethiopia, as well as storage capacity of about 400 million litres. It is expected to begin operations within 18 months.Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the pipeline would reduce the time needed to transport fuel from Djibouti’s port to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, from five days to one.The first phase will transport key petroleum products, including jet fuel, diesel and petrol.Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Dangote, Africa’s richest man, said the project would strengthen Ethiopia’s energy security and make its fuel supply chain more resilient.Landlocked Ethiopia relies heavily on Djibouti’s port for imports, including petroleum products. The new infrastructure is expected to reduce pressure on existing transport systems supporting industries, including transport, aviation, agriculture and construction.Djibouti is also expected to benefit from increased port activity, job creation and higher government revenues.The project is part of Dangote’s wider expansion of infrastructure and manufacturing businesses across Africa.Dangote Cement has production capacity of about 55 million tonnes a year, while his oil refinery in Nigeria currently has capacity to process 700,000 barrels of crude a day and is seeking to double that to 1.4 million barrels a day.The refinery recently listed 4.1 billion ordinary shares on the Nigerian stock exchange, aiming to raise about $1.63bn (£1.2bn).In Kenya, the company is due to break ground next week on a proposed 700,000-barrel-a-day crude oil refinery in Lamu.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel

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Kahawa Tungu

Canada prosecutors drop charges against two in Toronto gold heist

Canadian prosecutors have dropped charges against two men accused of being involved in a massive gold heist in Toronto in 2023. Amit Jalota and Ali Raza both had charges against them withdrawn last week. More than 6,500 gold bars worth C$20m ($14.5m; £11.6m), were stolen from Toronto Pearson Airport in April 2023, along with millions in cash. A year later, police announced a series of arrests linked to what was the biggest gold theft in the country’s history.Lawyers for both men told Canadian media that their clients had long maintained their innocence and were relieved to be able to move forward with their lives.They had their lives and livelihoods turned upside-down due to the now dropped charges, the lawyers said.Both were accused of being in possession of either stolen gold or currency linked to the crime. “He has been punitively and unreasonably punished for the last three years as he was forced to navigate the criminal justice system and the fall out of these allegations that were publicly broadcasted both nationally and internationally,” Jalota’s lawyer said in a statement provided to Canadian media.The heist happened inside a cargo facility at the airport, after the goods arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland.Police allege that someone was able to access the goods by showing a fake airway bill – a document that accompanies shipped items.A truck was then used to steal the gold, which weighed roughly 400kg (881lb), police said.Earlier this year, one man was sentenced to four years by a Canadian court for his role in helping plan the theft.Another man was sentenced to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty in the US to conspiring with others to illegally traffic firearms, according to the US Department of Justice.He was stopped by police in Pennsylvania with 65 handguns in the trunk of his car. Canadian police alleged money for the guns came from the heist.Two other accused will face separate trials later this year over charges related to conspiracy to commit theft. Both have said they are not guilty.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel

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Kahawa Tungu

Pope warns against ‘losing humanity’ to AI machines

Pope Leo XIV has issued a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) at the start of his four-day visit to France. The pontiff cautioned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines” in wide-ranging remarks to Church and state officials at the Élysée Palace, following an hour of talks with President Emmanuel Macron.Leo made a similar warning earlier this year when he spoke of the need for AI to be “disarmed” in the first major teaching document of his papacy.In his May appeal, he mentioned the slave trade in relation to AI, suggesting that the world was in danger of normalising the exploitation of people once again.The highpoint of Leo’s visit to France is set to be a giant Mass attended by more than half a million people in Paris on Saturday, for which an altar has been built on the Place de la Concorde and a large area around the Champs-Élysées sealed off by police.Large crowds are expected throughout the trip, reflecting an enthusiasm that the Church attributes to growing spirituality among the French and other Europeans.He was greeted at Orly airport early on Friday by Macron, with the pair expected to deliver a speech later in the day in Metz.Crowds were meanwhile gathering along a route to the Notre Dame, where the pontiff will later be driven in his popemobile.The president will not be at any of the Pope’s Masses, largely to avoid breaching France’s strict separation of state and religion.Leo stressed that “authentic secularity” should not exclude religion “from the public sphere or from education”.In recent years, French politicians have often invoked France’s brand of secularism to justify bans on religious symbols, including Muslim women’s attire, in public spaces and schools.On Friday, Macron hailed Pope Leo’s visit to France as a “great honour”, stressing that French secularism “in no way negates religion”.The Champs-Élysées Mass will be attended by Macron’s wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Several candidates for next year’s presidential election are also due, including Marine Le Pen of the nationalist right, centrists Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, and conservative Bruno Retailleau.There were reports of tensions between Macron and the Vatican team sent to make arrangements, with the president allegedly frustrated in his wish for a more ceremonial aspect to the visit.This was dismissed this week by Élysée officials, who said it was customary to offer a visiting head of state – which the Pope is – a range of high-profile events, such as a cavalry escort down the Champs-Élysées. But they said it was never expected that the Pope would actually take the offer up.They did confirm that Pope Leo turned down Macron’s idea of a meeting with artisans who helped rebuild the fire-devastated Notre-Dame cathedral. This was because his agenda was too tight, they said.After a Popemobile ride through crowds to Notre-Dame cathedral on Friday afternoon, Pope Leo XIV will be joined in the evening by 80,000 young people at the Stade de France in northern Paris.On Sunday 150,000 have signed up to attend mass in the Pyrenean sanctuary of Lourdes.On Monday the Pope will be in Metz, in northeast France, where he will pay tribute to Robert Schuman (1886-1963), a founding father of the European Union and a fervent Catholic who is today a candidate for beatification.The Pope will also meet a group of migrants in Paris, and in Lourdes some victims of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy.Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV was originally called Robert Prevost – a French name. In fact his paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre in Normandy in 1894. When she married in the US many years later she and her Italian husband took the name Prevost, which had been her mother’s maiden-name.France has a historically complex relationship with the Catholic Church of Rome. The country was long known as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church” because supposedly, but inaccurately, it was the first kingdom to convert to Christianity. Actually Armenia, Georgia and Ethiopia preceded it. In the 14th Century the papacy came in exile to Avignon in southern France, and over following centuries French armies periodically intervened in Italian politics, where popes were secular rulers as well as heads of the Church.Recent popes have all come to France, most notably John-Paul II, who came several times between 1980 and 2004, and Pope Francis who came three times, but avoided Paris, going instead to Strasbourg, Marseilles and Corsica.Today France has secularised with the rest of Europe, and less than half of the population identifies as Catholic.The number of regular worshippers has fallen from 35% of the population in 1960 to less than 5% today, while the number of priests has shrunk by two-thirds from 25,000 in 1990 to fewer than 9,000.But in recent years there have been signs of a growing interest in religious tradition, with the number of adult baptisms more than doubling in five years to hit 10,000 in 2025.

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Business Today Kenya

Crown Paints Sets Up Shop On Booming Nairobi-Mombasa Highway Construction Corridor

Crown Paints Kenya Plc, a listed paints manufacturer, has opened a new Xperience Centre in Mlolongo, Machakos County, to tap into the rapidly expanding residential and commercial construction market unfolding along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway corridor. The new Crown Paints facility is designed to go beyond traditional paint retailing to providing developers, contractors, interior designers and […]

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KBC

President Ruto to tour Coast region from Saturday

President William Ruto will issue nearly 200,000 title deeds across the Coast region and launch construction of a new refinery in Lamu as he begins a development tour of the region on Saturday. The tour-covering Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River, and Lamu counties-will provide the President with an opportunity to assess the progress of Government projects in the region while engaging with residents and local leaders on development priorities. According to State House, the issuance of the title deeds is part of the Government’s plan to distribute 500,000 land ownership documents as it seeks to address longstanding squatter and other land-related challenges that have affected communities in the Coast region for decades. “President Ruto will begin the tour of the region in Taita-Taveta County on Saturday, where he is expected to issue 31,318 title deeds to residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies. He will then travel to Kwale County on Monday, where 94,175 title deeds will be issued to beneficiaries in Lunga Lunga, Msambweni and Kinango constituencies”, State House said. In Kilifi County, he is scheduled to issue 36,826 title deeds to residents of Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Kilifi South and Malindi constituencies. He will also provide 4,360 title deeds to beneficiaries in Mombasa County, while a further 22,770 title deeds will be distributed in Lamu and Tana River c...

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Capital News

Kisumu launches 2026 ECD regulations to strengthen early childhood education

KISUMU, Kenya, Sep 25 – The Kisumu County Government has launched new regulations to guide the implementation of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Education Act, 2023, in a move aimed at strengthening the management, quality and delivery of early childhood education services across the county.The 2026 ECD regulations provide an operational framework for ECD centres and daycare facilities, outlining requirements for registration, learning infrastructure, nutrition programmes and the general welfare of children.County officials said the regulations are intended to translate the provisions of the 2023 ECD Education Act into practical measures that can be implemented at centres across Kisumu.The county described the framework as one of the most comprehensive regulatory measures for the ECD sector at the county level.Speaking during the launch, County Executive Committee Member for Education, Technical Training, Innovation and Social Services John Awiti said the regulations would provide a firm foundation for improving early childhood education.“This is one of the most fundamental milestones that we are making because we now have the document that will assist us and enable us to lay a stronger foundation for the future of our children,” Awiti said.Awiti said the regulations address the establishment and registration of ECD centres, standards for learning environments and the provision of nutrition and feeding programmes for young children.County Chief Officer for Education, Technical Training, Innovation and Social Services Bovince Ochieng said implementation would focus on creating environments that support children’s learning and overall development.“We ensure that our children have proper feeding programmes as well as nutrition at the early age, because we are looking at the holistic development of our children mentally, psychologically, academically and also in terms of their well-being,” Ochieng said.He said proper infrastructure and an appropriate curriculum would also be critical to ensuring that the regulations achieve their intended objectives.Ochieng added that implementation would require coordinated efforts between the county government, education stakeholders and partners involved in the ECD sector.Director of Education in charge of Early Childhood Wilikister Odera said the focus would now shift to implementing the provisions contained in the Act and the new regulations.“As a director, I now know that the only work that is remaining is implementation of the regulation. As the one leading the actors on the ground, we are going to ensure that we do full implementation of the regulation,” Odera said.She said the county would work with various partners to identify areas of collaboration and partnership to ensure all components of the regulatory framework are put into practice.“Whatever is contained within the Act as well as the regulation, we will make sure that we incorporate them within the document, and as different partners, we will see the areas of collaboration and partnership so that we make sure that all the components of the document are implemented,” Odera said.Assembly leaders and county executive officials who attended the launch pledged to support implementation of the framework, saying the regulations would provide a legal basis for coordinating ECD activities, child welfare programmes and partnerships within the sector.The county government is expected to work with ECD centre managers, teachers, parents, development partners and other stakeholders as implementation of the regulations gets underway.

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KBC

Governor Achani rallies Kwale residents behind Ruto re-election bid

Kwale County Governor Fatuma Achani has defended her administration’s economic empowerment programmes aimed at alleviating poverty, dismissing criticism that her development agenda does not align with the needs of residents. Achani said her administration remained committed to grassroots economic transformation. She was speaking when she presided over an empowerment programme for 32 Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) and self-help groups in Lutsangani Village in Kinango Sub-County, “Those opposing my administration are doing so just for the sake of it. Kwale has transformed across various sectors, including education, health, water and economic empowerment programmes, since I took office,” Achani said. The Kwale County Government has so far supported more than 6,000 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and SILC groups across the county. The administration has institutionalized the savings and lending model as a key strategy for poverty reduction and grassroots economic transformation, particularly targeting women, youth and persons with disabilities. Achani also drummed up support for President William Ruto’s re-election bid, urging residents to back the President, citing development projects undertaken by the National Government in the region. “Kwale -Kinango road, Shimoni port, Mwachande bridge, National mariculture training center and the empowerment pr...

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Kenyans.co.ke

How to Spot Fake Global Gig Jobs Before You Lose Money, Expert Explains

With the biting job shortages, Kenyans are increasingly turning to global gig work to make a living.However, experts are warning Kenyans to watch out for fake job offers that could leave them losing money or working without pay. According to KICTANet Think Tank,  1.2 million Kenyans work as online gig workers offering services such as freelancing, remote tasks, and software services.Grace Mureithi, Director of Customer Success at DreamStart Labs, who works in the sector, says freelancers should look out for several warning signs before accepting a job from an unfamiliar client.According to Mureithi, vague job descriptions, unrealistic pay, requests for upfront payments, and pressure to act quickly are some of the red flags that could indicate a job scam.Mureithi also warned freelancers against clients who ask them to move communication or payments away from the platform where they found the job.“Make sure you have a signed contract before you start,” she said during a Co-op Bank Youth Forums session on earning global income safely on Friday, September 25.She advised freelancers to keep communication and payments on the platform until they have established trust with a client and understood the protections available to them.According to Mureithi, freelancers should also be careful about offers that promise unusually high payments for simple tasks, particularly when the client asks for money before work begins.While seeking contracts, Mureithi said having a clear profile and portfolio can also help freelancers attract genuine clients. She advised workers to clearly explain what they do, the results they can deliver, and how they can help a client.“For you to work in the gig economy, you must learn to package your skills. There are people who say they know how to use Adobe or Microsoft Office; that is not a skill. It is what value you can provide to a business at any point in time,” she said.She gave examples of services freelancers can offer, including crafting communication campaigns, bookkeeping during tax season, supporting product launches, managing inboxes, customer support and project management.Mureithi advised beginners to start with one or two trusted freelance platforms rather than spreading themselves across several sites before understanding how each platform works.She also urged new freelancers to create a portfolio before applying for jobs, even if they have not worked with a paying client.Sample projects can demonstrate their skills and give potential clients something to assess.“When I started, I received a lot of rejections. I started evaluating every proposal and seeing how people who received the projects profiled themselves and I was able to rework my profile slowly,” Mureithi said.She said freelancers should focus on delivering quality work once they secure their first client, then use reviews and referrals to build credibility and attract more opportunities.“What determines your growth in the global gig economy is the quality of work you deliver, whether you are documenting the work and whether you are getting reviews on the work you deliver,” she said.

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Business Today Kenya

Africa Steps Up Forest Finance as Global Funding Falters

African governments are deliberately developing new ways to finance the protection and restoration of forests, providing practical examples of how forest finance can move from just models to delivery at scale. According to a Progress Report by the Forest Finance Roadmap launched on Friday, September 25, at the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) Forest […]

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Capital News

150 Bonchari households set for electricity connection after 60 years in darkness

KISII, Kenya, Sep 25 – More than 150 households in Bonchari Constituency are set to receive electricity for the first time following the launch of a last-mile connectivity project in Nyabiendi village.Residents who said they had lived without electricity for about six decades celebrated as officers from the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) began implementing the connectivity exercise.Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Aburi said the project would transform the lives of families that have relied on alternative sources of lighting for generations.“For 60 years, these families have lived in darkness. Today, that story ends. Electricity is coming to light their homes,” Aburi said.REREC is mandated to implement rural electrification projects and spearhead Kenya’s renewable energy drive. Its electrification programmes are aimed at expanding electricity access in underserved communities.Aburi said access to electricity would improve education, security and economic activities in the area.She said children would have more time to study after dark, while small businesses would be able to operate for longer hours.“This light is not just electricity, it is security, it is education, it is business. Our children will now read at night and our mothers can do business past 6pm,” she said.REREC says rural electrification contributes to improved education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, employment and security in communities that gain access to electricity.The Corporation’s current grid electrification programmes include projects targeting households and public facilities in underserved areas, with the objective of bringing electricity closer to communities.Alongside the electrification project, Aburi distributed improved cooking jikos to elderly women as part of efforts to promote cleaner cooking and reduce exposure to household smoke.She also issued mosquito nets to vulnerable families, citing increased mosquito activity during the ongoing rainy season.“This rainy season has come with many mosquitoes. I have brought nets to keep our mothers and children safe from malaria, and these improved jikos will save them from smoke and save our trees,” she said.REREC officers said 150 households would benefit during the first phase of the project, with additional areas expected to be targeted in subsequent phases.Residents welcomed the development, saying it ended decades of waiting for electricity.“We have been using tin lamps since 1963. Today we are seeing electricity poles in our village for the first time. We thank her for remembering us,” said Jane Bosibori.Aburi is seeking the Bonchari parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election, according to the information provided during the launch.The electrification project comes as REREC continues implementing programmes aimed at expanding electricity access to rural households and communities across Kenya.

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