Just two years ago, when it was ascending to power, Kenya Kwanza benefited from support of religious groups, including the Catholic Church. This has, however, changed with the faith-based organisations, led by Catholic bishops, launching sustained and coordinated attacks against the government. The Catholic, Anglican Church of Kenya, Akorino, Presbyterian, National Council of Churches of Kenya and Evangelical Formations of Kenya recently took the lead in pointing out ills in Ruto’s administration. Taking the cue, Anglican Church of Kenya also voiced support for the Catholic bishops. Calling church leaders names or dismissing the bishops’ statement as misleading, erroneous and false, is itself dishonest,” Jackson Ole Sapit said.

Alarming Increase Of Femicide Revealed By UN Report Over 51,000 women and girls were killed last year, predominantly by partners or family members, highlighting the global femicide crisis. This chilling statistic revealed by the United Nations’ 2023 Femicide Report, released on November 25, highlights the alarming rates of intimate partner and family-related femicides worldwide. The report allows policymakers and organizations worldwide to see the depth of this crisis, particularly among regions with the highest femicide rates. Africa stands at the forefront of this alarming trend, bearing the highest rate of intimate partner and family-related femicides with over 21,700 women killed last year. The 2023 Femicide Report serves as both a wake-up call and guiding light for collective action against violence directed at women across the globe.

The Bill of Rights guarantees the right to peaceful assembly in protest. However, despite these guarantees, laws regarding the right to protest undermine the human rights enshrined in the Constitution and go against Kenya’s international human rights duties, including the Public Order Act and the Penal Code. The right to protest is guaranteed under Article 37 of our Constitution. Regrettably, 12 years after the promulgation of the Bill of Rights, it is disappointing that the right is still treated as a privilege. The government should never silence its critics because the right to protest is not a government privilege but it is a basic Kenyan right.

Kenya has been ranked 46 out of 54 countries in the Africa Visa Openness Index 2024, highlighting its limited visa-free access to other African nations. Rwanda, Benin, Seychelles, and Gambia tied for first place, each achieving a perfect score of 1.0 by allowing visa-free access to all African nationals. Although member states of the East African Community (EAC) are exempted, other African travellers now face a Sh4,000 fee and additional application processes before visiting Kenya. Ethiopia, for example, climbed from 46th to 19th position in just eight years, achieving a score of 0.732. Somalia and Tanzania improved their rankings after easing visa access to countries like Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, however, raised concerns that those who criticised the deals had not offered alternatives. He said most MPs supported the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and argued that if Adani had failed, the government should look for other investors. “For those of us who were against Adani, let us give alternatives for improving our airport. He noted that the Bill had been passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the Senate, which made amendments that were later contested by the National Assembly, leading to the formation of a mediation committee.

Suen Hui and her school principal Chong Fook Yu holding the Gold Finalist certificate she received for her Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 entry. The Form One student at Penang Chinese Girls’ High School wrote about how sea creatures complained about ongoing pollution. Suen Hui’s work titled “A Bubbling Talk By The Beach” earned her a Gold Finalist award in the junior category of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) 2024. Suen Hui said her essay was light-hearted but carried a serious message about sea pollution. “My fondness for reading helped me acquire a rich vocabulary, which enables me to express myself through my short stories,” said Suen Hui.

Fertiliser maker PlasmaLeap, which recently raised $2.9 million to support commercialisation of its ammonia production method, has claimed that it could save Australia’s farmers $400 million annually. In a statement on Monday, PlasmaLeap said it is trying to displace the Haber–Bosch process, which was developed early in the 1900s and remains the dominant way of creating ammonia. “The Haber-Bosch process has reached its limit. Other companies trying to create emissions-free onsite ammonia production include Monash University spinout Jupiter Ionics, which announced a $9 million capital raise in March. Picture: suppliedFurther readingUNSW chemistry researchers get closer to cost-effective green ammonia manufactureUNSW researchers create device showing potential for onsite ammonia production on farmsGreen ammonia company Jupiter Ionics raises $9 million

Pellets of cocaine weighing 180 grams found with the suspects/HANDOUTDetectives on Monday arrested suspects who have been ferrying cocaine around Nairobi and sections of Kiambu County. The suspects were arrested at a petrol station within Ruiru sub-county near the Eastern Bypass, where the two had parked their vehicle waiting for a potential buyer. “Upon search, nine pellets of cocaine weighing about 180 grams were found in their vehicle, alongside several rolls of bhang. DCI identified the suspects as a Kenyan and Tanzanian national, both found in possession of high-value cannabis believed to have been smuggled from abroad. After their arrest, the suspects led detectives to their residence in the Manyanzani area of Tala, Kangundo Sub-County.

Adele has revealed the real reason she chose to take on her Las Vegas residency, as the star admitted she doesn't know when she will perform again. 'I'm so upset and I'm really embarrassed and so sorry to everyone that traveled to get [to the show]. I'm really, really sorry.' The Weekends With Adele' residency was announced in November 2021, but the run up had not been smooth. Then after that I think I'm just going to really, really veg until the end of the year.

Special counsel Jack Smith has asked a judge to dismiss the federal election interference case against Donald Trump as he is set to become the next US president. In new documents filed on Monday, Smith told the judge the case should be closed because of the Justice Department's policy that bans the prosecution of a sitting president. Trump had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud the US and other charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. “As a result of the election held on November 5, 2024, the defendant, Donald J. Trump, will be inaugurated as President on January 20, 2025,” Smith wrote in the new filing. His sentencing for his criminal conviction in the state of New York has been indefinitely delayed, while another federal case related to his handling of classified documents is also likely to be dismissed as he takes office.

The Nutri-Score rating system is used in France, Germany and a handful of other countries -- some want it applied across the EU. Photo: LOIC VENANCE / AFPSource: AFPEuropean grocery shoppers are at risk of "being fooled" by a proliferation of confusing and sometimes misleading food labels, EU auditors said Monday, calling on the bloc to improve current rules. But due to gaps in EU rules consumers can easily get "lost in a maze" of puzzling claims, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA). "Instead of bringing clarity, food labels too often create confusion; there are hundreds of different schemes, logos and claims that people need to decipher," said Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, an ECA auditor. EU rules require producers to list ingredients, allergens and other mandatory information on food packages.

TotalEnergies pauses business with Adani, says it was not aware of US investigationFrench oil major TotalEnergies was not informed of a US investigation into possible bribery and corruption at Adani Green Energy Limited, it said on Monday, adding it will stop financial contributions to investments with Adani Group companies following last week’s US federal indictment. “TotalEnergies was not made aware of the existence of an investigation into the alleged corruption scheme,” the company added. US prosecutors on Thursday charged eight people – including Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and the former CEO of Adani Green Energy Limited — with promising and then making improper payments to Indian officials between July 2021 and 2024 for business advantages. Total also owns a 37.4 percent stake in Adani Total Gas Limited, as well as a 50 percent stake in three renewable joint ventures with Adani Green Energy. Two of those joint ventures were entered into after the FBI served search warrants on Sagar Adani and seized evidence related to Adani Green Energy.

The report by UN Women said globally, 85,000 women and girls are killed intentionally in 2023. It said globally, 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partners or close relatives, which means one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said killing of women by intimate partners has worsened. The UN Women report said in 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then Oceania. The report also highlighted abuses during demonstrations, with injuries caused by both security officers and protestors.

WhatsApp logoMeta-owned WhatsApp is experiencing widespread outages affecting its web version. The disruption has left millions of WhatsApp users worldwide unable to send or receive messages. Both personal and business accounts have been impacted, disrupting communication for individuals and enterprises relying on the platform for their day-to-day operations. “Am I the only one experiencing WhatsApp web problems or is it down globally,” Tony Etern posted on his X account. The cause of the disruption remains unclear, and Meta is yet to release an official statement addressing the issue.

Lana del Rey is set to play some of the UK's biggest stages in summer 2025. The singer-songwriter will begin her tour in Cardiff at the Principality Stadium on June 23. This will be followed by performances in Glasgow, Liverpool and Dublin before ending at London’s Wembley Stadium in July. Get all the latest updates on food, drink, entertainment and events in the North East with our free What’s On newsletterLana del Rey 2025 UK tour dates and venuesMonday 23rd June, Cardiff, Principality StadiumThursday 26th June, Glasgow, Hampden ParkSaturday 28th June, Liverpool, Anfield StadiumMonday 30th June, Dublin, Aviva StadiumThursday 3rd July, London, Wembley StadiumLana del Rey 2025: How to get ticketsTickets for the 2025 UK tour will go on sale on Friday, November 29, at 10am and can be purchased at LiveNation.co.uk. A pre-sale ballot is also available here.