A German engineer just became the first person to travel to space using a wheelchair. Michaela Benthaus, who works for the European Space Agency, reached out online to a retired SpaceX manager named Hans Koenigsmann after a biking accident left her with a spinal cord injury. He helped arrange her flight with Jeff Bezos's company, Blue Origin.
Benthaus launched from Texas on the New Shepard rocket with five other people, crossing the Karman line boundary of space for about ten minutes. She transferred herself from her chair into the capsule using a special bench. Koenigsmann flew alongside to provide any needed assistance. Benthaus called the experience incredibly cool, praising both the view and the sensation of microgravity.
Blue...
The education ministry is opening a one-week review period for high school placements after parents and students complained about the initial results. Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok announced the move, acknowledging dissatisfaction with the Grade 10 slot allocations under the new Competency-Based Education system. This follows the release of the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment results for over 1.1 million candidates.
Bitok blamed the issues on high demand for popular schools, communication breakdowns, and mismatches between chosen career tracks and test scores. Students can request a review through their old junior schools or local ministry offices. The process will use an automated system to match updated...
Kenya's agriculture ministry is throwing a 3.5 billion shilling reform package at the tea sector, aiming to fix factory inefficiencies and get farmers paid properly. The Principal Secretary, Paul Ronoh, announced the plan after getting a pretty damning audit report from the Tea Board of Kenya covering 71 factories. The initial phase will target 19 specific factories for modernization.
The audit itself found major problems with governance and financial management across the board, linking these failures directly to late payments and low earnings for growers. Ronoh ordered this review last October after constant complaints from farmers about delays and shady loan handling. The new money is supposed to fund better factory equipment, cut...
Elder groups from the Luo and Luhya communities are teaming up, directly challenging ODM party leadership to avoid screwing up their alliance. The collaboration kicked off with a meeting in Kakamega at the Sheywe Guest House, convened by Luhya elders and including figures like Steve Ahaga from the Luo side and Noah Wekesa from the Luhya council. Their stated goal is to solidify a political and economic partnership before the next national election, stressing a historical bond between the groups that has never broken into open conflict.
The coalition also announced strong opposition to a proposed nuclear power facility in Siaya County's Rarieda District. They completely rejected the plan, citing major environmental and health risks for...
Saudi Arabia just hit another grim record, marking two straight years of increasing state killings. The current yearly total has reached at least 347 executions, edging out last year’s number, according to data from the activist organization Reprieve. This year’s victims included two Pakistani men convicted on drug charges, a journalist, and two individuals who were minors during their alleged protest-related crimes. Five of those executed were women.
The majority of these killings, about two-thirds, stemmed from non-violent drug offenses, a practice international bodies condemn. Over half of the executed were foreign nationals, caught up in what appears to be an intensified narcotics crackdown. Reprieve’s head of death penalty issues...
The Hennessy Artistry tour just wrapped its 2025 run, basically flexing on everyone about how deep its roots are in Nigerian nightlife. This multi-city thing, calling itself The Reboot, started in Lagos back in May, then hit Port Harcourt in July, Abuja in September, and finished with a giant Lagos finale. They pulled in thousands each night, with headliners like Reekado Banks starting it off, followed by Zlatan and Duncan Mighty in P.H., then BNXN in Abuja. The closing Lagos party had a stacked lineup with Mavo, Teni, Lil Kesh, and Shallipopi performing. A bunch of influencers and brand ambassadors like Neo and Liquorose showed up too, alongside other personalities including Sheggz and Yhemolee.
Each stop tried to one-up the last on...
Abia Comets had to settle for a single point on the road after a brutal last-second equalizer from Sunshine Stars. The match, a Nigerian National League fixture in the Southern Conference A group, finished 1-1 at the Ondo State Sports Stadium in Akure. The Comets’ manager Dipreye Teibowei talked up his squad’s grit after the final whistle, but seeing a win slip away that late had to sting. Usman Garba finally broke the deadlock for the visiting side with a powerful long-range shot, only for the home team to answer back deep into stoppage time against goalkeeper Moses Akam.
Nothing happened in the first half. Both teams failed to convert their chances, heading into the break with a blank scoreboard. The second half saw more action, with...
A former national team coach has expressed optimism about Nigeria's chances at the continental championship. Sunday Oliseh believes the Super Eagles can achieve a successful campaign in Morocco despite recent disappointments. His support comes amid general skepticism following the team's failure to qualify for the next World Cup.
Oliseh, who has been a vocal critic of the country's football federation, stated he remains very hopeful about their prospects. He noted the current squad appears focused solely on the Africa Cup of Nations as their primary objective.
The Ugandan national soccer team has halted preparations for a major tournament over a payment dispute. Players for the Cranes refused to conduct a training session in protest of unpaid allowances. Reports indicate the athletes are also seeking clear information about their compensation for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
The unpaid money reportedly dates back to the qualification matches for the tournament. Federation president David Magogo has intervened to address the situation with the squad. Uganda is scheduled to begin its campaign against Tunisia on Tuesday, with further group stage matches against Nigeria and Tanzania.
