President William Ruto called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, urging warring parties to embrace dialogue during the joint East African Community and Southern African Development Community Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday.
Ruto emphasized that military solutions would prove inadequate for the complex conflict, which stems from decades of historical, economic, and political issues transcending national borders. He specifically urged M23 rebels, who recently captured Goma, to halt their advancement and asked DRC armed forces to refrain from retaliatory actions.
The Kenyan President, who chairs the EAC, highlighted a clandestine international dimension to the conflict...
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga paid respects to the family of renowned Kenyan journalist Leonard Mambo Mbotela on Saturday, following the broadcaster's death on February 7, 2025. Video footage obtained by the Star showed Odinga offering condolences to the bereaved family. Mbotela passed away at 9:30 am after battling illness.
The death prompted an outpouring of tributes from Kenya's top leadership. President William Ruto praised Mbotela as a gifted broadcaster whose distinctive voice captivated audiences through football commentary and his signature program "Je, Huu Ni Ungwana?" Ruto emphasized Mbotela's enduring legacy in mentoring emerging broadcasters across Kenya's radio stations.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki characterized...
A devastating landslide struck Jinping Village in China's southwestern Sichuan Province on Saturday, burying 10 houses and prompting an extensive rescue operation. Local authorities reported that more than 30 people remain missing after the natural disaster hit the village, situated in Junlian County of Yibin city, at 11:50 a.m.
Provincial officials activated a Level I geological disaster emergency response, the highest available classification, at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The swift deployment of emergency services brought together rescue teams, firefighters, public security personnel, and specialists from the transportation, medical, telecommunications, and electrical sectors to address the crisis.
Rescue crews successfully extracted two...
Regional leaders have intensified pressure on M23 rebels to reopen Goma Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo after its reported capture last week, amid growing concerns over humanitarian access. The rebels, allegedly supported by Rwandan troops, seized control of the facility during intense fighting in North Kivu province's capital.
A joint ministerial meeting between the East African Community and Southern Africa Development Community, held in Tanzania, emphasized the urgent need to restore access to the airport and major supply routes. The closure has severely impacted the delivery of essential aid to approximately two million people requiring food, water, and medical assistance.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and...
The African Union will hold its leadership elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 15 and 16, preceded by the selection of AU Commissioners on February 12 and 13. The process follows established protocols, with the Assembly electing the chairperson and deputy chairperson and the Executive Council selecting commissioners for subsequent Assembly appointments. Commission members serve four-year terms with the option for one renewal.
A distinguished Panel of Eminent Africans representing five regional personalities oversees candidate pre-selection for the Commission's senior leadership positions. The electoral process continues until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority, as stipulated in AU regulations.
This year's election...
Mozilla Foundation announced a significant shift in its Thunderbird email client distribution strategy, designating the Desktop Release version as the default download option starting March 2025. This change departs from the current Extended Support Release (ESR) default setting.
The transition will commence with the launch of Thunderbird version 136.0 in March, placing the Release version at the forefront of the client's download page. Mozilla plans to implement additional measures to promote Release version adoption, including potential in-app notifications for existing ESR users.
The organization highlights several benefits of this strategic shift. Users will experience more frequent feature updates, transitioning from annual ESR...
Hi-Rez Studios announced the discontinuation of content updates for its online games Smite, Paladins, and Rogue Company, though the games will remain operational. The company plans to concentrate its resources on the development of Smite 2.
The decision follows significant workforce reductions at Hi-Rez Studios, which dismissed 69 employees this week, representing approximately half of its staff. According to a Discord message reported by Dexerto, the company attributed these layoffs to "challenging market conditions." The restructured team will dedicate its efforts exclusively to Smite 2, the third-person MOBA announced last year.
The company stated that servers and existing content for the affected games will continue to operate...
Gaming industry journalist Tom Henderson reports that Sony's upcoming PS5 Pro certification will require games to achieve 4K resolution and 60 frames per second performance benchmarks, as well as mandatory ray tracing capabilities and compatibility with Sony's proprietary upscaling technology.
According to Henderson, who claims to have reviewed internal PlayStation documentation for developers, games must demonstrate enhanced performance metrics compared to their standard PS5 counterparts. The requirements stipulate that titles running at fixed resolutions must deliver higher fixed resolutions on the PS5 Pro, with similar scaling expectations for games utilizing variable resolution systems. Games operating at fixed frame rates on the...
Prominent opposition figure and attorney Fadzayi Mahere has filed a formal complaint with the Law Society of Zimbabwe against fellow lawyer Joshua Chirambwe, alleging sexual harassment through inappropriate messages in a professional WhatsApp group.
Mahere detailed in her letter to LSZ Executive Director Edward Mapara that Chirambwe, who describes himself as a prophet, posted sexually suggestive comments about her in the "Zim Advocates" group chat. These messages ultimately led her to leave the group.
The controversial messages, posted under the username "Young Money," included remarks describing Mahere and another female lawyer as being "sweet enough to make sugar." Chirambwe allegedly expressed his "adoration" for Mahere and...
