The Standard Group has officially appointed Dr. Naim Bilal Yaseen as its new Group CEO, effective November 1, 2026.

He supersedes John Bundotich, whose earlier appointment as acting CEO was also scheduled to take effect on the same date

When some things go wrong, take a moment to be thankful for the many more things that are still going right.

Hegseth Warns Iran Of Total Destruction While Irgc Fires Back With Ancient History Warning
Pete Hegseth has delivered a blunt warning to Iran, declaring that the United States will strike hard and send the country back to the Stone Age if it refuses to abandon its nuclear ambitions and military threats. The message comes amid ongoing tensions and military operations in the region. Iran’s IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Seyed Majid Moosavi responded sharply on social media, accusing American leaders of being poisoned by Hollywood fantasies. He pointed out that a nation only 250 years old is threatening a civilization with more than 6,000 years of history and warned that any attempt to enter Iran would only result in American soldiers being sent to their graves. The sharp exchange highlights the deep divide between the two sides as the conflict continues.

The US has launched a crackdown on Kenyan nationals accused of using stolen American identities to get student loans worth about KSh 97 million.

The White House said the suspects used the stolen identities to get federal student aid, then used the money for themselves and also sent some to people overseas.

The crackdown has been named “Operation Ghostbusters,” with the White House saying the US government is targeting people involved in the fraud as investigations continue. #Trump

Some banks and payment service providers have started charging 16% VAT on digital payment processing fees.

Here is how it works:

The tax applies to fees charged for processing card transactions, settling payments and handling electronic payments for businesses.

For example, if your business receives Sh1 million in card payments and the bank charges a 2.9% processing fee, you pay Sh29,000 in processing fees.

The new 16% VAT (16% of Sh29,000, which is Sh4,640) is added to the processing fee.

This brings the total cost to Sh33,640 (Sh29,000 + Sh4,640).

NB: [The VAT is charged on the processing fee, not the Sh1 million received.

Ordinary M-Pesa and Airtel Money transfers between individuals are exempt].

Kenya Pipeline Company shares have hit an all-time high of Sh15.15, up 68% since Aliko Dangote acquired a 25% stake in the company.

Elon Musk says super intelligence AI agents will eventually hack financial systems to obtain money for themselves, not humans.

Several people injured after a Forward Sacco matatu overturned at Umoja Junction along Kangundo Road

Kenya is set to spend up to Sh1 billion to host Bayern Munich and Ajax for a friendly match on January 5, 2027, to officially open Raila Odinga Stadium.

Bolt introduces Priority, Wait and Save, and Ride by Hour categories, offering riders faster pickups, lower fares, or hourly bookings for multi-stop journeys.

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has cleared the registration of Kalonzo Musyoka’s Ukombozi Alliance after lifting orders that had temporarily blocked the process. #Kalonzo

Elon Musk Says He Is Staying in an Airstream Trailer During Memphis AI Buildout

Elon Musk said he was living in an Airstream trailer in Memphis, Tennessee, while overseeing an expansion of his AI computing infrastructure. During a September 2026 appearance at the All-In Summit, he jokingly described the trailer as his “palace.” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, appearing alongside him, said he was in Memphis helping build facilities and described staying close to work as a familiar habit for him. Reporting linked the arrangement to the expanding data-center operations behind xAI, whose Grok chatbot requires substantial computing capacity. The account describes a temporary work arrangement based on Musk’s own remarks, rather than evidence that he has permanently abandoned other homes. The interesting detail is straightforward: he chose a trailer as his base while closely following a major construction project.

(Sources: Business Insider, Fortune via Yahoo Finance) #ElonMusk

A Somali national fined Ksh370,000 for fraudulently obtaining a Kenyan passport and ordered to surrender it for destruction before deportation.

🇷🇺🇪🇺 President Putin says Russia is prepared for war with Europe, but is not seeking it. #Russia

The High Court nullifies President Ruto’s plan to reserve 20% of affordable housing units for teachers and police, ruling the policy lacked a legal basis.

ODPP calls for extradition of Brian Kiprop Kiplagat to the UK over eight charges, including murder, manslaughter, fraud, and perverting justice.

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has cleared the registration of Kalonzo Musyoka’s Ukombozi Alliance after lifting orders that had temporarily blocked the process.

India used to be the richest country in the world until the British invasion in the early 17th Century

Since I left for the U.S., Kasongo has started gaining weight. Now that I am back, he should get ready to lose even more weight - Rigathi Gachagua #Gachagua

As tea farmers in Meru and other parts of the country are reeling under financial strain as a result of low payments, two Meru lawyers have blamed the national government for failing to release a fertilizer subsidy owed to the KTDA.

Leopold II was the King of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909. He was also the sole owner of the Congo Free State, a territory 76 times the size of Belgium. He ruled it as his private property, not as a colony of Belgium.
His fortune came from rubber and ivory. The demand for rubber exploded in the late 1800s. Leopold's agents set quotas. Villages that failed to meet them were punished.
The punishment was designed to be seen. Men who fell short were k!lled. Their hands were cųt off and brought back to the commanders as proof that bullets had not been wasted on hunting. The severed hands became a currency. Baskets of them were placed at the feet of European officers.
The population collapsed. A government commission later concluded that the Congo's population had been "reduced by half" during Leopold's rule. Estimates of the dead range from 10 million to 25 million. The causes were not only vi0lence. Forced labor pulled people away from their fields, leading to famine. Disease spread through weakened communities.
Leopold never went to the Congo. He never saw the villages his agents emptied. He made a fortune from the rubber that flowed out of the river. He used that fortune to build palaces and monuments in Belgium.
The quote about the "magnificent African cake" captures the logic of what he did. He saw a continent to be divided and consumed. He took his slice. He ate.

Tanzanian opposition figure Apolinary Boniface Margwe narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt in Kenya this week. One of his colleagues was not so lucky -- highlighting the threat of cross-border abductions in east Africa.

Tension high in Lari, Kiambu County, after unknown assailants raid a home and kill woman and her granddaughter; investigations underway, DCC Samuel Kariuki says. #Kiambu

Over 3,000 families from Almer Farm in Cherang’any, Trans Nzoia County, are threatening to break away from the government and align themselves with the opposition citing frustration over a long-standing dispute involving 1,198 acres of land.

Kenya’s government plans to begin construction of a new 60km elevated expressway linking Thika town to Museum Hill in Nairobi within the next two months.

The project is expected to provide an alternative route for motorists travelling between Thika and Nairobi.

Safaricom says it created an estimated Sh1.25 trillion in value for Kenya’s economy in its 2026 financial year, up 10% from Sh1.13 trillion the previous year.

The total includes:

— Sh654 billion in economic impact
— Sh504 billion in social benefits
— Sh96 billion in financial profit
— Less Sh6 billion in environmental costs

[M-Pesa alone generated an estimated Sh478 billion in social value].

Kenya Railways has launched a special CMA CGM cargo train service from Mombasa to the Embakasi Inland Container Depot in Nairobi.

The train can carry 50 to over 100 containers per trip, helping reduce cargo handling and shift more freight from roads to rail.

Foreign nationals travelling to Kenya will be required to obtain mandatory inbound travel health insurance under new regulations that took effect on October 5, 2026, in a move expected to affect tourists, business travellers and other short-term visitors.

US military is preparing for the possibility of a major war that could cripple power grids, disrupt supply chains and threaten critical infrastructure on US soil, per NY Post.

It comes as Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino tells Americans to take the emergency preparedness warnings seriously, saying "Get your stuff today. Please. Do it for your family."

Gachagua praises Linda Mwananchi’s team on their messaging, energy and mobilisation power, saying politics is about numbers.

KRA and Safaricom are in talks to let M-Pesa generate eTIMS tax invoices for small businesses using Till Numbers and Paybills.

The move aims to help small traders supply larger companies and the government, which require valid electronic tax invoices for payment.

Chief Justice Martha Koome says the Judiciary is preparing to resolve disputes arising from the 2027 General Election independently, fairly and within strict legal timelines.
Speaking in Shanzu, Mombasa on Wednesday, October 28, Koome said election disputes often involve complex legal questions about evidence and electoral processes, requiring courts to have the necessary skills, systems and resources.

Rigathi Gachagua: I had a very good meeting with Edwin Sifuna. I looked him straight in the eye and asked him, “Now that you participated in my impeachment, ehe…?” He looked at me and said, “Riggy G, if you were in my shoes, you would have done the same.” And I understood where he was coming from.
#Gachagua

Democrats secretly recruited a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, hoping to confuse voters & boost Mary Peltola's chances, per NYT investigation.

Morocco has surpassed South Africa to become Africa’s fourth-most attractive investment destination.
Morocco’s manufacturing strength, macroeconomic stability, and strong foreign investment are driving its rising status as a continental business hotspot.
South Africa’s economic reforms and robust financial markets are noteworthy, but slower growth has caused it to slip in the latest rankings.
Nigeria has made a significant comeback, jumping seven spots after economic reforms like subsidy removals and foreign-exchange liberalisation sparked renewed investor optimism

Lecturers sign Sh20bn deal with govt to end strike on Friday; ministry official says money to be paid in three phases, with learning resuming Monday next week.

JD Vance's staffers are reportedly planning for the possibility that Donald Trump uses his failing health to resign after the midterms, and then starts blaming President Vance in the spring for ruining the "perfect economy" he left Vance, and also losing the Iran War.

JD Vance's staffers are reportedly planning for the possibility that Donald Trump uses his failing health to resign after the midterms, and then starts blaming President Vance in the spring for ruining the "perfect economy" he left Vance, and also losing the Iran War.

Gachagua praises Linda Mwananchi’s team on their messaging, energy and mobilisation power, saying politics is about numbers.

IEBC shortlists former EACC chief Halakhe Waqo and NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa among nine candidates for its CEO position, with interviews set for November 12-13.

German football giants Bayern Munich and Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam will travel to Kenya for a high-profile match on January 5, 2027, to officially open the new Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi.

Kenya has received Sh259 million from the United Nations to support Ebola preparedness and response efforts after confirming 9 cases, including 2 deaths.

Bananas have natural chemicals that make you happy while Cherries can actually cause cancer cells to commit suicide.

Chief Justice Martha Koome says the Judiciary is preparing to resolve disputes arising from the 2027 General Election independently, fairly and within strict legal timelines.

Sometimes I feel sorry for the Ruto administration because his vision is so big that people can’t see it - Gladys Shollei

Devki Group launched a Sh70 billion cement and clinker plant in Kitui County yesterday.

Here are a few things to note about the plant:
– Expected annual clinker production: 3 million tonnes
– Expected annual cement production: 1.2 million tonnes
– Expected permanent jobs: 3,000
– Power generation capacity: 50 MW
– Uses locally available limestone
– Expected to serve regional markets, including Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania

President William Ruto has declined to disclose the details of Aliko Dangote’s acquisition of a 25% stake in KPC, saying the shares are available on the NSE for anyone to buy.

He described the agreement between the government and Dangote as a standard investment agreement.

Zambia has launched a new gold refinery to process the metal locally and increase value from its natural resources.

The refinery can produce gold with purity levels between 99% and 99.99%, supporting efforts to formalize and expand gold mining.

Several African nations, including Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia, have recently inaugurated gold and precious metal refineries.

Copper dominates Zambia's export economy, while gold currently accounts for just 2% of export earnings.

Safaricom fired 118 employees over fraud in the year ended March 2026, up from 113 the previous year.

The company also recovered Sh953 million after discovering that some agents had been paid more commission than they should have received.

The High Court has declined to hear a case by Tata Chemicals Magadi challenging the government's decision to suspend its mining operations.

The court said the case should be heard by the Environment and Land Court, which has jurisdiction over mining-related disputes.

In 2004, a black bear made headlines after reportedly consuming 36 cans of beer at a campground in the United States.

The bear had entered a campsite where campers had left alcoholic drinks accessible, giving the animal an unexpected opportunity to investigate the beverages.

Black bears have an exceptionally strong sense of smell, which helps them locate food from considerable distances, including human food and garbage at campsites.

According to accounts of the incident, the bear became intoxicated and was found lying around the campground.

When wildlife officials attempted to drive it away, the animal reportedly climbed a tree and settled down to rest.

The following day, it was allegedly spotted returning to the area in search of more beer.

The story became a memorable example of how wildlife can be attracted to human food and drinks when campsites are not properly secured.

Imagine living in an ocean filled with endless water but still needing rain to survive!
This is the surprising reality of sea kraits, venomous sea snakes that spend much of their lives hunting in tropical coastal waters.
Despite being surrounded by seawater, these remarkable reptiles cannot rely on it to quench their thirst.
In a 2008 scientific study, researchers examined three species of sea kraits and discovered that even when dehydrated, they refused to drink seawater. Instead, they drank freshwater or very dilute brackish water.
Sea kraits can obtain freshwater from rain-filled rock pools, coastal springs, and other freshwater sources.
A separate study in Taiwan found that sea kraits were nearly three times as abundant in wetter years as in drier years at the monitored sites. Their survival is closely connected to something surprisingly simple: freshwater availability.
Sources - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (2008), PLOS ONE (2011), University of Florida.

A HONEY BADGER OUTSMARTED HUMANS, BUILT HIS OWN ESCAPE ROUTE, AND EVEN PICKED FIGHTS WITH LIONS! 🦡🦁
Meet Stoffel, the legendary honey badger from South Africa who became famous for doing something that sounds almost unbelievable: repeatedly outsmarting the people trying to keep him inside his enclosure.
At the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, his caretaker, Brian Jones, tried everything to stop him from escaping. But Stoffel always seemed to find a way.
When trees were removed, he found other solutions. When rocks were taken away, he kept experimenting. He even learned to move stones, stack them against walls, and use branches and other objects to create escape routes.
Think about that for a moment. This wasn't a human building a ladder for him. Stoffel was using the materials around him to solve a problem and get where he wanted to go. His remarkable behavior became a famous example of animal intelligence and problem-solving.
And then there's the lion connection. Stoffel was known for getting into dangerous confrontations with lions at the sanctuary. One encounter left him severely injured, but even after recovering, his determination to escape and return to the lions reportedly continued.
Why would such a small animal challenge predators so much larger than itself?
Honey badgers are famous for their toughness, powerful claws, strong jaws, and fearless temperament. However, their reputation isn't just about fighting. Their ability to explore their surroundings, manipulate objects, and persist when faced with obstacles makes them fascinating animals to study.
Stoffel's story was featured in the PBS Nature documentary Honey Badgers: Masters of Mayhem, introducing audiences to one of the animal kingdom's most notorious escape artists.
His story also reminds us of something important: intelligence comes in many forms, and the natural world is full of surprises.

United States Ambassador to South Africa 🇿🇦 Leo Brent Bozell III has warned that South Africa, Africa’s largest economy, could face severe poverty, political instability, and economic challenges similar to those in Haiti if it adopts the wrong economic and land policies.
In an interview with The Common Sense, he also stated that South Africa can achieve economic success comparable to the United States with the right choices.
The warning comes amid growing tensions between the US and South Africa. #SouthAfrica

Days to his death in 1978, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta collapsed at the dais at a public function in Msambweni in Mombasa, according to his then Secretary of Press Lee Njiru.
Lee Njiru who was later on inherited by Kenyatta's successor Daniel Arap Moi, revealed that after landing, Kenyatta sought to wipe out the mess immediately.
He was aware that the public was watching him and would panic, which led him into coming up with a way of assuring then that all was well, after top state officials sought to take him away.
He said that the ageing Kenyatta loudly shouted "Harambee!" his signature slogan, as the officials who had accompanied him gathered and attempted to drive him away.
“You could not just put him in a car and drive away because we wanted to hoodwink the people since they could have panicked. He (Kenyatta) then said “Harambee”. It was the loudest I have ever heard," he told Citizen journalist Jeff Koinange.
But he also revealed that the people close to Kenyatta, the likes of Minister of State Mbiyu Koinange and Coast Provincial Commissioner Eliud Mahihu, contributed to his death shortly afterwards.
He claimed that instead of taking him to hospital, the group drove him to the statehouse to sleep, despite the fact that the Pandya Memorial Hospital was only a stone throw away.
“From there we drove back to State House Mombasa. What shocked us was that Kenyatta was not taken to hospital. Naturally if you collapse we do not take you to go and sleep. We take you to hospital,” recounted Njiru.
He added that Njiru, part of the team that was already discussing Kenyatta's succession, left the founding father sleeping in the Mombasa statehouse and took a flight to Nairobi.
Shortly after, Kenyatta was announced dead, which saw Moi, who some of the Kikuyu politicians around the president wanted to block, automatically succeed him.

🏆✨ 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋: 𝐁𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐘𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐊𝐀 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐍 𝐃’𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 👏🏿
You deserve it, Bukayo. ❤️🤍🥺

A farmer and military officers question a Kikuyu farm labourer. Behind him more Kikuyu sit on the ground surrounded by coils of barbed wire. Searching for Mau Mau suspects, [1953]

Chinese robotics company AgiBot brought 110 humanoid robots together for a synchronized dance performance in Jinan, China, on October 24, 2026.
The robots were Expedition A3 models. They danced in sync and changed formations using AgiBot’s LinkBots coordination system and positioning technology.
AgiBot says the robots are production models, not machines built only for the performance. The company sees potential uses for them in tourism shows, public services and education.
The record concerns humanoid robots dancing together. It does not break the separate all-time record for the most robots dancing, which Guinness previously listed at 1,372 robots in 2018.
Sources: AgiBot, IT Home, and Humanoids Daily.

Serbia’s longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after a student led movement won the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, ending his party’s 14 years in power.
The students secured 52.7% of the votes against 39.2% for Vučić’s party. He accepted defeat, saying, “It is clear that we have lost these elections.”
The movement began in November 2024 after a railway station roof collapsed, killing 16 people. The tragedy led to months of nationwide protests, with students accusing the government of corruption, poor leadership and failing to take responsibility for the deaths.
The students later joined politics, bringing together teachers, doctors, actors and other professionals to challenge the government.
Following their victory, thousands of people celebrated in the streets with fireworks, music, dancing and car horns. The movement is expected to secure up to 140 seats in the 250-member parliament, enough to form a government. #Serbia

In January 2016, visitors at Seoul's COEX Aquarium in South Korea witnessed an unusual and disturbing incident involving two sharks.
An eight year old female sand tiger shark, measuring approximately 2.2 metres, attacked and swallowed a smaller five year old male banded hound shark.
Aquarium officials believed the incident was connected to a territorial dispute.
According to the aquarium's public relations manager, sharks can react aggressively when they unexpectedly bump into one another.
The male shark may have startled the larger female, triggering an attack.
However, the exact reason for the incident was never conclusively established.
The attack reportedly began on a Thursday evening. Over approximately 21 hours, the female gradually swallowed the smaller shark.
By the following morning, visitors could see only the tip of the male's tail protruding from her mouth.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Industry says its “Made in Ethiopia” program brought 1,115 factories back online and created 1.58 million jobs between 2021 and 2025. The same push also produced $5.96 billion worth of goods that the country used to import.
Factory capacity utilization rose from 46% to 69%, and locally made products now take up 46% of the domestic market, up from 30%. Import substitution jumped from about $340 million to $5.96 billion.
The ministry says the next phase will focus on growing exports, adding new factory capacity, and improving the services that support industry.
The numbers line up with earlier statements from Ethiopian officials tracking the same program. #Ethiopia

A U.S. startup has developed a solar-powered robot that uses artificial intelligence to identify and remove weeds from farm fields without spraying herbicides.
Called Element Gen 2 X4, the robot was developed by Aigen, based in Redmond, Washington. It uses cameras and AI to distinguish weeds from crops, then uses four mechanical arms to pull unwanted plants out of the soil.
Instead of spraying chemicals, the robot physically removes weeds using its mechanical arms. It is designed to work both between crop rows and among crops growing within the same row.
The robot runs on solar power with a battery backup. Aigen says it has built more than 100 robots across multiple generations and recorded over 15,000 hours of autonomous field operation.
The technology could help farmers reduce herbicide use, especially in fields where weeds have become resistant to certain chemicals.
Sources: Aigen. #Technology

Kenyan billionaire Jayesh Saini has received approval from the Competition Authority of Kenya to acquire a controlling stake in ABC Bank, which has 12 branches and about Sh50 billion in assets.

The exact stake and purchase price have not been disclosed, and the deal still requires CBK approval.

The High Court has ruled that personal branding of projects funded by public resources violates the Constitution.

The court has ordered the removal of politicians’ names and personal branding from publicly funded projects