Medical Charity Plane Crashes in Nairobi, Kenya
Six people were killed after a light aircraft belonging to a medical charity crashed in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Charity Amref Flying Doctors said the Cessna plane took off from Wilson airport and was en route to Hargeisa in Somalia when it crashed and burst into flames at a residential building in Nairobi’s Githurai area. Four people on the plane were killed, including doctors, nurses, and the pilot, as well as two on the ground, while two others were seriously injured. The plane lost both radio and radar contact with air traffic control three minutes after takeoff. Investigators and emergency teams, including the Kenya Defence Forces and National Police Service, were deployed to the crash site to determine the cause and conduct recovery operations. Eyewitnesses described a loud bang, a flash of fire, and smoke rising from the scene.
In a separate incident near Naivasha town, a train collided with a Kenya Pipeline Company bus, killing at least four people and injuring others, who were taken to the hospital for treatment.
U.S. Embassy Suspends Visa Services in Zimbabwe Over Overstaying Concerns
The United States Embassy in Harare suspended all routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services, except for most diplomatic and official visas, citing national security and public safety concerns. The instruction came from Washington to pause consular operations at the embassy in Harare. The embassy announced that it would not conduct any visa appointments or interviews until further notice. The U.S Embassy said this was to prevent visa misuse and overstays. The suspension does not affect Zimbabweans with valid U.S. visas. It is alleged that 709 Zimbabweans, or about 10.57%, overstayed in the U.S. on their B1 and B2 visas (non-immigrant visas for temporary stays, either business or tourism).
UN Warns Civilians in Sudan Are Eating Animal Feed Amid ‘Gender Emergency’
Hungry civilians are reportedly eating animal feed as women and girls face a “gender emergency” in war-torn Sudan, according to UN officials. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned of a deteriorating situation that is putting even more civilians’ lives at risk, especially in El Fasher. OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, Edem Wosornu, said the suffering is immense, with people trapped, displaced, or returning to communities in ruins. She called for unimpeded access and urgent support to reach those on the frontlines of hardship. El Fasher has the highest cost of basic goods nationwide at nearly $1,000 per household per month, which is far beyond the reach of most families. This includes more than $700 for food alone – more than eight times the cost of basic food items in other parts of the country. Aid deliveries had been blocked for over a year, and a sanitation campaign was launched to prevent disease outbreaks in displacement sites. In Blue Nile State, cholera cases have surged to nearly 2,800 since late June, with over 40 new infections recorded yesterday alone, with 14 deaths have been reported.
Zambian Government Dismisses U.S. Embassy’s Pollution Warnings
The Zambian government dismissed claims of dangerous pollution in the Copperbelt mining region, following safety concerns raised by the U.S. embassy. The U.S. embassy issued a health alert, ordering the immediate withdrawal of its personnel in Kitwe town and nearby areas due to concerns of “widespread contamination of water and soil” linked to a February spill at the Sino-Metals mine. Following heavy rains, a tailings dam, which stores toxic waste and heavy metals, collapsed into the Kafue River, a major drinking water source. The U.S. embassy said there was new information that showed “the extent of hazardous and carcinogenic substances,” and warned that beyond the “contaminated water and soil, contaminants from the spilled mine tailings may also become airborne, posing a health threat if inhaled.” Zambia’s government spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, hit back, saying the “laboratory results show that PH levels have returned to normal” in the area and the water was safe to drink and there was no threat to public health or the environment.
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South Africa Drops Charges Against Man Who Turned State Witness in Case Where Murdered Women Were Fed to Pigs
South Africa’s state prosecutor officially withdrew charges against Adrian de Wet, one of three men accused of killing two black women and feeding their bodies to pigs. Three men were charged with murder last year after Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were killed on a pig farm near Polokwane in Northern Limpopo province. Their bodies were then allegedly fed to the animals in an attempt to dispose of the evidence. De Wet, a 20-year-old farm supervisor, became a state witness at the trial’s start said the farm owner, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, shot and killed the two women. William Musora, 50, another farm worker, is the third accused. He and Mr Olivier, 60, are yet to enter a plea and remain behind bars. De Wet was released into protective custody until the end of the trial.
