BREEZY BLOGS

Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom drove his Audi hybrid to victory in the 13km-long prologue of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Ekstrom edged out France’s nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb (BRX) by a second. “It’s always nice to start in a good way, but, of course, the day is long, and the rally is even longer,” said Ekstrom. “A good end to 2022, but tomorrow is the real start. We’ll have to try and be focused for another two weeks.” The Swede’s Audi teammate Stephane Peterhansel the Dakar great who has won the event fourteen times (eight in a car and six on a bike) — rounded out the opening podium of the 45th edition of the Dakar. Reigning champion Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar finished 12sec adrift in fourth in his Toyota. “Finishing behind the trio is not a bad result from the perspective of fighting for the stage win tomorrow, which would come in handy to open stage 2 right before the key third stage,” the Qatari said. The prologue acts to determin...

A Kenyatta University student who had been missing for five days has been found dead at her boyfriend’s house. The student’s body was found on December 31, 2022 at her boyfriend’s house in Kahawa Wendani, Kiambu County. Victoria Muthoni Theuri, a Public Policy and Administration student, was last seen on Christmas Day, December 25, 2022. According to police,Veronica had told her parents who live in neighboring Kahawa Sukari, Kiambu county that she had gone to visit her sister. She however did not return home as usual and her mobile phone was not reachable. The parents said they called her sister to establish whether Victoria would be at her place or if she would return. Her sister said she had not seen Victoria. The incident was reported at Kahawa Sukari Police Station. Also Read: Murkomen Directs Suspension of Modern Coast Bus Operations Police say they have established she usually spent time at her boyfriend’s apartment at Alvo House before going home after school. R...

There is no surefire way to completely prevent cheating, as it can be driven by a variety of complex and personal factors. However, there are a few strategies that can help to reduce the risk of infidelity and strengthen your relationship: Communicate openly and honestly: Good communication is essential in any relationship. Make an effort to openly and honestly communicate with your partner about your needs, desires, and concerns. This can help to prevent misunderstandings and build trust. Also read:  The Millennial: All men cheat, so why not be with one who has money? Foster intimacy and connection: Make time for each other and try to maintain a strong emotional connection. This can involve regular dates, physical affection, and shared activities. Address relationship issues: If you are experiencing problems or conflicts in your relationship, it is important to address them openly and honestly. Seek the help of a therapist or counselor if necessary. Practice self-awareness: R...

The trial in Mali of 46 Ivorian troops whose detention has sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries wrapped up on Friday, a judicial source and a defence lawyer said. Their trial opened in the capital Bamako on Thursday in the run-up to a January 1 deadline set by West African leaders for Mali to release the soldiers or face sanctions. “Friday’s hearing is over. The court has retired to deliberate,” the judicial source told AFP. “We have finished making our arguments… We are awaiting the decision of the court,” a lawyer for the Ivorian soldiers said. The court proceedings were held behind closed doors and under heavy security, an AFP journalist noted. Also Read:   Ivorian Troops on Trial in Mali as Deadline Looms in Row Forty-nine troops from Ivory Coast were detained after they arrived at Bamako airport on July 10. Three of them, all women, were later freed. Those remaining, branded by Mali’s junta as “mercenaries”, were charged the following month with seeking...

Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) outgoing CEO Nana Gecaga has penned an emotional message as her tenure as top boss at the institution ends. Sharing photos of herself and incoming acting CEO Patricia Ondeng, Nana expressed her gratitude for the seven years of duty at KICC and for having had the pleasure of serving three presidents. “In life, everything happens for a reason and a season. One of my seasons has ended, while my next season is just starting. 29th December 2022, I ended my 7 years of duty as @kiccceo @kiccc and 14 years in government, and successfully served THREE PRESIDENTS OF KENYA and 26 years altogether in the hospitality industry. I want to thank my CS, Madam @Pen. I wish to thank my PS Ummi Bashir of @JohnOloltua and my Chair and my entire board and of course, the entire staff at KICC,” Nana Gecaga said. Also read:  How Kenyan in the US ran a 7-year-con game that stole Sh116m “Lastly I would like to thank all the stakeholders local and Internationa...

The true global death toll of Covid-19 remains difficult to nail down three years after the first case was detected, though experts agree there have been far more fatalities than officially reported. The difference between the official and real figures could diverge even further next year, with modelling predicting more than a million deaths in post-zero-Covid China, which recently narrowed how it counts fatalities.  There have been more than 6.65 million officially reported Covid deaths since the virus was first identified in China in December 2019, according to the World Health Organization. However, countries count Covid deaths differently and methods have changed throughout the pandemic. “Attributing deaths to Covid can be an exceedingly difficult exercise,” said Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva. The death of a patient in a hospital in a developed country who had already been diagnosed with Covid could be straight...

When it comes to endurance races in motor sport, nothing can quite compete with the annual Dakar Rally which starts its 45th edition on the shores of the Red Sea on Saturday.  This year’s event stretches 8,549 km over 15 days of racing, including a four-day excursion into the yet unexplored desert dunes of the vast Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter. “‘Be Afraid’ seems to be the message of the route for the 2023 Dakar,” said organizers when they revealed the course at the start of December. The warning does not appear to have put anyone off: more than eight hundred riders, drivers and co-drivers will set off in an array of motorcycles, cars, quads, trucks, and light vehicles when the race begins on Saturday. Among them are some well-known names, including nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb (BRX) who is relishing the prospect of competing in his sixth Dakar.   “It’s 14 stages, it’s very long, a proper endurance rally,” he said. “We need to find the right p...

A rare astronomical event occurred this week in which every planet in the solar system was visible in the night sky simultaneously for the first time since June. “Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars could all be seen in that order in the northern hemisphere with the naked eye, starting from the south-western horizon and moving east,” Nadeem Badshah reports. All eight planets appeared only 1.5 degrees apart on Wednesday night and were set to reach conjunction – their closest point – on Thursday at 2100 GMT, per Badshah. “These nights, we can see all the planets of our solar system at a glance, soon after sunset. It happens from time to time, but it is always a spectacular sight,” Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, told Newsweek.   According to Badshah, “Jupiter was not expected to be visible at around midnight. However, Mars was set to be visible all night after it rose in the east just before sunset on Wednesday and will appear re...

The US is among the countries that have imposed Covid testing for visitors from China, after Beijing announced to re-open its boarders next week. Italy, Japan, Taiwan, and India also announced mandatory tests, but Australia and UK said there were no new rules for travelers from China. Covid cases have been surging in China within the last few months, with authorities locking down major places. Despite the Country claiming to open boarders to the outside world after three years, there is reason for worry as this means people can travel anywhere in the world. China is reporting about 5,000 cases a day, but analysts say such numbers are vastly undercounted – and the daily case load may be closer to a million. Hospitals are overwhelmed and residents are struggling to find basic medicines, according to reports. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this was needed “to help slow the spread of the virus as we work to identify… any potential new variants that may emerg...

It is a sad state of affair to see universities that train professionals cannot exude the same in their operations. To put it into perspective, most universities offer courses in finance management, yet they find themselves culprits of the complete opposites. Public universities are in financial turmoil due to underfunding, embezzlement, and a failure to generate revenue. As of June, these universities have accumulated debts totaling approximately Sh56 billion. The problem keeps getting bigger if no action is taken, this piece outlines a raft of measures they can employ to cut on cost and work towards remaining afloat. To begin with, reducing administrative costs would go a long way. Universities can review their administrative and support staff positions to identify areas where they can reduce costs, such as by streamlining processes or consolidating departments. This can also be done through outsourcing certain non-core functions, such as IT support or facility management, to ...

Embattled Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza is keeping her fingers crossed as the select Senate committee retreats to write a final impeachment report. On Wednesday,the 11-member committee burned the midnight oil to conclude the hearings. Governor Mwangaza was the last witness to testify before the committee. Led by chairman Bonny Khalwale,the Senators finished the hearing at 2:00 am and proceeded to write their final report. Khalwale commended the committee for the patient and hard work it put in during the hearings. “Albeit very late, glad to conclude (at 2.00 am) the hearing of evidence in the matter of the investigation into and consideration of the impeachment of Mwangaza, the governor of Meru. My humblest thanks to all the members of the Senate Special Committee,” he said. Also Read: Police Rescue 2 Italians in Suspected Militia Attack in Witu The Committee is set to present its report before the committee of the whole house on Friday. The Senate plenary will then deb...

A court in Ivory Coast on Wednesday handed down life terms to four Malian men convicted of abetting a jihadist attack on a beach resort that left 19 people dead. The court in Abidjan, the country’s commercial hub, found the four “guilty of the deeds for which they are accused and sentences them to life imprisonment,” Judge Charles Bini announced. The March 13, 2016 assault was the first jihadist attack in Ivory Coast, one of West Africa’s economic powerhouses. In an operation echoing a jihadist massacre the previous year in Tunisia, three men wielding assault rifles stormed the beach at Grand-Bassam, a resort 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Abidjan popular with Europeans, before attacking hotels and restaurants. The 45-minute bloodbath ended when Ivorian security forces shot the attackers dead. The 19 fatalities comprised nine Ivorians, four French citizens, a Lebanese, a German, a Macedonian, a Malian, a Nigerian and a person who could not be identified. Thirty-three people ...

Police officers have rescued four people in a suspected militia attack in Witu, Lamu County. The four included two women of Italian origin. They were rescued after they were held hostage by suspected militia in Witu forest early Thursday morning. According to police, the two were rescued from a grey salon car KCR 975A during the 5.45am incident. Police also recovered two bodies from an Isuzu lorry KCY 224 U. The bodies  had bullet wounds. Police said officers from GSU Hqrts enroute to Mokowe under I/c of C.I Gituma Of GSU C coy bumped into the militants at an illegal roadblock they had erected. The militants are  suspected Al Shabaab militia numbering about 10 who disguised as KDF officers. Also Read: Central Africa extends War Crimes Court for Five Years They were ambushed by officers who were on a mission Another vehicle KCK 380K Isuzu lorry had two occupants who were rescued. There was also a KBF 035U Honda Saloon with several gun shots but no occupants. ...