International

Kenya Gives Foreign Traders 90 Days to Formalise Status Amid Xenophobia Fears

Published

2 months ago

September 9, 2026

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The Kenyan government has given foreign nationals operating businesses in the country 90 days to regularise their immigration status, work permits, business registrations and licences, following remarks by President William Ruto that triggered panic in immigrant communities and fears of xenophobic violence.

State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed announced the “orderly regularisation exercise” on Tuesday, saying relevant government agencies would work with foreign embassies to facilitate compliance. “Every person conducting business in Kenya is required to comply with applicable immigration, work-permit, registration and licensing requirements,” Mohamed said. Requirements will be administered “fairly, consistently and without discrimination” during the period. After the 90 days, the rules will be enforced “firmly and strictly in accordance with the law and due process.”

The move comes after Ruto’s comments last week that foreigners should not operate as hawkers or run small shops, which were widely seen as responding to complaints from Kenyan traders about competition in the informal sector. The remarks sparked anxiety, particularly among Burundian nationals who dominate street vending in parts of Nairobi. Hundreds queued at the Burundi embassy seeking travel documents amid concerns of a crackdown and possible attacks similar to recent xenophobic violence in South Africa. There were reports of at least one shop attack and instances of harassment or intimidation.

Mohamed explicitly warned that no individual or group has authority to harass, intimidate, threaten or interfere with foreign nationals or their businesses, stressing that enforcement is the sole responsibility of authorised state agencies. “Legitimate concerns about economic opportunity can never justify discrimination, excuse lawlessness or sanction violence,” the statement said. Kenya would remain “an open, secure and welcoming country” while protecting opportunities for its citizens, especially in the micro and small-enterprise sector.

Citizens of East African Community countries are eligible for free work permits, though many have not completed formal registration. The government has also directed that the Local Content Bill currently before Parliament be expanded to create a clearer framework identifying activities that may be reserved for Kenyans while protecting the rights of foreigners lawfully entitled to work, invest or trade.

The 90-day window is intended to allow an orderly process rather than immediate closures, offering temporary relief to affected communities while signalling stricter future enforcement.

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International

JUST IN: Four Pilots Die After Mid-Air Collision of Military Planes in Philippine

Published

9 hours ago

October 24, 2026

Charles Flames

14 Views

Four Philippine Air Force pilots died Friday after two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided mid-air during a training flight and crashed at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, south of Manila, the air force confirmed Saturday.

The accident occurred at about 3:51 p.m. local time on October 23, 2026. Both single-propeller planes went down within the base perimeter. No other casualties were reported on the ground.

Philippine Air Force spokesman Colonel Alvin Capinguian (also referred to as Alvin Jay Capinguian) said the aircraft were involved in a training flight. Officials with knowledge of the incident, speaking anonymously, and local reports confirmed the planes collided while flying at low altitude. Some accounts noted they were part of a larger formation or flyby rehearsal, with other aircraft landing safely.

The air force described it as an “aviation accident” and said an investigation is underway to determine the cause. As a precaution, the entire fleet of SF-260 aircraft has been temporarily grounded. The air force is coordinating assistance with the families of the deceased and asked the public to respect their privacy. One of the pilots was later identified in some reports as 1st Lt. Angeleo Adrian Peñaflor.

The SF-260 is a light Italian-designed trainer used by the Philippine Air Force. The incident is the latest fatal crash involving the type; two pilots were killed in a similar SF-260 training accident in Benguet province in May.

International

“Mother of all bombs,” Trump Plans To Hit Iran

The 21,600-pound airburst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has so far not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.

Published

1 week ago

October 15, 2026

OCHEFA

99 Views

The U.S. military is considering use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb if it resumes strikes inside Iran, CNN reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials.

Trump said Oct. 8 that he would not resume U.S. strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, while attacks on shipping near the Strait of Hormuz and deadly Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia have raised regional tensions.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran will combine military capabilities and negotiations to press its demands.

International

Child marriage in southern Germany: Over 350 cases recorded, some brides as young as 11

The most recent entries in the overview relate to 2026. They include, among other things, marriages of 16- and 17-year-old girls to adult men.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 13, 2026

OCHEFA

97 Views

• Child marriage / UNICEF

In the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, a total of 358 so-called child marriages have been officially recorded since 2012.

Euro News reported that only eight of these forced marriages have so far been legally annulled.

According to authorities, the other 350 cases were brought to an end in other ways.

This alarming finding comes from a response by the Baden-Württemberg state government to a minor inquiry submitted by AfD state parliament members Nikolaos Boutakoglou and Emely Knorr.

The Tübingen regional authority is responsible for recording the data, the answer came from the Ministry of the Interior.

The eight final annulments took place between 2018 and 2024. Among the documented cases was the marriage of an 11-year-old girl from Iraq to a 17-year-old Iraqi, which was annulled in 2020.

As early as 2018, the marriage of a 14-year-old Afghan girl to a 30-year-old man had been ended.

In 2024 two further annulments were added: they concerned a 16-year-old German girl and a 25-year-old Pakistani man and a 16-year-old Syrian girl and a 27-year-old man from the same country.State parliament member Nikolaos Boutakoglou wrote on Facebook that the issue was “really awful” but was being treated as a taboo.

According to its own account, the ministry deals exclusively with such marriages entered into abroad.

Since summer 2017, the Act to Combat Child Marriages has been in force in Germany.

In 2024, the Bundestag adopted new rules to protect minors in marriages concluded abroad.

Hundreds of cases without state intervention

The significantly higher number of cases concluded in other ways raises questions about how these marriages continued.

For the period from 2015 to 2026, the regional authority lists a total of 350 proceedings under the heading “other disposals.”But what became of the other child marriages?

The state government cites, among other things, the death of a spouse, reaching adulthood, a decision not to seek annulment or a new marriage concluded abroad.

In these cases, there was therefore no legally binding annulment.

For 2023, the records include the case of a 12-year-old Afghan girl who was married to a 21-year-old Afghan man. Girls aged 13 and 14 also appear several times in the statistics.

The most recent entries in the overview relate to 2026. They include, among other things, marriages of 16- and 17-year-old girls to adult men.

The statistics record the age of the spouses at the time of marriage and their respective nationalities.