In an attempt to limit the spill, authorities were working against time when a tanker flying the Philippine flag carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil overturned and sank off Manila on Thursday.

Early in the morning, the MT Terra Nova sank in Manila Bay, around seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from Limay municipality in Bataan province, close to the capital. The ship was bound for the central city of Iloilo.

There is an apparent several-kilometer-long oil leak in the heavily trafficked waterway.

He issued a warning, saying that the largest oil disaster in Philippine history would occur if the tanker’s entire cargo leaked.

Jaime Bautista, the transport secretary, reported that 16 out of the 17 crew members had been rescued.

The missing crew member was being looked for, but severe winds and large waves were making it difficult to respond, according to Bautista.

There were four crew members undergoing medical attention.

When the MT Terra Nova capsized and sank, the coast guard declared that it was looking into “whether there was an existing weather disturbance in the vicinity waters.”

The ship capsized as Typhoon Gaemi and the yearly monsoon battered Manila and the neighboring areas with intense rains in recent days.

A “strong current” carrying an oil slick spanning around 3.7 kilometers was moving easterly to north-easterly, according to a dispatch from the coast guard.

According to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan, an investigation into the event has been ordered.

Workers for marine environmental protection have been called in to assist in containing the slick.

In February 2023, a fuel tanker carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil sank in waters near the central island of Mindoro, causing one of the greatest oil disasters in Philippine history.

The fishing and tourism sectors were severely damaged when the diesel fuel and thick oil from that ship contaminated the seas and beaches along the coast of Oriental Mindoro province.

In response to a Defense Council recommendation, President William Ruto has authorized more changes to the Kenyan defense forces.

The head of state announced 23 new postings, promotions, and appointments for members of the Kenya Army, Air Force, and Navy in an announcement on Wednesday.

“His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto, C.G.H, President of the Republic of Kenya, and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, pursuant to section 9 (2) (a) of the Kenya Defence Forces Act, has today, on the advice of the Defence Council Chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary and acting Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Defence Musalia Mudavadi, upheld the Council’s recommendations and made various promotions, postings and appointments of Kenya Defence Forces Officers as follows,” read the notice.

The appointment of Major General Stephen James Mutuku as the new Deputy Commandant of the National Defence College is one of the most significant moves.

The list of all 22 officers, along with their new positions within the three KDF sections, is provided below.

KENYA ARMY 

1. Colonel Edward Morris Ondabu Nyamao -Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Chief of Compensation and Welfare (DHQ). 
2. Colonel Collins Otieno Mitoko – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Chief of Personnel (HQ KA). 
3. Colonel Paul Kiplimo Koech – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Chief of Training. 
4. Colonel Clement Kimaiga Nyakundi – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Deputy Managing Director of Kenya Meat Commission. 
5. Colonel Victor Ndegwa Mburu – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Commander of Combat Engineers Brigade. 
6. Colonel Eric Nzioki Kitusya – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Chief of Logistics (HQ KA). 
7. Colonel Salaash Kantai – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Commander Military Intelligence Corps. 
8. Colonel Edward Willy Banda – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Brigade Commander 8 Brigade. 
9. Colonel Jackson Lesaiyo Lemakara – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Commander Embakasi Garrison. 
10. Colonel (Dr) Charles Ondego Ochieng – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Chief of Naval Medical Services. 
11. Colonel Yusuf Hussein Adan – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Chief of Communication Information System DHQ. 
12. Lieutenant Colonel (Rev) Jane Wairimu Muringi – Promoted to Colonel and appointed Service Chaplain. 

KENYA AIR FORCE 

1. Colonel Bernard Markie Oluoch -Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Base Commander, at Moi Air Base. 
2. Colonel Eutychus Ndegwa Nyawira – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Head of Training Support and Research at NDC. 
3. Colonel Nehemiah Kemei – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed CEO of Defence SACCO. 
4. Lieutenant Colonel Mercy Wairimu Kamau – Promoted to Colonel and appointed Colonel of Finance and Audit — Defence National Security Industries.

KENYA NAVY 

1. Brigadier John Sankale Kiswaa – Appointed Deputy Commander Kenya Navy. 
2. Brigadier Peter Shikukuu Chelimo -Appointed Director of Centre for Security and Strategic Studies – National Defence University Kenya. 
3. Colonel Lazarus Patroba Wafula – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Base Commander, Kenya Navy Base – Mande. 
4. Colonel Abraham Kipchirchir Biwott – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Base Commander, Kenya Navy Base — Mtongwe. 
5. Colonel Mohamed Shee Shemote – Promoted to Brigadier and appointed Base Commander of, Kenya Navy Fleet. 
6. Lieutenant Colonel Marcella Kananu Aritho – Promoted to Colonel and appointed Deputy Commander, Kenya Navy Fleet. 

Concurrently, the military has implemented more changes in accordance with the Defense Council’s advice.

In an effort to combat corruption, which has proven tough to remove in prior governments, President William Ruto has identified seven actions that his administration will implement.

At a press conference held at the State House on Wednesday, President Ruto clarified that the actions were a reaction to the public’s requests for increased accountability and openness from the government.

In order to expedite and prosecute corruption cases within six months, he declared that he will propose changes to the Evidence Act and Criminal Procedure Code in addition to other required changes.

He added that in order to strengthen witness protection, safeguard whistleblowers, and make it safer and simpler for citizens to come forward, he will be putting out revisions to the Witness Protection Act.

Within ninety days, Ruto plans to propose amendments to the Public Finance Management Act and the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, with the goal of modernizing the public procurement system, which has been identified as the epicenter of corruption.

He declared that he intended to implement digital infrastructure in the next six months, saying that this would, in his opinion, offer transparency from contract award to advertisement.

Additionally, the head of state has asked parliament to expeditiously pass the Conflict of Interest Bill, which establishes guidelines for handling and controlling conflicts of interest in the public sector.

If a bill does not establish the highest standards of integrity and anti-graft measures, President Ruto has threatened to veto it.

In order to guarantee that proceedings are finished and deadlines are announced to the public, he further requested that judicial institutions give a schedule for every case that is currently pending.

Simultaneously, President Ruto declared he would collaborate with the legislature to enhance the transparency of the Value Added Tax (VAT) reimbursement procedure.

He claimed that the yearly cost of VAT refunds to firms is Ksh. 400 billion, calling the procedure “opaque.”

In an effort to cut public spending and reroute exercise savings to more productive economic areas, he pledged to increase process transparency.

Finally, in an effort to improve value addition and boost wealth, jobs, and opportunities in Kenya, President Ruto stated he would seek parliament to tighten laws limiting and banning imports of commodities and products currently made in Kenya.

President William Ruto has commanded the immediate release of all demonstrators wrongfully detained during the anti-government demonstrations, along with the dismissal of all accusations against them.

Ruto stated during a state address at the State House on Wednesday that the nation must function within the bounds of the law and that innocent protesters should not be apprehended.

“I urge the criminal justice agencies to take effective measures and ensure that people who may have innocently caught up on the wrong side of things and those not implicated in crime be released and charges against them withdrawn,” he said.

Ruto went on to say that the action will free up security forces’ time and resources to look into more severe criminal cases involving protesters who caused havoc.

In addition, Ruto denounced the use of deadly force by police on demonstrators and demanded an expeditious probe into the perpetrators of the observed fatalities.

“I call on the NPS to use its mandate responsibly, professionally and effectively in compliance with the constitution with a view to promoting national objectives of Article 238,239 and 244 of our constitution. All breaches and violations by police officers must be handled expeditiously through due process to give Kenyans a police service that upholds the highest standards of integrity,” noted Ruto

The Head of State further declared that he will change the evidence and witness protection statutes to expedite the achievement of these objectives in response to appeals to preserve integrity in governance and fight corruption.

“I will be proposing amendments to the evidence act and the criminal procedure code among other necessary legislative amendments to all statutes relating to corruption to expedite investigations and prosecution of corruption cases and provide for their conclusion within 6 months,” said Ruto.

Since the start of the protests against the financial bill on June 18, 2024, 50 people have died around Kenya, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

In addition, 682 people were “arbitrarily arrested,” according to KNHCR, while 59 people were allegedly kidnapped by police and reported missing since the start of the protests.

After spending the night in police custody, over 100 individuals who had been detained during the protests on July 16 in the capital were officially charged and later released by a court.

Lawyer James wa Njeri stated that all 109 of the accused were freed on a Ksh. 500 cash bond, with the charge against each of them being “drunk and disorderly.”

Five people, one of whom is an active police officer, have been taken into custody by Kitui County police for allegedly posing as Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers.

The group, which consisted of four men and a woman, was caught trying to blackmail the County’s Director of Revenue Collection.

According to reports, the suspects stormed into the Director’s office pretending to be carrying out a crackdown on dishonest county officials. Then, they brought the director to her home and claimed that there were significant quantities of stolen county funds hidden there.

The Director became suspicious of the five and reported the incident to the police, who quickly arrived and took the culprits into custody.

Officers discovered that the suspects had EACC staff badges with the title “CEO” on them when they questioned them, according to Kitui Central Police OCPD Peter Karanja.

“We sent our officers and when they met the purported anti-graft watchdog officers, they were somehow suspicious. They brought them to the Station and we were able to establish that the badges they had were all reading CEO of the EACC,” Karanja said .

Since then, Karanja has made contact with the Eastern Regional Manager of the EACC in order to confirm the identification of the suspects still being held at the Kitui Central Police Station.

“We have contacted the Eastern Regional regional manager who is sending his team to come and verify whether these are genuine employees of the EACC,” he stated.

“We are holding the five suspects and are still processing them.”

The OCPD also asked Kitui locals to keep an eye out and report any incidents of anyone posing as government officials.

Over thirty people are missing and eleven people have died as a result of a bridge collapse in northern China brought on by intense rains, official media said on Saturday.

At approximately 8:40 p.m. on Friday, 1240 GMT, the bridge spanning a river in Shangluo, Shaanxi province, gave way “due to a sudden downpour and flash floods,” according to state news agency Xinhua, which cited the provincial public relations department.

After the highway bridge crumbled into the river below, around 20 automobiles and over 30 individuals were reported missing by state broadcaster CCTV.

Photos that appeared on state television showed the river surging over a portion of the bridge that was half submerged.

After approaching the bridge, a witness told local media that other drivers began “yelling at me to brake and stop the car.”

The witness, Meng, stated, “A truck in front of me didn’t stop” and plunged into the water’s depth.

According to CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out efforts” to locate those who are still missing.

Since Tuesday, heavy rains have pounded large parts of northern and central China, resulting in flooding and serious damage.

On Friday, the rains caused flooding and mudslides in Baoji city, Shaanxi, leaving at least five people dead and eight missing, according to state media.

Images of entirely flooded neighborhoods by muddy waters were shown on state television, with inhabitants and excavators working to clean up the damage.

President William Ruto has selected the first group of Cabinet Secretaries to replace those who were fired in a historic statement on July 11, 2024, following weeks of youth-led anti-government rallies.

During a press conference at the State House on Friday, the Head of State stated that the 11 nominations, which included the Attorney General, were the result of discussions with political leaders from all parties in an effort to restore order and peace to the nation.

On the other hand, Prof. Kithure Kindiki is the sole former CS on the list; the other six have since returned to their previous ministries.

The list of the 11 CSs and their titles is shown below:

1. Ministry of the Interior and National Administration – Prof. Kithure Kindiki
2. Ministry of Health – Dr. Debra Mulonga Barasa
3. Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development – Alice Wahome
4. Ministry of Education – Julius Migosi Ogamba
5. Ministry of Defence – Aden Barre Duale
6. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development – Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja
7. Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry – Roselinda Soipan Tuiya
8. Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation – Eric Muriithi Muuga
9. Ministry of Roads and Transport – Davis Chirchir
10. Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy – Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u
11. Attorney-General – Rebecca Miano

“I am continuing to undertake consultations across the political divide on the balance of Cabinet that I will appoint shortly. The consultations are at an advanced stage and internal processes in various sectors are underway to facilitate my appointment of the balance of this Cabinet,” said the President.

“Additionally,. I will be issuing next week a clear roadmap on the assignment that the new Cabinet is going to have, with clear timelines and deliverables to harness the tremendous potential that exists in our nation and drive our country to greatness.”

The Ford Foundation has received a formal letter from the Kenyan government expressing grave concerns regarding the American organization’s recent financial efforts in the nation.

The Kenyan government, through Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’Oei, suggests in a letter to Mr. Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, that some of the foundation’s grantees may be inciting the ongoing protests in Kenya.

The letter, dated July 18, 2024, emphasizes that a number of non-state recipients, such as Africa Uncensored Limited, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and Transparency International, received USD 5.78 million (roughly Ksh. 752 million) in total from the Ford Foundation between April 2023 and May 2024.

The PS included the following 16 organizations on its list of recipients of Ford Foundation funding:

• Africa Uncensored Limited (Project Mulika): US$ 250,000
• Women’s Link Worldwide: US$ 750,000
• Centre for Resource Mobilization and Development: US$ 20,000
• Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative: US$ 220,000
• Kenya Human Rights Commission: US$ 600,000
• Open Institute Trust: US$ 100,000
• Africa Centre for Open Governance: US$ 200,000
• Transparency International: US$ 300,000
• The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA): US$ 200,000
• National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (K): US$ 257,000
• Shinning Hope for Communities Inc.: US$ 2,050,000
• Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya: US$ 250,000
• Community Aid International: US$ 100,000
• Mzalendo Trust: US$ 335,000
• Usikimye (Femicide): US$ 30,000
• Citizens Advancement Initiative: US$ 150,000

The government found more alarming “unexplained expedited” funding of USD 1.49 million (about Ksh. 194 million) in just the last month.

Additionally, it claimed that a few grantees had engaged in actions that were illegal in Kenya, such as hate speech, provocation, and disinformation-based mobilization, which may have violated the Ford Foundation’s non-lobbying policy.

For this reason, the Ford Foundation is being forced to furnish the Kenyan government with complete information about grantees, approved activities, budgets, and disbursements for the previous year.

Kenya also requests reports from the American organization’s grantees, including their expenditures, recipients, and activities; additionally, it requests a report on the Ford Foundation’s adherence to its non-lobbying policy or an explanation of its relevance to Kenya.

In addition, the Foundation has been asked by the Kenyan government to recommend penalties for any legal or internal policy violations.