Headline
Kenya Grants Visa-free Entry To all Africans, Excludes Two Countries

Kenya has announced it will allow citizens from nearly all African countries to visit without prior authorisation, according to a new directive by the cabinet.
Previously, Kenya required visitors to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) online, a system criticised as a “visa under another name.”
On Tuesday, the cabinet announced the ETA would be dropped for “all African countries except Somalia and Libya—due to security concerns.”
READ ALSO: Kenya’s Deputy President Faces Impeachment Over Corruption
The government explained the move is part of “efforts to support open skies policies and tourism growth” while promoting “regional integration and ease of travel.”
Despite its visa-free policy, Kenya ranked 46th out of 54 nations in the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index, dropping 17 places.
Under the updated system, citizens from most African countries can stay in Kenya for up to two months without an ETA. Members of the East African Community—Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi—can stay for up to six months, in line with the bloc’s policy. An enhanced process will also allow travellers to receive approvals instantly, with a maximum processing time of 72 hours.
READ ALSO: Tight Security In Kenya Ahead Of New Protests
Before the ETA’s introduction, visitors from over 40 countries, including many in Africa, could enter Kenya freely. Now, all travellers must apply and pay $30 for an ETA at least three days before travel unless exempted.
The ETA system has faced criticism for complicating travel and discouraging potential visitors. The government defends it as necessary for “pre-screening, strengthening security, and streamlining passenger processing.” Kenya has faced significant security threats from al-Shabab militants based in Somalia, prompting tightened border measures.
Guidelines to improve the “traveller experience at Kenyan airports” are expected within a week, though no implementation date for the new policy has been announced.
Headline
UK Nursery Worker Jailed For Abusing 21 Babies

A judge on Friday jailed a nursery worker for eight years for a string of “gratuitous” and “sadistic” attacks on babies.
In one incident, Londoner Roksana Lecka, 22, kicked a little boy in the face several times.
Lecka, who blamed cannabis for her crimes, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts.
Sentencing her for attacks on 21 babies, Judge Sarah Plaschkes said she had committed “multiple acts of gratuitous violence” at two London nurseries where she worked.
“You pinched, slapped, punched, smacked and kicked them. You pulled their ears, hair and their toes. You toppled children headfirst into cots,” she said.
READ ALSO:UK Set To Announce Recognition Of Palestinian State
“Often the child would be quietly and happily minding its own business before you deliberately inflicted pain… Your criminal conduct can properly be characterised as sadistic,” she added.
Lecka’s cruelty was revealed in June 2024 after she was seen pinching a number of children.
Police were called in and found multiple incidents recorded on the nursery CCTV.
Victim impact statements submitted to London’s Kingston Crown Court from parents of Lecka’s victims told how they were left heartbroken and guilt-stricken by the attacks.
“These children were so innocent and vulnerable,” one mother told the court.
READ ALSO:Kenya Court Seeks UK Citizen’s Arrest Over Mother’s Murder
“They couldn’t speak, they couldn’t defend themselves and they couldn’t tell us as parents that something had happened to them,” she added.
“They were totally helpless and Roksana preyed upon them.”
The hearing was told that she had apologised to the parents in a letter to the court in which she said cannabis had turned her into a different person.
She had been addicted to the drug around the time of the offences, but had not told the nursery.
She was found not guilty of three further counts of child cruelty.
Headline
Italy Fines Six Oil Firms $1bn Fine For Restricting Competition

Italy’s antitrust regulator said Friday it has slapped Italian energy giant Eni and five other companies with fines totalling more than 936 million euros ($1.1 billion) for “restricting competition” in the sale of fuel.
The authority said in a statement that Eni, Esso, Ip, Q8, Saras and Tamoil “coordinated to set the value of the bio component factored into fuel prices”, which tripled between 2019 and 2023.
READ ALSO:PICTORIAL: NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine, Opioid Shipments Meant For US, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Poland
A probe following a whistleblower’s complaint revealed that “the companies implemented parallel price increases — largely coinciding — which were driven by direct or indirect information exchanges among them”, the authority said.
“The cartel began on 1 January 2020 and continued until 30 June 2023,” it added.
AFP
Headline
Trump Signs Order For TikTok’s Sale, Valued At $14bn

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order declaring that his plan is to sell TikTok’s US operations to American and global investors.
As reported by Reuters on Friday, the order requires companies bidding for TikTok to meet the national-security requirements of the 2024 law that otherwise would ban the app unless its Chinese owners divest.
Speaking to reporters at an Oval Office briefing on Thursday, Vice President James Vance said the newly created US entity would be “valued around $14 billion.
“We actually think this is a good deal for investors, but they will make a determination about what they want to invest and what they think is the proper value,” he said.
READ ALSO:Antitrust Trial: US Asks Court To Break Up Google’s Ad Business
The White House on Thursday pushed back the law’s enforcement date to January 20 to allow time for the transaction, investor commitments, and negotiations with Chinese authorities.
The publication of the executive order shows Trump is making progress on the sale of TikTok’s US assets.
However, details remain to be worked out, including how the U.S. company would handle TikTok’s most valuable asset: its recommendation algorithm.
“There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing that we wanted to accomplish is that we wanted to keep TikTok operating, but we also wanted to make sure that we protected Americans’ data privacy as required by law,” Vance said.
READ ALSO:Trump Slams Harvard With New Restrictions On Funds
According to Reuters, Trump’s order says the algorithm will be retrained and monitored by the U.S. company’s security partners, and operation of the algorithm will be under the control of the new joint venture.
Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had indicated approval of the plans. “I spoke with President Xi,” Trump said. “We had a good talk, I told him what we were doing, and he said go ahead with it.”
Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. TikTok did not immediately comment on Trump’s action.
READ ALSO:Judge Throws Out Trump’s $15bn ‘Rage’ Lawsuit Against New York Times
Trump has credited TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, with helping him win reelection last year. Trump has 15 million followers on his personal TikTok account. The White House also launched an official TikTok account last month.
“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump said.
He said that Michael Dell, the founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies; Rupert Murdoch, the chairman emeritus of Fox News owner Fox Corp, and newspaper publisher News Corp, and “probably four or five absolutely world-class investors” would be part of the deal.
- Metro5 days ago
Police Arrest Three Kidnappers Over ₦6.9m Ransom, Victim’s Murder
- Business5 days ago
BREAKING: Nigeria’s GDP Grows By 4.23% In Q2 2025 – NBS
- Metro5 days ago
BREAKING: Bodies Of 8 Missing Policemen Recovered In Benue
- Headline5 days ago
Antitrust Trial: US Asks Court To Break Up Google’s Ad Business
- Business5 days ago
French Media Giant Canal+ Takes Over S.Africa’s Multichoice
- Headline5 days ago
Google Faces Court Battle Over Breakup Of Ad Tech Business
- News5 days ago
JUST IN: Okpehbolo Appoints New VC For AAU
- Politics4 days ago
Why I Visited Tinubu —Gov Fubara
- Sports5 days ago
JUST IN: PSG Player Wins 2025 Ballon d’Or
- Entertainment3 days ago
Davido Gifts Wife Chioma 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon