At Least Six More People Considering Joining Lawsuit Against Lizzo, Says Plaintiffs’ Lawyer

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August 10, 2023

An environmental academic said Wednesday she had filed the first of multiple planned court actions against British water companies for underreporting pollution incidents and overcharging customers, in breach of UK laws.

Carolyn Roberts, a professor and water and environment consultant, revealed she had lodged an initial claim against Severn Trent Water and planned further legal actions against five other firms on behalf of more than 20 million customers.

Roberts, who is represented by the well-known British law firm Leigh Day, estimates the companies could face compensation bills of over £800 million ($1 billion) if the cases are successful.

The first claim, filed last week against Severn Trent on behalf of eight million people, is estimated to be worth more than £330 million.

It comes amid a long-running scandal over privatised water firms pumping raw sewage into waterways, provoking widespread public anger and promises of increased regulatory scrutiny from the government.

Ministers announced last month that companies and individuals polluting Britain’s rivers and other ecosystems will be liable for unlimited fines.

“Like many others across the country, I have viewed with horror the escalating number of stories in the media regarding the volume of sewage discharged into our waterways and on to our beaches,” Roberts said in a statement.

“It appears that because of the serial and serious underreporting at the heart of these claims, water companies have been avoiding being penalised by Ofwat,” she added, referring to the sector’s regulator in the UK.

“I believe this has resulted in consumers being unfairly overcharged for sewage services.”

Industry body Water UK said the accusations are “entirely without merit” and that 99 percent of sewage works are legally compliant.

However, Roberts and Leigh Day said they intend to bring similar “collective actions” against Thames Water, United Utilities, Anglian Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water.

They urged the companies’ millions of customers to visit a website created to assess their eligibility for compensation.

“These companies have allegedly been misleading their regulators by underreporting the number of pollution incidents, being discharges of wastewater from a company sewerage asset adversely affecting the water environment and resulting in higher customer bills,” a statement on it read.

Last month, a UK court fined Thames Water, the nation’s biggest supplier, £3.3 million for polluting rivers.

The fine came shortly after the UK’s privatised water companies pledged to make massive investments to avoid repeats of the contamination.

Pope Francis Warns About AI’s Dangers

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John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Pope Francis warned that artificial intelligence could pose a risk to society, highlighting its “disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects” and urging those who would develop or use AI to do so responsibly.

In a statement Tuesday, Francis alluded to the threat of algorithmic bias in technology and called on the public for vigilance “so that a logic of violence and discrimination does not take root in the production and use of such devices, at the expense of the most fragile and excluded.”

“Injustice and inequalities fuel conflicts and antagonisms,” Francis continued. “The urgent need to orient the concept and use of artificial intelligence in a responsible way, so that it may be at the service of humanity and the protection of our common home, requires that ethical reflection be extended to the sphere of education and law.”

Francis’s remarks dovetail with calls by some AI experts to ensure that algorithms are properly “aligned” in development to support human rights and other widely shared values. Other industry experts and policymakers have expressed concerns that AI could facilitate the spread of fraud, misinformation, cyberattacks and perhaps even the creation of biological weapons.

Francis himself has been the subject of AI-generated deepfakes. Earlier this year, an AI-generated image of Francis wearing a white, puffy Balenciaga-inspired coat went viral.

Tuesday’s message announced the theme for 2024’s World Day of Peace, which the Pope said would focus on AI and peace.

“The protection of the dignity of the person,” he said, “and concern for a fraternity effectively open to the entire human family, are indispensable conditions for technological development to help contribute to the promotion of justice and peace in the world.”

Mike SonkoClaims He’ll Soon Rejoin Elective Politics

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John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Former Nairobi Governor Miko Sonko has stated that he is still involved in government and provides advice on a variety of pertinent issues.

Sonko claims he has been a member of the government since joining the Kenya Kwanza brigade during the 2022 election period and has been involved in the affairs of the coalition since then.

“Everybody knows I was in Kenya Kwanza, I campaigned for the president so I can say I am in government even though I am not a minister and I do not appear anywhere in the cabinet or government parastatal but I still have some small political muscles in this government,” he said in a Wednesday interview with NTV.

“I can advise on some things and contribute on any important issue.”

Concerning his impeachment case, which barred him from running for political office in the 2022 elections, Sonko stated that he still intends to return to politics, noting that he has not exhausted all avenues of appeal to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision.

Sonko was impeached by the Nairobi County Assembly in December 2020 on charges of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

He maintained his innocence and claimed that his removal from office was politically motivated.

“In law there is a saying that every accused person is innocent until they are proven guilty. Actually, I did not exhaust the avenues of the law as provided for in our constitution,” he said.

“I exhausted my appeals to the Supreme Court level, however, everyone saw what happened in my impeachment. It was politically instigated because the law is clear that once you get any new evidence you are allowed to go back to court.”

In July 2022, Sonko defected from the opposition and joined the ruling government, claiming that Kenya Kwanza arranged a deal with him to persuade him to switch sides.

Sonko enlisted his supporters to help him choose the best option by listing all of the positions offered by the UDA outfit.

“Below are positions offered to me and my people as captured in the engagement agreement/MOU; one CS National Government, three PSs National Government, four Ambassadors, three CEC’s Mombasa County, three Chief officers Mombasa County, two CEC’s Nairobi county and three Chief officers in Mombasa County,” he stated in an Instagram post.

Morticians Condemn IG Koome’s Claim Of Hiring Out Bodies

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John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Morticians Association in Kenya has condemned Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome’s remarks on hiring of dead bodies from some morgues.

Their response came a day after the IG accused the opposition of hiring dead bodies by colluding with morgue attendants to taint the ‘good image of the National Police Service’ during the demos.

In a statement released on Wednesday, August 9, the Morticians and Allied Professionals Association of Kenya (MAPAKe) refuted the claims by the police boss saying, all attendants are registered and governed by ethics.

“We condemn the statement made by the Inspector General of Police Mr. Japheth Koome because we believe that no mortuary technician in the Kenya of today can even attempt to do such a thing,” said the association.

“The office of the Inspector General is such a respected office to even attempt to lower it to such unimaginable actions. We work very closely with the police service in our day-to-day operations and believe that this position we are taking is very well known to the Inspector General.”

They demanded Koome to substantiate his sentiments by ensuring anyone culpable faces the law, failure to which he should withdraw his remarks which they say taints their image and profession.

“We demand the Inspector General to furnish both Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board; the two registering, regulating and licensing bodies of mortuary technicians and the mortuary facilities respectively the particulars of those implicated for investigation and if found culpable, necessary disciplinary actions taken against them,” read part of the statement.

“Failure to do so, the Inspector General should withdraw his remarks against the facilities as he put it and also the Mortuary practitioners as he also put it in his statement.”

“Mortuary practitioners, serve all Kenyans without caring about their tribe, race, class, political alignment or religion. It is therefore very unfair for the Inspector General to try and tag our profession along or into matters we are less concerned with.”

MAPAKe said they are regulated by the law under the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA), adding that their ethical guidelines emphasise the respect of the dead.

“Mortuary technicians are no longer the rogue, careless, dirty, drunk and reckless uneducated individuals. Mortuary technicians are registered, licensed and regulated by a Government Authority established by an Act of Parliament; Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA),” they stated.

“Mortuary technicians are governed by ethics, chiefly among them being, respect and confidentiality of the deceased and respect for the loss, feelings and the right of the bereaved to mourn their loved ones in peace. Mortuary technicians operate within and observe the laws of Kenya in all our practice.”

While addressing journalists at the Kiganjo Police College, Koome said his officers did not take part in fuelling the violence witnessed during the protests after reports of police brutality emerged.

He also argued that the allegations are based on propaganda, aimed at tarnishing the institution’s name.

41 Migrants Missing After New Mediterranean Shipwreck

By

John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Forty-one migrants including three children are feared dead after a shipwreck last week in the Mediterranean, UN agencies said, citing four survivors brought to the Italian island of Lampedusa Wednesday.

Their metal boat overturned during bad weather during the night of Thursday to Friday after setting off from the Tunisian port of Sfax, said a joint statement from the UN agencies for refugees, children and migration.

The survivors — a 13-year-old boy on his own, a woman and two men — were rescued by a merchant ship and brought to Lampedusa by the Italian coastguard, they said.

In a separate statement, the Italian Red Cross, which manages the migrant reception centre on the island, said the four were generally in good health.

It confirmed the testimony that there had been 45 people on the boat when it went down, adding that none of those missing were related to the survivors.

The four managed to survive the shipwreck by floating on inner tubes, it said.

The shipwreck is one of several deadly incidents reported in recent days after a period of bad weather.

Officials on Monday had reported that 16 migrants died in shipwrecks off the coasts of Tunisia and Western Sahara.

And on Sunday, the UN’s migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said at least 30 people were missing after two shipwrecks off Lampedusa.

The tiny island, located just 90 miles (around 145 kilometres) from Tunisia, is the first port of call for many migrants heading from North Africa to Europe.

But many of them do not survive, making the Central Mediterranean migrant crossing the world’s deadliest.

More than 1,800 people died attempting the route so far this year, according to IOM figures from Friday — the toll from the latest shipwrecks brings that to almost 1,900.

This is more than double the same period last year, IOM spokesman Flavio di Giacomo said, adding that this was likely to be an underestimate.

Multichoice Pulls DSTV Service From Malawi After Court Bars Price Hike

By

John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Satellite TV provider, MultiChoice, will no longer accept new DStv subscriptions or reconnections in Malawi starting Wednesday, August 9, 2023, because it no longer provides the DStv service in the country.

This move comes after MultiChoice Malawi announced plans to raise DStv rates in the Southeastern African country. However, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) barred the DStv tariff adjustment following an interim injunction from the nation’s High Court at the end of July 2023.

The injunction prevented Multichoice Malawi (MCM) from increasing the DSTV tariffs. Following the high court’s second order, Multichoice terminated its DStv service in Malawi yesterday, August 8, 2023.

The basis for MACRA’s injunction was the argument that Multichoice Africa was ineligible to set or modify DStv service tariffs in the nation because it did not directly provide the service to the general public.

MultiChoice Africa has no choice but to permanently discontinue the DStv service due to the regulatory landscape that makes it difficult to operate and the consequences of non-compliance, which included imprisonment for the company’s staff.

MultiChoice urged Malawians to stop paying for DStv services. Users who have already paid for their most recent subscription may continue to use the service until the current 30-day viewing cycle expires on or before September 10, 2023.

Meanwhile, in 2023, MultiChoice increased its DStv rates in some African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.

For instance, in July 2023, the company announced that it’d raise the prices of all its DStv and GOtv packages in Kenya due to the country’s rising inflation and currency depreciation, starting August 1, 2023.

Besides, in April 2023, MultiChoice Nigeria increased the prices of DStv and GOtv packages due to the country’s rising inflation.

Museveni: Uganda Will Develop With Or Without Loans

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John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni ascertained that Uganda would develop with or without the loans from World Bank.

This comes shortly after the World Bank suspended new loans to Uganda over its anti-gay law

Museveni revealed that an official from World Bank called him on Monday night informing him about the statement from that Bank regarding the suspension of any new loan requests from Uganda.

“I want to inform everybody, starting with Ugandans that Uganda will develop with or without loans,” Museveni wrote on his social media page.

He added most loans that the country received in the past were being requested by government officials without his knowledge. Museveni mentioned that ever since he put his foot down and forbade the accepting of any loan requests without his approval the country has been borrowing less.

On August 8, World Bank said it would temporarily stop project financing in Uganda while it examined the steps it had taken to protect the rights of sexual and gender minorities within its programs.

“Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality. This law undermines those efforts. Inclusion and non-discrimination sit at the heart of our work around the world,”read part of the statement issued by World Bank.

This comes exactly a month after the United States said it has updated its travel warning for Uganda following the adoption of the anti-gay legislation, a move Kampala branded “blackmail”.

President Yoweri Museveni signed the anti-gay legislation bill into law on May 29, causing uproar among human rights organizations, the UN, LGBTQ campaigners, and Western countries.

“Reconsider travel to Uganda due to crime, terrorism, and anti-LGBTQI+ legislation,” the US State Department said in its new advisory.

Iniesta Joins Emirates Club In UAE Pro League

By

John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has signed with United Arab Emirates Pro League side Emirates Club.

The Spaniard left Japanese side Vissel Kobe midway through the J-League season on 1 July.

The 39-year-old made 134 appearances for the Japanese club, winning the domestic Emperor’s Cup in 2019 and the Japanese Super Cup the following year.

Emirates Club, who won promotion to the UAE top flight last season, posted “welcome Iniesta” on social media.

Iniesta moved to Japan after a 22-year career at Barcelona, where he won 32 trophies and made 674 senior appearances.

He won 133 caps with Spain and helped the national side to win the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

His new club begin their campaign against Al-Wasl on 19 August.

Wolves Appoint O’Neil On Three-Year Deal

By

John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

Former Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil has been announced as the new manager of Wolves, replacing Julen Lopetegui on a three-year deal.

Lopetegui’s exit from Molineux was confirmed on Tuesday – just three days before the 2023-24 Premier League season begins.

O’Neil led Bournemouth to 15th last season but was sacked on 19 June.

“Gary’s a highly motivated young coach with strong principles,” said Wolves’ sporting director Matt Hobbs.

“It’s an opportunity to do something different with an up-and-coming British coach and from the people we met, Gary was clearly the right person.”

The 40-year-old is Wolves’ fourth manager in just over two years.

His first assignment will come on Monday when Wolves travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

Several candidates were considered as Lopetegui’s replacement but O’Neil was the preferred option after his presentation during the interview with the Wolves hierarchy left a strong impression.

Hobbs added: “His attention to detail, thoroughness and history of developing players impressed us – he’s worked with both young and experienced players.

“The detail he showed with his tactical work, including against us last year, gives you confidence about the work he and his staff put into every game.

“He’s very forward thinking, very driven, like he has a point to prove because he did a great job at Bournemouth.”

As a player, O’Neil made more than 450 appearances for clubs including Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham, QPR and Norwich.

He took up his first coaching role in August 2020, when he became assistant manager with Liverpool’s Under-23s. He joined the coaching set-up at Bournemouth under former manager Jonathan Woodgate in February 2021.

The Cherries named O’Neil as interim boss following the sacking of Scott Parker after a 9-0 defeat against Liverpool in August 2022.

He was made the permanent manager in November, signing a one-and-a-half-year contract with the option to extend by a further 12 months, after picking up 13 points from 11 Premier League games to guide the south coast club from 17th to 14th.

During his time at Vitality Stadium, O’Neil managed the team for a total of 37 matches in all competitions, winning 11, drawing six and losing 20 – departing with a win ratio of 29.73%.

Lopetegui took charge of 27 games at Wolves during the same period, winning 10, drawing six and losing 11.

West Ham Agree Maguire And Ward-Prowse Deals

By

John Mutiso

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August 10, 2023

West Ham United have agreed deals for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse worth about £60m in total.

Each deal is thought to be worth in the region of £30m.

Maguire, 30, struggled for first-team opportunities at Old Trafford last season and has been stripped of the captaincy this season.

He is understood to be keen on the move with personal terms yet to be agreed but not expected to be a problem.

Maguire joined United in August 2019 for a world record £80m for a defender.

West Ham have been trying to sign Ward-Prowse for much of the summer but Southampton, who were relegated to the Championship last season, had rejected their advances until this point.

However, it has appeared inevitable that Southampton would lose their captain and that now seems set to happen.

West Ham are looking to bolster their squad after selling England midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m and Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta for £21.5m.

Hammers boss David Moyes is closing on signing Ajax’s Edson Alvarez as a replacement for Rice and has also been linked with a move for Manchester United’s Scott McTominay.

Maguire made 30 appearances for United last season, but only made eight league starts.

He had potentially slipped down to fifth choice central defender at Old Trafford, with Lisandro Martinez, Rafael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw ahead of him.

After stripping him of the captaincy Erik ten Hag said Maguire was an “important player” and could “fight himself into the team”.

But the defender was booed by United fans and shouted at by new goalkeeper Andre Onana during a pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund.

Despite his struggles at Manchester United, Maguire has been a regular for England under Gareth Southgate, starting all five games at the 2022 World Cup.

Ward-Prowse started Southampton’s Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday but did not play in their Carabao Cup first-round defeat against Gillingham on Tuesday.

Rice’s departure leaves West Ham without an obvious captain and Moyes has opted not to name a replacement so far, but Maguire and Ward-Prowse provide two options.

Current first choice central defenders Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma have both had injury problems in recent months.

Premier League champions Manchester City are interested in Hammers midfielder Lucas Paqueta with an initial approach made but no bid yet.

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