Year Ender 2024: Lee Dong-Wook's ‘A Shop for Killers’ to Choi Woo-Shik’s ‘A Killer Paradox’; Here Are 7 Thrillers That Had K-Drama Fans Glued to Their Screens
Drivers, college protesters on Jon Keller's list of Boston's 2024 turkeys Jon Keller has his annual list of turkeys in the Boston area for Thanksgiving 2024.
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! was thrown into chaos as a mouse infiltrated the camp during the night, causing a stir in the Monday (December 2) episode. During the hit ITV show, Maura couldn't hide her displeasure after noticing a mouse scurrying across kitchen equipment and crockery. The drama escalated when the rodent darted under her bed, prompting a startled response from the ex-Love Island contestant, now aged 34, who exclaimed: "I'm not really up for a Trial at this time of the night!" Upon realising some of the evening's fruit hadn't been packed away, Tulisa expressed her frustration, insisting: "Camp maintenance should be putting everything back in the trunk. They gotta step it up!" In contrast to the nocturnal excitement, Melvin seemingly had a restful night, waking up refreshed and declaring: "I feel like a new man to be honest!" Audiences at home took rapidly to social media to broadcast their thoughts on the incident. One fan posted: "if i saw those mice id be OUT of the jungle so fast #ImACeleb." (sic) Another humorously remarked: "I'm not up for a trial at this time of night #ImACeleb." (sic) One more voiced their horror, saying: "The mice? ? I'd actually break down, because what do you mean mice are running all over my things? #ImACeleb." (sic) An additional comment questioned the responsibility of camp duties: "How is a camp maintenance job to put dishes away. Surely you just do that after washing up #imaceleb." (sic) And another viewer admitted: "If I saw mice running around I would scream too." (sic) That morning, Dean became the second celebrity to exit I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! With his departure came a wave of emotions among the campmates. Oti expressed: "He just brought us all together, he was the life of the camp." Meanwhile, a stunned Danny commented: "I thought he was final four, final three!" Tulisa, feeling the void left by Dean's high spirits, remarked: "You can definitely feel that Dean has left the camp. It's almost a little bit too chilled out, dare I say. "Didn't think I'd ever see the day that I'd be waiting for some musical theatre in the morning! " And Richard light-heartedly added: "Who's going to not fetch our water now?!" The duo Ant and Dec delivered the news of the eviction, which was a toss-up between the Radio 1 DJ and the Irish retired boxer Barry McGuigan, on Sunday night's show, reports the Express . After his eviction, the Northern Ireland DJ declared he was content to head home, having embraced the jungle experience fully. Come Monday morning, during an appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain, he reflected: "I did it for my mum to make her proud." I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV and ITVX. I’m A Celebrity...Unpacked airs live on ITV2 every night directly after the ITV1 show.Man's 'secret' Mars bar causes online storm that led manufacturers to issue him £2 voucher
Brock Bowers sets NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saints
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII) Holdings Boosted by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest moves into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League
TORONTO, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — is pleased to announce that it has completed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement consisting of the sale of 22,500,000 common shares which were issued on a “flow-through” basis at a price of $0.08 per share (each an “ ”) for gross proceeds of $1,800,000 (the “ ”). The second and final Tranche of the Offering is expected to close on or about November 25, 2024. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds of the Offering for the exploration of the Company’s key projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. The gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares will be used for “Canadian Exploration Expenses” (within the meaning of the (Canada)) (the “ ”), and that qualify for the federal 30% Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit, which will be renounced with an effective date no later than December 31, 2024 to the purchasers of the FT Shares in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of the FT Shares. The FT Shares are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day, and remain subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “ “). In connection with the Offering, the Company paid eligible finders a cash fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds raised by the Company from the sale of FT Shares to subscribers directly introduced to the Company by such finders. Churchill Resources Inc. is a Canadian exploration company focused on high grade, magmatic nickel sulphides in Canada, principally at its prospective Taylor Brook and Florence Lake properties in Newfoundland & Labrador. The Churchill management team, board and its advisors have decades of combined management experience in mineral exploration and in the establishment of successful publicly listed mining companies, both in Canada and around the world. Churchill’s Taylor Brook and Florence Lake projects have the potential to benefit from the province’s large and diversified minerals industry, which includes world class nickel mines and processing facilities, and a well-developed mineral exploration sector with locally based drilling and geological expertise. For further information regarding Churchill, please contact: This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “proposed”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals for the Offering; the completion of the second tranche of the Offering, the Company’s objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Company’s properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; failure to identify any mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Company’s properties; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described in the most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis of the Company. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.Nvidia, Snowflake and BEN Ride AI Surge in Q3NDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: Singh
Atmospheric river strikes southwest B.C. with road flooding, power outages, mudslideBy Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian Senate committee has backed a bill that would ban social media for children under 16 but said social media platforms should not force users to submit personal data such as passport and other digital identification to prove their age. Australia plans to trial an age-verification system that may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor government is rushing to pass the bill, largely supported by the opposition Liberal party, by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday. In its report published late on Tuesday, the Senate's environment and communications legislation committee said social media platforms "must set out alternative methods for assuring age as reasonable steps with consideration given to the age assurance trial." A progress report on the age assurance trial must be submitted by the communications minister to the parliament by Sept. 30, 2025, the committee said as it urged the government to "meaningfully engage" with youth when framing the law. "Young people, and in particular diverse cohorts, must be at the centre of the conversation as an age restriction is implemented to ensure there are constructive pathways for connection," committee Chair Senator Karen Grogan said. Some independent lawmakers have criticised the government for trying to pass the legislation in a week. The bill was introduced last Thursday, submissions on it closed on Friday, and a brief hearing was held on Monday. In separate submissions, Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms said the social media ban should be delayed until the age-verification trial finishes. Bytedance's TikTok said the bill needed more consultation, while Elon Musk's X said the proposed law might hurt children's human rights. The planned law would force social media platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure age-verification protections are in place. Companies could be fined up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for systemic breaches. ($1 = 1.5451 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Sonali Paul)
NoneMILAN : Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi applauded his side after they held on for a slender 1-0 home win against RB Leipzig on Tuesday to go top of the Champions League standings. An own goal by RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba put Inter in front in the 27th minute before the Italian champions let their guard down in the second half and the visitors threatened an equaliser. "We are satisfied, we knew the importance of tonight's match," Inzaghi told Sky Sport. "We were playing against a valuable team, who until Sunday had the best defence in the Bundesliga. We played a great game, we were always balanced and it's not easy with them. "It's a shame we didn't score the second goal, but the team suffered relatively little." Denzel Dumfries misfired when presented with a good chance just after the restart and Henrikh Mkhitaryan thought he had doubled Inter's lead in stoppage time, but the goal was ruled out for a foul in the buildup. "There is clearly satisfaction, but to get into the top eight we still need a small step," Inzaghi said. Inter top the table with 13 points from five games, one point above second-placed Barcelona and third-placed Liverpool, who host defending champions Real Madrid on Wednesday. The top eight teams in the competition's new league phase qualify automatically for the last 16, and the next 16 go into a two-legged playoff to join them. "We've had an excellent run, four consecutive victories and five games without conceding a goal," Inzaghi added. "I was afraid of tonight's game, but the team is mature and knew not to be influenced by Leipzig's zero points." Leipzig, who are third in the Bundesliga, have not won a game in November and are still searching for their first European points after five consecutive defeats.Oilers notes: Janmark providing unexpected, but much needed, offence
Applied Industrial Technologies VP sells $1.13 million in stockHezbollah responds to strikes after ceasefireDaiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. ( NYSE:HII – Free Report ) by 9.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 4,816 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 423 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries were worth $1,273,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of HII. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton increased its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 8.2% in the third quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 525 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $139,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group increased its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 9.1% during the second quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 492 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $121,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 1.6% during the second quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,625 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $647,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 16.4% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 320 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop National Bank increased its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 15.1% during the second quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 359 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.46% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms recently commented on HII. StockNews.com lowered shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from $290.00 to $220.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Alembic Global Advisors cut shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $210.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $280.00 to $285.00 in a report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from $226.00 to $194.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $228.89. Huntington Ingalls Industries Trading Down 0.1 % Huntington Ingalls Industries stock opened at $197.92 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $232.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $250.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.55. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a 52 week low of $184.29 and a 52 week high of $299.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.79. Huntington Ingalls Industries ( NYSE:HII – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The aerospace company reported $2.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.84 by ($1.28). The company had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.87 billion. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a net margin of 5.99% and a return on equity of 16.89%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.70 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. will post 14.51 EPS for the current year. Huntington Ingalls Industries Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.73%. This is a positive change from Huntington Ingalls Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Huntington Ingalls Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.49%. Insider Buying and Selling at Huntington Ingalls Industries In other news, VP D R. Wyatt sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.24, for a total transaction of $82,096.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 19,627 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,028,245.48. This trade represents a 2.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock. Huntington Ingalls Industries Company Profile ( Free Report ) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HII? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. ( NYSE:HII – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves delayed their game against the San Antonio Spurs by one hour on Sunday night due to an issue with the court at Target Center. The Timberwolves announced the decision about three hours before the originally scheduled tipoff time. The Spurs discovered the problem during their morning shootaround, Timberwolves spokesman Patrick Rees said. The team decided to delay the game so arena staff had enough time to install the replacement court that had to be delivered from elsewhere. The Timberwolves have played at Target Center since 1990. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBATimberwolves push back start time vs. Spurs because of issue with game courtNone
Anthony Edwards fined again for using 'profane language,' this time $100K
Federal DEI spending explodes under Biden-Harris administrationPresident William Ruto, Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu (right) Kilgoris MP Julius Sunkuli, (left) and Narok Women Rep Rebecca Tonkei, kneel for prayers during a service at the Outreach Gospel Church In Kilgolis, Narok County on August 04, 2024. [PCS] President William Ruto’s climbdown on the multibillion-shilling State tenders that were earlier awarded to the scandal-riddled Adani Group of Companies marks the lowest moment for a troubled regime, after the June-July Gen Z uprisings. The sobering retreat comes in the wake of a spirited onslaught against the Kenya Kwanza regime by the faith-based community in the country, following widespread citizens’ restlessness with the regime on a wide berth of issues. Dissatisfaction with the State within the religious community has simmered beneath the surface for a while now, with subtle dropping of hints every so often. With the State failing to pick the cue, this disaffection has in recent months begun breaking through the integuments, starting with a tirade by a former Ruto ally, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru of the Jesus Is Alive Missions (JIAM), on March 6. On that day, State operatives invaded her shrine, intending to demolish it. An irate Wanjiru regretted having campaigned for Ruto, his UDA Party, and Kenya Kwanza in 2022. She labelled them land grabbers who do not respect the rule of law. Wanjiru’s harangue against the Ruto regime was only an inoculation against what was to follow. Biblical story Last week’s excoriation by the Kenya Catholic Bishops Conference was the proverbial sucker punch. The blizzard on Thursday, November 14, descended like a tonne of bricks. It caught State propagandists unawares, leaving them breathless, and sending them scampering for a dozen, or so, kneejerk rebuttals that just as soon went into the backpedal. The initial response by the State was to fly into a flurry of personalised invective against Bishop Anthony Muheria, whom State spin doctors painted in appalling colours. Among other things, they accused him of joining the Opposition and playing tribal politics. President Ruto himself accused the Church of telling lies. But with other Christian fraternities chiming in, in rhythm with the 29 Catholic bishops who signed the scathing statement, State House soon realised that it was spinning itself into a complex spider’s web, out of which it would be hard placed to disentangle itself. It has since embraced a more conciliatory approach. Accordingly, President Ruto admits the “possibility of making mistakes sometimes”, and of “sometimes living below expectations.” He says that he welcomes criticism and correction from the Church. However, all this comes in the wake of an ever-expanding terrain of criticism against what are seen as sins of omission and commission against the electorate by what is perceived to be a self-serving government, out of tune with the people and their plight. The bishops’ press release of November 14 spoke of a happy-go-lucky regime, whose philosophy of government is at odds with common mandates for which individuals and political parties seek election. READ: Clergy turn up the heat amid debate on Ruto's rejected millions It is instructive that as part of his effort to right the situation, President Ruto joined worshippers at a Sunday service in Nairobi’s Soweto Catholic Church, where he made a generous cash donation to the choir. He promised to give millions more within the ended week. If the President’s strategy was to excite base instincts of craving for funds, the plan hit a snag. While it has worked well with other denominations, he was in for a rude shock when, two days later, the church, through Bishop Philip Anyolo, rejected the largesse. They termed it unlawful and against the ethics of the Catholic church. But in a fashion that resembles the biblical story of Naaman who was healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5 – 27), some in the laity of the church gloated for the largesse, like Gehazi. President William Ruto received by Rt. Rev. Dr. George Mechumo, Bishop Anglican Church of Kenya, Bungoma Diocese when he attended the Sunday church Serviceon September 01, 2024. [PCS] Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter By clicking on the SIGN UP button, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and the Privacy Policy SIGN UP Gehazi was a personal assistant to Prophet Elisha who healed Naaman. He gloated for money that the prophet rejected after the healed leper offered it to him. Naaman’s leprosy was transferred to him. It will be interesting to see where the Soweto leprosy ends up. Meanwhile, however, one thing remains clear. All is no longer well between the Church and the State, or more correctly, between Ruto and the mainstream Church in Kenya. So, what has gone wrong between Ruto and the Church? Personal churches It will help to clarify that it is not the entire Christian fraternity in the country that supported Ruto’s election in 2022. While it is true that significant swathes of this fraternity vouched for him, it is inaccurate to state that mainstream churches as a whole rooted for Ruto. The Catholic Church, the Anglicans, the Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, and the Salvation Army, among others, have clearly defined and regimented methods and forums of deciding on critical issues of public import. The position of an individual prelate may not, therefore, be taken as the position of the church. Like the Catholics, the Anglican church reaches its official position on issues through the House of Bishops. The other denominations have their forums that mirror the Anglican House of Bishops and the Catholic Conference of Bishops. At no time did these forums resolve to vote for Ruto during his 2022 presidential bid. Some individual primates, however, may have covertly, and some even overtly, identified with his cause. Yet, it is also true that many evangelical churches, and other family-owned churches as well as personal churches, openly supported his bid. They also received huge cash donations from him, possibly in exchange. His opponents, led by Raila Odinga, scoffed at these donations, averring that they were proceeds of corruption. But Ruto retorted that he was a generous man. He was doing God’s work, he said. Ruto’s amity with evangelicals can be traced back to the constitutional debate of 2010. Then, Ruto joined the evangelical Red Cards (as opposed to the Green Cards). The Reds voted against the draft that became the Constitution of Kenya (2010). The Reds were hostile to the articles that spoke to matters of abortion and marriage. They often spun them out of both fact and proportion. President William Ruto chats with African Divine Church Archbishop John Chabuga, when he graced the church's 70th anniversary at Boyani in Vihiga County. [File, Standard] Their amity survived the times and spaces, to contribute to the 2022 Ruto victory. Yet, this did not include support from the Catholic church, or even the Anglicans, whom Team Ruto often openly accused of being antagonistic to his presidential bid. Still, the question remains, what has gone wrong between Ruto and the Church? Remarkably, even some of the most ardent evangelicals who supported him have openly regretted lending him their voices. Apart from Bishop Wanjiru, other notable criticisms have been from Teresia Wairimu (Faith Evangelistic Ministries) and Tony Kiama (River of God Church). What went wrong? The answer perhaps resides in the people’s reminder to church leaders in July that the people are the Church. In the wake of the Gen Z protests, Kenyans accused church leaders of silence in the midst of oppression by the State. They also accused them of complicity in the plight of the people. Gen Zs took umbrage with religious leaders who turned their pulpits into political platforms for politicians, “in exchange for money.” Showy class They were concerned that while the cost of living was skyrocketing, an oppressive ecclesiastical class was hobnobbing with a corrupt and showy political class. Together, they were enjoying the fat of the land, while the rest of the nation languished in penury and indigence. The youth went as far as picketing in places of worship and barring politicians from speaking at Sunday services. READ: No, thank you, Catholic bishops reject Sh5.6 million donation from Ruto But then the Gen Z protests gradually petered off, after Ruto reconfigured his Cabinet, to bring on board ODM stalwarts. Besides, the Executive completed the process of taking into hostage the Legislature. It has also made significant progress towards capturing the Judiciary, as a wide range of confounding court decisions attests. It is a matter that has openly shocked the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). With ODM, Parliament and the Judiciary more or less subdued, the Executive was beginning to enjoy a cosy place when the Catholic bishops struck. This should not surprise me, however. For, history shows that the mainstream Church in Kenya is in its element as the watchdog of society when everyone else has been conquered. In 1967, the National Christian Council of Kenya (NCCK) (later the National Council of Churches of Kenya) declared that it was going to play the role of the Opposition in the country. This was after President Jomo Kenyatta’s government had traumatised and neutralised the Opposition, following the political machinations of the period 1964– 1966. Although Jaramogi Oginga Odinga formed the Kenya People’s Union (KPU), following the infamous Limuru Conference of March 12–13, 1966, Kenyatta and the mercurial Tom Mboya had all but killed the Opposition in Kenya. Hence, NCCK became active, with Bishop Henry Okullu as the pivot around which the burning questions of the day were articulated. NCCK published the fiery Target and Lengo periodicals that made life uncomfortable for the Kenyatta government. They survived into the mid-1980s when the Moi regime banned them, alongside other critical publications like Bedan Mbugua’s Beyond, Pius Nyamora’s the People, and Salim Lone’s Viva. But the mainstream Church remained vigilant against State excesses, even now. Besides Okullu, other strong critical voices were Anglican prelates Alexander Muge, Manases Kuria, David Gitari and Peter Njenga. Elsewhere, in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Timothy Njoya resonated in a lonely voice against the State. Twice, his church defrocked him for what they said was playing politics. Also active in PCEA, however, was John Gatu. In the Catholic fraternity, there was Bishop Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki of Nakuru, and Father Kaiser. These voices did not, however, constitute the official position of their denominations. Still, NCCK on the one hand, and the Episcopal Conference of Catholic Bishops on the other, would issue formal positions every so often. Rogue regime It is instructive that these voices reigned when every other institution and voice in the country had been rendered mute. Hence, when the question of where the mainstream churches are emerging from is raised, the answer is that they are the ultimate firewall as the people’s gatekeepers. They emerge from the woodwork when everyone else is either beaten or compromised. That was how, in the 1990s, they emerged to constitute the Ufungamano Constitutional Review Forum, very much against the wishes of the KANU hawks who straddled the place with draconian energy. For close to 15 years, they stood their ground, until Kenya got a new Constitution in 2010. They then retreated into their sanctuaries, to continue preaching the Gospel. When President William Ruto addressed members of the African Church of the Holy Spirit led by High Priest Shem Shamala during a fellowship at his home in Sugoi in Uasin Gishu County. [File, Standard] That they are getting out of the woodwork today indicates that all is not well. Indeed, the issues raised in the Catholic bishops’ press statement are still playing out in the country. Only a few days after their statement, the world woke up to the shocking news that Ugandan Opposition leader, Kiza Besigye, had been abducted in Nairobi and secretly ferreted to Kampala. Angry Ugandan politicians have been seen in video clips in social media, berating the Kenya government as “a rogue regime that has surrendered its security to Uganda.” They also accuse the Uganda government of being another rogue regime. The two regimes have been accused, on both sides of the border, of constituting themselves into an axis of evil, that is liaising to abduct, torture and traumatise citizens. It is within this environment that the Catholic church in Kenya has emerged to decry the human rights situation in the country. “We are appalled by the blatant recurring incidents of reported abductions, disappearances, torture, and killings of Kenyans. We also decry the increasing murder of women,” the bishops said. They also note that those who have suffered at the hands of the State had raised legitimate concerns about “rampant corruption within and outside the government.” They then asked, “Who is abducting these people, and is the government unable to stop these abductions and killings?” Worship Plutus Then there is the issue of the culture of lies. The Church is concerned that lies have become the most common currency in government in Kenya. “It is swiftly replacing the integrity and respect that Kenyans deserve . . . Kenyans have helplessly tolerated the lies told to them constantly by politicians.” Now, in Christendom, lies are ranked among the very worst of mortal sins. The Bible says of the devil and the liar, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).” It is within this context that the scathing remarks on lies in the Ruto government have been made. According to the Church, by embracing what the bishops see as a culture of lies, the Ruto government has prepared itself to commit all the other sins against the people of Kenya. There are misplaced priorities and unkept promises that keep shifting with every new public pronouncement from on high. President Ruto has become the master of telling Kenyans how many billions of shillings have been set aside now for this project, and then for that project. About these promises, the Church has said to the people, “Kenyans must learn not to applaud or validate the lies that the politicians tell them, but rather resolve to be led by the truth.” President William Ruto and Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria during the Consecration and Installation of Bishop Peter Kimani Ndung'u, in Embu County. With them is Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire. [PCS] The concerns, accordingly, spill over to address the plight of the people amidst failed promises around social health insurance under various alphabet soup formations under the Social Health Authority (SHA). Kenya is losing lives on a daily basis, out of the confusion that the demise of NHIF and the arrival of SHA has generated. There are challenges in a myriad of taxes. They speak to what can only be described as an uncaring regime. Then there is a failing education system that the State seems to be giving up on, and above all, the idolatry that is the worship of wealth. ALSO READ : Debate rages over Ruto ties with the Church But if politicians worship Plutus, the god of money, do some sections of the Church seem to worship the same god, too? The preaching of the Christian Gospel has steadily morphed from the Gospel of Salvation to the Gospel of Liberation, and today the Gospel of Prosperity. Christendom in Kenya is in full-blown pursuit of something called blessings. Line drawn The illusion of blessings leads millions every day to shrines and to cultic formations, to make obeisance to a god called Juno Moneta. Here, they “bless the pastor” with gifts. In turn, Moneta will be expected to bless them. In the process, a greedy population of people calling themselves Christians have opened themselves up to the kinds of lies that the Catholic church is now decrying. It takes a lot of moral courage to reject Naaman’s six million shillings. For, Naaman is likely to raise the figure, to make it more tempting. Or it might find its way back through Gehazi. Whatever the case, the mainstream Church has drawn the line on the ground. It will be of major interest to see whether they will protect the line, or if they will blink. President Ruto has blinked on Adani, after pouring so much praise on the sullied tenders to the Indian. Shamefully, Parliament, whose members had been neutered and tongue-tied on the scandalous Adani affair, gave Ruto a standing ovation when he announced the cancellation of the deals. This speaks to a dud legislature. It would appear that the Church has its assignment cut out. It will have to do its spiritual work, as well as the representation and surveillance responsibilities of the Legislature. Very soon, too, the Church may have to stand in for a dying Judiciary, whose point of least resistance Kenya Kwanza has established. But, the political class will do well to know that we have been here before. And those who stood in the way of the Church eventually lost. Their replacements would seem poised to lose again. Dr Muluka is a strategic communications advisor
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