The man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk appears to have confessed to friends in a private online chat shortly before surrendering to law enforcement, The Washington Post reported Monday.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while addressing a group of students at Utah Valley University in the city of Orem, some 40 miles (64.4 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested over the death of the right-wing influencer.
“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” said a message from an account belonging to Robinson on the online platform Discord.
“It was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this,” he wrote, according to the Post, which cited two people familiar with the chat.
According to the report, the message was sent Thursday night, about two hours before officials said Robinson was taken into custody.
The message was sent from Robinson’s account to a small private group of online friends, the person said on condition of anonymity.
Discord is working closely with the FBI and local authorities, providing information about Robinson’s online activities on the platform, the person added, according to the report.
The Discord conversation shared with the Post shows members of the group chat reacting to Kirk’s shooting Wednesday — before the news broke that Robinson was allegedly involved.
The group included about 30 people, according to the person who provided screenshots to the newspaper.
“Charlie Kirk got shot,” one friend wrote Wednesday afternoon, according to an image of the messages.
“I just saw the video holy s—,” another user wrote about an hour and a half later, adding about Kirk: “Bro didn’t deserve to go out like that sad.”
The only response from Robinson’s account came Thursday with the message announcing “bad news.”
“I’m surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments,” the message, posted at 7.57 pm local time in Utah, continued. “Thanks for all the good times and laughs, you’ve all been so amazing, thank you all for everything.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that DNA evidence collected from the scene of Kirk’s killing matches the suspect currently in custody.
Patel stressed that the FBI investigation remains ongoing, with agents continuing to interview witnesses and analyze forensic material, including cell phone data and DNA samples. Findings are being shared with local and federal prosecutors for charging decisions, he said.
Doha, Qatar – An emergency summit of Arab and Islamic country leaders held in Doha has condemned Israel’s “cowardly” attack on Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, but the participants made no promises of concrete action.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s pledge to “activate a joint defence mechanism” may have been the most actionable result of the summit, which was opened by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who called the Israeli bombing “blatant, treacherous, and cowardly”.
The GCC countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have formed a defence pact to address the security concerns of the member states.
“My country’s capital was subjected to a treacherous attack targeting a residence housing the families of Hamas leaders and their negotiating delegation,” Sheikh Tamim said in his opening speech. The Hamas leaders had been meeting to discuss the latest United States-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Sheikh Tamim called for “concrete steps to address the state of madness of power, arrogance, and bloodthirstiness obsession that has befallen the government of Israel, and what resulted and continues to result from it”.
The attack on mediators proved that Israel had “no genuine interest in peace” and was seeking to “thwart negotiations” to end the war in Gaza that has killed more than 64,800 Palestinians, he said.
The emergency summit was organised after fury swept the region following Israeli strikes on September 9, which killed six people.
The GCC said that consultations were already under way among the bloc’s military bodies to build up “Gulf deterrent capabilities”, with a meeting of the group’s Unified Military Command to take place soon in Doha, according to Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
No further details were available about the new defence mechanism, which states that an attack on one member state is an attack on all.
“The joint statement obviously called for a meeting of the high command to be held here in Doha to discuss further steps to ensure that the safety and the joint security of the GCC countries is addressed,” Al-Ansari told Al Jazeera.
“The GCC stands in one line,” he added.
Israel’s expansionist vision
The Qatari emir also warned against Israel’s expansionist vision of the region, with repeated bombings of Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Israel has also grabbed Syrian land and refused to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dreaming of making the Arab region “an Israeli sphere of influence”, Sheikh Tamim said, adding that it “is a dangerous illusion”.
No immediate political or economic measures were announced against the Israeli aggression at the summit.
But Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the secretary-general of the GCC, urged US President Donald Trump to rein in Washington’s closest ally, Israel.
“We expect our strategic partners in the US to use their influence on Israel for it to stop this behaviour – we really do expect that,” Albudaiwi said.
“They have leverage and influence over Israel, and it’s about time that this leverage and influence are used”.
Despite expectations of more forceful measures, the summit’s final communique largely consisted of condemnations and pledges of solidarity.
“We condemn in the strongest terms Israel’s cowardly and illegal attack on the State of Qatar. We respond with absolute solidarity with Qatar and support for its steps,” read the memo issued by member states of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The communique also praised Qatar’s response to the attacks, voiced solidarity with Doha’s mediation role alongside Egypt and the US, and rejected any justification for further aggression.
The member states also rejected “Israel’s repeated threats of the possibility of targeting Qatar again”.
When questioned about these threats, as well as Israel’s resolve to target Hamas “anywhere”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Al-Ansari said Qatar would make use of the international system to hold Israel to account.
“We will hold Israel accountable in the international community, and our tool in doing that is our belief in international law and international organisations,” he said.
“This is why we went to the [United Nations] Security Council and now, of course, to the Arab and Islamic Organisations and GCC … we are working very closely with all our partners to make sure that we deter Prime Minister Netanyahu from attacking sovereign states again.”
Tougher calls by individual states
While the joint communique stopped short of hard measures, several Arab and Islamic leaders tabled stronger, more actionable responses to Israel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Arab and Muslim leaders to apply economic pressure on Israel, arguing that “past experience has proven the success of such pressure”.
He also called for Israeli officials to be brought to justice through international legal mechanisms.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that “the heinous attack on Qatari territory is a grave violation of international law and sets a dangerous precedent”.
“I say to the people of Israel that what is happening now is sabotaging the existing peace agreements, and the consequences will be dire,” he said. Egypt was the first Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in 1979.
Pakistan, meanwhile, urged the UN to suspend Israel, and also called for an Arab-Islamic task force.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the task force should “adopt effective measures to ward off Israeli expansionist designs”.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, stated that “condemnations will not stop the missiles, declarations will not free Palestine”.
He pressed for strict sanctions and the suspension of diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier on Monday had also urged Muslim nations to cut ties with Israel.
“We should act together to stand up to Israeli behaviour because Israel has violated the sovereignty of a number of Arab and Muslim states under the false pretext of self-defence,” he said.
Andrea Dessi, assistant professor of international relations at the University of Rome, said the Doha summit marked a change of tone among Arab Islamic states.
“At the rhetorical level, we are seeing the beginnings of a coming together, of a change of tone and a change of mind – the actions will have to follow,” Dessi told Al Jazeera.
The professor said the event was important, as Arab and Muslim leaders agreed that “something has to change in terms of the security architecture of the region. We are far away from this, but there are movements”.
As the summit was being held in Doha, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio travelled to Israel to meet Netanyahu, who again threatened to target Hamas leaders if Qatar did not expel them. But Trump on Monday repeated his assertion that Israel would not strike Qatar again.
Al-Ansari said that Qatar has “been engaging very closely with the Trump administration”.
He told reporters that Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani had “excellent” meetings in New York in the past week, and that discussions on next steps between the allies are taking place.
Donald Trump has announced he’s suing The New York Times, just days after he threatened to do so over its reporting into his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said he had “the Great Honor of bringing a $15bn Defamation and Libel Lawsuit” against “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country”.
Mr Trump’s lengthy post – made late on Monday – is focused on his belief the outlet is bias towards the Democrats, citing the endorsement of Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election.
It has “been allowed to freely lie, smear, and defame me for far too long”, he added.
The lawsuit – which has been brought in Florida – comes after Mr Trump raised the prospect of suing the newspaper last week for publishing articles about alleged notes he had sent Epstein.
He dismissed the reporting as false.
A lewd birthday message Trump allegedly sent to the convicted sex offender for his 50th birthday in 2003 was published by the US Congress days later.
The pages are contained in files from the estate of the deceased billionaire paedophile, handed over to a Congressional committee.
The collection of birthday tributes include a hand-drawing of a woman’s body, signed “Donald”. They also contain a picture of Epstein holding an outsized cheque, signed by “DJTRUMP”.
Mr Trump has maintained the note wasn’t written by him, claiming the handwriting and signature do not match his own.
An alleged note written by Trump for Epstein. Pics: US Congress/NBC News
The “birthday book” also included notes from former British minister Peter Mandelson, who has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US over revelations about his relationship with Epstein.
Mr Trump has repeatedly denied any impropriety involving Epstein, whom he once counted as a friend.
Handwriting expert analyses signature on Epstein card
Responding to his initial threat to sue, a spokeswoman for The New York Times said last week: “Our journalists reported the facts, provided the visual evidence and printed the president’s denial. It’s all there for the American people to see and to make up their own minds about.
“We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favour and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.”
Police have physically removed The Gambia’s auditor general, Momodou Ceesay, from his office after he refused to give up the post, in a government reshuffle carried out by President Adama Barrow.
Ceesay, who has spent almost three years as auditor general in the West African state, says he had turned down Barrow’s recent offer to become trade minister.
Yet the president insists that Ceesay originally agreed, but later changed his mind.
The row has angered many Gambians, with some accusing the president of trying to replace Ceesay with someone who will shield him from corruption allegations.
The president has promoted the Director of Internal Audit, Cherno Amadou Sowe, to the post of auditor general, but he has not reported to work following the public backlash.
On Monday, plain-clothes police were sent to the auditor general’s office to arrest Ceesay and install his successor.
But Ceesay’s staff confronted the officers and stalled them, in scenes that were broadcast live on the social media accounts of local news outlets.
It was not until back-up forces arrived that the auditor general was finally ejected from a press conference he was giving and escorted out of the complex to his lawyer’s office.
This action triggered a swift response from young people, who called on the president to reinstate Ceesay, and threatened to take to the streets in the outskirts of the capital, Banjul, until their demands were met.
“He refused your appointment. Now you forcibly remove him out of the office? Are the Gambian people not watching?” asked Gambian activist Kemo Fatty, expressing his fury in a clip which is circulating online.
“If the auditor general does not return to office today, President Barrow will leave the State House today,” he threatened.
Fatty and another anti-corruption activist, Alieu Bah, were later arrested by police, as they gathered at the national audit office and prepared for a press conference.
In recent months, Barrow’s government has been rocked by numerous protests following an investigation by a local newspaper, The Republic, alleging that assets belonging to the disgraced former President Yahya Jammeh had been distributed among close aides of Barrow. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement, Barrow’s office said the government remained “firmly committed to the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of public finances”.
Ceesay’s appointment as trade minister was “based solely on his qualifications and experience”, and was not intended “to interfere with the operations of the National Audit Office”.
The United States announced Monday a “framework” deal with China to resolve their dispute over TikTok that calls for the Chinese-owned app to pass to US-controlled ownership.
In a social media post, US President Donald Trump said – without directly naming the social media giant – that a deal was reached with a “certain company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy!”
Trump added on his Truth Social network that he would speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the agreement after a second day of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Madrid, which also includes discussions about the wider US-China trade dispute.
“We have a framework for a TikTok deal,” Bessent told reporters, adding it calls for the app “to switch to US-controlled ownership”.
“It’s between two private parties, but the commercial terms have been agreed upon,” he said.
Bessent declined to give further details, saying Trump and Xi will speak on Friday to “complete” the agreement.
TikTok – which boasts almost two billion global users – is owned by China-based internet company ByteDance.
A federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
But the Republican, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.
In mid-June, Trump extended a deadline for the popular video-sharing app by another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States. That extension is due to expire on Wednesday.
‘Questions unanswered’
While Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, he reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform after coming to believe it helped him win young voters’ support in the November election.
Sarah Kreps of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute warned “national security questions remain unanswered”, noting the deal leaves data and algorithm safeguards unclear.
The talks in Madrid also cover Trump’s threat of steep tariffs on Chinese imports.
In his Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said the meeting in Europe “has gone VERY WELL!” and added: “The relationship remains a very strong one!!!”
Trade tensions escalated sharply earlier this year, with tit-for-tat tariffs reaching triple digits and snarling supply chains.
Both governments later agreed to lower their punitive tariffs, with the United States imposing 30 percent duties on imports of Chinese goods and China hitting US products with a 10 percent levy, but the temporary truce expires in November.
The US-China trade truce has been an uneasy one, with Washington accusing Beijing of violating their agreement and slow-walking export license approvals for rare earths, key materials for the automotive, electronics and defence industries.
Nvidia probe
China on Saturday launched two investigations into the US semiconductor sector.
Beijing opened an anti-dumping probe into some integrate circuit chips originating from the United States, its commerce ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also said in a separate statement it will launch an investigation into whether the United States had discriminated against the Chinese chip sector.
And on Monday China said an investigation found US chip giant Nvidia had run afoul of the country’s antitrust rules, and vowed an additional probe.
The statement did not provide further details about Nvidia‘s alleged legal violations or the further probe.
Beijing – which announced the investigation in December – is currently engaged in an intense contest with the United States for supremacy in the critical field of semiconductors.
Top diplomats and defence chiefs from both nations held back-to-back phone calls last week, which analysts said could mark a step towards a meeting between Trump and Xi.
Warning: Contains disturbing content and graphic descriptions of sexual acts
A man running a sex ring operating out of Dubai’s most glamorous neighbourhoods, and exploiting vulnerable women, has been identified by a BBC investigation.
Charles Mwesigwa, who says he is a former London bus driver, told our undercover reporter he could provide women for a sex party at a starting price of $1,000 (£740), adding that many can do “pretty much everything” clients want them to.
Rumours of wild sex parties in the UAE emirate have circulated for years. The hashtag #Dubaiportapotty, which has been viewed more than 450 million times on TikTok, links to parodies and speculative exposés of women accused of being money-hungry influencers secretly funding their lifestyles by fulfilling the most excessive of sexual requests.
Our BBC World Service investigation was told the reality is even darker.
Young Ugandan women told us they had not expected to have to undertake sex work for Mr Mwesigwa. In some cases, they believed they were travelling to the UAE to work in places like supermarkets or hotels.
At least one of Mr Mwesigwa’s clients regularly asks to defecate on the women, according to “Mia”, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, and who says she was trapped by Mr Mwesigwa’s network.
Mr Mwesigwa denies the allegations.
He says he helps women find accommodation through landlords, and that women follow him to parties because of his wealthy Dubai contacts.
We have also discovered that two women linked to Mr Mwesigwa have died, having fallen from high-rise apartments.
Although their deaths were ruled as suicides, their friends and family feel the police should have investigated further.
Mr Mwesigwa said the incidents were investigated by the Dubai police and asked us to contact them for information. They did not reply to our request.
One of the women who lost her life, Monic Karungi, arrived in Dubai from western Uganda.
She found herself sharing a flat with dozens of other women working for Mr Mwesigwa, according to one of the women, who we are calling Keira, who says she lived with Monic there in 2022.
“[His] place was like a market… There were like 50 girls. She was not happy because what she expected is not what she got,” Keira told us.
Monic thought the job in Dubai was going to be in a supermarket, according to her sister Rita.
“He [Mr Mwesigwa] was violent when I told him I wanted to go back home,” says Mia, who also knew Monic in Dubai. She says that, when she first arrived, he told her she already owed him £2,000 ($2,711) and that within two weeks that debt had doubled.
“Money for air tickets, for your visa, for where you’re sleeping, food,” says Mia.
“That means you have to work hard, hard, hard, pleading for men to come and sleep [with] you.”
Monic owed Mr Mwesigwa more than $27,000 (£19,918) after several weeks, according to what a relative of hers we are calling Michael says she told him. He adds that he received tearful voice notes from her.
Monic grew up with 10 siblings in rural Uganda
Mia told us that clients were mostly white Europeans, and included men with extreme fetishes.
“There’s this one client, he poops on girls. He poops and he tells them to eat the shit,” she explained quietly.
Another woman we are calling Lexi, who says she was tricked by a different network, echoed Mia’s story, saying “porta potty” requests were frequent.
“There was a client who said: ‘We pay you 15,000 Arab Emirates Dirham ($4,084, £3,013) to gang-rape you, pee in your face, beat you, and add in 5,000 ($1,361, £1,004)’” for being recorded eating faeces.
Her experiences have led her to believe there is a racial element to this extreme fetish.
“Every time I said that I wouldn’t want to do that, it seemed to get them more interested. They want somebody who is going to cry and scream and run. And that somebody [in their eyes] should be a black person.”
Lexi says she tried to get help from the only people she thought could intervene – the police. But she says they told her: “You Africans cause problems for each other. We don’t want to get involved. And they would hang up.”
We put this allegation to the Dubai police and they did not reply.
Lexi eventually escaped back to Uganda and now helps to rescue and support women in similar situations.
Warsan Tower in Dubai, from which Monic Karungi fell in May 2022
Finding Charles Mwesigwa wasn’t easy. We could only find one picture of him online – and it was taken from behind. He also uses multiple names across social media.
But through a combination of open-source intelligence, undercover research, and information from a former member of his network, we traced him to a middle class neighbourhood in Dubai – Jumeirah Village Circle.
To corroborate what sources had told us about his business – supplying women for degrading sex acts – we sent in an undercover reporter posing as an event organiser sourcing women for high-end parties.
Mr Mwesigwa appeared calm and confident when speaking about his business.
Mr Mwesigwa showed us his UK driving licence and said he was a former London bus driver
“We’ve got like 25 girls,” he said. “Many are open-minded… they can do pretty much everything.”
He explained the cost – from $1,000 (£738) per girl per night, but more for “crazy stuff”. He invited our reporter for a “sample night”.
When asked about “Dubai porta potty” he replied: “I’ve told you, they are open-minded. When I say open-minded… I will send you the craziest I have.”
In the course of the conversation, Mr Mwesigwa said he used to be a London bus driver. We have seen evidence he put that occupation down on an official document in east London in 2006.
He went on to tell our reporter that he loved this business.
“I could win the lottery, a million pounds, but I would still do it… it’s become part of me.”
Troy, a man who says he used to act as operations manager for Mr Mwesigwa’s network, gave us more information about how he says it is run.
Troy says he used to work as a driver and then an operations manager for Charles Mwesigwa
He says Mr Mwesigwa pays off security at various nightclubs so they will let his women in to find clients.
“I’ve heard about types of sex that I’ve never seen in my life. It doesn’t matter what you go through as long as his rich men are happy… [the women] have no escape route…They see musicians, they see footballers, they see presidents.”
Mr Mwesigwa has been able to get away with running this operation, Troy claims, because Troy and others are not just used as drivers. He says their names are also used by Mr Mwesigwa to hire cars and apartments, so that his own name never appears on the paperwork.
On 27 April 2022, Monic posted a selfie from Al Barsha – a residential neighbourhood popular with expats in Dubai. Four days later, she was dead. She had been in the emirate for just four months.
According to Mia, Monic and Mr Mwesigwa had been regularly arguing in the period before she left. Mia says Monic had been refusing to comply with Mr Mwesigwa’s demands and had found a way out of his network.
“She had got some kind of job. She was very excited. She thought she was gonna get free, she was going to get her life back because now that was a real job, no sleeping with men,” Mia says.
Monic moved out to a different apartment about 10 minutes’ walk away. It was from this apartment’s balcony that she fell on 1 May 2022.
The final selfie Monic posted before she died
Monic’s relative Michael, who was in the UAE at the time she died, says he tried to get answers.
Police told him they stopped their investigation, having found drugs and alcohol in the apartment Monic had fallen from, and only her fingerprints on the balcony, he says.
He obtained a death certificate for Monic from a hospital, but it did not say how she had died. And her family were unable to obtain a toxicology report for her.
But a Ghanaian man living in the apartment building was more helpful, he says, taking him to another block to meet the man he said was Monic’s boss.
Michael describes the scene when he got there and saw where the women were housed.
He says through the cloud of shisha smoke in the living room, he made out what looked like cocaine on the table and women having sex on chairs with clients.
He claims he found the man we had previously identified as Charles Mwesigwa in bed with two women, and that when he tried to drag him to the police Mr Mwesigwa replied: “I have spent 25 years in Dubai. Dubai is mine… There is no way you are going to report me… Embassy is me, I’m the embassy.
“[Monic’s] not the first to die. And she won’t be the last,” he added, according to Michael.
Mia and Keira both independently say they witnessed this conversation and both confirm its wording. When we asked Mr Mwesigwa what he meant by this, he denied having said it.
Monic’s death shares haunting similarities with that of Kayla Birungi, another Ugandan woman who lived in the same neighbourhood as her, and died in 2021 after falling from a Dubai high-rise apartment which we have evidence to suggest was managed by Charles Mwesigwa.
The phone number for her landlord, shared with us by Kayla’s family, turned out to be one of Mr Mwesigwa’s numbers. Troy also confirms that Mr Mwesigwa managed the apartment, as do four other women we spoke to for this investigation.
Kayla Birungi, another Ugandan, also died after falling from a Dubai high-rise building
Kayla’s relatives say that they – like Monic’s family – heard Kayla’s death had been linked to alcohol and drugs. But a toxicology report seen by the BBC shows none were present in her system at the time of her death.
While Kayla’s family was able to repatriate her body and hold a burial, Monic’s remains were never returned.
Our investigation found she was likely buried in a section of Dubai’s Al Qusais Cemetery known as “The Unknown”. It features rows and rows of unmarked graves, typically thought to belong to migrants whose family couldn’t repatriate their bodies.
Monic and Kayla were part of a wider, unofficial pipeline connecting Uganda to the Gulf.
As Uganda wrestles with rising youth unemployment, moving to work abroad – mainly in the Gulf states – has become a huge industry that contributes $1.2bn (£885m) of tax revenue to the country each year.
But these opportunities can carry a risk.
Mariam Mwiza, a Ugandan activist against exploitation, says she has helped rescue more than 700 people from around the Gulf.
“We get cases of people who have been promised to work, let’s say, in a supermarket. Then [that person] ends up sold as a prostitute,” she told us.
Monic’s family in rural Uganda say Monic always had the ambition to seek a better life
For Monic’s family, grief is now tangled with fear. Fear for other families who could suffer the same loss they have, if nothing is done.
“We are all looking at Monica’s death,” her relative Michael told us. “But who is there for the girls still alive? They’re still there. Still suffering.”
The BBC asked Charles “Abbey” Mwesigwa to respond to all the allegations made in our investigation. He denied running an illegal prostitution ring.
He said: “These are all false allegations.
“I told you I am just a party person who invites big spenders on my tables, hence making many girls flock [to] my table. That makes me know many girls and that’s it.”
He also said: “[Monic] died with her passport meaning no-one was demanding her money for taking her. Prior to her death, I hadn’t seen her for over four to five weeks.
“I knew [Monic and Kayla] and [they] were renting with different landlords. If no-one in both flats was arrested or any of the landlords, then there was a reason. Both incidents were investigated by the Dubai police and maybe they can help you.”
The BBC contacted Al Barsha Police Station to request to see the case files for Monic Karungi and Kayla Birungi. It did not respond to that request or to allegations Monica and Kayla’s deaths had not been properly investigated.
The BBC was unable to see any toxicology reports in relation to Monic Karungi, or speak to the landlord of the apartment in which she was living when she died.
When the United Nations unveiled plans for a $62 million upgrade of its Nairobi headquarters, the announcement was more than just a real estate development. It marked a turning point in Kenya’s rise as a center of international diplomacy, elevating Nairobi from a regional hub into one of the world’s most critical stages for multilateral decision-making.
The project, which includes new office blocks and extensive renovations within the UN’s 140-acre complex in Gigiri, will boost capacity by 20 percent, making room for more agencies, funds, and global programs to shift operations to Kenya.
Coupled with a $265.6 million state-of-the-art conference center that will accommodate up to 9,000 delegates up from today’s 2,000 the investment is a clear signal: Nairobi is no longer a secondary outpost; it is becoming central to the UN’s future.
A Headquarters in Africa, At Par with New York
The Nairobi UN Complex is already unique. It is the UN’s only headquarters in Africa, and the largest such facility anywhere in the world.
It currently hosts the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat, both of which are headquartered exclusively in Kenya.
By 2026, it will also house global offices for UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women, consolidating Nairobi as the nerve center of the UN’s social and environmental agenda.
UNON Director General Zainab Hawa Bangura framed the expansion as an effort to bring Nairobi “at par with New York and Geneva,” underscoring the ambition to turn Kenya into a stage for top-tier global negotiations.
Soft Power and Strategic Geography
At the heart of this move lies a shift in global power dynamics.
The decentralization of UN operations reflects a broader reform agenda: to relocate parts of the bureaucracy away from the costly, Western-centric hubs of Europe and North America, and into strategically positioned, cost-effective cities in the Global South.
For Kenya, this is a coup in soft power. By anchoring UN headquarters in Nairobi, the country gains influence over how global policies are shaped particularly those affecting Africa and developing economies.
Nairobi’s position as a diplomatic capital also means the country will increasingly play host to negotiations on climate change, peacekeeping, migration, and sustainable development issues that directly impact its own national priorities.
Economic Windfall and Urban Diplomacy
Beyond the symbolic, the economic dividends are enormous.
Large-scale summits and conferences attract high-level delegations, media attention, and investment.
Nairobi’s hotels, airlines, restaurants, and transport networks are already gearing up to serve thousands more diplomats and staff.
Analysts estimate billions of shillings in direct and indirect benefits for the local economy once the expansion is complete.
There are also urban development implications. Gigiri is already one of Nairobi’s most secure and cosmopolitan enclaves, home not only to the UN but also to dozens of embassies.
The new investments are expected to further transform the neighborhood into one of the world’s most important zones of “urban diplomacy,” akin to Midtown Manhattan in New York or the Palais des Nations district in Geneva.
A Vote of Confidence in Kenya’s Stability
Equally significant is the trust this investment represents.
In a region often marked by political turbulence, the UN’s decision to double down on Nairobi signals confidence in Kenya’s relative stability and reliability as a host for sensitive international operations.
For a country that positions itself as a bridge between Africa and the world, this vote of confidence enhances its global profile.
Challenges Ahead
Still, the expansion is not without challenges. Nairobi will need to strengthen infrastructure—roads, public transport, security systems, and digital connectivity—to support the growing diplomatic community.
There is also the political test: maintaining stability and neutrality in a polarized domestic environment while hosting global negotiations.
Nairobi: The Global South’s Diplomatic Capital
From its beginnings as a colonial railway depot to its rise as East Africa’s financial and tech hub, Nairobi has always been a city of reinvention.
With the UN’s $62 million expansion and billions more in pipeline projects, the city is now on course to establish itself as the diplomatic capital of the Global South—a place where the world comes not just to talk about Africa, but to let Africa shape the global conversation.
Videos of young women dancing in colourful boubou gowns have exploded across social media in West Africa. Dubbed “Dior parties”, the social media trend that originated in Guinea is now stirring controversy. What many see as a joyful revival of African identity and sisterhood has met with fierce backlash from conservative critics and pushed Mali to place a country-wide ban on the celebrations.
The trend spread like wildfire, as did the intractable controversies around it. In just a few months, “Dior parties” have become all the rage on social media. Driven by videos shared widely on TikTok, the trend that originated in Guinea has now taken West Africa by storm.
The clips show groups of young women clad in bright, colourful gowns known as boubous, fired up and dancing to all the latest hits in apartments, nightclubs or restaurants. But these girls’ nights out have met with fierce backlash from conservatives across West Africa. Many young women have faced a barrage of criticism for posting these videos, deemed immoral by critics.
Luxury fashion jumps on boubou trend
Also known as “boubou parties”, the “Dior party” trend refers to the well-known French luxury brand – a symbol of wealth and elegance. The nickname has stuck not only to describe the traditional African gowns, but also the friendly and selective nature of these parties, most often reserved for women.
“Dior parties” and their hype also seem to be riding the wave of boubous coming back into style. Replaced by outfits that were considered more modern for some time, the traditional gown has regained popularity in recent years and is now being proudly worn as a symbol of African cultural identity.
A few years ago, Dior came under fire for using traditional African batik wax printing and tie dye patterns on several garments during a fashion show, sparking a debate on cultural appropriation.
Twerking, a touchy topic
But the parties have recently become a target on social media, with some calling them symbols of “youth depravity”. Specific dance moves broadcast in the clips like twerking, which consists of rhythmically shaking the hips and buttocks, have especially sparked outrage. Alcohol consumption has also furrowed many brows, as its use is still poorly regarded in some West African regions.
In response to the criticism, participants have stepped up to defend the Dior parties, underlying their role as celebrations of sisterhood and African culture.
An organiser quoted anonymously by online media outlet Ledjely recalled the African origins of twerking, saying the move is an “integral part of traditional Guinean dances from its forest regions”.
“If you don’t know how to twerk, you can be considered a bad dancer. For us, it’s a way to have fun,” she added, going on to explain how these parties allow participants to celebrate and dance in a safe environment, without fear of being harassed or sexually assaulted.
Lesbians in the firing line
The most fervent critics of the Dior parties have gone even further, claiming “excessively promiscuous” participants are naked under their boubous and that the celebrations are “lesbian” gatherings. Talking about LGBTQ rights is an especially thorny issue in Guinea, where gay or lesbian displays of affection are illegal and can lead to imprisonment.
Discriminatory attitudes towards LGBTQ people are quite widespread in West Africa. Burkina Faso banned same-sex conduct earlier this month, and Mali passed a law that made homosexuality a crime in December last year.
Singer Marie Fac, who has organised Dior parties, snapped back at these allegations by posting a video on her TikTok account and wrote: “Some swear on their mothers’ lives that I’m a lesbian, to prove what exactly? Please, let’s educate our children.”
Others opt for a more sarcastic tone to defend the parties. “Let’s be honest fellas. Is twerking really the problem, or is it the fact that you weren’t invited to come and grind?” a woman wrote on a Facebook post that has now garnered more than 100 comments.
“Men don’t really understand Dior parties,” says Yamciss, an employee at the Nimba Palace nightclub in Conakry, Guinea, who thinks the controversy around the trend is an “exaggeration”. The 27-year-old organised a boubou party on August 1 and insists that the celebrations went off “without a hitch”.
“It was a huge success, not only for the nightclub but also for the retailers we worked with for the occasion,” he says. Thanks to their popularity, Dior parties have been an important business opportunity for local seamstresses, stylists, hairdressers, retailers and make-up artists.
But it turns out that is not enough to keep them going. Two Guinean municipalities banned Dior parties at the end of August, claiming the “sensual dances” performed “undermine our customs and morals, as well as modesty in public places”.
Neighbouring Mali quickly followed suit. On September 8, the governor of the district of Bamako issued a similar ban on the parties “for public order reasons”, citing practices that were “contrary to public decency”.
A general ban has since been implemented by the Ministry of Justice country-wide.
Nepal’s newly-appointed interim prime minister says she will be in the post for no longer than six months.
“I did not wish for this job. It was after voices from the streets that I was compelled to accept,” Sushila Karki said, speaking for the first time since being sworn into office on Friday. She said she would hand over to the new government, which will emerge after the elections on 5 March next year.
Her appointment comes after more than 70 people were killed during anti-corruption protests, which ousted Nepal’s government.
Karki took the oath of office after an agreement with protest leaders from the so-called “Gen Z” movement.
“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” she said.
“What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality.”
The mass protests, sparked by a ban on social media platforms, started on 8 September and over the course of two days descended into chaos and violence, during which politicians’ homes were vandalised and parliament was set on fire.
The death toll from the unrest has now reached 72, including three police personnel, officials say.
“I feel ashamed. If they were Nepalis who destroyed these essential structures, how can they be called Nepalis,” the interim prime minister said on Sunday.
Karki, a former Supreme Court chief justice, is widely regarded as having a clean image.
Aerial view showing massive crowds of protesters in Nepal.PHOTO/mohitlaws/X
But she has not been free from controversy, having faced an impeachment incident during her nearly 11-month tenure as chief justice.
Now Karki and her cabinet will face multiple challenges, including restoring law and order, rebuilding parliament and the other key buildings that were attacked, in addition to reassuring the Gen Z protesters who want change – and others in Nepal who are fearful its young democracy and constitutional order may be derailed.
Former Ivory Coast First Lady Simone Gbagbo has gone from hiding in a bunker in an attempt to avoid arrest to defiantly announcing she will run for president.
In an extraordinary comeback, the controversial 76-year-old was this week surprisingly allowed to contest October’s elections, calling on supporters to help “build a new nation”.
For years, Gbagbo worked side-by-side with her ex-husband Laurent, and was considered to be the power behind his throne.
Now, with a criminal conviction and a divorce behind her, she takes centre stage as a presidential candidate in her own right.
Gbagbo was Ivory Coast’s first lady from 2000 to 2011 and was dubbed “the iron lady” due to her reputation for toughness.
While her supporters fondly called her “maman” (French for “mum”), Gbagbo was feared within the party she set up with her husband, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI).
“All the ministers respect me. And they often consider me above them,” she told French magazine L’Express during her husband’s presidency.
At rallies, Gbagbo often invoked her evangelist Christian faith, firing off spirited, eloquent speeches in support of her husband.
Gbagbo met Laurent in 1973, at a time when both were powerful figures in Ivory Coast’s trade union movement.
Gbagbo had degrees in history and linguistics, and as a teacher, was a key member of various educators’ unions.
The couple’s relationship was also built on the struggle against then-president Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
The Gbagbos protested against Houphouët-Boigny’s autocracy, which lasted for 33 years, calling for multi-party democracy.
Simone Gbagbo gave passionate speeches in support of her husband – next month she herself will take centre stage
As a result of their activism, the pair were jailed several times.
“I engaged in political struggle against the former regime alongside men,” Gbagbo recalled In her l’Express interview.
“I spent six months in prison, I was beaten, molested, left for dead. After all those trials, it’s logical that people don’t mess with me.”
In 1982 the pair co-founded the FPI. That same year, Laurent fled to France following harassment from Houphouët-Boigny’s security forces and Gbagbo was left to raise the couple’s twin daughters alone.
After six years apart, Laurent returned and the pair married in an intimate ceremony, with less than 10 guests present.
The Gbagbos soon had further cause for celebration. In 1990 Houphouët-Boigny finally caved in, allowing the first national elections in Ivory Coast since independence three decades earlier.
Laurent decided to run for president, his wife a key figure in his campaign.
“Laurent had the good-natured gab, Simone the uncompromising discourse,” French newspaper Le Monde said of the Gbagbos’ political partnership.
In less flattering terms, Ivorian opposition newspaper Le Patriote wrote: “Laurent Gbagbo – expansive, warm, and devious… his wife, Simone Ehivet-Gbagbo – enigmatic, cold, and secretive.”
In an election marred by allegations of widespread rigging, Laurent lost the presidential race to Houphouët-Boigny by a landslide.
He did, however, win a seat in the National Assembly and five years later, his wife gained one too.
Gbagbo campaigned for her husband once again when he ran for president in 2000. This time, he won, after all other opposition candidates had been excluded by the military leaders who had seized power.
But, once a champion of democracy, the new president began adopting draconian measures to stifle political dissent. His backing of the concept of Ivoirité, or Ivorieness, pushed soldiers in the north to take up arms and the country was divided in two.
It is thought his wife had huge influence over the security forces, who were used by the administration to silence opposition voices.
Furthermore, presidential elections slated for 2005 were postponed six times, with Laurent saying he needed to establish control of the whole country before he could hold elections, although he eventually agreed to them in 2010.
In a surprise result, he lost to Alassane Ouattara – Ivory Coast’s current president – but refused to accept the result. This attempt to stay put sparked another devasting civil war in which more than 3,000 people died.
After the vote, Gbagbo fiercely defended her husband’s decision to stay on, dubbing Ouattara a “bandit leader”.
“The time for debates about the elections between Gbagbo and the ‘bandit leader’ is over,” she said in an address to supporters.
“Our president is firmly established in power and he is working.”
Eventually, as pro-Ouattara forces backed by French troops advanced on the presidential residence, the couple took refuge in a bunker. They were arrested there, and hauled off to a hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s main city, effectively ending the five-month conflict.
After they were captured, photos of the fallen Gbagbos circulated amongst Ivorians
At her trial five years later, Gbagbo described her detention at the hotel.
“I myself arrived with my buttocks exposed, my nudity exposed. I was subjected to several attempted rapes in broad daylight, all in the presence of French soldiers who were filming,” she told the court.
Gbagbo was sentenced to 20 years for “attempting to undermine the security of the state”, disturbing public order and organising armed gangs during the civil war.
However, just three years later, President Ouattara granted Gbagbo an amnesty in what he said was a move to foster reconciliation. This is why she was allowed to stand in next month’s election, despite her conviction.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) pursued separate charges against Gbagbo in 2012, also relating to the civil war, but they were later dropped.
The ICC went after Laurent too – they charged him with crimes against humanity and he spent seven years in custody at The Hague.
The couple have long maintained their innocence, rejecting all charges against them as politically motivated.
Laurent was eventually acquitted by the ICC and returned home to Ivory Coast in 2021.
But there would be no tear-jerking reunion with his wife – days after landing on Ivorian soil, the former president filed for divorce, having fostered a relationship with journalist Nady Bamba.
Gbagbo hit back at her husband – through her lawyer, she accused Laurent of “blatantand well-known adultery” and “abandonment of the marital home”.
Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to step down after the 2010 elections triggered a bloodbath
The former first lady has since been quietly and methodically rebuilding her political base, following her break from the FPI.
She founded a new party, the leftist Movement of Capable Generations (MGC) and in her campaign for next month’s election pledges a “modernised” and “prosperous” Ivory Coast.
Gbagbo’s candidacy is not only politically significant but symbolically powerful in a country where women remain largely underrepresented in national leadership.
Only 30% of Ivorian parliamentarians are women, and few have held senior roles in government.
Gbagbo’s reputation for activism and democracy has been tainted, but she is still seen as one of the strongest challengers to Ouattara in next month’s poll.
A political veteran with powerful rhetoric, she looks set to gain the backing of her husband’s supporters, after he was barred from running himself.
But in this election, the spotlight will be firmly on Simone Gbagbo. And should she win the presidency, the “iron lady” would make history as Ivory Coast’s first female president – yet another milestone in a turbulent, four-decade long political career.
History-maker Terence Crawford stunned Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on points in Las Vegas, becoming the first male fighter in the modern era to hold undisputed titles in three weight divisions.
In front of 70,000 fiercely pro-Alvarez fans at Allegiant Stadium, Crawford – jumping up two weight divisions – delivered a masterclass, underlining his status as boxing’s pound-for-pound star.
The unbeaten 37-year-old showcased his full arsenal of skill, defence, power and timing, leaving Alvarez, 35, clinging on at the final bell and silencing the partisan crowd.
Despite the judges scoring it tighter than expected – 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 – the verdict capped off a defining performance, on the grandest stage, that will be remembered long in the sport’s history.
“I’m not here by coincidence,” said Crawford, draped in the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO and IBF super-middleweight titles.
Crawford dropped to his knees as he was announced the winner, visibly emotional.
Despite the victory, the Omaha fighter did not rule out retiring after his 42nd straight professional win.
“I don’t know, I’ve got to sit down with my team and we’ll talk about it,” he added.
Fighting on Mexican Independence Day weekend, Alvarez – who loses for the third time in his 68th bout – had his status, pride and the hopes of a nation on the line, but came up against a generational great.
“I feel great to share the ring with great fighters like him. If we do it again then it’ll be great,” he said.
“My legacy is already there and I like taking risks because I love boxing.”
Crawford masterclass lights up Vegas
Crawford has never had a judge score a fight against him
In a provocative move, Crawford made his ringwalk to a mariachi band. Unaware, Mexican fans sang along – until a grinning ‘Bud’ appeared on the big screen.
Alvarez followed with his own mariachi entrance, brass and strings echoing as he soaked in the rapturous adoration.
After a cautious opening round, Crawford began to assert himself, using his reach and movement while counter-punching with precision.
Some wondered whether he could absorb Alvarez’s power, but when Alvarez landed single shots to the body in the fourth, Crawford fired back with two uppercuts and a right-hook combination. He showed no signs of intimidation.
Alvarez landed a heavy right in the closing seconds of the round, but Crawford merely smiled dismissively. Gliding across the ring, he landed a beautiful combination in the sixth.
This was the 21st time Alvarez had fought in Las Vegas – a city where he has built a fortress over two decades – but it was clear he had his work cut out by the halfway stage.
Ringside was a who’s who of boxing and entertainment, from legends Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Thomas Hearns to singer Lizzo and actor Mark Wahlberg.
They witnessed a ninth-round spectacle as the fighters met in the centre, trading blows, with a brief pause after an accidental Alvarez headbutt.
Alvarez’s corner urged him on in desperation: “We have three rounds to blow him up,” his long-term trainer Eddy Reynoso said.
As the championship rounds wore on, Crawford increasingly looked capable of finishing it inside the distance.
Jabs and combinations flew, Alvarez chasing while Crawford picked him apart. His legs showed signs of fatigue – in a 15-round fight, it felt like Crawford would have finished it.
The judges’ scorecards were too close for comfort but throughout fight week Crawford had promised to find a way past Alvarez – and he did, in style.
History for Crawford, hard questions for Alvarez
Crawford turns 38 on 28 September
This was never a bout long in the making – the pair had operated in different weight classes – but the scale of Alvarez’s commercial power and Crawford’s immaculate record elevated it into a genuine super-fight.
Crawford now stands as a five-weight world champion, adding undisputed status at light-welterweight and welterweight to his latest triumph.
In doing so, he emulates his friend Claressa Shields, who was ringside and remains female boxing’s trailblazer with undisputed crowns in three divisions.
With the fight broadcast globally on Netflix to a potential audience of more than 300 million, his fame could now soar.
Although Crawford has admitted retirement is not off the table, the options before him are vast – and so too are the potential paydays.
For Alvarez, the critics will be unforgiving. He lost to a great fighter, but one stepping up to super-middleweight for the first time.
It was a gamble and it backfired.
But after 20 years at the pinnacle, the Mexican icon has little left to prove. His legacy is secure, and when the time comes to walk away it will be on his own terms.
“I’m a winner for being here. The fact I’m here makes me a winner. I take risks and that’s what I did,” he said.
Robinson’s own family tipped off authorities through a minister connected to law enforcement. According to President Trump, Robinson later drove into a police station voluntarily, effectively confirming suspicions about his involvement.
A Family Dinner Confession
Just a day before the shooting, Robinson told his family during dinner that Charlie Kirk was “spreading hate.” He specifically mentioned Kirk’s upcoming event at Utah Valley University, suggesting that he had already fixated on the target.
The Suspect’s Growing Resentment
Investigators believe Robinson harbored long-standing anger toward Kirk’s rhetoric. His remarks to family members pointed to deep ideological opposition, with law enforcement noting that the word “hate” repeatedly came up in his conversations.
The Chilling Execution
On September 10, Robinson allegedly climbed a rooftop across from Kirk’s event at UVU. From 200 yards away, he fired a single, precise shot with a high-powered rifle, striking Kirk in the neck as he debated under a tent before 3,000 attendees.
Mugshot of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, released. Utah Governor’s Office
The Chilling Execution
On September 10, Robinson allegedly climbed a rooftop across from Kirk’s event at UVU. From 200 yards away, he fired a single, precise shot with a high-powered rifle, striking Kirk in the neck as he debated under a tent before 3,000 attendees.
A Rifle Left Behind
Authorities later recovered a Mauser .30-06 bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel along the suspected escape route. Forensic experts found fingerprints and ballistic matches, linking the weapon directly to Robinson.
Surveillance Images Expose Him
FBI-released surveillance footage showed a dark-clad, college-aged male fleeing across rooftops and backyards after the shot. Thousands of tips poured in after the images were made public, narrowing down the suspect pool.
The Arrest That Ended The Hunt
Robinson’s own family tipped off authorities through a minister connected to law enforcement. According to President Trump, Robinson later drove into a police station voluntarily, effectively confirming suspicions about his involvement.
Political Shockwaves Nationwide
Kirk’s assassination sent shockwaves across the country. Vigils were held in multiple states, and President Trump called Kirk “a great guy from top to bottom,” demanding the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
Investigation Into Deeper Motives
While the family’s testimony points to Robinson’s disdain for Kirk’s rhetoric, the FBI is still probing whether external influences or networks played a role. Officials stress that the motive is clearer now, but the case remains active.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was ready to sanction Moscow, but on the condition that all NATO allies agree to completely halt purchases of Russian oil and implement their own sanctions.
He also suggested members of the transatlantic alliance consider slapping tariffs of 50 percent to 100 percent on China as a way to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, which he described as a letter to all NATO nations and the world.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions — including last weekend after the Kremlin unleashed its biggest-ever aerial barrage against Ukraine — as a way to hit at revenue Moscow needs for its grinding war.
But so far he has failed to follow through, frustrating Kyiv.
The president, who met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last month at a summit in Alaska, branded NATO nations’ purchase of Russian oil “shocking” and said it weakens their bargaining power over Moscow.
“Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?“
Trump also raised the prospect of NATO imposing tariffs on China, which is believed to have boosted strategic cooperation with Moscow and held a high-profile summit with Putin recently in Beijing.
“I believe that (NATO sanctions on Russia), plus NATO, as a group, placing 50 percent to 100 percent TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR,” Trump said.
“China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip.”
If the 32-member alliance “does as I say, the WAR will end quickly,” Trump said. “If not, you are just wasting my time.”
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, has given a tearful address in which she thanked first responders for trying to save her husband’s life after he was fatally shot on a Utah university campus.
In a livestream, standing beside her husband’s empty chair that he used during podcast tapings, she quoted the Bible and spoke about his love for President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, the United States and the couple’s two children.
Kirk, a right-wing activist, was shot dead on Wednesday during an open-air speaking event in Orem, Utah. His suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Thursday night after surrendering to police.
In her remarks, Mrs Kirk pledged: “My husband’s voice will remain.”
The broadcast from Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Arizona began with several minutes of silence, as the camera framed Charlie Kirk’s empty chair.
As his widow started speaking, she looked upwards and whispered a silent prayer.
She then thanked first responders who tried to save him, her husband’s staff, and the White House.
“Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too,” she said tearfully, also thanking Vance and his wife Usha for accompanying the casket back to Arizona.
“But most of all, Charlie loved his children. And he loved me. With all his heart. And he made sure I knew that everyday.”
Erika Kirk holds hands with Second Lady Usha Vance as they arrive in Arizona on Air Force Two
Addressing “evil-doers”, Mrs Kirk said: “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.
“They should all know this: if you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before you have no idea, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world.”
Her husband’s tour of US university campuses will continue throughout the autumn, and in the years to come, she said, without offering further details. His podcast will also continue.
Mrs Kirk also spoke of their one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, saying that she was at a loss for how to explain their father’s sudden death.
“Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus,” she told their daughter.
Mrs Kirk, 36, and their children were reportedly in the audience when her husband was shot.
Erika Kirk is a businesswoman and former Miss Arizona USA winner, who met her husband in 2018. The couple were engaged by 2020 and wed less than a year later.
She is currently studying for a doctorate in Bible studies, has launched a ministry programme and hosts the Midweek Rise Up podcast focused on Biblical leadership. Mrs Kirk also acts and models, and has a faith-based clothing line.
Although the children and the couple’s home life are regular fixtures on her social media pages, they never publish images showing their children’s faces.
Charlie Kirk, 31, a controversial figure in US political discourse, had been hailed by many as the future of American conservatism with a knack for energising young conservatives.
By mobilising the youth vote, he was an instrumental organiser in Trump’s Maga coalition and helped return him to the White House for a second term.
Kirk was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and promoted false claims about Covid-19.
His views were polarising on the college campuses, where he held large events, and his provocative speeches would draw crowds of vocal opponents as well as fans.
Kirk’s supporters said he was relatable and understood their concerns. But his views drew fierce liberal criticism, with his detractors said his rhetoric hurt people – especially those in the LGBT community.
Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University during Turning Point USA’s The American Comeback Tour, a speaking engagement that took him to several college campuses throughout the US.
He was shot during his viral Prove Me Wrong debate while taking a question about gun violence and transgender people in the US.
Trump has announced that he will award Kirk a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honour a president can bestow – describing his friend and ally as a “giant of his generation and a champion of liberty”.
The US president said that Mrs Kirk “is absolutely devastated”.
Turning Point USA, the organisation Charlie Kirk founded when he was 18 years old, also referred to its co-founder as a “martyr” and “pioneer”.
“Charlie was the ideal husband and the perfect father. Above all else, we ask you to pray for the Kirks after the incomprehensible loss they have suffered,” the organisation said in a statement to the BBC on Thursday.
JD Vance flew to Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday to retrieve Kirk’s casket and transport it to Phoenix, Arizona – where Kirk’s family lives – on the vice-presidential aircraft, Air Force Two.
Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance travelled with Kirk’s family and some of his friends to Arizona.
Nigerian chef and former Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci has attempted to make the world’s largest pot of jollof rice, a popular West African dish.
Thousands of people gathered in Lagos to watch the food influencer’s latest world record bid, after once holding the 2023 title for the longest cooking marathon – an exhausting 93 hours and 11 minutes, or nearly four days.
Her gigantic jollof recipe included 4,000kg (8,800lb) of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste and 600kg of onions – all poured into a custom-made pot that can hold 23,000 litres.
The dish took several hours to cook and evidence of the feat must now be validated by the Guinness World Records organisation.
Baci, 28, told BBC Pidgin that it took her a year to plan how she would tackle the mammoth challenge.
“We are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for,” she said.
“It would make sense if we had the biggest pot of jollof rice, it would be nice for the country.”
Manufacturing the giant steel vessel to hold her dish took a culinary team of 300 people two months to make.
Working with a group of assistants wielding massive wooden spatulas, Baci’s crowning dish was later distributed for onlookers to enjoy.
Jollof rice is a staple of Nigerian cuisine, featuring rice simmered in a tomato sauce, often paired with meat or seafood.
Baci won a competition for her version of jollof rice in 2021, and then became a national sensation in 2023 when she claimed the cooking marathon record.
Nepal’s former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in Friday as the country’s prime minister to lead a six-month transition to elections, after deadly anti-corruption protests ousted the government.
The previous prime minister quit Tuesday as parliament was set ablaze.
“I, Sushila Karki… take an oath in the name of the country and the people to fulfil my duty as the prime minister,” the 73-year-old Karki, Nepal’s first woman chief justice, said as she was sworn into office by President Ram Chandra Paudel.
“Congratulations! We wish you success, wish the country success,” Paudel said to Karki after the small ceremony in the presidential palace, attended by diplomats and some former leaders.
Parliament was later dissolved, and elections were set for March 5, 2026.
The Himalayan nation of 30 million people was plunged into chaos this week after security forces tried to crush rallies by young anti-corruption protesters.
At least 51 people were killed in the worst violence since the end of a civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
The military took back control of the streets on Wednesday, enforcing a curfew.
Nepal’s new Prime Minister Sushila Karki (C) leaves the presidential palace after her swearing-in-ceremony in Kathmandu / AFP
The appointment of the judge, known for her independence, comes after two days of intense negotiations by army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and Paudel, including with representatives from “Gen Z”, the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement.
Thousands of young activists had used the online app Discord to debate the next steps — and name Karki as their choice of next leader.
Karki, dressed in a red sari dress, took the oath but did not make a further speech. She smiled and bowed with her hands pressed together repeatedly in traditional greetings.
“It is a moment of victory… finally the power vacuum has ended,” said Amrita Ban, a Gen Z protester.
“We did it”, key youth protest group Hami Nepal posted on Instagram, calling for unity.
“Honour the lives of those who sacrificed themselves for this moment”.
Neighbouring India said that it welcomed the formation of the interim government and Karki’s appointment.
“We are hopeful that this would help in fostering peace and stability”, New Delhi’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
– ‘Make a better Nepal’ –
Protests fed into long-standing economic woes in Nepal, where a fifth of people aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447.
At least 21 protesters were among those killed, mainly on Monday during the police crackdown on demonstrations against corruption and poor governance that was sparked by a ban on social media.
Parliament, major government buildings and a Hilton Hotel were among the sites set ablaze by protesters on Tuesday.
KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, then quit as prime minister. His whereabouts are not known.
More than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from jails across the country during the chaos “are still at large”, police spokesman Binod Ghimire told AFP.
Nepal’s army said it had recovered more than 100 guns looted in the uprising, during which protesters were seen brandishing automatic rifles.
Soldiers patrolled the largely quiet streets of the capital Kathmandu for a third day on Friday.
“I was very afraid, and stayed locked inside my home with family and didn’t leave,” said Naveen Kumar Das, a painter-decorator in his mid-40s.
He was among many ordinary residents of Kathmandu who took advantage of a brief lifting of the curfew to stock up on supplies.
James Karki, 24, who was among the protesters, said he was hopeful for change ahead.
“We started this movement so we could make a better Nepal,” he said.
Nepal’s former Supreme Court chief justice Sushila Karki is set to become the country’s interim prime minister after deadly anti-corruption protests ousted the government.
Karki, 73, will be the first woman to lead the impoverished Himalayan nation after a deal was reached with the protest leaders for her to be sworn in.
More than 50 people were killed in clashes with riot police during this week’s mass protests sparked by a ban on social media platforms.
The ban was lifted on Monday – but by then protests had swelled into a mass movement. Angry crowds set fire to parliament and government buildings in the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday, forcing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
Fire and smoke rise from the Singha Durbar palace, which houses government and parliament buildings, as protesters stormed the premises in Kathmandu
Karki would take the oath of office on Friday evening, President Ram Chandra Poudel’s press adviser confirmed to the BBC.
The agreement between the president and the protest leaders was reached after days of consultations. Legal experts were also involved.
Parliament is expected to be dissolved shortly.
Karki is widely regarded as a person of clean image, and is being supported by student leaders from the so-called “Gen Z” to lead the interim government.
Nepal’s army has deployed patrols on the streets of Kathmandu, as the country reels from its worst unrest in decades.
The protests were triggered by the government’s decision last week to ban 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook – but they soon widened to embody much deeper discontent with Nepal’s political elite.
In the weeks before the ban, a “nepo kid” campaign, spotlighting the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children and allegations of corruption, had taken off on social media.
And while the social media ban was hastily lifted on Monday night, the protests had by that stage gained unstoppable momentum.
Authorities have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect in Wednesday’s fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, and say he is in custody, ending a nationwide manhunt following the assassination.
Robinson had “become more political in recent years,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said during a Friday press conference. A family member told officials that Robinson came to dinner on September 10 and “mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to [Utah Valley University].”
Cox said to the public, “This is certainly about the tragic death and assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk. But it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals.”
Cox confirmed that Robinson “was not a student here at UVU” and was “living and has been living for some time with his family in Washington County.”
Mugshot of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, released. Utah Governor’s Office
Since midday Wednesday, authorities had been searching for the shooter, who jumped from a roof and fled after firing at Kirk, according to the FBI. Prior to Robinson’s arrest, two people were briefly detained and then released on Wednesday. Officials received over 11,000 leads and tips on the matter, FBI Director Kash Patel said during a Friday press conference.
Why It Matters
Kirk was the co-founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a prominent conservative campus organization. He was a frequent political commentator, often speaking on college campuses and hosting media programs and conferences, as well as a close ally of President Donald Trump.
The shooting comes amid a broader climate of political violence across the United States. In June, Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in a targeted political act.
Lawmakers and prominent figures across the aisle have condemned the violence, including members of the Trump administration as well as Democrats. Trump has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff “in honor of Charlie Kirk” until 6 p.m. Sunday. The fatal attack has raised concerns about campus public-safety protocols, political violence, gun control and free speech.
Charlie Kirk Alleged Shooter: What We Know
On Friday morning, authorities publicly identified Robinson, a Utah local, as the suspected shooter, noting that they took him into custody on Thursday night.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason had described the suspect on Thursday as someone who “blended in well with the college institution.”
Newsweek identified Robinson’s mother as Amber Jones Robinson. She has posted several photos of her family, including Tyler, on her personal Facebook page. According to her Facebook page, she attended the University of Utah and is a social worker.
A photo of Tyler Robinson posted on his mother, Amber Jones Robinson’s, Facebook page. Facebook/Amber Jones Robinson
She and Tyler visited Utah State University in 2021.
“It was great to get some one on one time with this boy,” she wrote on Facebook. “Plus Aggie ice cream! I didn’t know that was a thing, but it’s great!”
In 2019, she posted a family photo that included three children and her partner. The family owns a home in Washington, Utah, approximately three and a half hours from Utah Valley University.
A family photo of the Robinsons from 2019 posted on Amber Jones Robinson’s Facebook page. Facebook/ Amber Jones Robinson
Before Robinson’s arrest, authorities had confirmed early Thursday that the suspected shooter was no longer in the wooded area where he had appeared to flee after the shooting. Investigators also had found a high-powered, bolt-action rifle along the suspected escape route.
Trump first said Friday morning during a live interview on Fox & Friends that the individual was turned in by his father and that law enforcement officials would confirm the arrest later in the day.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City field office released photos of the suspect on Thursday and asked the public for help identifying him.
Authorities stated that the suspect allegedly arrived on campus just before noon on Wednesday. Robinson is the third person of interest to have been taken into custody in relation to the shooting. The other two were released shortly after being questioned on Wednesday.
Where Was Charlie Kirk Shot?
Kirk was shot through the neck during a student Q&A at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Moments before Kirk was shot, he was answering a question about gun violence.
Following the shooting, he was transported to a local hospital and died. His body has been returned to his home state of Arizona and transported to a church ahead of a funeral service.
Several videos posted online show the event, including the moment the shot was fired and the subsequent bloodshed.
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP
What Has Donald Trump Said About Charlie Kirk?
Trump, as well as other top admin officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, posted on social media to honor Kirk and his legacy.
The president publicly announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social, writing hours after the shooting: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
In a statement Wednesday night, Trump called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom.” He later said that he “will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
Vance posted a long message in honor of Kirk on Wednesday night, writing, “Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him.”
His X post continued, “So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene. He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
The vice president and second lady Usha Vance traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to pay respects to the family of Kirk and escort Kirk’s body to Arizona. The vice president helped carry Kirk’s casket onto Air Force Two for transport.
The Vances had originally planned to attend the annual 9/11 observance in New York City, but changed plans to go to Utah and escort Kirk’s casket.
What Happens Next
Robinson is held in custody in Utah. Memorial services for Kirk have not been announced yet. He is survived by his wife and two children.
The president said on Friday, “I hope he’s gonna be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty for what he did.” After Kirk’s shooting, Utah’s governor reminded the public that the state enforces the death penalty.
OREM, Utah, Sept 12 (Reuters) – A young Utah man suspected of killing the influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in the city of Orem was in custody on Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters.
“We got him,” Cox told reporters.
The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, had confessed to a family friend – or “implied that he had committed the murder” to that friend – and that person in turn had contacted the Washington County sheriff’s office on Thursday.
A family member interviewed by investigators said Robinson had become more political recently and spoke in a disparaging manner about Kirk, Cox told reporters. Robinson was taken into custody on Thursday night, about 33 hours after Kirk’s murder, FBI Director Kash Patel said at the press conference.
Kirk, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was killed by a single bullet as he spoke onstage at an outdoor amphitheatre at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Previously, U.S. investigators said they had found the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used to kill Kirk and released images of a person of interest.
Tyler Robinson Mugshots.
Investigators spoke to Robinson’s roommate, who showed them comments Robinson had made on Discord, a chat and streaming platform popular with gamers, discussing retrieving a rifle from a drop point and then leaving the rifle in a bush wrapped in a towel. This matched the description of the gun that authorities recovered after the shooting in a wooded area near campus.
Ammunition found at the scene had been inscribed, Cox said. The messages on the casing included: “What’s this;” “Oh, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Ciao;” “If you read this, you are gay, LMAO;” and “Hey fascist, catch!,” Cox told reporters.
Kirk, a well-connected activist, author and podcast host, helped build support for Trump and the Republican Party among younger voters.
Kirk was the co-founder and president of the conservative student group Turning Point USA and appeared at Utah Valley on Wednesday as part of a planned 15-event “American Comeback Tour” of U.S. college campuses. His killing stirred outrage and denunciations of political violence from Democrats, Republicans and foreign governments.
