News
Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei ex Dickson Ndiema in intensive care with 30% burns
Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei ex Dickson Ndiema who burned Marathon star to death in intensive care with 30% burns
OLYMPIC runner Rebecca Cheptegei’s ex Dickson Ndiema who allegedly burned her to death is in intensive care with 30 per cent burns.
The Ugandan athlete, 33, died after her former partner snuck into her home and allegedly set her on fire – causing horror burns on over 75 per cent of her body, local media reported.
Local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom said on Tuesday that Cheptegei’s ex-boyfriend poured petrol on her and set her alight during an argument on Sunday.
He reportedly entered her home while she and her two children were at church.
As he allegedly set her alight using a matchstick he was also engulfed by the flames and rushed to hospital, Nation Africa reports.
Now the alleged perpetrator has been named as Dickson Ndiema who is recovering from burn injuries he sustained in the heinous attack.
He apparently has 30 per cent burns, Menach reports.
One of Cheptegei’s own daughters is said to have seen the deadly assault at her mum’s home, it’s reported.
She told Kenya’s The Standard: “He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother.
“I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible.”
According to local media, the attack was launched after Ndiema allegedly snuck into her compound while she and her children were at church.
He was allegedly armed with petrol and poured it on the athlete before setting her alight with a matchstick.
In the process he too was engulfed by the flames, Nation Africa reports.
This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure
Donald Rukare President of the Uganda Olympic Committee
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, spoke from hospital with his other daughter before she died and told local media that the pair were fighting over her land prior to the alleged attack.
He also confirmed to Kenyan newspaper The Star that his daughter’s two children are not fathered by the alleged attacker.
Mr Cheptegei also claimed that she and her ex-partner, who he alleges have been separated for a long time, are involved in a case being investigated by Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Cheptegei was rescued by neighbours after the horrific incident in her town of Endebess.
She then spent days in critical condition at an Intensive Care Unit in Eldoret city’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, western Kenya.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation posted on X on Thursday morning: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence.
“As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”
Inside Rebecca Cheptegei’s athletic career
BY Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
Rebecca Cheptegei, who has died aged 33, was a Ugandan cross country, long distance and marathon runner.
She had represented Uganda at global competitions since 2010 including the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and World Athletics Championships.
Cheptegei most recently competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics in the women’s marathon race.
She finished in 44th place.
According to local reports, Cheptegei had two children.
She had recently moved to Trans Nzoia County to be closer to Kenya’s athletic training facilities.
Cheptegei was a cross country, long distance and marathon runner who competed globally and most recently finished 44th in the Paris 2024 Olympics Women’s Marathon race.
People on X paid tribute to the athlete, writing “RIP” and “May her soul rest in peace”.
One woman added: “So so sad, watched her race many times.”
Another wrote: “Dear Ugandans, and to her family, we are sorry. This is heartbreaking.”
The president of the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) Donald Rukare said in a post on X today: “We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a vicious attack by her boyfriend.
“This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure.”
The UOC is urging local law enforcement to “take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice”.
The pro runner finished 44th in the marathon at Paris 2024 Olympics.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk .
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
- Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections - December 14, 2025
- When Power Doesn’t Need Permission: Nigeria and the Collapse of a Gambian Coup Plot - December 14, 2025
- Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance - December 14, 2025
Low-turnout runoff races for Houston City Council and Houston Community College trustee seats revealed how message discipline, local credibility, and voter mobilization determined clear winners—and decisive losers.
The final ballots are counted, and Houston’s runoff elections have delivered clear outcomes in two closely watched local races, underscoring a familiar truth of municipal politics: in low-turnout elections, organization and credibility matter more than name recognition alone.
In the race for Houston City Council At-Large Position 4, Alejandra Salinas secured a decisive victory, winning 25,710 votes (59.27%) over former council member Dwight A. Boykins, who garnered 17,669 votes (40.73%). The margin was not accidental. Salinas ran a campaign tightly aligned with voter anxiety over public safety and infrastructure—two issues that consistently dominate Houston’s civic conversations. Her emphasis on keeping violent criminals off city streets and expanding Houston’s water supply spoke directly to quality-of-life concerns that resonate across districts, especially in an at-large contest where candidates must appeal to the city as a whole.
Salinas’ win reflects the advantage of message clarity. In a runoff, voters are not looking to be introduced to candidates—they are choosing between candidates they are already familiar with. Salinas presented herself as forward-looking and solutions-oriented, while Boykins, despite his experience and political history, struggled to reframe his candidacy beyond familiarity. In runoffs, nostalgia rarely outperforms momentum.
The second race—for Houston Community College District II trustee—followed a similar pattern. Renee Jefferson Patterson won with 2,497 votes (56.63%), defeating Kathleen “Kathy” Lynch Gunter, who received 1,912 votes (43.37%). Though the raw numbers were smaller, the dynamics were just as telling.
Patterson’s victory was powered by deep local ties and a clear institutional vision. As an HCC alumna, she effectively positioned herself as both a product and a steward of the system. Her pledge to expand the North Forest Campus and direct resources to Acres Home connected policy goals to place-based advocacy. In trustee races, voters often respond less to ideology and more to proximity—those who understand the campus, the students, and the neighborhood. Patterson checked all three boxes.
By contrast, Gunter’s loss highlights the challenge of overcoming a candidate with genuine community roots in a runoff scenario. Without a sharply differentiated message or a strong geographic base, turnout dynamics tend to favor candidates with existing neighborhood networks and direct institutional relevance.
What ultimately decided both races was not a surprise, but execution. Runoffs reward campaigns that can re-mobilize supporters, simplify their message, and convert familiarity into trust. Salinas and Patterson did exactly that. Their opponents, though credible, were unable to expand or energize their coalitions in a compressed electoral window.
The lesson from Houston’s runoff elections is straightforward but unforgiving: winners win because they align message, identity, and ground game. Losers lose because, in low-turnout contests, anything less than that alignment is insufficient.
- Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections - December 14, 2025
- When Power Doesn’t Need Permission: Nigeria and the Collapse of a Gambian Coup Plot - December 14, 2025
- Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance - December 14, 2025
The brief detention of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and its crew in Burkina Faso may have ended quietly, but it exposed a deeper rift shaped by mistrust, insecurity, and uneven military power in West Africa. What was officially a technical emergency landing quickly became a diplomatic and security flashpoint, reflecting not hostility between equals, but anxiety between unequally matched states navigating very different political realities.
On December 8, 2025, the Nigerian Air Force transport aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso while en route to Portugal. Nigerian authorities described the stop as a precautionary response to a technical fault—standard procedure under international aviation and military safety protocols. Burkina Faso acknowledged the emergency landing but emphasized that the aircraft had violated its airspace, prompting the temporary detention of 11 Nigerian personnel while investigations and repairs were conducted. Within days, the crew and aircraft were released, underscoring a professional, if tense, resolution.
Yet the symbolism mattered. In a Sahel region gripped by coups, insurgencies, and fragile legitimacy, airspace is not merely technical—it is political. Burkina Faso’s reaction reflected a state on edge, hyper-vigilant about sovereignty amid persistent internal threats. Nigeria’s response, measured and restrained, reflected confidence rooted in capacity.
The military imbalance between the two countries is stark. Nigeria fields one of Africa’s most formidable armed forces, with a tri-service structure that includes a large, well-equipped air force, a dominant regional navy, and a sizable army capable of sustained operations. The Nigerian Air Force operates fighter jets such as the JF-17 and F-7Ni, as well as A-29 Super Tucanos for counterinsurgency operations, heavy transport aircraft like the C-130, and an extensive helicopter fleet. This force is designed not only for internal security but for regional power projection and multinational operations.
Burkina Faso’s military, by contrast, is compact and narrowly focused. Its air arm relies on a limited number of light attack aircraft, including Super Tucanos, and a small helicopter fleet primarily dedicated to internal counterinsurgency. There is no navy, no strategic airlift capacity comparable to Nigeria’s, and limited logistical depth. The Burkinabè military is stretched thin, fighting multiple insurgent groups while also managing the political consequences of repeated military takeovers.
This imbalance shapes behavior. Nigeria’s military posture is institutional, outward-looking, and anchored in regional frameworks such as ECOWAS. Burkina Faso’s posture is defensive, reactive, and inward-facing. Where Nigeria seeks stability through deterrence and cooperation, Burkina Faso seeks survival amid constant internal pressure. That difference explains why a technical landing could be perceived as a “serious security breach” rather than a routine aviation incident.
The incident also illuminates why Burkina Faso continues to struggle to regain political balance. Repeated coups have eroded civilian institutions, fractured command structures, and blurred the line between governance and militarization. The armed forces are not just security actors; they are political stakeholders. This creates a cycle where insecurity justifies military rule, and military rule deepens insecurity by weakening democratic legitimacy and regional trust.
Nigeria, despite its own security challenges, has managed to avoid this spiral. Civilian control of the military remains intact, democratic transitions—however imperfect—continue, and its armed forces operate within a clearer constitutional framework. This stability enhances Nigeria’s regional credibility and amplifies its military superiority beyond hardware alone.
The C-130 episode did not escalate into confrontation precisely because of this asymmetry. Burkina Faso could assert sovereignty, but not sustain defiance. Nigeria could have asserted its capability, but chose restraint. In the end, professionalism prevailed.
Still, the rift lingers. It is not about one aircraft or one landing, but about two countries moving in different strategic directions. Nigeria stands as a regional anchor with superior military power and institutional depth. Burkina Faso remains a state searching for equilibrium—politically fragile, militarily constrained, and acutely sensitive to every perceived threat from the skies above.
- Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections - December 14, 2025
- When Power Doesn’t Need Permission: Nigeria and the Collapse of a Gambian Coup Plot - December 14, 2025
- Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance - December 14, 2025
News
Bizarre Epstein files reference to Trump, Putin, and oral sex with ‘Bubba’ draws scrutiny in Congress
The latest tranche of emails from the estate of late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein includes one that contains what appear to be references to President Donald Trump allegedly performing oral sex, raising questions the committee cannot answer until the Department of Justice turns over records it has withheld, says U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Garcia insists the Trump White House is helping block them.
In a Friday afternoon interview with The Advocate, the out California lawmaker responded to a 2018 exchange, which was included in the emails released, between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother, Mark Epstein. In that message, Mark wrote that because Jeffrey Epstein had said he was with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, he should “ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.”
“Bubba” is a nickname former President Bill Clinton has been known by; however, the email does not clarify who Mark Epstein meant, and the context remains unclear.
- Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections - December 14, 2025
- When Power Doesn’t Need Permission: Nigeria and the Collapse of a Gambian Coup Plot - December 14, 2025
- Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance - December 14, 2025
Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections
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Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance
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