The Common Pulse

B y   Mutunga Tobbias / The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. In the world of Formula 1, where milliseconds can define a champion, Max Verstappen's recent sprint race victory stands out as a testament to his exceptional skill, strategic acumen, and unwavering focus. The race, held at the Circuit of the Americas, was not just another race; it was a clear message to his competitors that Verstappen is back at the top of his game. A Glimpse into the Weekend's Build-Up The weekend began with high anticipation. McLaren's Lando Norris had been showing impressive form in practice sessions, clocking the fastest lap during the sole practice session. However, as the weekend progressed, it became evident that Red Bull Racing, under the guidance of team principal Laurent Mekies, had made significant strides in car development. Verstappen's pole position in the sprint qualifying was a clear indication of this progress. The Sprint Qualifying: A Battle...

   By   Justin Kirangacha| The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. Among the countless monuments scattered across China, few evoke such visceral disgust as the kneeling statues of Qin Hui and his wife, Wang. Every day, in Hangzhou’s West Lake, visitors spit, curse, and sometimes slap the life-sized bronze figures, their heads bowed in eternal shame before the tomb of Yue Fei, the legendary Song dynasty general they betrayed. This daily ritual of contempt is not merely an act of cultural theater, but a living reminder of how treachery, hypocrisy, and political cowardice can echo through the ages long after empires fall and dynasties crumble. The story of Qin Hui is a study in disgrace, a political fable about power’s corrosion of the soul, and a warning carved in metal about the enduring memory of betrayal. Qin Hui was born in 1090, during the Northern Song dynasty, and rose through the imperial bureaucracy as a talented scholar and offici...

  By   Justin Kirangacha| The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. When Barack Obama first rose to prominence on the world stage, his story was instantly intertwined with Kenya, the land of his father. But beyond the personal connection, there existed another link, a man whose name carried political weight and revolutionary energy across Kenya and Africa: Raila Amolo Odinga. To understand Raila through the eyes of Obama is to explore not only a political kinship but also a reflection of two men shaped by struggle, hope, and the unrelenting belief in change. Both sons of Luo heritage, both molded by the power of oratory and the pain of division, both symbols of transformation in systems that often resist it. Obama’s perspective of Raila has always carried a careful balance of admiration, distance, and historical respect. During his presidency, he often spoke about democracy, accountability, and the need for African leaders to embrace institution...

B y   Mutunga Tobbias / The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. Welcome, and congratulations. You’ve lived long enough to see the age of flying cars, privately owned, solo-piloted aircraft, free to operate in unrestricted airspace, much as automobiles can take to the open road. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. The Pivotal BlackFly, a sleek, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has quietly and confidently stepped into history as the world’s first truly accessible flying vehicle. What makes the BlackFly disruptively similar to an automobile isn’t its range of about 20 minutes or its top speed of 55 knots, restricted by FAA ultralight regulations, but its accessibility. It is a machine not for the few but for the many, built for ordinary people who dream of flight but have no intention of spending years learning to become pilots. The BlackFly can be mastered by almost anyone with just a few days of training, roughly co...

 B y   Mutunga Tobbias / The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. For more than a decade, Viktor Orbán has stood at the helm of Hungary, shaping the country in his own image and earning a reputation as one of Europe’s most controversial leaders. Since 2010, Orbán’s rule has been defined by a relentless consolidation of power, a populist rhetoric that pits him against what he calls liberal Western elites, and a carefully constructed narrative of defending Hungary’s sovereignty from foreign influence. But now, the man who has long appeared invincible is facing the most formidable challenge of his political life. The Hungarian electorate, weary of economic stagnation, corruption allegations, and the creeping erosion of democratic institutions, appears more divided than ever. Orbán’s grip on the country, once unshakable, is showing signs of strain. The End of Political Comfort Orbán’s ruling party, Fidesz, has dominated Hungarian politics for fif...

By   Justin Kirangacha| The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. In a time of national mourning, such events often transcend political difference, offering a moment of unity and closure. When a figure like Gachagua, who was in high office just months ago, stays away or is absent, it sends signals. First, it invites questions about his motivations, whether his absence is deliberate, strategic, or due to a real barrier. Secondly, it hints at deeper rifts or calculation: in the eyes of many, someone in Gachagua’s position could either stand to gain politically by being seen to pay respects or risk losing ground if excluded or seen to be at odds with the national mood. Thirdly, in Kenya’s ethnically and politically charged climate, the absence of a leading politician at such a major event carries interpretative weight, perhaps a tacit message or a symptom of shifting alliances. The political undercurrents While on the surface this may look like an odd...

 B y   Mutunga Tobbias / The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / OCTOBER2025. In the quiet rhythm of France’s autumn, amid the soft hum of Parisian life and the measured calm of its provincial towns, a darker undercurrent broke through the surface. French authorities announced on Friday that four men had been detained for allegedly plotting to assassinate a Russian dissident living in the country, a revelation that thrust Europe once again into the shadowy domain of espionage, political revenge, and the murky reach of authoritarian regimes beyond their borders. What unfolded is not just a story about four suspects, but a chilling reminder of how the battle between freedom and fear now plays out far from traditional frontlines, embedded deep within Europe’s democratic soil. The arrests came after weeks of careful surveillance, as France’s counterterrorism prosecutors uncovered evidence suggesting a coordinated plan to eliminate a vocal critic of Vladimir P...