Latest news with #Mombasa
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Shrewsbury woman 'fights for peace' after father's war death
Judy Arliss was just 19 months old when her father died on board the steamship SS Khedive Ismail on 12 February 1944. Reginald Arliss was a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, and was among 1,297 people killed when the vessel was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Indian years on from VJ Day, and more than 81 years since her father's death at age 37, Ms Arliss still vows to "fight for pacificism until the day I die". The 83-year-old, who is a Quaker, added she is "very proud" of her life-long commitment to peace. On 5 February 1944 the SS Khedive Ismail left Mombasa, Kenya, where Ms Arliss' father was stationed, carrying 1,348 passengers including 271 Royal Navy personnel and more than 80 women, most who were nurses. Four torpedoes were fired by a Japanese submarine, and "the ship went down in three minutes on a Sunday afternoon, with the band playing," Ms Arliss said. The sinking of the transport vessel killed 1,220 men and 77 women, and according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was the largest loss of servicewomen in a single incident in Commonwealth military history. The Japanese submarine was later sunk by the destroyers and cruisers accompanying the convoy. Before Ms Arliss was born, her mother Margery Arliss was evacuated to Shrewsbury after being bombed out of her flat in Liverpool."She had an aunt in Shrewsbury, and she was given a train ticket and got on the next train to Shrewsbury," Ms Arliss mother ended up living near family in Meole Brace, and Ms Arliss, who still lives in the Shropshire market town, said she "had a wonderful five years living there going to school."The impact of her father's death in the war meant Ms Arliss ended up "moving house 43 times" as her mother, who was made a widow aged 28, looked for work in housekeeping. The 83-year-old said she has "been through a few religions", before settling on the Quaker faith 40 years ago. "Obviously, I'm a pacifist, which I'm very proud of - I will preach pacifism until the day I die," she added. Quakers are members of a group with Christian roots that began in England in the 1650s - the formal title of the movement is the Society of Friends or the Religious Society of Friends. The group has a long tradition of opposing war and working in the pursuit of peace. "I'm proud to say I went to Greenham Common and various other pacifist things," Ms Arliss added."What's the point in hating anyone? It only burns you up."From 1981, thousands of women took part in protests and set up camp in opposition to 96 US Air Force nuclear warheads being stored at the RAF base in Berkshire. The camp became a focal point of anti-nuclear sentiment in the UK, and many protesters highlighted their role as mothers aiming to make the world a safer place for their children. Ms Arliss finds VE Day and VJ Day in particular tough to said she was "crying all the time" watching this year's 80th anniversary coverage, adding: "I'm not a royalist, but I liked what the King and Queen and the Royal Family did, they put the survivors centre stage. "I felt [it was] necessary to watch it." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kenya court says British tycoon's body too decomposed to determine cause of death
A Kenyan magistrate says the cause of death of British tycoon Harry Roy Veevers, whose exhumed body has been in a morgue for 11 years, cannot be determined. David Odhiambo ordered the inquest to be closed, saying that "due to the level of [the body's] decomposition at the time of exhumation - months after his burial" it was too hard to say what led to his death and "nobody can be called to answer any charge". Mr Veevers died on Valentine's Day 2013 in the coastal city of Mombasa. He was buried in accordance with Islamic rites and without a post-mortem. It led to a lengthy legal battle, with his two sons from a previous marriage calling for an investigation into how their father had died. The sons, Richard and Philip Veevers, who were living in the UK, accused their father's second wife, Azra Parveen Din, and her daughters, Helen and Alexandra, of being involved in his death, allegedly so that they could inherit his multi-million dollar estate. They have vehemently denied any wrongdoing. On Tuesday, Mr Odhiambo ruled that because of the state of the the body and "the conflicting reports by the pathologists, government chemist and other experts" no charges could be made. "The investigations relating to the death of the deceased are hereby considered closed unless and until new information comes to light," he added. The magistrate said that Mr Veever's body should be released from the morgue in Mombasa upon payment of the fee that had accumulated for the last 11 years. But it is unclear who the body will be handed over to as Mr Odhiambo said he could not make that decision and instructed both families to seek direction from a different court. At the time of Mr Veever's death in 2013, his second wife, who was living with him in Mombasa, said that her husband had died of natural causes. But his Islamic burial, done quickly after his death, raised suspicions from his sons, who said their father was not Muslim and had been buried under a false name. They also alleged that their father may have been poisoned. In January last year, a magistrates' court ruled that his death was not suspicious. However, his sons successfully challenged that ruling and petitioned the High Court to reopen the inquest and allow them to submit new evidence. The High Court referred the case back to a magistrates' court, citing irregular procedures leading to the initial ruling. Tests conducted after the exhumation revealed traces of a pesticide, although pathologists differed on whether this could have been the cause of his death. Tuesday's ruling mentioned the post-mortem findings that found traces of a poisonous substance on both the remains and soil where his body was exhumed. But it also cited the "conflicting findings by pathologists, government chemist and other experts", as a reason why the cause of death "remains unknown". Additional reporting by Anita Nkonge in Nairobi More stories about Kenya from the BBC: BBC reveals horrific exploitation of children in Kenya sex trade 'They aimed to kill' - BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters 'I felt an unspoken pressure to smile' - Kenyan women in the workplace Starvation alert as children fill Kenya refugee ward after US aid cuts UK soldier accused of raping British woman in Kenya Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
12-08-2025
- BBC News
Harry Roy Veevers: Body too decomposed for cause of UK tycoon's death in Kenya to be determined
A Kenyan magistrate says the cause of death of British tycoon Harry Roy Veevers, whose exhumed body has been in a morgue for 11 years, cannot be Odhiambo ordered the inquest to be closed, saying that "due to the level of [the body's] decomposition at the time of exhumation - months after his burial" it was too hard to say what led to his death and "nobody can be called to answer any charge".Mr Veevers died on Valentine's Day 2013 in the coastal city of Mombasa. He was buried in accordance with Islamic rites and without a led to a lengthy legal battle, with his two sons from a previous marriage calling for an investigation into how their father had died. The sons, Richard and Philip Veevers, who were living in the UK, accused their father's second wife, Azra Parveen Din, and her daughters, Helen and Alexandra, of being involved in his death, allegedly so that they could inherit his multi-million dollar estate. They have vehemently denied any Tuesday, Mr Odhiambo ruled that because of the state of the the body and "the conflicting reports by the pathologists, government chemist and other experts" no charges could be made."The investigations relating to the death of the deceased are hereby considered closed unless and until new information comes to light," he magistrate said that Mr Veever's body should be released from the morgue in Mombasa upon payment of the fee that had accumulated for the last 11 it is unclear who the body will be handed over to as Mr Odhiambo said he could not make that decision and instructed both families to seek direction from a different the time of Mr Veever's death in 2013, his second wife, who was living with him in Mombasa, said that her husband had died of natural his Islamic burial, done quickly after his death, raised suspicions from his sons, who said their father was not Muslim and had been buried under a false name. They also alleged that their father may have been January last year, a magistrates' court ruled that his death was not his sons successfully challenged that ruling and petitioned the High Court to reopen the inquest and allow them to submit new High Court referred the case back to a magistrates' court, citing irregular procedures leading to the initial conducted after the exhumation revealed traces of a pesticide, although pathologists differed on whether this could have been the cause of his ruling mentioned the post-mortem findings that found traces of a poisonous substance on both the remains and soil where his body was it also cited the "conflicting findings by pathologists, government chemist and other experts", as a reason why the cause of death "remains unknown".Additional reporting by Anita Nkonge in Nairobi More stories about Kenya from the BBC: BBC reveals horrific exploitation of children in Kenya sex trade'They aimed to kill' - BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters'I felt an unspoken pressure to smile' - Kenyan women in the workplaceStarvation alert as children fill Kenya refugee ward after US aid cutsUK soldier accused of raping British woman in Kenya Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kenya Airways eyes more Doha flights in deal with Qatar Airways
National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has inked a code-sharing pact with Qatar Airways, allowing the latter to introduce a third daily frequency between Doha and Nairobi while KQ will launch Qatar Airways-marketed flights between Mombasa and Doha during the coming winter season. The agreement makes Qatar Airways the 15th codeshare partner of the local carrier in a growing list that has seen KQ widen its global route network. Code-sharing refers to a deal between two or more airlines to sell seats for the same flight, meaning passengers enjoy benefits such as purchase of a single ticket, a single check-in, and seamless connections at transit points. In the partnership signed in Doha on Tuesday, the two firms said the agreed flights will be available for booking in coming days. The pair will also extensively codeshare on both networks to offer connections from around the world.'This partnership perfectly aligns with our airline's robust turnaround strategy, which saw Kenya Airways' return to profit for the first time in more than a decade earlier this year,' said KQ managing director Allan Kilavuka in a statement.'The collaboration will also help expedite Kenya Airways' efforts to boost tourism and air cargo activities, turning these and others into pivotal economic growth propellers for Kenya and the East Africa region.'The two companies said they will also look to develop collaboration in other parts of the business. Kenya Airways has been expanding its network and reach through various code-sharing agreements with various global and local airlines, a move that it bets on to help in maintaining its newly-found profitability path. In total, KQ now has 15 codeshare partners, among them British Airways, Air Egypt, Air Austral, Safarilink and ITA Airways. Others are Oman Air, Saudia, Precision Air, Air France, KLM and Jambojet. KQ posted a net profit of Ksh5.4 billion ($42 million) for 2024, marking a turnaround from a Ksh22.6 billion ($175 million) loss in 2023, and booking its first full-year profit in 12 years. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Britons are drinking sub-par tea - and this family firm wants to change that
Tea might be the nation's favourite drink, but do you know what's really in your daily brew? One family-run tea company say that Britons are unknowingly drinking tea that isn't as good as they think. In fact, many teabags are full of tea dust and stalk, rather than leaves. Birchall Tea, which launched in 2019, says it is on a mission to change the way the nation drinks their morning cuppa. It says that starts with showing households what goes into their teabag. But will Britons really give up their daily mug of Yorkshire Tea or PG Tips for a pricier but - Birchall claims - tastier alternative? We visited Birchalls' Wiltshire base to find out why it thinks they should. Steeped in history Birchall Tea's managing director Daniel Graham has tea in his DNA. Graham's great-great-grandfather was part of the early tea cultivation in Darjeeling, India and is buried there. His brother runs Birchall's sister business - a bulk-buying tea business that ships out of Mombasa, Kenya - while Graham has worked in tea for years. It might be Britain's drink of choice, but Birchall says consumers know very little about what goes in their brew. A Yougov survey commissioned by the company found that 87 per cent of consumers said they did not think tea originally comes from Africa, now the world's largest exporter of black tea. Fresher soil in East Africa makes it a prime spot, as higher altitudes and lower temperatures mean the bushes grow slowly and theoretically lock in more flavour. More shockingly, 10 per cent thought it might come from Yorkshire or elsewhere in the UK. It therefore not surprising that we might not know a good tea from a not-so-good one. What goes in to a good cup of tea? Every tea company has its own process, but tea grading means the leaves can be evaluated based on their quality and condition. The two top leaves in the bud are softer and generally of a higher grade than offshoots and stalks of the plant, which, when processed, can leave dust. Birchall says that the dominance of the teabag means suppliers can get away with putting in much lower-grade leaves. Before Tetley introduced the teabag to the UK in the 1950s, consumers would buy loose-leaf tea. 'If you're choosing fruit, you know not to pick a bruised one,' says Graham. 'Back then, you just knew tea should be black and there shouldn't be any brown stalks. The tea companies couldn't get away with it.' Birchall shows the difference between its 'main-grade' hand-picked tea and other leading brands. The difference is stark, as shown in the picture below. Birchall's tea is on the far left with black leaves, while large brands are in the middle and of lower quality with more dust. The lowest quality is a supermarket's own brand that is full of brown stalk and tea dust. The darker and more distinct - or bigger - the leaves, the better the quality, says Birchall. When brewed, the quality difference is even more apparent with Birchall's producing a golden cup of tea, while it claims the nearest competitor's is far duller. A blind taste test at British Airways saw it come away with the coveted prize of being the airline's only tea provider. 'Our tea tasters try 5,000 teas a week' By now, though, most consumers who aren't huge tea enthusiasts won't know the difference, especially if they've stayed loyal to the same brand for years. The difference, Birchall says, is in the taste. 'Tea's not going to change someone's life,' says Graham, 'but if it improves that moment even a tiny bit, you're onto a winner. That's why the taste has to be right.' He says this is why some brands, which he describes more as marketing than tea companies, come and go. The company has already collected a long list of awards, including multiple Great Taste awards, and the prestigious 'Leafies' award for the Grift Rift English breakfast tea. The secret to that taste is in part because of the bulk buying business, which means the company gets 'first dibs on the best tea'. Birchall has a team of 'master blenders' based in Mombasa, who taste around 5,000 teas. The tea tasters will have had to taste a million cups of tea as part of their training, which takes around five years to complete. 'They really are amazing,' says Dan. 'You can put a cup of tea in front of them and they can tell you which tea estate it's from, forget which country. 'Sometimes they can tell you which side of the plantation it's come from and they can pick up if there's been an issue in the factory.' Just 1 per cent is deemed good enough to go into Birchall's teas, equivalent to tea from around 30 to 40 estates. Do we need to pay more for better tea? Birchall is in a unique position to offer its quality tea for a lower price than some of the boutique teas. This is mainly because it uses fewer middlemen. However, its packs of 80 teabags retail for £5.50, equivalent to around 7p a serving, which is significantly higher than some of the supermarket own brands, that are around 2p a serving. Birchall says there needs to be a shift among consumers to pay more for their tea. 'We really try not to talk about a packet of tea because then you're talking about £2.50 or £5.50 and that sounds a lot,' says Dan. 'You're talking about 7p a drink. If you went to the pub and were able to buy everyone a round for £5.50, you'd do it every day.' For Graham, it's not just about paying for better taste but about getting the best deal for everyone in the supply chain. 'The person picking the tea leaves has to pick 5 kilos of green leaf to make a kilo of black tea, so you need about 1.5 kilos of green leaf to make a packet of tea. 'It takes a skilled tea picker all day to pick 30 kilos. 'That person needs to be paid. Everyone complains quite rightly that they're not paid enough, but if you're not paying enough here in your local supermarket, that's part of the problem. He also points out that the tea needs to be processed in a factory - 'a huge capital investment' - before it's fermented, dried, packed and shipped. When it reaches Birchall's factory in Wiltshire, it's put into a teabag machine which costs around €1 million, and distributed. They hope that tea will start to have the same premium attached to coffee or craft beer. It's an admirable intention, but also a tough ask - particularly as the average price of tea has increased by 29 per cent to £2.64 over five years, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. At the same time, there is a decline in black tea consumption across the board, according to Birchall, and there is concern that climate change could threaten the industry. Currently, tea grown in East Africa does not use pesticides because the location of the plantations is cool enough that bugs don't like it. However, if the temperature increases, 'no one knows what it means,' says Dan. 'The concern is bugs, new pests… who knows. It could cause real problems.' Even so, the tea company hopes that a small shift from 2p to 7p pence a teabag, paired with more of an understanding of what's in our tea, will help. Their recent growth - 20 per cent in the last year alone - suggests there is an encouraging shift in consumption habits. More importantly, now that it is British Airways' only tea provider, they can ensure their tea is put in front of consumers. Birchall will hope that the taste of its tea will do the talking, and convince people to pay as much for their tea as they do for their coffee.
