8 million South Sudanese at extreme risk of dying of hunger as half the country of 12 million is fighting itself
It is just over four years since South Sudan’s main warring parties signed a peace agreement that was supposed to end a five-year civil war that killed at least 400,000 people and plunged parts of the country into famine. Yet some humanitarian indicators are now worse than they were even...
US opinion pollsters are no longer ‘seen as gurus, who can’t be wrong’ but conniving data fiddlers
If pollsters were transparent, TargetSmart CEO Tom Bonier, a poll critic says, they’d share their “likely voter” models, and even release different scenarios based on different turnout assumptions. “But pollsters are seen as gurus – they can’t be wrong. If they admit their polling is based on these ‘models,’ does...
US midterms: Why are pollsters getting the stick after years of seeming to hold elections trump card?
It’s said to be wrong to kick a person when he or she is down. If Monday’s New York Times/Siena poll were a person, it’s been stomped so severely that a compassionate observer would step in to stop the fight. But even though the poll that launched a thousand headlines...
While its neighbours build their armies and hardware factories, Kenya’s concentrating on military education
When officials inaugurated the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K) in August, it was more than just the opening of a new school. For those present at the sprawling campus in Lanet, it was the culmination of decades of investment in the country’s professional military education. Forty years ago, Kenya was the...
Uganda President Museveni declares three-week lockdown in two Ebola-hit districts in the west
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has declared an immediate three-week lockdown in two high-risk districts as the country battles a rise in Ebola infections. All movement in and out of the Mubende and Kassanda districts will be halted, Museveni said in a televised address on Saturday, although cargo trucks will be...
25 bodies of suspected Ethiopian migrants murdered en route to South Africa exhumed in Malawi
Malawi has discovered a mass grave in the north of the country containing the remains of 25 people suspected to be migrants from Ethiopia, police said on Wednesday. “The grave was discovered late on Tuesday, but we cordoned it off and started exhuming today. So far, we have discovered 25...
Scandal-plagued former UK PM Boris Johnson backed by some Tory MPs to replace disgraced Liz Truss
Barely two hours after UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation – just 44 days in office – her predecessor, scandal-plagued Boris Johnson is reportedly being backed to recapture the seat he was forced out of two months ago. According to the Telegraph, Boris Johnson is expected to stand...
Tories’ revolving door of chaos continues as wheels come off UK government after PM Liz Truss resigns after 44 days in office
Liz Truss dramatically quit today, admitting defeat following crisis talks with Tory chiefs in Downing Street and with MPs in open insurrection. After just 44 disastrous days in No10, the PM took to a lectern outside the famous black door to confirm her departure, sealing her fate as the shortest-serving...
If you don’t already live in a ‘sponge city’, you will soon: Dealing with stormwater in mega urban settings
Like anything else, water is great in moderation – urbanites need it to survive, but downpours can flood streets and homes. And as you might have noticed, climate change isn’t good at moderation. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, supercharging storms to dump more water quicker, which can overwhelm municipal...
Short shift: Confident Man United players can now ignore ‘spoilt brat’ Cristiano Ronaldo after Spurs win
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly left Old Trafford before the final whistle of Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham on Wednesday evening. The Portuguese superstar, 37, stormed down the tunnel with a handful of minutes remaining in the game. And The Athletic are now reporting he left the ground altogether before the...
