Press freedom: It’s 11 years since American journalist Julian Assange began was taken in as a political prisoner
This weekend marks 11 years since Julian Assange entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and began his confinement as a political prisoner. The torture that he has endured is not just an attack on his rights to free expression and journalism; it is an assault on your right to be an informed citizen.
Revolt exposes Russian President Putin fickleness as his friend-turned-foe agrees to go into exile in Belarus
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the weekend’s events as “extraordinary,” recalling that 16 months ago Putin appeared poised to seize the capital of Ukraine and now he has had to defend Moscow from forces led by his onetime protege.
Prigozhin: Onetime felon, hot-dog vendor and ally of Putin turns guns on him in his ‘march to justice’
Prigozhin and Putin go way back, with both born in Leningrad, what is now known as St Petersburg. During the final years of the Soviet Union, Prigozhin served time in prison – 10 years by his own admission – although he does not say what it was for. Afterward, he owned a hot dog stand and then fancy restaurants that drew interest from Putin. In his first term, the Russian leader took then-French President Jacques Chirac to dine at one of them.
Trump’s war on truth confronts another test with voters as US faces another campaign riddled with lies
As a candidate, Trump made misinformation a major campaign tactic, routinely using falsehoods to demean his rivals, as he did when he bizarrely asserted that Ted Cruz’s father may have played a role in the Kennedy assassination. Cruz is now an unapologetic Trump supporter.
Kenya’s President Ruto tightens screw on media as says his minister trades vulgarity with ‘his freedom of expression’
In 2012 when Ruto and President Kenyatta were indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity committed during the 2007 General Election, there were fears that he had retained hitmen who hunted down and eliminated journalists he believed had incriminating evidence the international court would have used to nail them. These claims, however, have never been proved although a number of journalists disappeared without trace during those heady days.
It’s unlikely bloodthirsty generals will lay down arms, Sudan needs African Union boots on the ground
The African Union (AU) established the Expanded Mechanism to connect disparate peace processes and drew up a roadmap for resolving the conflict. East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) adopted a similar roadmap and added Ethiopia to the delegation led by Kenyan President William Ruto.
Titanic search: If it’s on seabed, the problems are magnified as most ships can only search in shallow waters
“If it’s relatively calm, and [Titan] has been able to get to the surface, the submersible will have radar reflectors, radio transmitters and strobe lights to assist in visual searches,” he says. “But it’s still difficult to find things on the surface – especially if it’s rough.” Yard agrees: “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” he says. Even if you nail down where to look, “it’s still a lot of water to cover.”
How Uganda President Museveni shot down Lifestyle Audit tool, promoted theft to an economic enabler
Corruption has become a political weapon since there is growing evidence that many people are using it to acquire financial might for elective politics. The political motive has indeed complicated the fight against the corrupt who easily dismiss the IGG’s onslaught on them as witch-hunt.
Sunset in Uganda: Museveni’s ‘forever’ cult that made him the omni-god Ugandans revere and revile is coming to an end
Collectively, Uganda is endangered by a possible absence of the president from the politico-military stage, over which he has had a firm grip for decades. It is worrying many Ugandans are mired in worship attachment to the President. They need liberation, but who will liberate them.
18 months to South Sudan’s first ever elections, world’s youngest nation still has no constitution
Implementation of the peace agreement has been sluggish. The elections, originally scheduled for this year, were postponed until December 2024. Other key elements of the deal have not been implemented, sparking concern that the country could see a return to war instead of a transfer of power.
