Social media: Tools for spreading fantastical theories have never been more powerful than they are today
That frictionless glide on social media from one post to the next, video after video, tweet upon tweet, plays tricks on the mind. Spend enough time in that realm and even the most absurd theories and narratives start to acquire the patina of logic, the ring of reason. How else...
Space tourism: Virgin Galactic boss Richard Branson flies his toy VSS Unity into outer space
The sky over the Spaceport America in southern New Mexico was afire with lightning last night. The storm was sufficiently fierce to postpone Virgin Galactic’s planned rollout of its twin airships, mothership Eve and a space vehicle called VSS Unity, from their hangar. The delay meant that lift-off for today’s...
US Congress demands unrestricted humanitarian relief to Tigray before $100m loan to Ethiopia is released
The US has been urged to withhold a loan to Ethiopian Airlines until the government in Addis Ababa meets some standards set out by the cessation of hostilities agreement reached in Pretoria, South African, in November. US Congressman Brad Sherman – in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken...
Al Shabaab terror group claims to have killed two Kenyan police officers, one civilian in attack
Al Shabaab fighters have attacked a police vehicle in eastern Kenya, killing two officers and one civilian, police and the armed group said. The truck was travelling from Hayley Lapsset camp to Garissa town, around 120 km (75 miles) from the Somali border, when it hit an explosive device, police...
Cristiano Ronaldo expected to sign and play for Arabia’s Al Nassr for 7 years till he hits 45 years
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly closing in on a mega-money move to Al-Nassr and could officially put pen to paper today. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to put pen to paper on a lucrative seven-year deal with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr at some point in the next few hours, according to reports....
Days after he survived censure for graft South African president urges his party to fight vice
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged his party, the ruling African National Congress, to fight corruption. “We have no choice, we either deal with corruption or we perish,” said Ramaphosa on Tuesday when he closed the ANC’s conference where he was re-elected its leader. “Corruption within our party is,...
Senegalese shot-stopper cold on Chelsea’s six-year contract extension citing lack of ‘enough respect’
Edouard Mendy has snubbed a six-year contract offer – because Chelsea are not showing him enough “respect” over wages. The Senegalese keeper is back training with his club since last week after reaching the World Cup last 16 – but there is still no sign of an agreement. Mendy, 30,...
Brazilian soccer legend to spend Christmas in hospital after he seemed to lose battle with cancer
Brazilian soccer icon Pele’s health has worsened and he will spend Christmas in hospital as he continues to battle colon cancer. Pele, 82, has been battling colon cancer since September 2021 and was hospitalised on November 29 for doctors to re-evaluate his treatment. The Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital released...
Bullish Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confident he’ll get cover for injured striker Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he has “other alternatives” to consider as he looks to deal with the “huge blow” of losing Gabriel Jesus to injury. The Gunners are in a brilliant position at the summit of the Premier League table, five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. They will...
Relief and fright greet restoration of telephone services in war-ravaged Tigray region of Ethiopia
For a year and a half, phone calls to people trying to survive one of the world’s worst wars didn’t go through. Now, as phone lines start to be restored to parts of Ethiopia’s Tigray region after a fragile peace deal, some Tigrayans are relieved while others grieve. “I have...
