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If Britain’s politicians believed in defending democracy, there would not be an election on Thursday. Our leaders would have held back until laws controlling propaganda and foreign subversion were in place. They haven’t waited, because they don’t want to protect the integrity of the ballot. With wolfish smiles, they have welcomed the opportunities for spreading fake news that the web has brought them. As the paper was going to press, the final online advertising blitz had begun. Full Fact, the campaign group that fights the necessary battle to keep public life clean, was monitoring online adverts from the Conservatives saying that the cost of a Corbyn government will be £1.2tn – a figure based on assumptions that are dubious to the point of fatuity – and promising to recruit 50,000 new nurses – a straight lie. Labour was claiming that a Tory trade deal with the US would increase NHS costs by £500m a week – a statement that is as good … [Read more...] about Brace yourself, the flood of lies in this election is about to become a torrent

The father of the alkaline diet, Robert O Young, is hailed as an inspiration by one of the UK's most popular food writers, Natasha Corrett, but he faces a jail sentence for practising medicine without a licence. One patient who believed he could cure her cancer, British army officer Naima Houder-Mohammed, paid thousands of dollars for his alkaline treatment, which consisted mainly of intravenous infusions of baking soda.In May 2009 Naima Houder-Mohammed was commissioned as a captain in the British army. The following year, tragedy struck. Naima was diagnosed with breast cancer. She received treatment and was declared cancer-free. But in 2012, while training with the army skiing team, it was discovered the cancer had returned. Her condition was so serious she was offered end-of-life care."She refused to accept that this was the end," recalls her friend and former fellow officer, Afzal Amin. "Naima was a fighter. She fought to get through selection for Sandhurst. She fought through … [Read more...] about The dying officer treated for cancer with baking soda

By KAMAU NGOTHO More by this Author As campaigns heated up in the recent Kibra by-election, I called a mechanic friend on Lang’ata Road who lives in Kibra to ask him whether widespread reports of voter bribery in the area were true.“Why get it on hearsay?” he asked me. “Just come here in the evening and I’ll take you to three places where money is changing hands.” Then early last week, I called Nominated MP Maina Kamanda to ask him to elaborate on his weekend remarks that MPs are trooping to a “hotel” in Karen to be instructed on how to sabotage the BBI report. He replied in surprise: “Kamau, you must be the only journalist in town not aware of a hotel in Karen where MPs go for free lunch!” WAR OF NUMBERSLunches — free or otherwise — aside, the phenomena of MPs for sale has shadowed Kenya’s “House of the Honourables” right from the First Parliament (1963 -1969) to the current 12th Parliament … [Read more...] about MPs for sale? A story as old as Kenya

Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among a group of 12 wealthy parents who are due to appear in court in Boston today to face charges over the US college admissions scandal. The actress are both accused of being part of an alleged $25 million scam to get kids into top schools. Authorities allege parents paid an admissions consultant to bribe coaches and rig test scores to get their children into the country's top universities. Desperate Housewives star Huffman, 56, is accused of paying $15,000, which was allegedly passed off as a charitable donation, to rig her daughter’s entrance exam. She was arrested in a dawn raid on her Los Angeles mansion last month and later released on bail. Huffman has been charges with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Full House actress Loughlin, 54, is charged alongside her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, 55, who is also due in court today. The couple are accused of handing over $500,000 to get their two … [Read more...] about Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin due in court over college admissions scam

By NYAMBEGA GISESA More by this Author The arrest of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has opened the lid on the involvement of some of his closest associates in shady dealings within the city over the years.Whereas the governor has maintained that he is determined to rid the city of corruption cartels, it has now emerged that some of the individuals to be charged alongside him over the Sh537 million corruption scandal are his long-time associates who have been named in graft claims.RIGHT HAND MENAmong those on the list is one Anthony Mwaura Ng’ang’a, a wealthy but shadowy contractor who has in the past been linked to corrupt deals.Although rarely seen with Sonko, Mr Ng’ang’a and the city boss go back to his days in the trenches of Nairobi’s Eastlands, before he joined politics.The list of suspects released by Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji also includes the governor’s right-hand men Anthony Otieno Ombok, alias Jamal, and Fredrick Odhiambo, … [Read more...] about A litany of Governor Sonko friends who work as his advisers, partners

By NYAMBEGA GISESA More by this Author The arrest of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has opened the lid on the involvement of some of his closest associates in shady dealings within the city over the years.Whereas the governor has maintained that he is determined to rid the city of corruption cartels, it has now emerged that some of the individuals to be charged alongside him over the Sh537 million corruption scandal are his long-time associates who have been named in graft claims.RIGHT HAND MENAmong those on the list is one Anthony Mwaura Ng’ang’a, a wealthy but shadowy contractor who has in the past been linked to corrupt deals.Although rarely seen with Sonko, Mr Ng’ang’a and the city boss go back to his days in the trenches of Nairobi’s Eastlands, before he joined politics.The list of suspects released by Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji also includes the governor’s right-hand men Anthony Otieno Ombok, alias Jamal, and Fredrick Odhiambo, … [Read more...] about Governor Sonko’s friends who work as his advisers, partners