Mark Weston
@markweston19.bsky.social
Researcher, policy consultant, immigrant. Author of The Saviour Fish: Life and Death on Africa's Greatest Lake - a Wanderlust and Daily Telegraph Book of the Year, 2022. Based in Ghana. Sudanophile.
17% of Brits think it's acceptable to pay the Taliban to take back Afghan migrants who fled the Taliban because it wanted to kill them.
With Reform UK saying it would be reasonable to pay the Taliban to return migrants to Afghanistan, how many Britons this would be acceptable?
Acceptable: 17%
Unacceptable: 61%
% acceptable by party
Reform: 35%
Con: 23%
Lab/Lib Dem: 7-13%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Acceptable: 17%
Unacceptable: 61%
% acceptable by party
Reform: 35%
Con: 23%
Lab/Lib Dem: 7-13%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
August 29, 2025 at 11:19 AM
17% of Brits think it's acceptable to pay the Taliban to take back Afghan migrants who fled the Taliban because it wanted to kill them.
Reposted by Mark Weston
The #RSF attack on Zam-Zam camp continues today.
On Friday, they killed "the entire staff of the last medical clinic" left for at least 500,000 people. #Sudan #Darfur
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/w...
On Friday, they killed "the entire staff of the last medical clinic" left for at least 500,000 people. #Sudan #Darfur
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/w...
Sudan Clinic Workers Killed in Zamzam Camp
Relief International said nine employees were killed when gunmen stormed the Zamzam camp in El Fasher, in the western Darfur region.
www.nytimes.com
April 13, 2025 at 10:56 AM
The #RSF attack on Zam-Zam camp continues today.
On Friday, they killed "the entire staff of the last medical clinic" left for at least 500,000 people. #Sudan #Darfur
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/w...
On Friday, they killed "the entire staff of the last medical clinic" left for at least 500,000 people. #Sudan #Darfur
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/w...
Reposted by Mark Weston
Continuing its aid cuts, the United States ends emergency food aid via the WFP, which it had previously pledged to spare. @apnews.com apnews.com/article/usai...
April 8, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Continuing its aid cuts, the United States ends emergency food aid via the WFP, which it had previously pledged to spare. @apnews.com apnews.com/article/usai...
Reposted by Mark Weston
New measles death in TX - a child. C/w last week:
CURRENT CASE COUNT: 569
Texas: 481 (+59)
New Mexico: 54 (+6)
Oklahoma: 10
Kansas: 24 (+1)
HOSPITALIZATIONS: 58 (+14)
Texas: 56 (+14) have been hospitalized, 11.6%.
New Mexico: 2 (No change). This is 4.5% of NM cases.
DEATHS: 3 (+1)
CURRENT CASE COUNT: 569
Texas: 481 (+59)
New Mexico: 54 (+6)
Oklahoma: 10
Kansas: 24 (+1)
HOSPITALIZATIONS: 58 (+14)
Texas: 56 (+14) have been hospitalized, 11.6%.
New Mexico: 2 (No change). This is 4.5% of NM cases.
DEATHS: 3 (+1)
April 6, 2025 at 12:31 PM
New measles death in TX - a child. C/w last week:
CURRENT CASE COUNT: 569
Texas: 481 (+59)
New Mexico: 54 (+6)
Oklahoma: 10
Kansas: 24 (+1)
HOSPITALIZATIONS: 58 (+14)
Texas: 56 (+14) have been hospitalized, 11.6%.
New Mexico: 2 (No change). This is 4.5% of NM cases.
DEATHS: 3 (+1)
CURRENT CASE COUNT: 569
Texas: 481 (+59)
New Mexico: 54 (+6)
Oklahoma: 10
Kansas: 24 (+1)
HOSPITALIZATIONS: 58 (+14)
Texas: 56 (+14) have been hospitalized, 11.6%.
New Mexico: 2 (No change). This is 4.5% of NM cases.
DEATHS: 3 (+1)
Reposted by Mark Weston
"At least 274 Kenyan workers, mostly women, have died in #Saudi Arabia in the past 5 years ... Autopsy reports ... describe women with evidence of trauma, including burns and electric shocks, all labeled natural deaths."
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/w...
Why Maids Keep Dying in Saudi Arabia
East African leaders and Saudi royals are among those profiting off a lucrative, deadly trade in domestic workers.
www.nytimes.com
April 4, 2025 at 8:00 AM
"At least 274 Kenyan workers, mostly women, have died in #Saudi Arabia in the past 5 years ... Autopsy reports ... describe women with evidence of trauma, including burns and electric shocks, all labeled natural deaths."
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/w...
The coach I'm on in central Ghana just stopped for fuel. Towards the end of the fuelling process, the driver and another guy started rocking the bus to make sure the tank would be filled right to the brim. "This Ghana," the driver told me with a smile when he saw me watching.
April 1, 2025 at 12:06 PM
The coach I'm on in central Ghana just stopped for fuel. Towards the end of the fuelling process, the driver and another guy started rocking the bus to make sure the tank would be filled right to the brim. "This Ghana," the driver told me with a smile when he saw me watching.
The road between Ghana's two main cities, Accra and Kumasi, is in a parlous state. Even on a Saturday, the 150-mile journey has taken almost six hours.
March 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM
The road between Ghana's two main cities, Accra and Kumasi, is in a parlous state. Even on a Saturday, the 150-mile journey has taken almost six hours.
Reposted by Mark Weston
#Sudan This is horrific - there really is no 'good side' in this war www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/202...
Dozens killed in strike on market in Sudan’s North Darfur
Local rights groups accuse military of carrying out attack as army spokesperson says civilians not targeted.
www.aljazeera.com
March 26, 2025 at 8:36 AM
#Sudan This is horrific - there really is no 'good side' in this war www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/202...
Reposted by Mark Weston
The Sudanese army seized full control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum on Friday, Sudan state TV and military sources said, in one of the most significant advances in a two-year-old conflict threatening to fracture the country reut.rs/41GqP1b
Sudanese army seizes full control of presidential palace in Khartoum, Sudan TV and military sources say
The Sudanese army seized full control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, Sudan state TV and military sources said, in one of the most significant advances in a two-year-old conflict threatening to fracture the country.
reut.rs
March 21, 2025 at 7:46 AM
The Sudanese army seized full control of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum on Friday, Sudan state TV and military sources said, in one of the most significant advances in a two-year-old conflict threatening to fracture the country reut.rs/41GqP1b
Reposted by Mark Weston
The detention of Erdoğan’s main rival marks a phase shift in governance in Turkey, to brute-force authoritarianism
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/w...
Turkey Arrests Istanbul Mayor, Key Rival to President Erdogan
Ekrem Imamoglu was detained at his home, according to prosecutors, who said the charges against him were related to corruption and terrorism.
www.nytimes.com
March 19, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The detention of Erdoğan’s main rival marks a phase shift in governance in Turkey, to brute-force authoritarianism
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/w...
More dire news from post-truth US:
Exclusive: NIH officials have advised scientists to remove reference to mRNA vaccines from their grant applications, in expectation the Trump administration intends to abandon most research in the field.
By @arthurallen202.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
By @arthurallen202.bsky.social
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promis...
kffhealthnews.org
March 17, 2025 at 11:11 AM
More dire news from post-truth US:
Reposted by Mark Weston
It’s only fascism if it’s exactly like 1930s Europe, otherwise it’s just sparkling far right, hyper-nationalist populism that deploys antisemitic & racist propaganda in defense of a nostalgic concept of the traditional patriarchal family supposedly besieged by culturally-foreign & degenerate others.
January 28, 2024 at 2:43 AM
It’s only fascism if it’s exactly like 1930s Europe, otherwise it’s just sparkling far right, hyper-nationalist populism that deploys antisemitic & racist propaganda in defense of a nostalgic concept of the traditional patriarchal family supposedly besieged by culturally-foreign & degenerate others.
Reposted by Mark Weston
I don’t think I’m going to be sleeping very well for *checks notes* the rest of this administration. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/n...
March 12, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I don’t think I’m going to be sleeping very well for *checks notes* the rest of this administration. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/n...
Reposted by Mark Weston
A recent report showed that the destruction of just one USAID program, the anti-AIDS PEPFAR initiative, would lead to the deaths of one million people *every year* www.vox.com/future-perfe...
March 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A recent report showed that the destruction of just one USAID program, the anti-AIDS PEPFAR initiative, would lead to the deaths of one million people *every year* www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Reposted by Mark Weston
“A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém.”
Amazon rainforest cut down to build highway for COP climate summit
The infrastructure required to host climate talks in Belém is undermining the cause, campaigners say.
www.bbc.com
March 12, 2025 at 6:42 AM
“A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém.”
Reposted by Mark Weston
The number of civilians casualties from #drone strikes in #Ethiopia is rising sharply with the arrival of new Turkish #drones. The lackluster international attitude on drone warfare is sending states on a killing spree. Strong piece by @zekuzelalem.bsky.social
ecfr.eu/publication/...
ecfr.eu/publication/...
March 2, 2025 at 9:39 PM
The number of civilians casualties from #drone strikes in #Ethiopia is rising sharply with the arrival of new Turkish #drones. The lackluster international attitude on drone warfare is sending states on a killing spree. Strong piece by @zekuzelalem.bsky.social
ecfr.eu/publication/...
ecfr.eu/publication/...
Yes, Lowe is even more of an extremist than Farage:
Just so we're all clear, Rupert Lowe wants to commit to mass deportations (one million plus) and Nigel Farage doesn't.
Upsetting Farage doesn't necessarily make you the good guy.
Upsetting Farage doesn't necessarily make you the good guy.
March 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Yes, Lowe is even more of an extremist than Farage:
Reposted by Mark Weston
Postcard from Trumpland
March 7, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Postcard from Trumpland
Guinea-Bissau looks like it might be the next West African country to leave ECOWAS and, supported by Russia, dump democracy: apnews.com/article/guin...
March 7, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Guinea-Bissau looks like it might be the next West African country to leave ECOWAS and, supported by Russia, dump democracy: apnews.com/article/guin...
Reposted by Mark Weston
Since writing this article, I have received messages from federal civil servants who tell me it is accurate, and that they are frightened. Please share this with anyone who doesn't understand the scale of the transformation.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
There’s a Term for What Trump and Musk Are Doing
How regime change happens in America
www.theatlantic.com
March 7, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Since writing this article, I have received messages from federal civil servants who tell me it is accurate, and that they are frightened. Please share this with anyone who doesn't understand the scale of the transformation.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Mark Weston
Earlier this week an Emirati court upheld an abusive 15-year sentence against prominent Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor.
The UAE continues to target a man who courageously stood up to his abusive govt even when very few would dare.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...
The UAE continues to target a man who courageously stood up to his abusive govt even when very few would dare.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...
UAE: Ahmed Mansoor’s 15-Year Sentence Upheld
An Emirati court upheld an abusive 15-year sentence on March 4, 2025, against the prominent Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, who was convicted following a fundamentally unfair trial.
www.hrw.org
March 7, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Earlier this week an Emirati court upheld an abusive 15-year sentence against prominent Emirati human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor.
The UAE continues to target a man who courageously stood up to his abusive govt even when very few would dare.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...
The UAE continues to target a man who courageously stood up to his abusive govt even when very few would dare.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/03...
RSF mass grave containing the bodies of over 500 civilians, most of whom had been tortured and starved, found outside Khartoum: www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Evidence of torture found as detention centre and mass grave discovered outside Khartoum
Exclusive: What appears to be a vast burial site found at former Rapid Support Forces base in Sudan, while rescued detainees speak of torture, starvation and deaths of fellow inmates
www.theguardian.com
March 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
RSF mass grave containing the bodies of over 500 civilians, most of whom had been tortured and starved, found outside Khartoum: www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Happy Ghanaian Independence Day
March 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Happy Ghanaian Independence Day
Reposted by Mark Weston
The freeze on USAID funding risks exacerbating an already catastrophic hunger crisis in #Sudan, caused by the warring parties who have blocked and weaponised aid throughout the war.
My latest for Al Jazeera.
aje.io/oepv5a
My latest for Al Jazeera.
aje.io/oepv5a
Sudanese starve as soup kitchens close down and warring parties block aid
The pause in USAID funding is exacerbating the hunger crisis in Sudan and compounding the challenge for relief workers.
aje.io
March 6, 2025 at 4:49 AM
The freeze on USAID funding risks exacerbating an already catastrophic hunger crisis in #Sudan, caused by the warring parties who have blocked and weaponised aid throughout the war.
My latest for Al Jazeera.
aje.io/oepv5a
My latest for Al Jazeera.
aje.io/oepv5a
Reposted by Mark Weston
The US will no longer worry about civilians getting in the way of their bombs:
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03...
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03...
March 4, 2025 at 7:21 PM
The US will no longer worry about civilians getting in the way of their bombs:
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03...
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03...