Islamic State: Is prospect growing of US being drawn into another ground war in Iraq?
Natural disasters displaced more people than war in 2013, study finds
Norwegian Refugee Council finds ‘mega disasters’ such as typhoons and hurricanes drove 22 million people from homes
Natural disasters displaced three times as many people as war last year – even as 2013 was a horrific year for conflict – with 22 million people driven out of their homes by floods, hurricanes and other hazards, a new study has found.
Twice as many people now lose their homes to disaster as in the 1970s, and more people move into harm’s way each year, the study by the Norwegian Refugee Council found.
“Basically, the combination of mega natural disasters and hundreds of smaller natural disasters massively displaces people in many more countries than the countries that have war and conflict,” said Jan Egeland, the secretary of the Norwegian refugee council.
One in seven Scottish voters yet to decide
‘Scotsman’ poll puts the No side at 52 percentage points, while Yes is at 48 points
Mark Hennessy
A day ahead of polling, one in seven people able to vote in Scotland’s independence referendum are still struggling to make their final choice, according to the latest opinion poll.
In a poll for The Scotsman, the No side is put at 52 percentage points, down three points since the last ICM poll; while Yes is put at 48 points, up three points. However, the pledges made by Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats to guarantee more powers for Scotland is winning traction with voters, the poll has found.
A Daily Telegraph poll found that half of Scots believe the referendum has caused deep divisions – with just a quarter believing it to have been a force for good.
How far is Putin prepared to go in Ukraine?
By Alix Rijckaert, Michel Viatteau in Warsaw8 hours ago
Brussels (AFP) - Russia could go even further in Ukraine with the "frozen conflict" strategy it has tried and tested in other countries, and may even end up annexing around half of Ukrainian territory, analysts say.
Kiev has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to "take the entire Ukraine", a scenario that several experts can picture, believing that the Kremlin is set on a military solution.
Brussels (AFP) - Russia could go even further in Ukraine with the "frozen conflict" strategy it has tried and tested in other countries, and may even end up annexing around half of Ukrainian territory, analysts say.
Kiev has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to "take the entire Ukraine", a scenario that several experts can picture, believing that the Kremlin is set on a military solution.
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Saturday that Putin's aim was not just to annex the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk but to eliminate Ukraine as an independent country.
Ebola a 'shared' African problem, yet nations look to their own needs (+video)
Only Ethiopia and Algeria are judged ready to handle an Ebola crisis. The White House said today it's sending aid and 3,000 American troops to join the battle.
NAIROBI, KENYA — East African leaders today acknowledged that West Africa's Ebola outbreak is unprecedented in severity and scope, and too big for that region to handle by itself. Yet at a gathering in Kenya the main focus was on measures to keep the virus out of their nations.
“This outbreak has transcended beyond the scope of any one country or community,” said Dr. Khadijah Kassachoon, principal secretary of health for Kenya, at a conference of regional nations and international NGOs. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are in uncharted waters. This is a severe health crisis.”
The case made in Nairobi is reflected in the White House's announcement of aid for affected countries amounting to $763 million over the course of six months, including 3,000 troops, the training of another 500 health care workers, and the construction of 17 health facilities.
William Golding Flies classic holds true 60 years on
It's 60 years this month since the publication of William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. To mark the anniversary his family are giving his literary archive on loan to the University of Exeter - including the very different original version of his famous tale of boys fending for themselves on a tropical island.
"I think probably when my father turned 40 he thought he hadn't yet hit the mark in life. As a young man he had a volume of poems published but after that earning a living intervened and of course the war came," says Judy Carver, Golding's daughter.
"In his heart he knew he hadn't found his voice until he started Lord of the Flies."
Ms Carver has been thinking a lot about her father recently. She's been making arrangements to move the William Golding manuscript archive from a bank vault to the University of Exeter.
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