Thursday 24 September 2026 · Edition of the day

The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories: 6
Average plausibility: 69%
How to read the score: It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.

RegionAll Global Africa North America South America Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East

TopicAll Politics Conflict & Security Business Science Health

01Conflict & SecurityAfrica

Fighting reignites in Tigray as Ethiopia edges toward a second civil war

Tigrayan forces reportedly seize Mekelle's airport; both sides accuse the other of starting it, and no one can report from inside.

Clashes between Ethiopia's federal government and the TPLF have escalated sharply, with Tigrayan forces reported to have taken Mekelle's airport and other airfields, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights. Fighting has spread into Afar and Amhara, and a strike in Alamata reportedly killed at least 14 civilians. The TPLF recently announced an alliance with six other armed groups seeking to remove the federal government.

What holds up

✓Escalation is reported by both BBC and Al Jazeera through multiple local channels.
✓Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to the region.

What doesn't yet

?The BBC states plainly it cannot independently verify either side's claims and cannot report from the region.
?Who initiated the offensive, territorial control and casualty counts all come from partisan sources.

Ask before you share

→Which side gains more international sympathy by being cast as the defender?
→Is 'control' of an airfield a military fact or a claim made for negotiating position?
→What would independent verification even look like while journalist access stays blocked?

Sources & original reporting

[1]BBC · Accessed 24 Sept 2026 · bbc.com
[2]Al Jazeera · Published 24 Sept 2026 · aljazeera.com

02Conflict & SecurityAfrica

Eleven killed in mass shooting near Durban, South Africa

Gunmen opened fire on a gathering in KwaMakhutha, killing eleven people including a pregnant woman.

Police said eleven people were killed and three wounded after three gunmen opened fire at a gathering in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, on the night of 22 September 2026. Ten died at the scene and one later in hospital. A police spokesperson said several victims were known to crime intelligence over alleged illegal activity. A manhunt was under way.

What holds up

✓The shooting, casualty count and location are confirmed by police statements.
✓A manhunt for suspects was ongoing.

What doesn't yet

?Police suggestions that victims were linked to illegal activity are unverified.
?No motive has been officially confirmed.

Ask before you share

→Will police identify the attackers and establish a motive?
→Is the attack linked to organized crime, as police imply?
→Does hinting at victims' criminal links shift public sympathy before any evidence is shown?

Sources & original reporting

[1]AllAfrica · Published 23 Sept 2026 · allafrica.com

03PoliticsAfrica

South Sudan's Kiir dissolves government hours after altering election law

The president dissolved the transitional government just after signing amendments that scrap constitutional and census requirements for December's vote.

President Salva Kiir dissolved the transitional government on 22 September 2026, hours after signing amendments to the National Elections Act. The changes remove the requirement for a permanent constitution and a national census before elections due on 22 December. Analysts told AFP the amendments also strip vice-presidencies created under the 2018 peace deal, concentrating power with Kiir.

What holds up

✓Kiir signed amendments removing the constitution and census preconditions.
✓The transitional government was formally dissolved on 22 September, as announced by the presidency.

What doesn't yet

?Whether the changes serve the election timetable or mainly entrench Kiir's control is analysts' interpretation.
?The presidency's framing of the dissolution as a routine step under the 2018 peace deal.

Ask before you share

→Can a credible voter register exist by December when registration hasn't begun?
→How does removing vice-presidential posts shift the balance between former rival factions?
→Will observers accept elections held without a constitution or census?

Sources & original reporting

[1]Africanews · Published 22 Sept 2026 · africanews.com

04BusinessAfrica

Ethiopia, Djibouti and Dangote plan a $660m petroleum pipeline

The two governments and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote announce a refined-fuel pipeline for landlocked Ethiopia.

Reuters reported on 24 September 2026 that Ethiopia, Djibouti and Dangote Group plan to build a $660 million refined petroleum pipeline connecting the two countries. An Ethiopian government spokesperson confirmed the plan. The pipeline aims to improve fuel supply for Ethiopia, which relies heavily on Djibouti's port.

What holds up

✓The plan was confirmed by an Ethiopian government spokesperson to Reuters.
✓The projected cost cited is $660 million.

What doesn't yet

?Financing and construction timelines have not been finalised.
?Dangote Group's financial commitment and stake were not detailed.

Ask before you share

→Who will finance and build it, and by when?
→Does it reduce or deepen Ethiopia's reliance on Djibouti?
→What environmental and land-use assessments have been done?

Sources & original reporting

[1]Reuters · Published 24 Sept 2026 · reuters.com

05ScienceAfrica

New colobus monkey species described in DR Congo's rainforest

Likweli, a colobus monkey with distinctive orange lips, has been described as new to science.

A research team including Junior Amboko and anthropologist Kate Detwiler described a new monkey species, Likweli, in DR Congo's rainforest, combining genetic, anatomical and acoustic analysis. Researchers say its lineage split from Colobus satanas roughly four to five million years ago.

What holds up

✓The species has been named and described by a named research team.
✓Genetic analysis distinguishes it from the closely related Colobus satanas.

What doesn't yet

?The divergence date depends on molecular-clock assumptions not detailed in the report.
?The claim that only five new African monkeys have been described in 75 years comes from the researchers themselves.

Ask before you share

→Has the description passed independent peer review?
→How large is the population, and is it threatened?
→How is habitat loss affecting its range?

Sources & original reporting

[1]Breaking Kenya News · Published 23 Sept 2026 · breakingkenyanews.com

06HealthAfrica

DR Congo Ebola toll passes 3,700 as health workers strike

WHO says the outbreak remains uncontrolled, with cases rising sharply in North Kivu even as other provinces improve.

WHO said on 24 September 2026 that DR Congo's Ebola outbreak had reached 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 deaths, citing government figures. Cases fell 26% in Ituri and 15% in Haut-Uele from 31 August to 20 September, but rose 73% in North Kivu, where a health workers' strike is hampering the response.

What holds up

✓WHO officials confirmed the totals and the diverging provincial trends.
✓A strike and insecurity were cited as constraints in North Kivu.

What doesn't yet

?That the outbreak will surpass the 2014–16 West Africa epidemic is a projection.
?The share of deaths in communities versus treatment centers rests on partial surveillance.

Ask before you share

→What is being done to end the health workers' strike?
→Why has North Kivu diverged so sharply from other provinces?
→Is international funding enough to reverse the trend?

Sources & original reporting

[1]NBC News / AP · Published 24 Sept 2026 · nbcnews.com
[2]UN News · Published 23 Sept 2026 · news.un.org