BIG Scoop

Key takeaways Angola spends more on fuel subsidies than on health or education, with $3.8 billion in 2022 alone. The government has compressed IMF’s six-year plan into just two years, heightening social and political risks. Despite being Africa’s second-largest oil producer, Angola imports 70% of its fuel consumption due to weak refining capacity. Fuel subsidy removal is tied to Angola’s refining expansion plans – new refineries must operate profitably without state support. Angola’s shrinking...

The United States government’s withdrawal of President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) funding earlier this year has left budget deficits in countries across the Sub-Sahara. The program has been crucial in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) on the African continent. Since its inception in 2003, the U.S. government has invested over $100 billion in HIV/AIDS response globally, reportedly saving over 25 million lives, preventing new infections, and supporting countries with...

Sometimes when one dives into the data, there are assumptions about anticipated findings that are completely overturned by the raw numbers. On other occasions – as is the case on this project – the data confirms the original assumptions, but provides clarification and deeper understanding. It is unlikely to surprise anyone to learn that house prices in larger cities are typically more expensive than in smaller cities. It is widely known that your average homebuyer...

As much of the western world anxiously awaits the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 8, political rhetoric and irresponsible media coverage are amping up. While ill-informed (or ill-intentioned) media reporters and editors continue to use phrasing such as "baseless", "bogus" and "false claims" – and perhaps the favourite: "conspiracy theories" – to describe any insinuation that it is possible that a U.S. election could be tampered with significantly, sensible humans are simply hoping for a fair...