The single reason why some people can't write, according to a Harvard psychologist

"Why is so much writing so hard to understand? Why must a typical reader struggle to follow an academic article, the fine print on a tax return, or the instructions for setting up a wireless home network?"

These are questions Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker asks in his book, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century. They're questions I've often encountered--and attempted to tackle--throughout my career as a business writer and editor. Whenever I see writing that is loaded with jargon, clichés, technical terms, and abbreviations, two questions come immediately to mind. First, what is the writer trying to say, exactly? And second, how can the writer convey her ideas more clearly, without having to lean on language that confuses the reader?

Court fixes September 11 for judgment on Melaye’s recall suit

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed September 11, for judgment in a suit filed by Senator Dino Melaye, represents Kogi West, seeking an order of court to stop his recall from the Senate.

Also, the vacation judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba has slated September 11, for judgment in a sister suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 12 others from Kogi State chapter of the Party, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging the planned recall of Melaye.

Arguing the substantive suit, Melaye’s counsel, Nkem Okoro, urged the court to grant the plaintiff’s reliefs seeking to stop the recall process.

Melaye’s amended originating summon dated August 7, and filed same day, was brought pursuant to Sections 1(1)(3), 36, 68 and 69 of the 1999 Constitution and Order 3, Rule 6 of the Federal High Court Rules.

Standing on his processes, Okoro stated that Melaye was challenging the purported petition for his recall on five grounds. He averred that “the petitioners ought to have availed him with facts and circumstances upon which the alleged lost of confidence was based, prior to submission of the petition to INEC; “That by not giving him copies of the petitions, INEC has violated the rule of natural justice and fair hearing.”

Melaye also posited that even when the petition was submitted, the electoral body failed to give him a copy.

He equally challenged the constitutionality of required numbers of signatories to the petition in line with Section 69 of the Constitution, which requires more than half of registered voters in the constituency.

HORROR .....Suspected knifeman, 27, is arrested after his mother, 66, and sister, 33, were found stabbed to death in bloodbath at their suburban home

A suspect has been arrested after a manhunt was launched when a mother and daughter were found stabbed to death inside their home in north London.

Police were called to the house of Joshua Cohen at 8.50pm on Friday night and found his sister and mother, aged 33 and 66, suffering from stab wounds.

Officers launched a hunt for Cohen, 27, and later arrested him after he was spotted in Golders Hill Park by a member of the public at around 2pm today.

Neighbours claimed that Cohen had recently been to prison for assaulting his sister, who was named locally as Hannah Cohen.

In a public appeal, Met Police said Cohen had shaved his head and eyebrows and suffers from mental health issues including paranoid schizophrenia.

One neighbour, 44, who did not want to be named, said he saw Josh outside the house at around the time of the attack. 

Diplomats react to Trump thanking Putin for expelling US embassy workers

Current and former U.S. diplomats reacted to President Trump's comments thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling U.S. embassy workers with dismay.

“As far as I'm concerned I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” Trump said at a briefing at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Thursday.

"We'll save a lot of money," he added.

It's unclear if the U.S. would save any money because of the expulsion. Any diplomats removed from Russia would be sent to posts elsewhere around the world.

The Russian order to expel 755 U.S. diplomats last month came in response to new sanctions imposed by the U.S. A diplomatic row over Russian interference in the 2016 election began last year after President Obama ordered the seizure of two diplomatic facilities used by Russia in the U.S. and the expulsion of 35 diplomats and their families.

One of those compounds, in rural Maryland outside of Washington, was said to be used for espionage, according to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

A State Dept. official who is a foreign service officer told ABC News the message from Trump thanking Putin is "really quite sad."

Trump: US 'locked and loaded' against North Korea

US President Donald Trump is hardening his stand against North Korea in an escalating war of words, warning that military solutions are now "locked and loaded" if the country acts "unwisely".

In his latest post on social media on Friday, Trump wrote that he hopes "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would find another path", after threatening earlier this week to target the US territory of Guam.

It was the latest exchange in a battle of nerves that has prompted fears of a breakout of war in the Korean Peninsula.

Defence officials and military analysts say any new conflict with North Korea would likely escalate to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War II.

Train collision in Egypt leaves at least 28 dead and over 70 wounded

Egypt's Health Ministry confirms that at least 28 people are dead and over 70 wounded after 2 trains collided in Alexandria.

According to Al-Ahram, the collision involved one train that had been traveling from Cairo and another from Port Said. The collision happened in Alexandria, where ambulances and local officials have been deployed.

Alexandria is Egypt's second-largest city, It sits on the Mediterranean coast in the north.

Here are 12 luxury properties Nigeria's ex petroleum minister Diezani spent almost $500m on

Nigeria's former petroleum resources minister, Diezani, allegedly purchased property for fun. Here are some in her name.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has traced at least N47.2Billion and $487.5Million in cash and property to former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

According to the EFCC, a “search of one of Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s palatial residences in Abuja turned up boxes of gold, silver and diamond jewelry, worth several million pounds sterling”.

Diezani's luxurious lifestyle, it appears, wasn’t limited to jewelry acquisition and state-of-the-art automobile.

Here’s a rundown of some of the palatial homes across Nigeria with Diezani’s name on them, according to the EFCC:

1. A Banana Island, Lagos property valued at $37.5M has been traced to Diezani.

playDiezani's Banana Island mansion (The Nation)

2. A block of six units serviced apartments at No. 135 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, has Diezani's name on it.

This house is located just a few metres away from the EFCC zonal operations hub in Lagos.

EFCC says “the apartment has a standby power generating set, sporting facilities, play ground and a water treatment plant. The property was bought at the rate of N800 Million (Eight Hundred Million Naira) on January 6, 2012".