By AFP A jury has found Elon Musk liable for defrauding investors by deliberately driving down Twitter’s stock price in the tumultuous months leading up to his 2022 acquisition of the social media company for $44 billion. But it absolved him of some fraud allegations, finding that he did not “scheme” to mislead investors. The civil trial in San Francisco centered on a class-action lawsuit filed just before Musk took control of Twitter, which he later renamed X. Jurors were asked to decide if two tweets and comments Musk made on a podcast in May 2022 amounted to him intentionally…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies Germany has temporarily withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Niger over concerns about the security situation in the country. Berlin cited fears that Western nationals are prime targets for kidnappings carried out by terrorist groups and criminal gangs. The United States ordered its own embassy staff to leave the country in late January. Monitoring groups say Islamic militant groups have deepened their presence in the border areas between Niger, Benin and Nigeria over the last year. Violent attacks are up by 80 percent and the number of deaths have tripled. Niger has been plagued by jihadist…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies Chad is getting ready to deploy some 800 police officers to Haiti, Chadian officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity. They’ll join an international effort aimed at tackling widespread gang activity in the Caribbean nation. The United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force succeeds a smaller Kenyan-led mission that began operations in 2024. The multinational force is staffed by countries including Jamaica, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The GSF works with Haitian security forces and has the power to arrest and detain suspected gang members. It’s expected to reach its full capacity of more than 5,500 police and…
By AP Iran warned Monday it will strike electrical plants across the Middle East if US President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to bomb power stations in the Islamic Republic, and threatened to mine the “entire Persian Gulf” if invaded. The threat by Tehran puts at risk both electrical supplies and water in the Gulf Arab states, particularly as the desert nations commingle their power stations with desalination plants crucial for supplying drinking water. Following the threat, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency published a list of such facilities, including the United Arab Emirates’ nuclear power plant. Over the…
Kenyan police are investigating the reported disappearance of former Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju, amid claims he may have been abducted. According to Tuju’s family, the ex-minister and his driver went missing as they were on their way to an evening radio interview on Saturday. Police said his vehicle was found abandoned with its hazard lights on along a road in Karen, an upmarket suburb of the capital, Nairobi. They said they could not reach him as his phone was switched off. The former minister, who served in several roles including foreign minister, has been embroiled in a long-running legal battle…
By Rédaction Africanews and AFP Kenya and Uganda took a major step towards regional integration on Saturday, with the launch of a new phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). The project is aimed at linking East Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Today, here at Kibos in Kisumu, we take yet another decisive and consequential step,” Kenyan President William Ruto said. “We break ground on the 107-kilometre Kisumu-Malaba section of the SGR, completing nearly one thousand kilometres of seamless rail link from Mombasa to Malaba and forming a vital connection to the Malaba-Kampala line.” The Chinese-funded extension…
By Oga Luc in Niamey Civil society organisations in Niger have condemned a European Union resolution demanding the release of the country’s former president. Mohamed Bazoum has been detained since the 2023 coup that removed him from power. At a meeting in Niamey on Saturday, NGOs issued a joint statement accusing France of putting pressure on Brussels. “Let’s say it clearly: behind this resolution is the hand of France, refusing to accept its historic defeat in the Sahel,” Abdourahamane Oumarou, spokesperson for the Alliance of Sahel States Citizen Watch said as he addressed the crowd. “Through its influence networks and…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies US military trainers deployed to Nigeria are using high-powered drones for surveillance and intelligence gathering, the Nigerian military said on Saturday. The drones are being deployed from an air base in Bauchi state. Although capable of strikes, they are only being used to detect, track and disrupt terrorist activity, according to a military official. About 100 US troops arrived in Nigeria last month to help train soldiers in their fight against Islamic militants and other armed groups. The Americans are not serving in combat roles, both countries have confirmed. Nigeria is facing a long-running battle…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies A damaged Russian tanker abandoned in the Mediterranean Sea will be towed to a Libyan port, Libyan authorities have announced. The Arctic Metagaz is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” transporting fossil fuels in violation of international sanctions. The tanker was carrying liquefied natural gas to Egypt when it was hit by a series of explosions earlier this month. All 30 crew members were rescued. Video footage shows the ship listing to one side, blackened by fire, with two holes on either side of the hull. Russia has blamed Ukrainian naval drones for the attack.…
By Dominic Wabwireh with AP Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Saturday accused major powers of reviving a colonial approach toward developing nations, warning against interference in national sovereignty. Speaking at a regional summit, Lula said countries in Latin America must resist external control over their territories and resources. Lula sharply criticized the United Nations, calling it ineffective in stopping global conflicts. He pointed to crises in Gaza, Ukraine and tensions involving Iran, and renewed calls for reform of the UN Security Council, which he said reflects outdated post-World War II power structures. Resources and rising tensions The…