Mercury -julkaisun 2022-05-06 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

MONDI, the multinational packaging and paper group, is divesting of its R11.4 billion operations in Russia, the group said in a quarterly update yesterday. “The board has decided to divest the group’s Russian assets. The divestment process for these significant assets is operationally and structurally complex and is being undertaken in an evolving political and regulatory environment,” the group said. There was no certainty when a transaction would be completed or as to the structure of any possible transaction, it said. The net asset value of Mondi’s Russian operations was €687 million (R11.38 billion) as at December 31, 2021. “The Russian businesses have, to date, managed supply chain constraints. However, the situation remains fluid, with interruptions to pulp and paper production possible going forward. “All significant capital expenditure…

KWAZULU-NATAL Premier Sihle Zikalala said the government would enlist a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on how to make the Zulu Royal Household financially independent. Presenting his office’s R767.5 million budget for the 2022/23 financial year at the KZN Legislature, Zikalala yesterday said it was important for the household to become self-sustainable. “One of the most important projects is the support to the Zulu Royal Household Trust (ZRHT) as we explore revenue generation strategies with a view to supporting greater financial independence in the near future. As such, the ZRHT is in the process of appointing a service provider to conduct a feasibility study to identify viable farming options that the entity should focus on,” Zikalala said. The call for the royal household to be financially independent has…

SCIENTIFIC co-operation between Britain and the US continues apace. As the war in Ukraine casts its shadow, information comes this way about British-US common purpose in the development of high-energy projectiles. Scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce built a gun to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airlines and military jets. The idea was to simulate the frequent incidents of collision with airborne fowl, to test the strength of the windshields. American engineers heard about the gun and were eager to use it to test the windshields of their new high-speed trains. Arrangements were made and a gun was sent to the American engineers. When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurtled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof windshield, smashed it to smithereens,…

IF there was a group that could claim to have been unbelievably unlucky in the history of South African matric pupils, it is the class of 2022, especially the KwaZulu-Natal group. No matter how statistically or politically one can theorise their plight, it is just plain inopportune. On March 26, 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the first 21 days of national shutdown. The country had to literally shut down, and this meant schools had to be closed to allow government to roll out its Covid-19 programmes and prevent loss of lives. The education sector was caught off-guard. Expectedly or unexpectedly, they reacted lethargically and it took them time to get their rhythm back. The consequence of that was that teaching and learning was compromised. This group was in Grade 10…

The African Democratic Change (ADeC) has written to the mayor of eThekwini requesting the scrapping of water bills from the time of the storm disaster. Scrapping of the water charges will allow those residential and commercial customers that receive water to share with those people who don’t have it. It will also assist volunteers and NGOs to provide water to the most vulnerable communities. They might have the resources to transport the water, but they don’t have the money to buy the water. The municipality can renew billing once all water distribution has been restored in eThekwini. In addition, ADeC’s proposal has the added benefit of redistributing water tankers to areas most in need. Last, ADeC also requests the municipality provide a rates and electricity rebate to all eThekwini residents…

A Soweto man, Mojalesa Plaas Mofokeng has been sentenced to eight years in jail for bestiality. The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has welcomed the sentence handed down by the court. It said in a statement that Mofokeng was found guilty of bestiality after assaulting his neighbour’s dog, Moana. “In the early hours of November 21, 2020, a tenant living on a property in Soweto witnessed the man naked and precariously positioned in Moana’s kennel. Having been caught with his pants literally down, he was then apprehended by members of the community,” said a NSPCA statement. When the NSPCA arrived they found the dog had been severely violated and was in need of urgent veterinary attention. “The dog was immediately taken to the NSPCA’s vet for examination and treatment. Dr…

The Special Tribunal has ordered that former assistant state attorney Nosipho Zibani, her sister Phindile Zibani and midwife Yolande Hlatshwayo must face criminal charges for allegedly defrauding millions of rand from the Gauteng Health Department. In addition, Judge Lebogang Modiba ruled in favour of the Special Investigating Unit and ordered that Nosipho will forfeit her pension held by the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). “The pension benefits are declared forfeited to the (Gauteng health) MEC to the extent of Nosipho’s indebtedness to the MEC in respect of the judgment debt … and the order in respect of costs. The GEPF and its administrators shall pay over to the MEC, Nosipho’s pension benefits to satisfy the judgment debt,” the judge ordered. According to the judgment handed down this week, the tribunal’s…

Police in KwaZulu-Natal have mobilised all resources and launched a manhunt for suspects who shot dead an off-duty police officer outside a school in Umbilo, Durban, on Wednesday. Warrant Officer Michael Jameson, 52, was picking his daughter up from school when he noticed a hijacking in progress. He immediately placed himself on duty and responded to the incident in progress. According to the national police spokesperson, Colonel Athlenda Mathe, the two suspects noticed Jameson was armed and opened fire on him. He returned fire, but was hit and died on the scene due to his injuries. “Police in KZN have since mobilised all resources to track and trace down the suspects,” Mathe said. “Two vehicles, including a vehicle that was hijacked outside the school in Umbilo and another that was…

THE government has announced plans to release 17 000 hectares of land to facilitate the rebuilding of thousands of homes destroyed by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal. The national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) announced recently that it would release more that 250 parcels of land and the provincial Department of Human Settlements is expected to release more. KZN MEC for Human Settlements Jomo Sibiya said that following the floods, 17 000 hectares of land had been identified for housing. The government is releasing land to enable the construction of homes in more suitable areas so that people can be moved from dangerous areas like floodplains, where some of them have built their homes. Close to 8 000 homes were destroyed or partially damaged by the floods last…

THE murder of Senzo Meyiwa, its political ramifications, the legal quagmire the investigations are deeply entrenched in, and the scope of the allegations and counter-allegations read like chapters from a John Le Carré thriller. What is dramatically unfolding is not fiction, but a bizarre chain of events that defy logic. The entire issue is shrouded in an impenetrable veil, a fog of fleeting silhouettes that appear and disappear in a hazy political background. The tsunami of information blurs its origins in a world enveloped in deception, disinformation, misinformation and strategic concealment. What is actually being displayed in 3D points to a conspiracy of immense proportions. The puzzling sequence of events over the years, the bizarre twists and turns, raise a profound question: who is concealing compelling evidence, and for what…

Ukraine said yesterday that Russia was “trying to destroy” its remaining soldiers holed up in Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant, with Kyiv’s last defenders in the battered city saying Russian forces had broken into the giant factory. “Russian occupiers are focusing on blocking and trying to destroy Ukrainian units in the Azovstal area,” Kyiv’s army said in a statement. “With the support of aircraft, Russia resumed the offensive to take control of the plant.” The statement came as a Russian-announced ceasefire was due to begin at the besieged plant, where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and some civilians have been trapped for weeks. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that the demands of the Ukrainian military, on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant, to exchange civilians for food and medicine…

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis used a wheelchair in public yesterday for the first time since a new flare-up of pain in his knee that has limited his ability to walk. At an audience with a group of nuns in the Vatican’s general audience hall, Francis, was wheeled to his seat on the stage. An aide then helped him out of the wheelchair and onto his seat. The 85-year-old has had to cancel or curtail activities several times over the past month because of the pain in his right knee. Before yesterday, he had managed to walk the 10 metres or so from the side entrance of the stage to his seat at the centre, albeit with help from aides. Several times over the Easter period last month, Francis attended but…

LAGOS: Nigeria’s first deep-sea port will create up to 170 000 jobs and bring revenue of $201 billion through taxes, royalties and duties, Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture, has said. The port was critical to the nation’s economic development, he said in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub. The Lekki Deep Sea Port, built by the China Harbour Engineering Company, is 60km east of Lagos. The minister, who described the port as a game changer for the nation’s economy, expressed satisfaction with the level and quality of work and said Phase 1 of the project was 89% done and would be complet in September this year.…

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander says the financial incentive of having South African teams playing in the European Rugby Champions Cup is not the main motivating factor for wanting to play in the competition. South Africa’s four franchises – the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions – play in the United Rugby Championship, with the first three currently in the top eight. With there being a financial reward for the teams that gain entry into the European Rugby Champions Cup – albeit only to the franchises – teams have even more to play for and top their regional shields. Speaking about the opportunity, Alexander said the main incentive is playing more top teams. “I think it’s not a financial thing,” Alexander said on the sidelines of the Carling Champions Match launch…

RAND Merchant Bank (RMB), the corporate and investment banking business of FirstRand, yesterday announced that chief executive James Formby would hand over the leadership to Emrie Brown, who would start in October. Brown as a female executive takes the role as gender equality in corporate leadership in South Africa is closely monitored. In March, RCS deputy chief financial officer Tonia Pavlou, who advocates for gender equality in the boardroom, said: “The South African state of affairs in terms of gender representation at executive level is most accurately captured by the top 40 JSE-listed companies, of which only four have female chief executives. “According to StatsSA, women make up 50 percent of South Africa’s working age population, but only fill 38 percent of ‘manager’ and ‘professional’ posts. “Beyond that,…

PUBLIC Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has laid criminal charges against consultant Ismail Abramjee and his alleged accomplices. The case was opened at the Brooklyn police station, Pretoria, yesterday. Mkhwebane wants Abramjee to be investigated for contempt of court, perjury, corruption and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. She also announced that her office would initiate a formal investigation following a leaked text message that Abramjee allegedly sent to advocate Andrew Breitenbach, the lead senior counsel for the Speaker of the National Assembly, saying that he had it “on good authority” that the Constitutional Court had decided to dismiss Mkhwebane’s rescission application regarding its February judgment that Parliament could proceed with her impeachment. Abramjee also said the court would make the decision public on Friday last week. This came ahead of…

Small launch firm Rocket Lab USA Inc this week captured a falling rocket stage out of the air with a helicopter before dropping it in the ocean, appearing to achieve a partially successful test of the company’s novel cost-savings approach to recovering used rockets for multiple missions to space. The demonstration, involving parachutes and a long cable hanging from a helicopter, sought to check off a key milestone for the California-based company as it ventures to slash the cost of sending things into space, an industry trend pioneered by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX. After lifting off to send 34 satellites toward orbit in New Zealand, the company’s four-storey-tall Electron booster stage fell back through Earth’s atmosphere and deployed a series of parachutes to brake its speed. At high altitudes…

Honourable mayor of eThekwini, Mxolisi Kaunda we respectfully invite you to an urgent engagement with the oThongathi Disaster Relief Task Team and Civic structures to: 1. Get first-hand information of the city’s strategy to restore water in oThongathi. 2. Discuss the lack of co-ordination in deployment of water resources (tankers). 3. Understand the timelines for the various interventions designed to mitigate the pain and suffering of the community. Your worship, the social contract empowered through franchise guarantees the protection to life, liberty and property of citizens. At present, the city is failing in the first instance by not being able to deliver on the basic need of water provision. Had it not been for civil society response, many vulnerable and indigent people would have perished. It’s been 22 days without…

Parliament is racing against time to finalise the Electoral Act to allow independent candidates to stand as MPs and MPLs. This is despite filing papers in the Constitutional Court asking for an extension as they said this was a bill that required extensive consultation with a number of role-players. Members of the programming committee were told yesterday that Parliament was waiting for a date from the Constitutional Court to hear the application for an extension. This is ahead of the deadline that was set by the Constitutional Court in 2020 for Parliament to finalise amending the bill by June 10 this year. Legal adviser to Parliament, advocate Charmaine van der Merwe, said they had filed the papers. But she said it was not guaranteed that the extension would be granted…

A 31-year-old man was arrested after he was found with marijuana, estimated to be worth more than R1 million, along the border between South Africa and eSwatini. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said the suspect was scheduled to appear before the Eerstehoek Magistrate’s Court. “The members were conducting their routine patrol duties, when they spotted a suspicious Toyota Hilux bakkie at Sector One along Oshoek border line. “The police confiscated the dagga worth R1.2m, and the vehicle,” said Mdhluli. Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela has applauded the police at Oshoek for “their effort which ensured the swift arrest of the suspect”. Last month, a 27-year-old man was arrested at the Jeppes Reef border post for allegedly trafficking drugs from eSwatini after he attempted to smuggle dagga wrapped around…

Police in the Free State have arrested a 15-year-old boy after his classmate, also 15, was stabbed to death in an altercation at school. According to the provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Peter Kareli, officers from Zastron were deployed to the school at about 2.20pm on Wednesday after reports of a stabbing. Kareli said officers discovered the assailant had tried to run away. He was chased and caught by members of the community who witnessed the stabbing. At the time of the police’s arrival, the victim had been taken to hospital in a private vehicle. He died from a stab wound to his chest. “It is alleged that the suspect and the victim engaged in an argument that became physical while at school. “The suspect was called to the principal’s office…

A number of KwaZulu-Natal government departments showed an improvement in their audit outcomes, demonstrating that the government’s continued efforts to achieve clean audits was on track, Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube told the KZN Legislature yesterday. Presenting the Finance Department’s budget vote, Dube-Ncube said the commitment to achieving clean audits across government departments and entities still remained top priority. “Operation clean audit must and still remains our number one focus. The continued implementation of the province-wide operation clean audit programme has had an overall improvement in the provincial PFMA (Public Finance Management Act) audit outcomes, whereby five auditees improved their audit opinion while one department regressed,” said the MEC. The audit results for the 2021/22 financial year, she added, reflected that 5 departments and 13 public entities achieved clean audits, 7…

The International Labour Organisation Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour will take place in Durban later this month. It was announced yesterday that in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Department of Employment and Labour will host the conference for the first time on African soil. It has previously been held in the Americas and Europe. The global estimates on child labour that were jointly released by the ILO and Unicef last year show that although there has been some progress in reducing incidences of child labour across the world, Africa still lags behind other regions. The fifth global conference is scheduled to take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban from May 15 – 20.…

Links with organised crime are the biggest challenge In cities and towns across the Western Cape’s shores, illicit abalone poaching has become a common occurrence and has resulted in a thriving black market industry. The impact of abalone poaching has serious implications for communities. This is especially the case in small coastal towns, where economic opportunities are often few and far between. Abalone poaching also has a significant impact on the Western Cape, especially with regard to crime and the environment. According to a study by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, abalone poaching in South Africa has been closely linked to the trafficking of synthetic drugs since the 1990s. Over the past three decades, the Cape’s gangs have exploited our local biodiversity to fund and grow their illegal…

Almost three times as many people have died as a result of Covid-19 as the official data show, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report, the most comprehensive look at the true global toll of the pandemic so far. There were 14.9 million excess deaths associated with Covid-19 by the end of 2021, the UN body said yesterday. The official count of deaths directly attributable to Covid-19 and reported to WHO in that period, from January 2020 to the end of December 2021, is slightly more than 5.4 million. The WHO’s excess mortality figures reflect people who died of Covid-19 as well as those who died as an indirect result of the outbreak, including people who could not access healthcare for other conditions when systems were overwhelmed during…

A refugee held for eight years in Australia’s hardline immigration system earned a finalist spot in the nation’s top art prize yesterday – for a self-portrait he painted with a toothbrush. For artist Mostafa Azimitabar, a Kurd who fled persecution in Iran, the honour came just over a year after he was released from one of Australia’s notorious immigration hotels. He told AFP a finalist berth for the Archibald – a portrait prize worth AUD$100 000 (about R1.1 million), which has been awarded to some of Australia’s most esteemed artists – was “one of the best moments of my life”. Azimitabar’s self-portrait was painted using a toothbrush, a technique he began experimenting with in 2014, soon after being put into one of Australia’s offshore immigration detention camps on Manus Island,…

NEW DELHI: India and France, during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron, agreed to establish a strategic dialogue on space issues. The two countries also agreed about defense co-operation. India and France expressed concern over aggravation of food security. The countries said they were concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. “India and France expressed serious concern on the humanitarian situation and violation of human rights and reiterated support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan,” read a joint statement.…

With all the dirt and debris plaguing our waters recently, the fishing has not been fantastic. That being said, there have been a few great catches. Top tip: Water colour and lures. Firstly, lure action and profile is more important than colour. If the water is coloured you need to fish with something with a solid silhouette. Colours for this include purple and black. These stronger colours provide a fantastic silhouette for the game fish to zone in on. Other great choices for lures include noise and vibration. These are key when the water gets very dirty. Look for lures that vibrate on their retrieve and/or have rattles inside. The offshore fishing has been slow but those putting the time in have managed to get fish to the boat. The…

SOUTH African markets and the rand remained subdued yesterday as investors digested the US Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates to curb historic high inflation, while striking a less hawkish tone regarding future hikes. The US Fed raised interest rates by half-a-percentage point last night, as was expected by most commentators. It was the most significant hike in 22 years, though the Fed dismissed the likelihood of larger hikes going forward. The JSE All Share Index fell by 0.96 percent, dipping below 70 000 index points to 69 682 points, the lowest in more than a week, dragged down by commodity-linked stocks and Naspers. Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop said the tone of the Fed remained hawkish, comparable to the last meeting, and did not…

The signing of a statement of intent to resuscitate the East3Route initiative between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga in South Africa, together with Mozambique, eSwatini and the Seychelles, was the major highlight as Africa’s Travel Indaba came to an end yesterday. More than 4 000 delegates from 55 countries and more than 500 exhibitors attended the three-day event at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban. The East3Route initiative was launched in September 2011, with the Seychelles and Mpumalanga joining from 2013. The initiative aims to share tourism marketing efforts for the benefit of all four countries and to showcase investment opportunities and improve infrastructure in order to boost tourism and trade between them. KZN MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Ravi Pillay said: “This is a renewal of…

ETHEKWINI Municipality has stepped up its efforts to go after defaulting government departments by disconnecting Durban schools that owe more than R300 million for municipal services. Councillors were told during a Municipal Public Accounts Committee (Mpac) meeting this week that the municipality was owed more than R1 billion by government departments and parastatals. The municipality is battling a spiralling debt crisis, and last year it was owed close to R17bn by various entities. The Department of Education owes the municipality R365m, and the Department of Public Works owes R125m, bringing the combined debt of these two departments to about R490m. The Mercury understands that a big part of the debt accumulated by schools is due to non-payment for water, but as the city cannot disconnect water services, it suspended the…

Mother’s Day can be very painful for women who are childless, those who have buried a son or daughter, those whose sons and daughters have battled addictions and mental health issues, and for those who have placed their baby for adoption. I have empathy for you all, especially on days when restaurants are full and moms are rightfully celebrated. But, it is the latter whom I want to address, women who have made the hard choice to place their babies in the hands of others to rear. You deserve a standing ovation. No matter what circumstance you faced then, or where you are now, if I had the power, you’d be guests of honour in top-notch restaurants across the world. Every guest would stand as you entered to take your…

THE headline in the electronic media “SAA eyes flights to America” again raises the question of who owns and is picking up the tab for the expenses in keeping SAA flying? There seems to be a deathly silence on this issue. Would the minister of public enterprises please update the nation on the status of SAA? Has the Takatso consortium paid up the R51 billion yet? If not, where is the money coming from to keep SAA flying? Is it taxpayers’ money? This whole debacle has gone very quiet and one wonders whether it has been swept under the carpet. Would there be irregular expenditure by Treasury or is there some corrupt deal in the pipeline? The taxpayers of South Africa should not allow any more of their money…

The burial of Hillary Gardee, the slain daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee will take place tomorrow, the family have announced. “The Gardee family wish to announce that the funeral of the late beloved daughter of the Gardees will be held on Saturday, May 7, at Kamagugu township in Nelspruit, at the Church on the Hill,” said family spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, who is also EFF national spokesperson. “As the family, we would like to extend our appreciation, once again, to the general public, the people of South Africa, for the consistent support.” He said the outpouring of support, including from political parties, showed that “we are not primary enemies in society, but we are opponents”. Thambo appealed to community members “to respect the proceedings on Saturday”. “Let us not…

Hundreds of people around the world are applying for a coveted job to run the world’s most remote post office. The position is based in Antarctica, and one of the key specifications is the ability to count penguins. Four candidates will be chosen to fill the five-month role at Port Lockroy – affectionally dubbed the “Penguin Post Office”. The nearly 80-year-old building is on British-owned Goudier Island, which is about the size of a football field and is populated by hundreds of penguins. The post office doubles as a museum and is managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. Each year, the British charity hires four postmasters to live on the island from November to March. Although employees each have unique roles, they are collectively responsible for maintaining the historic…

MOTORISTS have been warned that law-enforcement agencies will strictly apply the law against those with expired driving licences. The grace period for motorists whose driving licences, temporary driving permits and professional driving permit and learner’s licences expired between March 2020 and August 2021 finally came to an end yesterday. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) warned that no excuses would be entertained as the government had extended the validity period for these documents on numerous occasions and implemented extensive measures to assist motorists who wished to comply. Driving with expired driving licence cards would also have negative consequences in case of accidents as insurance companies might decline claims made by drivers who failed to renew their cards. Motorists and driving schools operators were aggrieved earlier in March, calling for another…

SUPREME Court of Appeal (SCA) Judge President Mandisa Maya will be seized with the reconsideration application filed by former president Jacob Zuma ahead of her interview next month for the position of the country’s Deputy Chief Justice. Zuma’s legal team is expected in court later this month for a possible decision after the former president asked Judge Maya to reconsider the SCA’s dismissal of four of his special pleas – all dealing with his attempt to force prosecutor Billy Downer to recuse himself from his corruption trial. Zuma accuses Downer of “unauthorised disseminating” of confidential information about his medical condition. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) said that on April 7, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo received a letter from President Cyril Ramaphosa indicating that he is considering appointing Judge Maya as…

Two brothers arrested for rhino poaching pleaded guilty at the Giyani Magistrate’s Court, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said yesterday. The NPA’s Limpopo spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said Nicolaas, 56, and Gideon, 53, van Deventer were sentenced for conspiracy to hunt rhinos, illegal hunting, killing and de-horning a rhino bull, possession of rhino horns, selling rhino horns, trespassing and possession of a loaded firearm. “Gideon was sentenced to an effective 10 years’ imprisonment and Nicolaas will serve 15 years,” she said. The brothers were arrested on January 6, 2017, for the offences committed between December 2016 and January 2017. “Advocate Makuvele told the court the duo first made the headlines in KwaZulu-Natal 10 years ago when they were caught poaching rhinos in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park,” she said. “Several adult rhinos and…

HOW do we build trust again as the people of South Africa? This question came to mind when I saw the Zondo commission deliver its latest report about what has occurred at our state-owned entities. The commission’s report details how some governance controls were overridden to benefit the Guptas. As I read this report, with hindsight I am starting to ask myself where the ethical foundations were and how could those individuals have allowed themselves to be caught in such a trap? As reported, why did they not question or interrogate some of the decisions brought in by those boards, like Mr Baloyi did? It was sickening to hear recently from an interview by former executive Matshelo Koko assertions that we need to thank the Guptas for the work done…

Bamako: For nine years, France was Mali’s staunchest ally in its fight against jihadists who have claimed thousands of lives and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Today, French forces are pulling out after a breakdown with the country’s military junta, which this week renounced Mali’s core military agreements with France. France began its anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel in 2013, helping Mali, its former colony, to snuff out a revolt in the north. But the jihadists regrouped to attack the volatile centre of the country, initiating an insurgency that elected president Ibrahim Bubacar Keita was unable to break. In August 2020, protests against Keita culminated in a coup by disgruntled colonels – a move followed by a second military takeover in May 2021. From then on, relations with…

WASHINGTON: Bill Gates wants to “wait and see” how Elon Musk handles Twitter. The Microsoft co-founder – who doesn’t see eye to eye with the Tesla chief – has reflected on the news that Musk’s bid to buy the social media platform was accepted by the board. Asked what he thought of the deal, he said: “You know, Elon, I guess it’s possible Twitter could be worse. But it also could be better … So I have a wait and see attitude.” Earlier this week, Musk insisted he wants to make the platform a better place.…

Local and regional elections were being held across the UK yesterday that could prove historic in Northern Ireland and heap further pressure on embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The contest for the devolved assembly in Belfast could see a pro-Irish nationalist party win for the first time in the troubled history of the British province. The results, expected from today, could have huge constitutional implications for the four-nation UK’s future, with predicted victors Sinn Fein committed to a vote on reunification with Ireland. Voters are electing councils in Scotland, Wales and much of England, with Johnson facing a potentially pivotal mid-term popularity test. Poor results could reignite simmering discontent within his ruling Conservatives about his leadership, after a string of recent scandals. Johnson, 57, won a landslide 2019 general election…

Singapore: Two people were found guilty yesterday of masterminding Singapore’s worst case of market manipulation, wiping $5.8 billion in a penny-stocks scam in 2013. John Soh Chee Wen and Quah Su-Ling used over 180 trading accounts to inflate the share prices of three companies. They used the shares as collateral to get Sg$170 million in credit, which they used to create demand for penny stocks, pushing up some prices by 800%. But when prices crashed, they wiped out about Sg$5.8bn from the Singapore Exchange, denting investor confidence and affecting trading.…