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Wednesday, May 6, 2026
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Big Blow To Meta As Court Declines To Dismiss Case

Meta Platforms has lost its plea to stay proceedings in the Labour Court in which Facebook content moderators have challenged their firing.

Meta has attempted to have the case dismissed on the basis of jurisdictional grounds, however, the court declined the request.

Meta filed an appeal at the Court of Appeals, requesting that any further proceedings in the Nairobi Employment and Labour Relations Court be stayed until the outcome of an anticipated appeal against Justice Nduma Nderi’s March 20 order.

Judge Nderi on the said date restrained Meta from implementing the redundancy notice issued to Facebook content moderators on January 10 pending the determination of a matter they had filed.

Meta was additionally barred from replacing the content moderators on Facebook.

The corporation sought to have the case dismissed by filing objections to the complaint, but they were denied.

They claimed that the Labour Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.

Nderi, on the other hand, declined, claiming that the argument was the result of an employer-employee dispute. He extended the temporary orders he had issued.

Meta, enraged, filed an appeal. However, Court of Appeal Judges Daniel Musinga, Kathurima M’Inoti, and John Mativo dismissed their May 5, 2023 application.

The justices stated that a stay of proceedings pending the hearing and determination of an appeal against a temporary injunction should be granted only if the contested order will materially affect Meta if the issue progresses.

They stated that it is the responsibility of every court to eliminate situations that may create unnecessary delays in the administration of justice.

Meta attempted to persuade the courts that Judge Nderi was prejudiced against them since he recused himself after issuing the contested order.

However, the judges observed that Nderi never recused himself from the case as alleged.

They said the judge is on record stating that he was proceeding on leave and therefore he passed the file to the presiding judge of the court for re-allocation to another judge.

Man Charged For Allegedly Stabbing A Woman To Death In A Supermarket

Patrick Mwangi, a man suspected of murdering Eunice Syokau in a CCTV footage, was arraigned in Machakos Law Court on Monday, August 31.

Mwangi is claimed to have stabbed Syokau to death on July 22, 2023, in Mwala Sub-County, Machakos County.

The two appeared to be conversing in the CCTV footage as Syokau grabbed things from the supermarket shelves.

Shortly, Mwangi removed an object from his pocket and directed it to her chest.

Mwangi is believed to have attempted suicide after the incident by consuming a drug substance that has since been sent to the government chemist for scientific examination.

Mwangi was taken to Masii Level 3 Hospital and then to Machakos Level 5 Hospital after the event, where he was treated and discharged. He was subsequently taken to the Masii police station.

He was later arraigned in Court where Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki on Monday ordered for a mental assessment to be conducted on the suspect.

The case will be mentioned on September 4, 2023, for plea-taking.

Azimio Picks Kalonzo Musyoka To lead 5 Member-Team For Talks With Ruto

The Azimio la Umoja Coalition has released a list of members of its dialogue committee who are trusted to lead talks with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition.

According to a statement issued on Monday, July 31, the five-member team will be led by Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Other members include National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, DAP Party leader Eugene Wamalwa, Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni, and Malindi MP Amina Mnyazi.

“Our position remains that no party to these negotiations can claim a right to determine for the other what to raise and what not to raise.

“Azimio will respect Kenya Kwanza’s right to bring all its issues to the table. We expect Kenya Kwanza to do the same with our issues,” read the statement in part.

The main issues to be tabled, according to the opposition, are the high cost of living, the audit of the 2022 General Election results, and the bipartisan reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Committee (IEBC).

Others are inclusivity in national affairs and constitutional respect for political parties.

“Azimio is keen on a time-bound programme of talks that should take one month beginning August 1, 2023,” added the statement.

Niger Junta Says France Planning Strikes To Free Ousted President

The military junta that seized power in Niger last week has accused former colonial power France of planning strikes to try to free detained president Mohamed Bazoum and reinstate his toppled government.

The French Foreign Ministry did not confirm or deny the accusation but said Paris recognised only Bazoum as a legitimate authority in the West African country and was focused on protecting its own citizens and interests there.

The African Union, the U.N. and other powers including France have condemned the junta’s move to oust Niger’s elected government, the seventh military takeover in less than three years in West and Central Africa where some countries are increasingly turning toward Russia as an ally.

The report of French plans came a day after West African regional bloc ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the junta and said it could authorise force to reinstate Bazoum, who was locked in his palace by members of his guard on Wednesday.

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby flew to Niger over the weekend to try to mediate, and early on Monday posted what appeared to be the first images of Bazoum since the takeover, showing him smiling and apparently unharmed.

Deby said he had met Bazoum and coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani to explore ways “to find a peaceful solution,” without going into further detail.

In an address on state television, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, one of the coup plotters, said the ousted government had authorised France to carry out strikes on the presidency through a statement signed by Bazoum’s foreign minister, Hassoumi Massoudou, acting as prime minister.

He did not specify what kind of strikes and did not give any evidence to back up his assertion. Massoudou could not be reached by telephone.

The junta previously warned against foreign attempts to extract Bazoum, saying it would result in bloodshed and chaos.

FRENCH FLAGS BURNED

The takeover has also raised concerns about security in the region. French and other foreign troops are stationed in Niger to help the army fight Islamist militants that have spread across the Sahel.

On Sunday, supporters of the junta burned French flags and attacked the French embassy in Niger’s capital Niamey, drawing tear gas from police.

The coup leaders, who have named General Tiani, the former presidential guard chief, as head of state, said they overthrew Bazoum due to poor governance and discontent with the way he handled the Islamist threat.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group last week welcomed the coup in Niger, and said his forces were available to restore order.

The Kremlin said on Monday that the situation in Niger was “cause for serious concern” and called for a swift return to constitutional order.

Germany’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the situation was still in flux, and that there was a possibility the coup could fail.

BBC, Netflix Commission New Six-Part Factual Drama Lockerbie

US-based streamer Netflix and UK pubcaster the BBC have commissioned a factual drama about the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people in 1988.

On 21 December 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, with 43 British citizens and 190 Americans among the 270 killed.

The story will be told in a 6×60′ factual drama called Lockerbie, which will dramatise the real events surrounding the bombing and the joint Scots-US investigation.

The lead writer is novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Lee, while two episodes will be written by Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park.

The series is being produced by ITV Studios-owned World Productions, which previously worked on United, about the 1958 Munich air disaster, and Anne, which told the story of Anne Williams’ fight for justice following the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium crush. MGM Television (The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes) is also on board.

Lockerbie will air on BBC One and iPlayer followed by Netflix in the UK and globally. Julia Stannard (United, War and Peace, Anne) will produce and Michael Keillor (Chimerica, Roadkill, Best Interests) will direct. It was initially developed by MGM Television and Night Train Media.

The project was initiated by filmmaker Adam Morane-Griffiths, whose research includes extensive interviews with Scottish police officers and representatives from US investigative agencies, many of whom have never previously shared their stories.

Filming will take place later this year in Scotland, Malta and Toronto.

The executive producers are World Productions’ Simon Heath and Roderick Seligman; Toluca Pictures’ Steve Stark and Stacey Levin; the BBC’s Gaynor Holmes; and Adam Morane-Griffiths, Sara Curran, Herbert L Kloiber and Michael Keillor.

Michelle Yeoh Marries Jean Todt After 19-Year Engagement

Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh has married her longtime partner Jean Todt in a ceremony in Switzerland – nearly two decades after the French businessman first proposed to her.

Yeoh, 60, who earlier this year became the first woman of Asian descent to win the Academy Award for best actress, confirmed her marriage to Todt, 77, a former head of Ferrari, on Instagram over the weekend.

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“19 years and YES!! we are married!! Thkq to our ‘families’ who love us for all these years. We love you and here’s to many more to come,” the Malaysian actress wrote.

The post included images of the two exchanging rings and another of them sitting snuggled together on a bed decorated with flower petals.

A shot of a printed wedding message posted to Instagram by racing driver Felipe Massa, who was a guest at the ceremony, gave a glimpse into the long love story that led to last week’s nuptials.

“We met in Shanghai on 4th June 2004. On 26th July 2004, J.T. proposed to marry M.Y. and she said YES! Today after 6,992 days on 27th July 2023 in Geneva surrounded by loving family and friends, we are so happy to celebrate this special moment together!” the message read.

Yeoh broke into a new level of celebrity status this year for her acclaimed performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

The movie, which follows the story of a Chinese immigrant and laundromat owner who finds herself at the center of a struggle in the multiverse, won seven Oscars out of 11 nominations – including best picture – at the Academy Awards in March.

When accepting her Oscar, the star called it a “beacon of hope and possibilities” for “all the little boys and girls who look like me.” Yeoh, who did many of the stunts in the action film herself, also gave a shoutout to women, saying: “Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you’re ever past your prime.”

Movie credits for Yeoh, who is widely considered an icon of martial arts cinema, also include Marvel Studio’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021), “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (2008), “Memoirs Of A Geisha” (2005) and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000).

She made her name in Hong Kong action movies of the 1980s and 90s, before her breakthrough international role in 1997 opposite Pierce Brosnan in “Tomorrow Never Dies.”

And Yeoh’s part in that James Bond movie received a nod at her wedding – among images the actress shared announcing her marriage was a fake film poster with the title: “Love Never Dies.”

The poster doctored an image from an epic motorcycle ride in the Bond flick to replace Brosnan’s face with Todt’s, while Yeoh appears on the back of the bike.

Todt posted the framed image on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over the weekend, thanking long-time Bond producer Barbara Broccoli for the “touching” wedding gift.

Todt, who made his name as a World Rally Championship co-driver, is also a former president of Formula 1’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. He currently serves as the United Nations Secretary General’s special envoy for road safety.

Man Dies After Bouncy Castle Blown Away At A Water Park

A father died and his four-year-old daughter was badly injured in France after a bouncy castle in which they were playing at a water park was blown skyward by high winds, prosecutors said Monday.

The 35-year-old man had been taken to hospital with his child after the accident on Sunday at the water park in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in France’s southern Var region, hugely popular with tourists in the summer. He died later that day.

The structure, some 20 metres (65 feet) long, lifted 50 metres off the ground at the Wonderland Waterpark, with both victims trapped inside, the prosecutor for the nearby town of Draguignan said in a statement.

The daughter’s life remains in danger, the prosecutor’s office added. It said the bouncy castle had taken off due to “strong gusts of wind” that were buffeting the area at the time after a spell of hot weather.

An investigation has been opened into involuntary homicide.

Draguignan prosecutor Guy Bouchet told AFP that the management of the park had taken the decision to suspend the bouncy castle activity due to the weather at the very moment the accident happened.

“How can a water park that had been accepted on the municipal territory to bring joy and happiness to children be transformed into a machine of death that strikes down an entire family?” the local mayor Alain Decanis wrote on Facebook.

He vowed the investigation opened by prosecutors would provide answers. The child, like her father, had to be resuscitated after suffering cardiac arrest.

The Wonderland Waterpark opened only this summer some 40 kilometres (25 miles) outside the town of Aix-en-Provence.

Arror And Kimwarer Dam Case Hearing Postponed As Witness Requests Time To Settle

The hearing on the Arror and Kimwarer dam scandal was postponed after a witness told the court that he was not in his right sense of mind.

On Monday, Gideon Rotich told the Milimani Anti-Corruption court that he slept late because he was dealing with private issues.

He went on to say that he had gotten up early to cope with the same issues he was not properly set to testify in Court.

“I ask the court to give me time to settle,” he said.

The defence did not object to Rotich’s request. As such, the matter will proceed on Tuesday, August 1.

“I’m willing to indulge this witness to allow him today to rest, we shall be proceeding tomorrow, “ said Trial Magistrate Eunice Nyutu

In the case, Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the government more than Ksh.63 billion meant for the construction of the Arror and Kimwarer dams.

Tiktoker Brian Chira Released On Sh50,000 Cash Bail

Tiktoker Brian Chira Wambui has been released on Sh50,000 cash bail pending a full trial of his defamatory case.

Chira was charged with cyber harassment where the prosecution alleged that he used his TikTok account to defame TikTok Queen and radio host Azziad Nasenya.

Appearing before Kibra Law Courts today, Chira denied the charges before Principal Magistrate Renee Kitagwa.

The case is to be mentioned on September 12.

Chira was arrested by detectives last week after allegedly making defamatory accusations against Azziad.

According to Nasenya’s lawyer, her client opted to take legal action against the TikToker for the alleged defamatory post where she alleges that the post damaged her brand and reputation.

The lawyer went on to claim that Chira leaked Azziad’s phone number to the public something that has caused her distress with strangers calling to insult her.

Man In Court For Conning People Burial Money

A man has been arraigned in court for conning people pretending to be the chairperson organizing a burial of Hon. Samuel Kuntai.

Enock Kipngetich Lagat was arraigned in a Nairobi Court and charged with defrauding people pretending to prepare burial for Samuel Kuntai Ole Tunai, Former Governor of Narok County.

According to the charge sheet, on diverse dates between April 21, 2023, and April 30, 2023, at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, the accused person jointly with others not before the court obtained Sh120,000 from Joseph Kibere Njoroge.

He is said to have pretended that the money was meant to assist a victim of accident and funeral arrangements of Hon Samuel Kuntai Tunai’s son, a fact he knew to be false.

Appearing before Milimani Chief Magistrate Susan, the accused person denied the charges saying he was framed.

He was released on a bond of Sh 100,000 with an alternative cash bail of Ksh 30,000.

The case will proceed on August 9, 2023.

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