Headline

Court Rejects Bid To Bar Trump From 2024 Ballot

Published

2 years ago

December 28, 2023

The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an attempt to remove Donald Trump from the crucial swing state’s primary ballot next year over his role in the 2021 storming of the US Capitol.

It was the latest in a series of bids to block Trump from appearing on ballots in multiple states under the 14th Amendment, which says officials who take an oath to support the US Constitution are banned from future office if they “engaged in insurrection.”

But Michigan’s high court said in a brief ruling it was “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court” ahead of the state’s February 27 presidential primary.

The ruling came a week after Colorado’s Supreme Court removed Trump from the state’s primary ballot over his role in the Capitol riot, which he is accused of inciting.

Trump, 77, hailed the Michigan decision, slamming a “Desperate Democrat attempt” to stack the deck against him as he seeks another term in the White House.

“This pathetic gambit to rig the Election has failed all across the Country, including in States that have historically leaned heavily toward the Democrats,” he posted on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Colorado’s highest court issued a stay, or freeze, of its bombshell ruling until January 4 pending an expected appeal by Trump’s lawyers to the US Supreme Court.

Granting the Colorado case for review would thrust the country’s top court into the center of the White House race, as any determination it makes on whether Trump engaged in insurrection and on his eligibility could be binding on lower courts nationwide.

⁠’Disappointing’ –

The Michigan lawsuit was filed in September by liberal-leaning Free Speech For People, a pro-democracy advocacy group that also pursued an unsuccessful 14th Amendment challenge against Trump in Minnesota and has filed a case in Oregon.

“The court’s decision is disappointing but we will continue, at a later stage, to seek to uphold this critical constitutional provision designed to protect our republic,” election lawyer Mark Brewer, who joined the group in the lawsuit, said in a statement.

“Trump led a rebellion and insurrection against the Constitution when he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election and he is disqualified from ever seeking or holding public office again.”

Michigan’s lower courts dismissed the case on procedural grounds early in the process, a decision upheld on appeal, meaning the question of whether Trump engaged in insurrection was never addressed.

Justice Elizabeth Welch, one of four Democratic-nominated justices on the seven-member panel, acknowledged the Colorado decision but said that state’s election law differed from Michigan’s “in a material way” in requiring candidates to be “qualified” to run.

“The appellants have identified no analogous provision in the Michigan Election Law that requires someone seeking the office of President of the United States to attest to their legal qualification to hold the office,” Welch wrote.

Meanwhile Maine’s top elections official, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, is considering challenges to Trump’s eligibility for the March 5 primary in the Democratic-leaning northeastern state.

Trump’s legal team called Wednesday for Bellows to recuse herself, describing her in a statement as a “completely biased Democrat partisan and a Biden supporter who is incapable of making a fair decision.”

Secretary of state is an elected, political position in Maine, as it is in 34 other US states.

AFP

Headline

Perplexity AI Makes $34.5bn Surprise Bid For Google’s Chrome Browser

Published

15 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Alphabet’s Chrome browser, a bold move that underscores the growing battle for dominance in the AI-driven search market.

The bid, announced on Tuesday, is more than double Perplexity’s own valuation of $14 billion.

The three-year-old company, led by Aravind Srinivas, has previously floated ambitious takeover ideas, including a proposal earlier this year to merge with TikTok’s United States business.

Google has not put Chrome up for sale and did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The tech giant is currently appealing a US court ruling that found it held an unlawful monopoly in online search, with the Justice Department pushing for a possible Chrome divestiture as part of the case.

Perplexity, which has raised around $1 billion from backers including Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank, did not reveal how it intends to finance the bid.

However, it said multiple funds have pledged to cover the offer in full.

The startup already operates its own AI-powered browser, Comet, but acquiring Chrome’s more than three billion users would give it a major edge against rivals like OpenAI, which is also developing an AI browser.

Perplexity has promised to keep Chrome’s open-source foundation, Chromium, accessible, while pledging a $3 billion investment over two years and committing not to alter Chrome’s default search engine.

Shares of Alphabet rose 1.6% in afternoon trading following news of the bid.

Headline

Google Introduces Initiative To Equip 1,000 Nigerian Developers

Published

16 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

Google on Wednesday announced a new initiative, “Build with AI’’ in partnership with GOMYCODE to equip 1,000 Nigerian developers with critical Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills.

John Kimani, Head of Developer Ecosystem for Google in Sub-Saharan Africa, said in a statement that it was a significant move to accelerate Nigeria’s participation in the global AI economy.

Kimani said that the initiative was inaugurated to foster a new generation of tech talent capable of building transformative products that are both locally relevant and globally competitive.

He said that the initiative came at a pivotal moment, as industries across Nigeria and Africa increasingly look to technology to solve pressing challenges and drive economic growth.

According to him, by providing access to advanced AI tools such as Gemini and a curriculum with oversight from Google’s experts, the programme is set to bridge the gap between raw talent and the specialised skills required to innovate in the AI era.

The Google spokesperson said that this strategic focus was intended to accelerate the development of solutions in key sectors such as fintech, healthtech, and agritech, positioning Nigerian developers at the forefront of the continent’s digital transformation.

“We are witnessing a technological renaissance in Nigeria, driven by a vibrant community of developers who are eager to solve the challenges around them.

“Our collaboration with GOMYCODE is about more than just training; it’s about empowering this community with the tools and expertise they need to build the future,’’ he said.

Kimani noted that by equipping developers with Google’s Generative AI, it was helping to unlock a new frontier of innovation that could deliver significant economic and social impact across the continent.

He said that the 11-week programme would be delivered through GOMYCODE’s extensive network of hacker spaces, combining in-person instruction with hands-on, mentored lab work.

“This approach ensures that the training is both accessible and practical, allowing developers to immediately apply their learning to real-world projects,’’ he said.

The Country Director for GOMYCODE, Mr Babatunde Olaifa, said that GOMYCODE’s role was to provide the critical infrastructure and local expertise needed to nurture Nigeria’s tech talent.

Olaifa said that partnering with Google allowed it to bring world-class curriculum and technology directly to the developer community.

“We are creating an environment where innovation can thrive, and we are incredibly excited to see the solutions that will emerge from this programme built by Nigerians, for Nigeria and the world,” the GOMYCODE boss said.

He said that the “Build with AI” programme was now accepting applications from developers across Nigeria.

According to him, the initiative will culminate in a demo day where top participants will showcase their AI-powered solutions to a team from Google and other industry leaders.

He urged developers that are interested in being part of the AI revolution to apply by visiting bit.ly/BwAIDevTraining.

Headline

Sean Kingston Sentenced To 3.5 Years In Prison Over Fraud

Published

17 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

American-Jamaican singer Sean Kingston has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role in a $1 million fraud scheme involving luxury goods.

Kingston, born Kisean Paul Anderson, was convicted in March alongside his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Turner, sentenced last month, received five years in prison.

Prosecutors said Kingston used his celebrity status to fraudulently obtain expensive items, including a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade, luxury watches, and a 19-foot LED television.

Court documents revealed he presented falsified wire transfer receipts and enticed sellers with promises of social media promotion in exchange for the goods.

U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz ordered his immediate remand after Friday’s sentencing in a South Florida courtroom, rejecting a request by Kingston’s lawyer for a delayed surrender due to health concerns.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton described the singer as a “thief and a conman,” accusing him of exploiting his fame to defraud victims for years.

His defence lawyer, Zeljka Bozanic, countered that Kingston, 35, had poor financial discipline but had begun repaying victims.

Kingston and his mother were arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT raid on his rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale.

The singer, who was born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, shot to fame at 17 with his 2007 global hit Beautiful Girls.