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Fighting has intensified in Mali, where armed groups are fighting the military-led government for control and influence. A group linked to al Qaeda, JNIM, says the army is withdrawing from the northern town of Tessit, which authorities have not confirmed. The developments follow coordinated assaults over the weekend. Attackers targeted military bases near the capital Bamako and in northern regions. Mali’s defence minister, Sadio Camara, was killed in an attack in the past weekend. Analysts say multiple insurgent groups acted together.
France’s prison guards have begun a strike due to overcrowding and staff shortages. Guards blocked access to multiple facilities yesterday. In the northern Hauts-de-France region, most prisons were shut down, while demonstrations also took place near Paris and in southern cities. The union is demanding urgent hiring to fill around 5,000 vacant positions. The action comes as France’s prison population continues to rise, reaching nearly 90,000 inmates, far above available capacity. Officials warn the system is operating at extremely high occupancy levels, with numbers still increasing each week. The government says it is planning new prison spaces and reforms, but unions argue the measures are not keeping pace with the crisis.
China has blocked Meta’s planned takeover of AI start-up Manus, in a deal worth about two billion dollars. Regulators in Beijing blocked the deal and ordered the companies to withdraw from the acquisition. Meta said the deal followed all legal requirements and expects a resolution. The company announced the purchase in December of last year, and planned to use Manus technology to strengthen its artificial intelligence systems. Whilst now based in Singapore, Manus was founded in China and remains under its regulations.
