Nigerian tribunal upholds $220 million fine against Meta for violating consumer, data laws
ABUJA (Reuters) -A $220 million fine against Meta Platforms by Nigeria's competition watchdog for violating local consumer, data protection and privacy laws has been upheld following an unsuccessful appeal, Nigeria's Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal said on Friday.
Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) fined Meta last July for discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers, compared with other jurisdictions with similar regulations.
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New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Ukrainian officials arrested in ‘large scale' drone bribery scheme
At least four Ukrainian officials have been arrested in a 'large-scale corruption scheme' involving the purchase of drones designed to defend Kyiv against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Just three days after Zelensky restored the independence of Ukrainian's top anti-corruption agencies following fierce public backlash, the prez said the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office unveiled a plot by a sitting lawmaker, two local officials and several national guard service members to skim money meant to defend their nation. 'The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,' the agencies added Saturday in a statement, noting the kickbacks to the officials were up to 30% of the contracts' inflated costs. Advertisement 4 At least four Ukrainian officials were arrested in an alleged kickback scheme involving the government's purchase of drones. Getty Images 4 The charges came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) and lawmakers were pressured to restore the independence of Kyiv's top two anti-corruption agencies. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images The plot involved heads of district and city military civil administrations who allegedly helped cook the books on the purchases of drones and electronic jamming equipment — vital tools used to intercept the ever-escalating bombardments from Ukraine's Russian invaders. Drones have proven to be key to Ukraine's attacks on Moscow, too, with the majority of Ukrainian attacks on Russian military assets involving UAVs, including a recent overnight strike on an oil depot. Advertisement 'Unfortunately, these corruption schemes involved the procurement of electronic warfare systems and FPV drones. … There must be full and fair accountability for this,' Zelensky said on social media. 'There can only be zero tolerance for corruption. Clear teamwork to expose corruption and, as a result, a just sentence,' he said. 4 The scheme involved a Ukrainian lawmaker, two local officials and National Guard Service members, authorities said. REUTERS Advertisement While Ukrainian officials did not name the suspects in the case, the president said four people have been arrested so far. Ukraine's Interior Ministry added that the National Guard personnel implicated in the scheme were removed from their positions as the prosecutor's office moves forward with the case. The arrests come after the independence of NABU and SAPO were secured Thursday following nationwide protests over Zelensky ratifying a bill that would have put a political appointee in charge of the agencies. 4 The procurement of the jamming equipment used to defend Ukraine from Russia's ever-escalating missile and drone attacks also was involved in the bribery plot. via REUTERS Advertisement While Zelensky initially defended the move as a means to weed out Russian influence in the agencies, he later agreed to let the agencies operate as they were. NABU and SAPO were born following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity in 2014, which called for a major clean up of Kyiv after ousting pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, whose administration was marred in corruption. The agencies have previously targeted some of Zelensky's close allies, including former Deputy Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, with the cases often causing major shakeups in Kyiv while its leadership tries to focus on the war. Critics have warned Zelensky that ongoing corruption undermines Ukraine's ability to fight back against Russia, as well as threatens the country's hopes of joining the European Union. With Post wires

USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Top Trump aide accuses India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine
Stephen Miller on Fox News: Trump said, 'It is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia.' WASHINGTON – A top aide to President Donald Trump accused India of effectively financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, after the U.S. leader escalated pressure on New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil, in a Fox News interview that aired on Aug. 3. More: President Trump announces 25% tariff on imports from India "What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia," said Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump's most influential aides. More: Russia does not care about Trump's 'theatrical ultimatum', senior official says Miller's criticism was among the strongest yet by the Trump administration about one of the United States' major partners in the Indo-Pacific. "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact," Miller said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures." The Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Indian government sources told Reuters on Aug. 2 that New Delhi will keep purchasing oil from Moscow despite U.S. threats. More: Trump says he ordered 2 nuclear subs to 'appropriate regions' after Russia nuclear threats A 25% tariff on Indian products went into effect on Aug. 1 as a result of its purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia. Trump has also threatened 100% tariffs on U.S. imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Miller tempered his criticism by noting Trump's relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he described as "tremendous."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Veteran fund manager turns heads with new Meta Platforms stock price target
Veteran fund manager turns heads with new Meta Platforms stock price target originally appeared on TheStreet. On any given day, nearly half the world is on Meta Platforms () . The parent of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads and WhatsApp, Meta has dramatically changed the way we live — for better or worse. 💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰💵 The Menlo Park, Calif., social media giant is moving aggressively with artificial intelligence into areas that some people find just a bit spooky. "Over the last few months, we've begun to see glimpses of our AI systems improving themselves, and the improvement is slow for now but undeniable," Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said during the second-quarter earnings call. "And developing superintelligence, which we define as AI that surpasses human intelligence in every way, we think is now in sight." To build this future, Zuckerberg said the company had set up Meta Superintelligence Labs, "which includes our foundations, product, and fair teams as well as a new lab that is focused on developing the next generation of our models." Meta CEO says AI creating greater efficiency The company seems to be on the right track. Meta Platforms handily beat Wall Street's quarterly forecasts and the stock is up nearly 52% this year. Zuckerberg said the quarter's strong performance stemmed largely from "AI unlocking greater efficiency and gains across our ad system." More AI Stocks: Google plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move Meta delivers eye-popping AI announcement Veteran trader surprises with Palantir price target and comments Chris Versace, TheStreet Pro portfolio's lead manager, liked what he heard from Zuck & Co. and boosted his price target for Meta shares to $850 from $725. "The hike in our target reflects a combination of a few factors, including the company's still expanding reach, advertising gains, and improving monetization efforts," he said. With trade tensions appearing to cool as the Trump administration announces deals and other conversations are extended, Versace said, "the reduced uncertainty tied to an economy that is still expanding should foster more normalized advertising spend." "In that environment, we continue to see Meta benefiting, especially as advertisers continue to shift increasingly toward digital platforms," he said. "They also want to tap the 3.48 billion in daily active people across all of Meta's platforms vs. 3.27 billion at the end of June 2024." While many were in awe of the company's impressive top- and bottom-line beats, Versace said the year-over-year five-percentage-point improvement in its consolidated operating margin caught his eye. "We should see further improvement in the second half of 2025, but higher expenses will be a headwind as Meta invests further in AI capacity and talent," he noted. "However, we see this as another instance of the company investing today to drive its business and profits higher in the coming quarters." Fund manager: Capital spending at ludicrous levels The future ain't gonna come cheap. Meta, Amazon () , Alphabet () and Microsoft () are set to spend as much as a cumulative $364 billion in their respective 2025 fiscal years, up from their prior estimates of around $325 billion. Meta narrowed its 2025 capital-spending outlook to a range of $66 billion to $72 billion, up $30 billion year over year at the midpoint, Versace investment firms also noted Meta's capital expenditures, including Scotiabank, which raised its price target on the company's shares to $685 from $675 and affirmed a sector-perform rating on the shares. Meta posted its largest beat in several years, and the revenue comparison in fiscal Q1 2026 against the year-earlier period looks "much easier," the firm said, according to The Fly. However, the firm said it remains on the sidelines until it sees the company progress on profiting from its higher capital expenditures while also outpacing the hit to earnings. Doug Kass, a longtime hedge-fund manager and TheStreet Pro contributor, picked up on the capex issue in a lengthy comment on X. "META has burned through $30 billion in the last two quarters," he wrote. "Cash is now down to $12 billion" and "the capital and operating expense are now becoming a burden - nearly all of depreciation schedules [are] an absolute joke." Kass called the amount of capital spending "ludicrous ... in part because of the accounting gimmicks that hide its true cost. "At some point this will start getting into the numbers, even with the gimmicks," he said. "And I still do not know where all the space, power, water, and even ancillary equipment will be found for all of this. There is only so much stuff the air conditioning manufacturers can make!" Kass cited Amazon's latest earnings report, noting that "the capital expense is starting to bite and hit the numbers." "Margins at [Amazon Web Services] are finally starting to feel it, and they disappointed," he added. "Growth was nothing to write home about either. That is why the stock is selling off."Veteran fund manager turns heads with new Meta Platforms stock price target first appeared on TheStreet on Aug 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data