South Africa’s Communications Minister, Solly Malatsi, has rejected claims that a draft policy relaxing Black ownership requirements for foreign tech firms was crafted to benefit Elon Musk’s Starlink venture.

The minister, according to an AP report, faced questions in Parliament on Tuesday after proposing changes to the current licensing rules, which critics argue could dilute South Africa’s economic empowerment agenda. Malatsi, a member of the Democratic Alliance party, firmly denied that the proposal was designed with Starlink in mind.

“We are not attempting to open a special dispensation for Starlink or any other company or an individual,” Malatsi told lawmakers. “There is no conspiracy on our part with regard to this policy direction.”

Under current legislation, foreign-owned companies must sell 30% of their local subsidiaries to Black South Africans or members of other historically disadvantaged groups to qualify for operating licenses. The proposed amendment would allow companies to meet empowerment criteria through alternative means, such as investment in skills development, job creation, and partnerships with local suppliers.

The timing of the directive has sparked criticism, especially from political opponents. It came just days after President Cyril Ramaphosa met former U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, a meeting that stirred controversy after Trump made unfounded claims that white South African farmers were being systematically killed.

A senior African National Congress (ANC) lawmaker, Khusela Diko, questioned the motivations behind the policy shift, asking whether the country was “bending over backward” to accommodate Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.

Musk has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s Black ownership laws, claiming on social media that Starlink had been blocked from operating in the country because of his race. South African officials, however, assert that Starlink has not formally applied for a license.

Despite this, the debate has intensified as the Starlink website shows the service is already available in multiple neighboring countries, including Eswatini, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, and Madagascar.

Meanwhile, reports indicate the Trump administration lobbied on Starlink’s behalf in several African nations, including Gambia and Lesotho. In one instance, after Trump threatened Lesotho with tariffs, the country issued Starlink a 10-year operating license just a week later.

Industry stakeholders have reacted with cautious optimism. The Association of Communications and Technology (ACT), a prominent industry body, acknowledged the draft policy’s potential to reshape the sector.

“We advocate for smarter, scalable approaches that deliver meaningful impact and restore policy clarity, consistency, and investor confidence,” ACT said in a statement, adding that consistent and transparent implementation would be key.

Malatsi emphasized that the directive was not targeting a single company and said the broader goal was to create space for multiple new entrants into the market, thereby increasing competition. He noted that groundwork on the policy began as far back as September and was not influenced by recent international meetings.

Public feedback will play a crucial role in shaping the final framework. Stakeholders, industry players, and the general public have been given 30 days to submit comments before the policy is finalized.

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote could have been $120 billion richer if he had invested the billions of dollars used in building his refinery in big tech, according to the Nigerian government.

The country’s vice president, Kashim Shettima, said that the business magnate could have opted to put his resources into lucrative international companies like Microsoft, Amazon, or Google. He however chose to build his country by investing as much as $19 billion in the Dangote Refinery.

The Dangote Refinery is reportedly the largest single-train facility in the world and Africa’s biggest, and it is Dangote’s most ambitious project helping in Nigeria’s economic transformation.

“I want to celebrate the greatest black man in the last 300 years, who single-handedly established the largest single train refinery in the world,” Shettima said of Dangote at the opening of the Taraba International Investment Summit 2025 in Jalingo last week.

“He [Dangote] started this project in 2007/2008. If he had invested the $19 billion that it took him to set up the Dangote Refinery in Microsoft, in Amazon, in Google, he is going to be worth $120 billion now.”

“But he decided to invest in his own country. Alhaji Aliko Dangote, we are mightily proud of you,” the vice president said.

Even though it delayed for some years, the Dangote Refinery started producing diesel, naphtha, and jet fuel in January last year, with petrol production also beginning in September, the Insider reported.

The refinery is designed to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day and this should help reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products, experts say.

Dangote’s net worth surged from $13.9 billion last year to $23.9 billion in 2025, largely due to the inclusion of the Dangote Refinery’s valuation in Forbes’ calculations.

Dangote has been making his money largely from Dangote Cement, one of Africa’s most successful and recognizable brands. In addition to his cement factory, Dangote is also into the production of sugar and until recently, fertilizer and oil refinery.

What is more, he is also into the assembling of cars under the name Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN).

U.S. leader, Donald Trump, has claimed that Canada is considering becoming the 51st state of the United States in exchange for free inclusion in his proposed Golden Dome missile defence system.

Trump made the claim on his TruthSocial platform shortly after King Charles addressed the opening of Canada’s parliament, where the monarch acknowledged the country’s “unprecedented challenges” and emphasised the government’s commitment to protecting Canada’s sovereignty.

“I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 billion dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, nation, but will cost zero dollars if they become our cherished 51st State. They are considering the offer!” Trump wrote, providing no evidence to support his assertion.

Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has consistently rejected Trump’s proposals.

In a statement to CTV News, the prime minister’s office reaffirmed Canada’s position: “The prime minister has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one.”

Last week, Trump unveiled his Golden Dome plan—a missile defence system designed to protect the U.S. from ballistic, hypersonic, and even space-based missile threats. He claimed the architecture for the system was finalised and that it would deploy advanced technologies across land, sea, and space, including satellite-based interceptors. He projected the system would be fully operational by January 2029 and could cost as much as $500 billion.

While Trump suggested Canada’s participation in the Golden Dome would depend on its statehood, Canada has expressed interest in broader security cooperation. The prime minister’s office confirmed that Carney’s government, empowered by a recent election victory, is negotiating a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States. These talks include strengthening the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and related initiatives like the Golden Dome.

King Charles, addressing Canada’s parliament before Trump’s remarks, delivered pointed comments emphasising Canada’s sovereignty and independence. While acknowledging efforts to redefine the country’s economic and security ties with the U.S. based on “mutual respect,” he also stressed that Canada is seeking to deepen partnerships with reliable allies around the world.

Although the King’s speech is written by the Canadian government, Charles added personal remarks reinforcing Canada’s commitment to self-determination—statements widely interpreted as a subtle response to Trump’s overtures.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has issued a list of conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, including a written pledge from Western leaders to halt NATO’s eastward expansion and a partial lifting of sanctions on Russia, according to three Russian sources familiar with ongoing negotiations.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to end the conflict—the deadliest in Europe since World War II—has recently grown frustrated with Putin. On Tuesday, Trump warned that the Russian leader was “playing with fire” by refusing to engage in ceasefire talks, despite Russian gains on the battlefield.

According to the sources, following a two-hour phone conversation with Trump last week, Putin agreed to work on a memorandum with Ukraine outlining the framework for a potential peace agreement, including a timeline for a ceasefire. Russia is reportedly drafting its version of the document but has not given a timeframe for completion.

Western and Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of stalling negotiations while continuing its military offensive in eastern Ukraine.

“Putin is ready to make peace—but not at any price,” said a senior Russian source close to the Kremlin, who requested anonymity.

According to the sources, Russia’s demands include:

1.A written commitment by Western powers not to expand NATO to include Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, or other former Soviet states.

2.Ukrainian neutrality.

3.Lifting of certain Western sanctions.

4.Resolution of the issue of frozen Russian sovereign assets.

5.Guarantees for the protection of Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine.

One source said that if Putin fails to secure peace on his terms, he will attempt to demonstrate to Ukraine and European allies that further military action would result in even greater costs for them.

Neither the Kremlin nor Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office responded to the demands. NATO also declined to comment, though the alliance has previously stated that it will not abandon its “open door” policy for new members in response to Russian demands.

Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, following years of tension and a simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine. As of now, Russia controls just under 20% of Ukrainian territory, including large parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, in addition to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

Though Russia has made territorial gains over the past year, both sides continue to suffer heavy losses, and the economic toll on Russia is mounting. Reuters previously reported Putin’s growing concern over labor shortages, rising inflation, and declining oil revenues, which are key to Russia’s economy.

A second source said Putin has become increasingly inflexible on territorial issues and is now demanding full control of the four eastern regions claimed by Russia.“Putin has toughened his position,” the source noted.

Putin has long viewed NATO’s expansion as a threat to Russian security. He has repeatedly claimed that the West broke verbal promises made at the end of the Cold War to limit NATO’s reach.

In 2008, NATO declared Ukraine and Georgia would eventually become members. Ukraine later enshrined its ambition to join NATO and the European Union in its constitution in 2019.

In a draft agreement proposed in 2021, Moscow sought written guarantees from NATO to halt further expansion, including Ukrainian accession. Western officials rejected the proposal, arguing that Russia could not dictate NATO policy.

Putin reportedly wants the current peace terms in writing, believing that verbal assurances in the 1990s—such as those allegedly made by then-U.S. Secretary of State James Baker to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev—were misleading and ultimately disregarded.

Russia’s invasion has had significant geopolitical consequences. Finland joined NATO in 2023, followed by Sweden in 2024, citing security concerns.

Western leaders have repeatedly warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden Moscow to attack NATO members, potentially sparking a wider war. Moscow has dismissed such warnings as scaremongering, while simultaneously cautioning that the conflict could escalate into a broader confrontation if not resolved.

Meanwhile, President Trump has warned that failure to reach a deal could result in fresh sanctions. On social media, he recently accused Putin of going “absolutely CRAZY” following a large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine.