Journalists charged with 'spreading false news'

Two journalists with Niger's Le Republicain newspaper have been arrested and charged with spreading false news and defaming the state. Mamane Abou, the publisher of the independent weekly, and journalist Oumarou Keita were detained after the paper published an article which accused the prime minister, Hama Amadou, of "wooing the Iranians" to the extent of being prepared to close down Western embassies and firms. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called for the charges against the pair to be dismissed and described their detention as "outrageous". (Via IOL: West Africa)