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Russian flags wave in Niger as anti-democratic military call for Wagner Group | World | News

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In the midst of an anti-democratic military coup against the pro-Western leader of Niger, the country’s population appears to be throwing its support behind .

The country, located in the western Sahel region of Africa, has become a flashpoint for geopolitical tension between pro-Russian, -affiliated neighbouring nations and their democratic counterparts nearby.

The former French colony has been suffering for decades at the hands of Islamic terrorists and the population appears to concur with the military putschists that the pro-Western president’s attempts to curb the violence have been inadequate.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents to a poll conducted since the military coup on July 26 have said they support the junta.

And this backing is quickly translating into what, at least on the face of it, appears to be tantamount to pro-Russian sentiment.

After the military deposed Mr Bazoum, the streets of Niger’s capital, Niamey, were awash with pro-Russian placards, according to footage.

One trader in the capital told Reuters that Russian flags are in such high demand now that the fabrics are even becoming “difficult to stock”.

And as a Nigeria-led cohort of countries, known as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), deliberates on Thursday (August 10) on how to intervene, preferring the restoration of the democratically-elected Mr Bazoum, a poll conducted by Premise Data has shown that just six percent support such an intervention.

Support for Russia intervention, conversely, sits at 53 percent, while overall backing of the military junta is at 79 percent.

The United States, who maintains a military drone base in Niger with more than 1,000 troops present on the site, this week expressed concern that the Russian support could open the way for the Wagner Group to infiltrate the country.

The private military company, now notorious for their bloody takeover of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, is currently stationed in neighbouring Mali, employed by the government to handle the Islamic terrorists operating across the Sahel. They are also heavily linked with a move into Burkina Faso, another neighbouring nation that appears to widely support the mercenaries.

Their influence in those two countries is feared to be significant already, especially in Mali; the governments of both nations have said they will consider it a declaration of war against them if ECOWAS or the West tries to undo the anti-democratic military coup in Niger.

And Western officials revealed on Thursday (August 10) that the US conversations with the junta in Niamey earlier this week were not only fruitless but ended in a warning from the military men that they would kill Mr Bazoum if foreign powers intervene, a threat starkly similar to the ultimatum issued by their two pro-Wagner neighbours.

In a voice message posted July 27 on social media channels linked to Wagner, the group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appeared to endorse the coup in Niger and offer the services of his fighters to the junta.

Experts have warned that the military may try to take him up on his offer. They “need support and recognition if they are not going to step down”, Daniel Eizenga, a research fellow at the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies, told RFE/RL. “That’s what Wagner potentially offers them.”

In one video of the protests, a young man provided a window into the views of those on the ground. He said he “liked Russia because … I think they have a solution”.



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Horror on train as woman sexually assaulted during rush hour – police release new CCTV | World | News

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Police have released a CCTV image after a woman was sexually assaulted on a busy train during rush hour on April 15. The terrifying attack happened on a train running between Leeds and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire during rush hour.

The grainy still shows a man with dark hair and a beard wearing black top with a silver zip and carrying a white JD Sports bag over his left shoulder. British Transport Police, which monitors the rail network for England, Wales and Scotland, said it believes the man “may have information which could help with their investigation”.

In a statement, the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “Do you recognise this man?

“Officers investigating a sexual assault on board a train between Leeds and Huddersfield have today released this image in connection.

“Shortly after 7pm on Tuesday, April 15, a man sexually assaulted a woman on the service. Officers believe the man in the image may have information which could help with their investigation.”

The statement added: “Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 25 of 16 April.

“Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

BTP officers cover over 10,000 miles of railway and 3,000 stations and depots. The force also polices the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, West Midlands Metro, Tramlink, part of the Tyne and Wear Metro, Glasgow Subway and the London Cable Car.



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‘Realistic possibility’ Israel was behind Iran blast which killed 8 and injured 800 | World | News

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Israel was probably behind the huge blast in Iran which killed eight people and injured 800. The explosion at Bandar Abbas occurred as the Islamic regime began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman. But its target is thought to have been a store of rocket fuel imported from China and bound for Yemen.

Authorities in Tehran moved quickly to deny any implication of sabotage, officially explaining that the accident was caused by a small fire which reached an “open container of chemicals”. Videos showed a huge billowing mushroom cloud, and the force of the blast destroyed a nearby building and shattered windows. Injured people lay on the roadside as authorities declared a state of emergency at hospitals across Bandar Abbas to cope with the influx of wounded.

However, early analysis suggests the explosion may have destroyed between 10,000 and 50,000 litres of liquid rocket fuel or related volatile propellants – a significant blow to Iran’s proxy supply chains.

Iran has increasingly relied on covert imports of rocket fuel components from China to bypass sanctions, with typical shipments delivering up to 20,000–25,000 litres per ISO tank container disguised as industrial chemicals.

Tel Aviv, for its part, has a history of targeting Iran’s rocket fuel facilities through suspected sabotage attacks. The most notable examples are the Khojir explosion of June 2020 and the Parchin site blast of May 2022.

Most analysts suspect the Khojir attack involved planting a shaped explosive charge inside or adjacent to a critical fuel storage or mixing facility, causing catastrophic secondary explosions. Both attacks were designed to resemble accidents, and both dealt major blows to Iran’s missile propellant capabilities.

Bandar Abbas serves as a key logistics hub for smuggling operations, including the type of liquid propellant used in Iranian ballistic missiles and larger drones sent to the regime’s last fully functioning proxy force – Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthi rebels.

Iranian security officials say “any speculation about the cause of the explosion is worthless”.

However, the regime’s silence may be a calculated attempt not to upset the United States, as Tehran seeks desperately needed sanctions relief through a new nuclear deal.

Donald Trump has already launched air strikes in Yemen in response to Houthi efforts to hold international shipping on the Red Sea to ransom, in protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the US President is currently embroiled in a bitter trade war with China.

Israel, meanwhile, had become increasingly frustrated at the possibility that US-Iran talks could leave Tehran with a functioning nuclear infrastructure. It has, futhermore, been forced to refrain from launching direct air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities by Trump, who has indicated he wants to wait until the talks are concluded.

Regional experts at the Sibylline strategic risk group said there was “a realistic possibility that the explosion is a result of sabotage by a state actor,” though they did not specify Israel by name.

“In case of Iranian authorities blaming Israel, the risk of Iranian covert attacks in the form of kinetic sabotage or cyber attacks against Israeli and Israeli-affiliated targets will increase in the coming weeks,” they said in a report on the incident.

“However, Iran is currently unlikely to openly target the US, to avoid a breakdown of nuclear talks and US strikes against it.”



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Vancouver LIVE: ‘Bodies everywhere’ as car rams through crowd killing multiple people | World | News

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Multiple people are dead after a car drove into a crowd in Vancouver, Canada, in the early hours of Sunday morning (BST). The incident occurred at a street festival in the city. Multiple others have been left injured.

Vancouver Police confirmed that a “number of people” have been killed and “multiple others” injured, adding that the driver, a 30-year-old man from Vancouver, has been detained.

Eyewitness Yoseb Vardeh, a food truck operator, said he heard “an engine rev” before looking down the road and seeing “bodies everywhere”. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle,” he told Postmedia. 

The Police statement said: “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 p.m. tonight.

“The driver is in custody.

“We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.”

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW FOR UPDATES.



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