The military regimes of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso marked their divorce from the rest of West Africa Saturday as they signed a treaty setting up a confederation between them. The first summit of the three countries, who all pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) earlier this year, also saw calls for greater cooperation across a wide range of sectors. «Our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS,» Niger's ruling General Abdourahamane Tiani told his fellow Sahel strongmen at the gathering's opening in the Nigerien capital Niamey. The three leaders, who took power through coups in recent years, «decided to take a step further towards greater integration» and «adopted a treaty establishing a confederation», they said in a statement issued at the end of the summit. The «Confederation of Sahel States», which will use the acronym AES and be headed by Mali in its first year, will group some 72 million people. Their ECOWAS exits were fuelled in part by accusations that Paris was manipulating the bloc, and not providing enough support for anti-jihadist efforts. - Shift away from France - «The AES is the only effective sub-regional grouping in the fight against terrorism,» Tiani declared on Saturday, calling ECOWAS «conspicuous by its lack of involvement in this fight». The exit came as the trio shifted away from former colonial ruler France, with Tiani calling for the new bloc to become a «community far removed from the stranglehold of foreign powers». All three have expelled anti-jihadist French troops and turned instead towards what they call their «sincere partners» -- Russia, Turkey and Iran. In early March, the AES announced joint anti-jihadist efforts, though they did not specify details. Insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have carried out attacks for years in the vast «three borders» region between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, despite the massive deployment of anti-jihadist forces. ECOWAS is due to hold a summit of its heads of state in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Sunday, where the issue of relations with the AES will be on the agenda. Relations between ECOWAS deteriorated following a July 2023 coup that brought Tiani to power, when the bloc imposed sanctions and even threatened to intervene militarily to restore the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum. The sanctions were lifted in February but relations between the two sides remain frosty. After several bilateral meetings, this is the first meeting of all three Sahelian strongmen since coming to power through coups between 2020 and 2023. Niger's Tiani first welcomed his Burkinabe counterpart Ibrahim Traore in the capital on Friday, followed by Malian Colonel Assimi Goita who arrived Saturday. - 'Serious project' - «The aim is to show that this is a serious project with three committed heads of state showing their solidarity,» said Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi. The trio have made sovereignty a guiding principle of their governance and aim to create a common currency. Sunday's summit comes as several West African presidents have called in recent weeks for a solution to resume dialogue between the two camps. Notably, Senegal's new President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said in late May that reconciliation between ECOWAS and the three Sahel countries was possible. In June, his newly re-elected Mauritanian counterpart, President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, called on West African countries to unite again against the expansion of jihadism. But the successive summits on the same weekend raise fears of a stiffening of positions between the AES and ECOWAS. «I do not see the AES countries seeking to return to ECOWAS. I think it's ECOWAS that will have to tone it down (the situation),» Nigerien lawyer Djibril Abarchi told AFP. Beyond military cooperation, the leaders Saturday also talked about «mutualising» their approach to strategic sectors such as agriculture, water, energy and transport. They also asked that indigenous languages be given greater prominence in local media. The question of creating a common currency to replace the CFA franc was not mentioned in the final communique. © Agence France-Presse  

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr., says that over 200 residents have been displaced in Rocky Point, Clarendon due to flooding or damage to homes from the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Charles Jr., who was speaking at the...

A man was fatally shot and an illegal gun reportedly seized in Seaforth, St Thomas on Saturday during an alleged confrontation with the police.  Dead is Franco Alex Campbell, 26-year-old of Seaforth Capture Land, St Thomas. It is reported that...

A Haryana Sikh group, led by Didar Singh Nalvi, demands immediate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) elections before state assembly elections. They criticize the expired, government-nominated committee for illegally using Gurdwara funds. Despite the previous postponement due to exams and parliamentary elections, they urge the government to prioritize Gurdwara elections, asserting the constitutional duty to hold them promptly.

Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reiterated that the al-Shabab group has been instigating conflicts among clans in several regions of the country to create discord.

According to Strochevoy, the IAC plans t expand its activities, despite the political problems

According to Hamas, al-Ghussein was killed in an Israeli raid on the city of Gaza

Simultaneously, the IDF struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing facility embedded by the terrorist organization in the area of the school

The flood situation in Assam is improving, with 23 lakh people still affected across 29 districts. In Darrang, 1.63 lakh people are impacted, and 98 villages remain submerged. Water levels of the Brahmaputra River are receding. The government is providing relief and plans to build new embankments. Residents in Char areas rely on boats due to submerged roads.

Controversy surrounds Rahul Gandhi's visit to New Delhi station as railway officials question origin of loco pilots in video. Loco pilots raise safety concerns and demand improved working conditions. Political leaders urged to refrain from demotivating railway personnel.

The United States and NATO keep on saying that they are not at war with Russia, Lavrov said

The Turkish leader said on Friday that he is looking at inviting the Russian and Syrian presidents to Turkey to discuss the potential normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus and the settlement of the situation in Syria in general

Upon their arrival the children underwent a medical checkup at one of the Moscow centers

We will look at concrete actions and judge by them, Lavrov said

If you thought the Western establishment was done shifting blame for its own fiascos, think again Read Full Article at RT.com

The Ukrainian Navy chief has urged the West to supply submarines to counter Russia in the Black Sea Read Full Article at RT.com

Mtsogoleri wa dziko lino a Lazarus Chakwera akhululukira akaidi 35 ngati mbali imodzi ya chisangalalo choti dziko lino lakwanisa zaka 60 zodzilamulira kuchoka m’manja mwa atsamunda. Malingana ndi kalata yomwe watulutsa unduna wa za m’dziko ndipo wasainira ndi mlembi wamkulu a Steve Kayuni, a Chakwera agwiritsa ntchito mphamvu zomwe malamulo aakulu a dziko lino amamupatsa […] The post Chakwera akhululukira akaidi 35 appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Mthunzi Funeral Services a subsidiary of Old Mutual Malawi has opened a state of the art funeral service centre to offer end to end funeral services across the country. Mthunzi Funeral Service General Manager Onismas Karakadzai said during the official opening in Lilongwe that the centre symbolizes their commitment to helping their customers thrive. This […] The post Mthunzi Funeral Services opens a magnificent facility with storage capacity of over 22 bodies appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

All is set for the 2024 Joggers On the Move (JOM), marathon competition which will be held on 3rd August, 2024 in Dowa to raise funds in support of lightning up Matekenya Health Center in the district. JOM, a social running group from Lilongwe has organized this event which will see runners participating in runs […] The post Joggers on the move to support Matekenya Health Center appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Mtsogoleri wa dziko lino Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera wapempha aMalawi kuti asalolere kuti mdyerekezi agwiritse ntchito imfa zowawa zomwe dziko lino lakumana nazo pakatipa pobweretsa kugawanikana pakati pa anthu. Chakwera wapemphanso mkulu wa apolisi mdziko muno kuti awonetsetese kuti nthambi ya polisi ikutumiradi anthu osati kuzunza anthu. Iye wanene izi mu mzinda wa Lilongwe pamwambo […] The post Tisalole kuti imfa zowawa takumana nazozi zisatigawanitse ngati dziko – Chakwera appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

One of the Blantyre based international private schools, Mount View international schools has urged schools in the country to intensify the teachings of creative arts subjects so as to promote the entrepreneurial culture at grassroot levels. Headteacher for the schools Dr Narjeet Kaur said this in an interview in Blantyre on Saturday during an open […] The post Schools urged to promote creative arts at grassroot levels appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

This figure exceeded the turnout level in the first round by this time, which was 25.9%

The festival in honor of the patron saint of Navarre, Saint Fermin, will last about a week

The enemy lost up to 175 military personnel, a Kozak and a US-made HUMVEE armored fighting vehicles, as well as three cars

As many as 38,153 people have been killed, including 55 in the past 24 hours alone