ECOWAS LEADERS VOW TO DISLOGE NIGER JUNTA.

Four days after expiration of the ultimatum it issued at its last extraordinary summit held on July 30, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) Heads of State has vowed to do all, including the use of force, to dislodge the junta in Niger Republic if it remains recalcitrant.

The West African leaders arrived at the resolution at their meeting in Abuja, after reviewing happenings since Sunday when the one-week ultimatum they issued to the junta for the restoration of constitutional order lapsed.

According to the communiqué read by ECOWAS President, Omar Touray, the leaders noted: “All diplomatic efforts made by ECOWAS in resolving the crisis have been defiantly repelled by the military leadership of Niger.”

As part of their decisions, the ECOWAS leaders directed the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately.

They also ordered the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger.

ECOWAS gave few details and failed to spell out the make-up, location and proposed date of deployment of any military intervention force.

Nine of the 11 heads of state expected to attend were present, including the presidents of Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone, while Liberia and the Gambia were represented by their Foreign Ministers. Non-ECOWAS leaders of Mauritania and Burundi also participated in the closed-door meeting.

The Niger junta had remained defiant and continued to hold on to power while keeping ousted president Mohamed Bazoum in detention since the July 26 coup.

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ECOWAS TROOPS ON STANDBY, NIGER JUNTA THREATENS TO KILL BAZOUM.

The safety of ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum may not be guaranteed as the junta which overthrew his government has reportedly threatened to kill him should the Economic Community of West African States attempt any military intervention to restore democracy in the francophone country.

The junta revealed their dark plot to murder the deposed president to a top United States diplomat, two Western officials confirmed to the Associated Press.

The threat is coming on the heels of the resolution of the ECOWAS to deploy troops in Niger following the refusal of the military leaders to restore democracy despite the sanctions imposed on them and their collaborators by the regional body.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, a Western military official said representatives of the junta told the US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country on Monday.

Bazoum, who was deposed on July 26, is being held hostage at his residence.

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DAYSTAR SENIOR PASTOR DECRIES HUGE GAP BETWEEN AFRICAN LEADERS, MASSES.

The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Center, Sam Adeyemi has decried the huge gap between the leaders and the masses, saying it is a peculiar problem in Africa.

He said African countries are dealing with a deeply rooted leadership culture that makes the leader very powerful and the led practically a slave, across almost all sectors.

Speaking against the backdrop of the military coup in Niger Republic in a series of tweets on Thursday, the clergyman said neither military, democratic nor monarchical systems have fostered rapid development in most African countries.

While stating that it was time to address the real problem, Adeyemi said the only way out is to intentionally replace old beliefs and behaviours with new ones, adding that democracy has thrived best in countries that value life and equality.

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KENYAN COURT EXTENDS CULT LEADER’S DETENTION.

A Kenyan court has extended the detention of a cult leader accused of inciting and possibly forcing more than 400 of his followers to starve themselves to death.

Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has been in police custody since mid-April as investigators search for more bodies in a forest near the Indian Ocean coast.

Senior principal magistrate Yusuf Shikanda said at a court hearing in the port city of Mombasa that Mackenzie and 29 co-accused would be held for a further 47 days pending investigations.

The former taxi driver and founder of the Good News International Church is yet to enter a plea.

State prosecutors say that once the investigations are complete, the 30 defendants will be subjected to psychiatric assessments before being charged with terrorism and other offences.

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ZUMA ESCAPES FURTHER JAIL TIME DUE TO OVERCROWDING.

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been freed from serving further time in prison after being granted a remission status.

Remission status is granted to low-risk and non-violent offenders.

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told the media that the remission decision was taken to address overcrowding in prisons.

He says the remission process started in April.

Zuma handed himself over at Escourt prison, in KwaZulu-Natal at 0600 local time (0400GMT) on Friday, and was “admitted” into the system.

This is according to South Africa’s Commissioner of Prisons Makgothi Thobakgale.

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ETHIOPIA CRACKS DOWN ON GAY SEX IN HOTELS.

Ethiopian authorities say they have been cracking down on hotels, bars and entertainment joints in the capital city where it alleges gay sexual activities are taking place.

The Addis Ababa Peace and Security Administration Bureau, a government body, said it was taking action “against institutions where homosexual acts are being carried out”.

In a statement on Facebook, the city authority said the actions came after tip-offs from the public, and said it had already raided a guest house.

It has asked the public to report such activities to the police, adding that it will continue raids in other places.

Gay sex is outlawed in Ethiopia, but there haven’t been any recent reports of cases or convictions linked to homosexual acts.

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ROHINGYA BOAT SINK CLAIMS OVER TWENTY.

The bodies of 23 Rohingyas who were fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine state have been recovered after their boat sank.

Thirty others are still missing, while eight people are reported to have survived the mishap.

The survivors said they were trying to reach Malaysia when their boat carrying more than 50 passengers foundered and was abandoned by its crew on Sunday.

Every year thousands of Rohingyas attempt the perilous sea journey to Malaysia or Indonesia.

They are escaping persecution in Myanmar and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

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UKRAINE ORDERS EVACUATION OF PARTS OF NORTH-EAST.

Ukraine has ordered the mandatory evacuation of all civilians from 37 settlements in the north-east as Russia steps up its attacks there.

The authorities in the Kupiansk district of the Kharkiv region said they had to act because of “constant Russian shelling” in the area.

Ukraine said a woman was killed by shelling in the district.

Russia says its troops have gained some ground in the area.

Ukraine says Russian attacks have been rebuffed.

The comments by the two warring sides have not been independently verified.

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CHINA PROPERTY GIANT COUNTRY GARDEN WARNS OF UP TO SEVEN POINT SIX BILLION DOLLAR LOSS.

Country Garden, which is one of China’s biggest property developers, has warned that it could see a loss of up to $7.6bn for the first six months of the year.

The announcement is the latest sign of the major issues faced by the world’s second largest economy.

This week official figures showed China had slipped into deflation for the first time in more than two years.

Exports have also fallen sharply, while youth unemployment is at a record high.

Shares in Country Garden Holdings were down by more than 5% in Hong Kong trade on Friday afternoon.

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INDIA TATA GROUP UNVEILS NEW LOGO FOR FORMER NATIONAL CARRIER.

India’s Tata Group has unveiled a new logo, branding and livery for Air India as part of a multi-million dollar transformation of the former national carrier.

The logo includes a design with golden, red and purple colours, and will replace the old one of a red swan.

The rebranding exercise comes years after Tata Group bought the debt-ridden airline in October 2021.

The airline was officially handed over in January 2022.

CEO Campbell Wilson said the company will not completely do away with the airline’s iconic mascot of a cheerful Maharaja, which has been one of India’s most recognisable symbols.