ECOWAS ACTIVATES STANBY FORCE TO RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN NIGER.

West African military chiefs met in Ghana to discuss a possible armed intervention to reverse a coup in Niger, as Germany called for EU sanctions against the rebel leaders.

Alarmed by a series of military takeovers in the region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed to activate a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niger.

ECOWAS is demanding Niger’s coup leaders release President Mohamed Bazoum after his July 26 ouster, warning that the bloc could send in troops if negotiations fail.

“Democracy is what we stand for and it’s what we encourage,” Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, told the meeting in Accra.

“The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events, but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promotes stability,” he said.

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SOUTH AFRICA PARTIES SIGN PACT TO UNSEAT RULING ANC.

An alliance of seven political parties in South Africa has signed a pact in a bid to unseat the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the 2024 election.

The Multi-Party Charter for South Africa said if they came to power, they would work together and allocate ministerial positions and parliamentary seats.

They are also seeking to keep Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters party from being voted into power.

The agreement comes as the country battles an ailing economy, corruption, unemployment and an unprecedented energy crisis.

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KENYAN SETS SELF ON FIRE OVER COST OF LIVING.

Kenyan have protested in recent months against rising costsImage caption: Kenyan have protested in recent months against rising costs

A Kenyan man who said he was protesting against the high cost of living set himself on fire in the coastal city of Mombasa.

He had climbed on top of a statue in the middle of a busy roundabout before setting himself alight..

In a video that has since gone viral, the man is seen holding the Kenyan flag, he then shouts and, in a moment, a huge flame engulfs him.

He was rescued by onlookers who quickly helped put out the fire.

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KENYANS RALLY TO SAVE BOY WHO FELL OFF A SWING.

Kenyans are rallying on social media to save the life of a seven-year-old boy who has been in a coma since 8 August after falling off a moving roller coaster.

Caleb Odanga sustained serious head injuries after falling from the merry-go-round swing during a school outing at an amusement park in Ruiru, on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi.

The injuries resulted in the boy’s admission to the intensive care unit at a hospital where his medical bill is more than 60,000 shillings ($415; £330) a day.

So far, Kenyans on social media have raised more than $2,400 for the boy’s treatment.

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TANZANIA DEFENDS ARRESTS AMID PORT BACKLASH.

The Tanzanian government says the arrest of two opposition politicians and a lawyer has nothing to do with their criticism of the government’s deal with a United Arab Emirates firm to manage the country’s ports.

The arrested trio – former opposition leader and ex-ambassador to Sweden, Willibrod Slaa, activist Mpaluka Nyagali and lawyer Boniface Mwabukusi – are some of the leading critics of the port deal.

However, the government alleged that their detention was linked to “specific public threats”, including “calling for the violent overthrow of the government”.

Lawyers for accused, who are still being held in police custody, have not commented on the allegations.

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KENYA’S AFRICAN CLIMATE SUMMIT NOT HIJACKED BY WEST.

An upcoming African climate change summit to be hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto has not been “hijacked by foreign interests.

The African Climate Summit, which will take place in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, from 4-6 September features speakers from Kenya’s government, the African Union and United Nations.

The French government, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the African Development Bank are among the summit’s partners.

Signed by more than 300 “gravely concerned” African organisations, a recent open letter to Mr Ruto says the summit has been “seized” by Western governments and organisations “hellbent on pushing a pro-West agenda and interests at the expense of Africa”.

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MAUI EMERGENCY CHIEF QUITS AFTER SIRENS CRITICISM OF HAWAII WILDFIRES.

Maui’s emergency management chief has quit a day after defending his agency’s failure to activate its alarm system in last week’s fatal wildfire.

Herman Andaya, who had no prior experience in emergency management, cited “health reasons” for resigning.

In the days since, residents of the Hawaii island have told the BBC a stronger emergency response could have saved more lives.

At least 111 people have been declared dead. More than 1,000 remain missing.

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DRONE ATTACK HITS BUILDING IN CENTRAL MOSCOW.

Russian officials have accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on a building in Moscow, causing an explosion that was heard across the city’s business district.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences had shot down the drone with its debris falling on the city’s Expo Center.

It marks the latest in a series of such attacks on the Russian capital.

Unverified footage on social media appeared to show thick grey smoke rising into the night sky over Moscow.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, but officials in Kyiv have never formally acknowledged launching attacks on targets in Moscow.

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CHINA PROPERTY GIANT FILES FOR UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION.

Property giant Evergrande has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US as the real estate crisis in China deepens.

It will allow the heavily-indebted company to protect its assets in the US as it works on a multi-billion dollar deal with creditors.

Evergrande defaulted on its huge debts in 2021, which sent shockwaves through global financial markets.

The move comes as problems in China’s property market add to concerns about the world’s second largest economy.

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CANADIAN FIRE EVACUEES TURNED AWAY FROM FLIGHTS.

Angry residents of Yellowknife have been turned away from packed evacuation flights as a wildfire bears down upon the northern Canadian city.

People who waited in hours-long queues to board flights out were told by officials to try again on Friday or Saturday.

The country’s two major airlines are also facing criticism over soaring air fares and rescheduling fees.

As of Thursday, the fire was 15km (9 miles) north-west of Yellowknife.

It could reach the city’s outskirts by Saturday.

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BELARUS DECLARES NINETEENTH CENTURY NATIONALIST POEMS EXTREMIST.

Two Belarusian poems from the 19th Century have been declared “extremist”, in a sign of an expanding crackdown on criticism of the authorities.

Vincent Dunin-Martsinkevich’s poems relate to a nationalist uprising against the Russian Empire.

Authoritarian Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko has tightened his grip on power since elections in 2020 which were widely considered to be rigged.

He has since provided support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

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