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☆ Russia's Prigozhin says Wagner is not recruiting now, may do so in future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 31 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a voice message published on Monday that his Wagner group was not currently recruiting fighters but was likely to do so in future. After the June mutiny, the Kremlin said Wagner fighters who had not taken part would transfer to the regular army, signing contracts with the Defence Ministry. Apparently alluding to this, Prigozhin said in the voice message that "unfortunately" some of his fighters had moved to other "power structures", but he said they were looking to return. Since the mutiny, some Wagner fighters have moved to Belarus and started training its army. In comments published last week, Prigozhin also said Wagner was ready to further increase its presence in Africa.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin's, Mark Trevelyan, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Kremlin, Grey, Telegram, Defence Ministry, Central African, United, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Belarus, St Petersburg, Russia, Africa, Mali, Central, Central African Republic, United States, Niger

☆ UNESCO recommends adding Venice to list of world heritage sites in danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Gondoliers row their gondolas through the Venice Canal as the city prepares for the Redentore Festival celebrations in Venice, Italy, July 15, 2023. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri/File PhotoJuly 31 (Reuters) - UNESCO experts have recommended that Venice and its lagoon be added to its list of World Heritage in Danger as Italy is not doing enough to protect the city from the impact of climate change and mass tourism. UNESCO World Heritage Centre experts regularly review the state of the UN cultural agency's 1,157 World Heritage sites, and at a meeting in Riyadh in September, a committee of 21 UNESCO member states will review more than 200 sites and decide which to add to the danger list. Other sites recommended to be put on the danger list this year are the cities of Kyiv and Lviv in Ukraine. A spokesperson for the Venice municipality told Reuters the city "will carefully read the proposed decision published today by the Center for UNESCO's World Heritage Committee and will discuss it with the government".

Persons: Manuel Silvestri, Geert De Clercq, Augustin Turpin, Federica Urso, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, UNESCO, Heritage Centre, UN, Reuters, Center, World Heritage, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, Danger, Riyadh, Odessa, Ukraine, Timbuktu, Mali, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Kyiv, Lviv, Paris, Rome

[1/9] Demonstrators gather in support of the putschist soldiers in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. Images showed fires at the walls of the French Embassy and people being loaded into ambulances with bloodied legs. Military officials involved in the coup would be banned from travelling and have their assets frozen, it added. The Niger military rulers later asked protesters to abstain from vandalism and destruction of property. The European Union and France have cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to do the same.

Persons: Stringer, Mohammed Bazoum, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Amadou Abdramane, Sani Idrissa, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Boureima Balima, Moussa Aksar, Felix Onuah, Elizabeth Pineau, Bate Felix, Andrew Cawthorne, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Pro, Niamey Military, Sahel region's, French Embassy, Economic, West, West African Economic, Monetary Union, Military, United Nations, African Union, European Union, World Bank, The, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Sahel, NIAMEY, ABUJA, Niger's, Nigeria, States, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, United States, France, The United States, Italy, Germany, French, Niger national, Russian, Abuja, Paris

☆ Prigozhin blames former colonizers for situation in Niger without proof and hints Wagner is ready to help
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —While the international community, including many African states, have condemned the coup in Niger, Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has his own take. Niger was once a French colony and, before this week’s putsch, it had been one of the few democracies in the region. He said that his private military company, Wagner, was capable of dealing with situations like that playing out in Niamey, the Nigerien capital. And this is the (the reason for) love for PMC (private military company) Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner. Because a thousand soldiers of PMC Wagner are able to establish order and destroy terrorists, preventing them from harming the peaceful population of states,” he said.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Prigozhin’s missive, Wagner, ” Prigozhin, “, PMC Wagner, ”, Prigozhin’s, Mohamed Bazoum Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, PMC, PMC Wagner, Central African, Russian Foreign Ministry Locations: Niger, Russian, French, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Russia, Niamey, Nigerien, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Central African Republic

CNN —The European Union suspended all security cooperation and will no longer provide financial support to Niger following the coup in the West African country, the bloc’s top diplomat said. Abdourahamane Tiani, a general who leads the country’s presidential guard, was declared the country’s new leader after President Mohamed Bazoum was detained earlier this week. “President Bazoum was democratically elected; he is and remains the only legitimate President of Niger. The African Union on Saturday demanded that Nigerien military personnel “immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority,” within 15 days. Niger lies at the heart of Africa’s Sahel region, which has seen numerous power grabs in recent years including in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Persons: Abdourahamane, Mohamed Bazoum, ”, Josep Borell, Bazoum, “, ” Borell, Emmanuel Macron, insurgencies Organizations: CNN, European Union, Nigerien, African Union, Saturday, Economic, West, Niger Locations: Niger, West, Washington, Moscow, West African States, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, France

☆ Britain investigates after Mali gets defence emails meant for Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - UK authorities said on Friday they were investigating defence ministry emails that were mistakenly sent to the wrong recipient, after reports that messages intended for U.S. military intelligence ended up with Russian ally Mali. Ministry of Defence officials were trying to contact the Pentagon, whose domain name is ".mil", but accidentally sent the mails to Mali, which has the domain name ".ml", the Times newspaper reported. Britain said the information that was mistakenly shared was not highly sensitive. "We have opened an investigation after a small number of emails were mistakenly forwarded to an incorrect email domain," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, without confirming the domain's name. "All sensitive information is shared on systems designed to minimise the risk of misdirection," the spokesperson said.

Persons: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan romcom, Alistair Smout, John Stonestreet Organizations: Ministry of Defence, Pentagon, Times, MoD, BBC, Britain's MoD, Thomson Locations: Mali, Russia, France, Britain, U.S

☆ Niger coup leaders dissolve govt, declare Tiani head of state
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Moussa Aksar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NIAMEY, July 28 (Reuters) - Leaders of the coup in Niger declared General Abdourahamane Tiani as the new head of state on Friday, and said they had suspended the constitution and dissolved all former institutions after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum. He represents the state of Niger in international relations," an officer said, reading out a statement. African countries, Western powers, regional and international organizations have reacted with alarm to the coup in Niger, insisting that Bazoum be freed and constitutional order restored. Niger borders three countries - Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad - that have also experienced military coups in the last two years. Niger so far has held them off better than Mali and Burkina Faso, where violence has only worsened since the military coups.

Persons: Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiani, Bazoum, Josep Borrell, Kamala Harris, Boris Pistorius, Bate Felix, Anait, Nellie Peyton, John Stonestreet, Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie Organizations: National Council, Bazoum, REUTERS, Islamic, West African States, European Union, United, European, EU, German, Spiegel, Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, France, Niamey, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West Africa's, Nigeria, Guinea, United States, Africa, EU, Germany, Italy

And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told Putin and African leaders in St Petersburg. Putin gave it a polite but cool reception when African leaders presented it to him last month. Putin responded by arguing, as he has in the past, that rising world food prices were a consequence of Western policy mistakes long predating the Ukraine war. On Thursday, he promised to deliver free Russian grain in the next several months to six of the countries attending the summit. Mali's Assimi Goita told Putin: "You have shown pragmatism and realism in efforts to reach agreement with Ukraine."

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Macky Sall, Cyril Ramaphosa, Pavel Bednyakov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Russia's Wagner, Faustin Archange Touadera, Assimi Goita, Kevin Liffey, Joe Bavier, Alexander Winning, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Kremlin, Union, Reuters, South, Sputnik, Central African, CAR, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, St Petersburg, Russian, Belarus, Congo, Europe, Kyiv, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Ukrainian, Western, Mali, Central, Central African Republic

☆ Head of Presidential Guard Claims Power in Niger Coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Elian Peltier | More About Elian Peltier | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The commander of the presidential guard in Niger claimed the leadership of the West African country with a televised address on Friday, two days after his military unit detained the democratically elected president and threw into uncertainty the future of a key Western ally in the region. “We have decided to intervene and seize our responsibilities,” Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who goes by the first name Omar, said on state television, where he was identified onscreen as the president of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country. “We can’t continue with the same approaches.”Niger, a poor country rich in uranium, lies in the Sahel, the arid region south of the Sahara that has faced growing insecurity amid the worsening effects of climate change, political instability and armed insurgencies. The United States has 1,100 troops and two drone bases in Niger, and France, the former colonial power, more than 1,500 troops. The military takeover in Niger is the sixth in West Africa in less than three years, following in the steps of Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali, and threatening to upend efforts in the region to fight Islamist insurgencies by groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Persons: ”, Abdourahmane Tchiani, Omar, Al Qaeda Organizations: National Council, United, Al, Islamic Locations: Niger, West, ” Niger, Sahel, United States, France, West Africa, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Islamic State

CNN —A Niger general, Abdourahamane Tiani, appeared on state television as the country’s new leader following a military coup that sparked international condemnation. Tiani said in the broadcast that Wednesday’s coup was motivated by both the desire to “preserve our homeland” in a context of a “deteriorating security situation,” and poor economic and social governance. French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the coup was “deeply dangerous for Niger and the whole region,” and called for Bazoum’s release. However, a senior official loyal to Bazoum has suggested there is discord among coup leaders. The aide spoke on condition of not being identified because of the security situation.

Persons: Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, “, Mohamed Bazoum’s, Abdourahamane, ” Bazoum, Mahamadou Issoufou, insurgencies, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, –, Catherine Colonna, Bazoum, ”, they’ve, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Bazoum “, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Mahamat, General Antonio Guterres, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, ” Abdramane Organizations: CNN, African, AFP, Télé, Getty, Nigerien, Union, Bazoum, National Council for, ECOWAS, United Nations, African Union Commission, RIA Novosti, UN Locations: Niger, France, Télé Sahel, Sahel, AFP, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Papua New Guinea, Niamey

☆ Factbox: Who is Niger's new leader, Abdourahamane Tiani?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NIAMEY, July 28 (Reuters) - General Abdourahamane Tiani, the commander of Niger's presidential guard, was appointed head of state on Friday by a governing council set up by military forces that ousted President Mohammed Bazoum. Here are five facts about him:BACKGROUNDTiani is from Filingue, in the Nigerien region of Tillaberi, which borders Mali. RISE TO ELITE UNITThe 62-year-old decorated general and former military attache at Niger's embassy in Germany has led the elite presidential guard unit since 2011. FIGHT AGAINST CONTRABANDHe also served as head of a battalion in Agadez and led military operations in the Niger desert against contraband and drug traffickers. Reporting by Moussa Aksar; Writing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohammed Bazoum, Tiani, Moussa Aksar, Emelia Sithole, Conor Humphries Organizations: UNIT, French UTA, Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Filingue, Nigerien, Tillaberi, Mali, Germany, French, Bilma, Niger, Agadez

☆ Niger response: 'Washington has to thread a very difficult needle'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The United States and its Western allies are faced with a difficult conundrum as they navigate potential responses to the military takeover in Niger if democratic rule is not restored. Experts told CNN that punitive measures could push Niger toward Russian mercenary groups like Wagner and away from its partners in the West. US officials have said there are no indications that the organization was involved in the military takeover. We don’t really know who this new general is” who has seized power, she told CNN. Felbab-Brown told CNN that Prigozhin is trying to “personally” take advantage, given his “precarious” place following his failed revolt.

Persons: Biden, Vedant Patel, John Kirby, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ”, Cameron Hudson, ‘, Antony Blinken, Vanda Felbab, Brown, Bob Menendez, Jim Risch, Kirby, Mohamed Bazoum, Gen, Abdourahamane Tiani, Bazoum, “, ” Hudson, Kamissa Camara, Camara, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, We’re, ” Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, “ It’s, Prigozhin, Putin, shouldn’t, ” Kirby, Blinken, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kamala Harris, Bola Tinubu, African Affairs Molly Phee, Hassoumi Massoudou, Mahamadou Issoufou “, Patel Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Nigerien, State Department, National Security Council, Experts, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Central African, West, Brookings, Senate Foreign Relations, Democratic, US Institute of Peace, Russian Foreign Ministry, African Union, Economic, West African States, United Nations, African Affairs, Nigerien Foreign, ” State Department Locations: United States, Niger, Russian, Africa, “ Washington, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niamey, “, Hudson, Russia, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Sudan, New Zealand, Nigeria

☆ The UK has been accidentally sending classified information to Russian-allied Mali because of a one-letter typo in a domain name: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

British officials have been accidentally sending emails containing classified information to Mali. Millions of US military emails were sent to Mali due to the same error, the FT previously reported. Officials from the UK Ministry of Defence have also been sending emails containing classified information to Mali because of the same mistake, per The Times, which saw five emails from UK email addressess. Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that millions of US military emails had been accidentally sent to Mali. Representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence and the Malian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: they're, It's, Johannes Zuurbie Organizations: Service, US, UK Ministry of Defence, The Times, Times, Financial Times, Wagner, Kremlin Locations: Mali, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Dutch, Russia, Mali ., Malian

Here are answers to questions about U.S.-Niger ties:WHY IS NIGER IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES? The country, located in the semi-arid Sahel region, plays an outsized role in the United States' Africa strategy. The State Department in March said Niger had "taken important steps to consolidate and strengthen its democracy." The State Department in March said the United States had plans to provide $101 million in bilateral assistance to Niger in fiscal year 2022, including assistance for food security, democracy and governance, and security. It is unclear how much the United States has given in security assistance specifically.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Washington's, Biden, Bazoum's, Vedant Patel, Niger, Bazoum, Wagner, Patel, Antony Blinken, Chris Coons, Mario Diaz, Balart, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Patricia Zengerle, Moira Warburton, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: UNITED STATES, Islamic, State Department, ., West, The State Department, U.S, State, Embassy, Pentagon, AID, Republican, Thomson Locations: Niger, U.S, Washington, NIGER, United States, Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, al Qaeda, Russia, Niamey

CNN —The Nigerien military has backed coup leaders who have reportedly seized the president of the West African country, prompting warnings from international leaders over further unrest in a region plagued by political volatility. President Bazoum was apparently taken by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday, although his precise whereabouts remain unknown. Niger’s presidential office said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday: “The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, pictured on December 13, 2022, was reportedly seized by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday. 1,000 US troopsWorld leaders and humanitarian bodies issued stark warnings against the coup leaders.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, insurgencies, Bazoum, Evelyn Hockstein, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Abdramane, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Volker Türk, ” Türk, General Antonio Guterres, Bazoum “, African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, “ Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, Twitter, country’s Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, National Guard, White, US, Air Base, United Nations, Human, UN, African Union Commission Locations: West, ” Niger, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, France, Niger, Niamey, Washington, Agadez, The

"We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain each in the next 3-4 months," Putin told the summit, whose participants applauded. Last year, Russia exported a total of 60 million tonnes of grain, of which 48 million tonnes was wheat, Putin said. He said Western sanctions, imposed in response to Russia's war in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", had even prevented Russia from supplying free fertiliser to poor nations. On the one hand, Western countries are obstructing supplies of our grain and fertilisers, while on the other they hypocritically blame us for the current crisis situation on the world food market," said Putin. Visiting dignitaries were also invited to visit Russia's imperial palaces or watch a gala match between Russian and African "football legends".

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Russia's, U.N, Antonio Guterres, PUTIN, Azali Assoumani, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Thursday, WEST Putin, European Union, Union, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Moscow, MOSCOW, St Petersburg, Russian, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ukraine, Sudan, United States, France, African

'ONLY HOPE' FOR STABILITY IN SAHELNiger became a democratic outlier in West Africa's Sahel region following military takeovers in neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad since 2020. All four countries of the arid Sahel region, just south of the Sahara, are now run by military leaders after soldiers in Niger said on Wednesday night they had ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. France, which has had counter-insurgency troops in West Africa for a decade, has turned to Niger to base the bulk of its forces. Their role is solely to support Niger's army when local forces identify operations in the border regions connecting Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The European Union decided in December to set up a three-year military training mission in Niger, to which Germany contributes troops.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, juntas, Moussa Aksar, John Irish, Nellie Peyton, Bate Felix, Emelia Sithole, Leslie Adler Organizations: Islamic, National Assembly, REUTERS, European Union, DEMOCRATIC, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, John, Thomson Locations: West Africa, Niger, Africa's Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Russia, France, United States, U.S, Russian, Niamey, ACLED, Germany, Italy, Guinea, Bissau, Guinea Bissau, Paris

London CNN —The United Kingdom government has been heavily criticized by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee for underestimating the growth of Russia’s Wagner private mercenary group, despite it posing a major threat to the country’s interests. Wagner “essentially operate like a criminal mafia,” Kearns said in an interview with Sky News Wednesday. Barbara Debout/AFP/Getty Images/FILEIt also criticized the UK government for only beginning to seriously monitor the group after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. “It is deeply regrettable that it was not until early 2022 that the Government began to invest greater resource in understanding the Wagner Network, despite Wagner fighters having already conducted military operations in at least seven countries for almost a decade,” read the report. “The Government has not told us anything specific that it is doing to challenge the network’s influence and impunity outside of Ukraine,” the report said.

Persons: Russia’s Wagner, Wagner, ”, Alicia Kearns, Wagner “, ” Kearns, “, Barbara Debout Organizations: London CNN, United, Parliament’s Foreign, “, CNN, Sky News, Getty, Government, Wagner Network, European Union Locations: Africa, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, Central African Republic, Libya, Mozambique, Mali, Bangui, AFP, “, United States

☆ Putin is trying to flex his influence in Africa, but countries are giving him the cold shoulder
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Putin is hosting a critical summit with African leaders this week in St. Petersburg, Russia. But only a handful of attending nations are sending their heads of state or leaders. Isolated by the war in Ukraine, Putin seeks to grow influence and support on the African continent. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. On Thursday, Putin will meet with 49 representatives from African nations at the second Russia-Africa summit.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin's, Yuri Ushakov, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Service, Moscow Times, Reuters, Ukraine, Wagner Group, Central African, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Relations Locations: St . Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Africa, Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic

BURKINA FASOBurkina Faso's army ousted President Roch Kabore in January 2022, blaming him for failing to contain violence by Islamist militants. MALIA group of Malian colonels led by Assimi Goita ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020. But the coup leaders clashed with the interim president, retired colonel Bah Ndaw, and engineered a second coup in May 2021. Deby's son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, was named interim president and tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition to elections. GUINEASpecial forces commander Colonel Mamady Doumbouya ousted President Alpha Conde in September 2021.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Roch Kabore, Colonel Paul, Henri Damiba, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Assimi Goita, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Bah Ndaw, Goita, CHAD Chad's, Idriss Deby, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, Mamady Doumbouya, Alpha Conde, Conde, Doumbouya, Bate Felix, Nick Macfie Organizations: Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, African, BURKINA FASO Burkina Faso's, Mali's West, Chadian, GUINEA Special, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Niamey, African Union, West, Central Africa, BURKINA FASO, MALI, Mali, N'Djamena, GUINEA

☆ Russia's economy is being propped up by Wagner Group's gold-smuggling operations, UK government report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's economy is being sustained by the Wagner Group's gold smuggling operations, the UK government says. A report says the mercenary group has been sneaking "significant" amounts of gold out of Sudan. That gold is then used in trade that's boosting Russia's economy, it added, despite the nation being targeted by western sanctions amid Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine. "Wagner's gold-smuggling operations from Sudan are significant, with one calling them 'critical to Russia's ability to withstand significant sanctions deployed against it for its illegal invasion in Ukraine,'" the report said. And though Putin has downplayed the effect of sanctions, non-government statistics show that Russia's economy is spiraling and in a far worse state than it appears, two Yale researchers said.

Persons: Wagner, Brian Nelson, Putin Organizations: Service, US Treasury, United Arab, Wagner Group, Central African, Terrorism, Financial, Wagner Groups, EU, Yale Locations: Sudan, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Central African Republic, Russia, Mali, United States, Africa

Before he was fired by Pope Francis over another issue, Becciu was one of the most powerful men in the Vatican. The Vatican sold the building last year, taking an estimated loss of about 140 million euros. The others on trial include several Vatican employees and two outside brokers who the Vatican has accused of extortion. He asked the court to confiscate 172 million euros of Mincione's assets and 71 million euros of Torzi's. At the time of Becciu's firing, he was also stripped of what the Vatican then said were his "rights associated with being a cardinal".

Persons: Becciu, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, Pope Francis, Alessandro Diddi, Diddi, Raffaele Mincione, Rene Bruelhart, Tommaso Di Ruzza, Cecilia Marogna, Phil Pullella, Andrew Heavens, Toby Chopra, Alison Williams Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, of State, Vatican's Financial Intelligence, Thomson Locations: London, Vatican, Swiss, Mali, al Qaeda

NIAMEY, July 26 (Reuters) - Niger presidential guards are holding President Mohamed Bazoum inside the presidential palace in the capital, which has been blocked off by military vehicles since Wednesday morning, security sources said. The movements have the semblance of four military takeovers that have hit neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso since 2020. Ministries next to the palace have also been blocked off, and staff inside the palace have not been able to access to their offices, presidency and security sources said. The rest of Niamey appeared calm, with normal morning traffic on the road and full internet access, a Reuters reporter said. There was also a thwarted coup attempt in Niger in March 2021, when a military unit tried to seize the presidential palace days before Bazoum was due to be sworn in.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Moussa Aksar, Boureima Balima, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Sofia Christensen, Andrew Heavens, Alexander Winning, Nick Macfie Organizations: Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niamey

Chicago wheat futures , a benchmark of global prices, have risen around 20% since Russia ended the deal on July 17. It's absolutely an important national security issue for a lot of these African countries," he said. Putin says Russia is expecting a record harvest this year and is ready to fill the gap for African countries by supplying grain both commercially and for free. Dizolele said, noting that Russia backed African countries at the U.N., had defence and security agreements with some of them and gave scholarships to their students. But Putin's response, when Ramaphosa and other African leaders presented the proposal to him last month, was to repeat a familiar list of accusations against Ukraine and the West.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Mvemba Dizolele, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Dizolele, WAGNER, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramani, Mark Trevelyan, Joe Bavier, Carien du, Tom Balmforth, Michelle Nichols, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Saint, REUTERS, Putin, Kremlin, U.S, Africa, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, International Criminal Court, Treasury, Central African, Ukraine, South, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Isaac's, central Saint Petersburg, Black, Russian, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Chicago, Washington, Turkey, Qatar, Moscow, United States, Kenya, Somalia, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, West, London, Johannesburg, Carien du Plessis

Summary Wagner to train near PolandPrigozhin greets mercenaries in BelarusUp to 10,000 Wagner fighters to be in Belarus - commanderSays 22,000 Wagner fighters perished in UkraineMOSCOW, July 20 (Reuters) - Mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group will help train Belarusian special forces during exercises at a military range near the border with NATO-member Poland, the Belarusian defence ministry said on Thursday. "The armed forces of Belarus continue joint training with the fighters of the Wagner PMC (Private Military Company)," the Belarusian defence ministry said. Poland said earlier this month it would send 500 police to shore up security at its border with Belarus to cope with rising numbers of migrants crossing as well as any potential threats after Wagner mercenaries relocated to Belarus. MERCENARY PLANSA deal was struck on June 24 under which the mercenaries would move to Belarus in return for charges against them being dropped. The post contradicted remarks by a Russian lawmaker who said that as many as 33,000 Wagner fighters had signed contracts with the defence ministry.

Persons: Wagner, Poland Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Marx, Felix Light, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russia's, NATO, Wagner PMC, Private Military Company, West, Kremlin, Wagner's Telegram, Reuters, Islamic, Central African, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine MOSCOW, Belarusian, Ukraine, Africa, Brest, Russian, Ukrainian, Russia, Crimea, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Bakhmut, Tbilisi, Moscow

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