AS INTERNATIONAL POWERS DECRY NIGER’S COUP, EXPERTS SAY ITS FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN

DAY S after soldiers ousted Niger ’s president, uncertainty is mounting about the country’s future and some are calling out the junta s reasons for seizing control

The soldiers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago, because he wasn t able to secure the nation from growing jihadi violence But some analysts and Nigeriens said that’s just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation

Everybody is wondering why this coup? That s because no one was expecting it We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power said Professor Amad Hassane Boubacar who teaches at the University of Niamey Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar and is now in charge of the country said Boubacar adding that Tchiani was loyal to Bazoum s predecessor and that sparked the problems

Conflict experts say out of all the countries in the region Niger has the most at stake if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance the international community has poured in

On Saturday U S Secretary of State

Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U S hinged on the release of Bazoum who remains under house arrest and the restoration of constitutional authority in the country France on Saturday suspended all

The ‘war’ is returning to Russia, Zelenskyy warns after latest drone attack

KYIV

A G E N C I E S

Ukraine attempted to launch an attack on targets in Moscow with three drones but failed to achieve its goal, said the Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the “war” was coming to Russia Ukraine did not directly claim responsibility for the drone attacks but Zelenskyy said the “war” was gradually returning to Russia s territory – to its symbolic centers He described Sunday as a good day a powerful day at the front

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kyiv launched three unmanned aerial vehicles at Moscow early Sunday morning One was shot down by air defense forces over the Odintsovo district in the Moscow region while the other two were jammed by electronic warfare systems and crashed into a nonresidential building complex in Moscow

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel that the Ukrainian drones caused minor damage to the facades of two office towers in Moscow

The Russian state-owned TASS news agency reported that the attack injured a security guard and caused the temporary suspension of flights at Moscow s Vnukovo International Airport

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday that Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon if Kyiv s ongoing counteroffensive had succeeded

China imposes expor t controls on cer tain UAVs to safeguard national securit y

development aid and other financial aid for Niger the Foreign Ministry said in a statement France demands an immediate return to constitutional order under President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected by the Nigeriens ” it said The African Union has issued a 15day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country s government On Sunday, the West African regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, is holding an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria However in a televised address Saturday Brigadier General Mohamed

Toumba one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum accused the meeting of making a plan of aggression against Niger and said it would defend itself And protesters taking part in Sunday’s rally also warned regional bodies who have denounced the coup to stay away “I would like also to say to the European Union African Union and ECOWAS please please stay out of our business said Oumar Barou Moussa who was at the demonstration It s time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves It’s time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty We need to stay together we need to work together we need to have our true independence he said Niger experts say it s too soon to know how things will play out “Tensions with the military are still ongoing There could be another coup after this one or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS potentially military force even if it is difficult to foresee how specifically that may happen and what form that may take, said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher at the Center FrancoPaix in conflict resolution and peace missions “Many actors are also trying to negotiate but the outcome is unclear she said

British High Commissioner designate Jane M arriott ‘delighted ’ upon arrival in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T British High Commissioner-designate to Pakistan Jane Marriott

C M G O B E h a s a r r i v e d i n I sl a m a b a d t o t a k e u p h e r n e w posting at British High Commission Islamabad Jane arrives at an important time for UK-Pakistan relations with a significant uplift in UK aid spend in Pakistan focussed on strengthening climate resilience and reducing humanitarian risks

Last month the UK also launched the new Developing Countries Trading Scheme which will help Pakistan to boost exports by reducing tariffs and simplifying trade terms

A r r i v i n g i n I s l a m a b a d , J a n e s a i d : I a m d e l i g h t e d t o b e h e r e i n P a k i s t a n , a c o u n t r y t h a t d e e p l y m a t t e r s t o , a n d h a s a long-standing relationship with t h e U K Wi t h o v e r 1 6 m i l l i o n p e o p l e o f P a k i s t a n i h e r i t a g e i n t h e U K m a k i n g u p e v e r y p a r t o f B r i t i s h s o c i e t y, w e h a v e a s p ec i a l a n d e v e r- g r o w i n g s p e c i a l b o n d ”

“Our friendship stems from our shared history and values, deep people-to-people ties growing trade links and a renewed development partnership I will be working hard to continue to expand these

With the climate emergency a growing threat to health and livelihoods across the world I have a particular interest in ensuring the bilateral relationship between our countries is a green sustainable one Jane joined the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 2001 She was previously posted as British High Commissioner to Kenya from September 2019 to June

2023, and has served as British Ambassador to Yemen She has also been posted to the USA Iraq Iran and Afghanistan as well as heading the UK s Joint International Counter Terrorism Unit S h e t r a v e l l e d f r o m L o n d o n H e a t h r o w u s i n g B r i t i s h A i rw a y s t h e o n l y a i r l i n e t o o ff e r d i r e c t U K f l i g

Jane tweets at @JaneMarriottUK Jane Marriott was appointed OBE in 2004 for services in Al Amara, Iraq and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy

Walmar t buys out $1.4bn Tiger Global stake in India’s Flipk ar t, WSJ repor ts

Chinese authorities on Monday issued two notices to implement export controls on certain unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related items to safeguard national security and interests, which will take effect on September 1

Some Chinese experts considered the latest controls as China’s action as a responsible major country and the export control is conducive to the regional security especially when the drones for civilian use are increasingly converted for military purpose

High-performance drones have certain military attributes, and it is an international norm to implement export controls on them Since 2002, China has gradually implemented export controls on drones with the scope of control and technical standards in line with international practices a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Monday commenting on the latest export restrictions

In recent years, drone technology has rapidly evolved, and its application scenarios expanded The risk of high-grade high-performance civilian drones being repurposed for military use has increased the spokesperson said As a major producer and exporter of drones China based on comprehensive assessments, has decided to moderately expand export controls on drones This is not targeted at any specific country or region, the spokesperson said

The certain UAVs to be under export control include unmanned aircraft or unmanned airship-related items which are capable of controlled flight beyond the operator s visual line of sight with a maximum endurance of 30 minutes or more and a maximum take-off weight of over 7 kilograms or an empty weight of over 4 kilograms, as well as with certain features, said one notice issued by China’s Ministry of Commerce General Administration of Customs State Administration of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense and the Equipment Development Department of China s Central Military Commission

The period of temporary export control on certain UAVs shall not exceed two years, according to the notice

During the period, if an exporter knows or should know that the export will be used for proliferation of weapons of mass destruction terrorist activities or military purposes all the relevant UAVs whose indicators do not meet the existing control standards won t be allowed to be exported according to the notice

In the other notice issued on the same day, certain export restrict requirements are listed for UAV-related items

It’s the first time that China has explicitly imposed export controls on anti-drone systems according to media The systems can be used to disrupt and destroy the operating function or flight capability of UAVs through technical measures However if the anti-drone systems are used improperly, it may also lead to serious consequences, including affecting civilian aviation safety and increasing the risk of military conflict, noted experts

By managing different drone products especially in line with the different types of products with export permit required the latest restriction showed that China holds a responsible attitude as a major country in drone export, since if unrestricted, some drones could end up in the hands of terrorists, posing threats to other countries and regions, Song Zhongping a Chinese military expert and TV commentator told the Global Times on Monday China has its own standards for weapons and equipment export curbs including missiles drones and other objects We strengthen the permit control over these drone exports in order to act as a responsible country, ensuring that drones aren’t transferred to end users who should not possess them,” Song said Especially now as some drones converted from civilian to military use have become increasingly frequent on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield As a responsible major country it s necessary for China to tighten its regulations, Song noted Export controls on certain UAVs are not a ban on exports ” As long as they are used for lawful civilian purposes they can be exported normally after going through the relevant procedures so it will not have a huge impact on the civilian UAV industry Wang

Yanan an aviation expert from Beihang University and chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge, told the Global Times on Monday The export control is focused on the civil UAVs which could be possible used as military purposes so that the tech indicators include infrared imaging equipment UAVs’ power to prevent those UAVs with large and more accurate tech indicators to be used as other purposes according to Wang In response to the newly introduced export control on certain drone items, Chinese drone maker DJI told Global Times on Monday that as a global company, DJI always maintains a strict and responsible attitude in the field of export control DJI has always strictly complied with and implemented the export control laws and regulations applicable in China and other countries or regions where our business is located, the company said If an operator exports without permission, beyond the scope of the license or commits other illegal acts, the relevant departments shall impose administrative penalties in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws BEIJING

As China s Army Day being observed today, the Chinese armed forces are called for to continue to modernize and accomplish entrusted tasks at a time when China’s security situation is facing rising instability and uncertainty

Ahead of the Army Day Chinese

President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to speed up efforts to boost the modernization of the armed forces Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) made the remarks on Wednesday in Southwest China s Sichuan Province while inspecting the air force of the Western Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC Xi extended sincere greetings to all the officers and soldiers of the air force of the command, as well as festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and told Reuters on Monday that the company bought additional shares of Flipkart from some investors, including Tiger Global, but did not share any other details Accel and Tiger Global did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment