CAR, India, Nigeria.
Today's three stories you should know.
Central African Republic
Russian mercenaries have been killing and torturing civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to a Human Rights Watch report. The Wagner Group, a private military firm, is believed to have been working with CAR’s government since 2018, helping it to fight rebels. The Wagner group is also active in Mali and Libya, and was last week accused of involvement in an incident in which 300 people were executed in a town in central Mali. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, this week again denied Wagner had anything to do with the Russian government.
More from HRW here.
India
At least 25 people have died in an extreme heat wave in India’s western state of Maharashtra. Experts say more deaths are likely as the region swelters under temperatures of more than 100 degrees fahrenheit. Several scientists have linked the early onset of summers in India and Pakistan to climate change.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Nigeria
Proximities a month ago highlighted an attack on a train by an armed gang in Nigeria after which 168 people went missing. Today, a development. President Muhammadu Buhari says the gang is using the kidnap victims as human shields, making it difficult for security forces to launch a rescue attempt. "It's a delicate situation ... Any rescue operation that results in the death of any hostage cannot be deemed a success," Buhari said. Criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, have been terrorising northern Nigeria for years, with a huge upsurge in kidnappings and robberies over the last year.
More from Reuters here.