Niger, India, Somalia.

Today's three stories you should know.

Aug 26, 2023

Niger

Niger’s military coup leaders have ordered the army to be on “maximum alert” for an attack as several of its West African neighbours continued to stand against the toppling of President Mohamed Bazoum last month. The military also authorized troops from Mali and Burkina Faso - where there have also been military coups - to come to its defence in the event of an attack. But the main West African bloc of nations, ECOWAS, responded by denying there was any immediate plan to invade.

India

Footage of a teacher encouraging children to slap a seven-year-old Muslim classmate has gone viral in India prompting outrage and revulsion. The video, filmed at a private school in the state of Uttar Pradesh, shows the teacher encouraging other children to hit the boy harder, allegedly for getting his times tables wrong, while also making remarks about his religion. Local authorities confirmed the video was real and said they would take action. Rights groups say that attacks against the country’s Muslim minority have increased since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014.

Somalia

Somalia’s army has captured a major stronghold of the al-Shabab armed group, according to a BBC report, as it continues to make serious gains against the foe it has battled for more than a decade. The town of El Bur had been held by Shabab since 2017. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud just days ago announced the second phase of a massive offensive against the group and said it would be defeated in a matter of months. Shabab has been pushed from swathes of territory it once controlled over the last year but has escalated hit-and-attacks, including on the capital, in response.