TOP NEWS

The military coup in Niger
Russian and American soldiers share a base in Niger

Russian soldiers have moved into a military base where American soldiers operate near Niger's capital Niamey, US military sources told Reuters and CNN.

It comes after Niger's military junta, which took power in a coup last year, ordered the US to withdraw its around 1,000 troops. Before the coup, Niger and the US were allies in the fight against extremists in the area.

The Russian soldiers stay in a different hangar from the American ones, but "it's not a very large area," a source says.

The presence of the Russian soldiers confirms US authorities' fears that Niger's military junta is getting closer to Russia, writes CNN.

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Political situation in Serbia
Pro-Russian ministers elected in new Serbian government

A new government, consisting of several pro-Russian ministers, has been elected in Serbia. This is reported by AP.

Former spy chief Aleksandar Vulin, who has ties to the Kremlin and is under US sanctions, will become deputy prime minister. The same role is given to Nenad Popovic, against whom the US has also directed sanctions.

Another pro-Moscow politician, Ivica Dacic, becomes interior minister. He was foreign minister in the previous government.

The government is led by Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, a close ally of President Aleksandar Vucic, who refused to impose sanctions on Russia after the invasion. Vucevic maintains that Serbia "neither can nor wants" to cut ties with Russia.

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British local elections
Boris Johnson was not allowed to vote - had incorrect ID

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was due to vote in the British local elections on Thursday, but was turned away because he did not have a valid photo ID on him, Reuters reports.

Johnson himself is behind the legislation, introduced in 2022, which requires British citizens to show valid photo ID to vote.

Johnson later returned to the polling station with ID and voted for the Tories. The polling stations closed at 11 p.m., Swedish time.

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Cloudfall in the Middle East
New downpours hit Dubai - just weeks later

On Thursday, flights were canceled and residents were told to work from home as the United Arab Emirates was hit by heavy rain, just two weeks after the latest downpour, CNN reports.

The downpours were not as intense as last time, when a year's worth of rain fell within 12 hours, bringing the million-dollar city of Dubai to a standstill as the streets were drenched in water.

However, the amount of rain was considerable this time too – in twelve hours, Dubai received 20 millimeters, more than twice as much as the city usually receives in April and May combined. Abu Dhabi received 34 millimeters, more than four times the normal April-May rainfall.