From people smuggler to football club owner

Niger's coup leaders have tried to expel France's ambassador, but Paris says it doesn't recognize their authority to order him out. Macron said on TV he was "literally" a "hostage," stuck in the French Embassy in Niamey.

Three West African countries ruled by military juntas have signed a mutual defense pact. Mali and Burkina Faso had previously promised to come to Niger's aid in the event of an attack.

A bus carrying employees from a diamond mine in Limpopo reportedly collided with a lorry. Road safety is a critical challenge in South Africa, despite the country's advanced road infrastructure.

The political crisis in Niger has disrupted aid efforts, the UN's humanitarian chief in the West African nation, Louise Aubin, told DW in an exclusive interview. The current wave of insecurity in Niger has also hampered the UN's aid operations there, Aubin added.

Some rhinoceros species have showed an uptick for the first times in a decade, conservationists report. But illegal killings remain a threat across the continent.

The foreign minister of Mali told the UN General Assembly that any military intervention in Niger would threaten Mali's security. The juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso signed a mutual defense pact last week.

The UN chief has called it an epidemic of coups. In Africa, since 2020, military officers have seized power, or attempted to do so, in numerous sub-Saharan countries. Just in the last two and a half months, soldiers in Gabon announced a takeover of power, while in Niger, members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and announced that they were seizing power.

The French president said military cooperation with the West African nation would end and France's soldiers stationed there would return home by the end of the year.

Megan Rapinoe has ended her US national team career with a 2-0 win over South Africa in Chicago. The 38-year-old ends her stint as an international with 63 goals, 73 assists and 203 caps, along with two world cups. Rapinoe made her debut for her country in 2006, with only three players having longer spells playing for the United States. "It has been such an honor to be able to wear this shirt, play with all these players and live out my childhood dream. I know that I mean a lot to the game.

The German and US defense ministers have said they see no immediate need to leave Niger, following France's decision to withdraw troops. Niamey's junta has been more focused on the former colonial power's presence.

A legend in the world of sailing speaks to FRANCE 24 about her love of the sport and the incredibly tough moments it brings. Kirsten Neuschafer was the overall winner of the 2022 Golden Globe race, beating all of her male competitors in the process. The race entailed almost eight months on her own at sea, without electronic navigation equipment, travelling 30,000 nautical miles around the planet. She spoke to us for Perspective.

A devastating storm has caused extensive damage and widespread flooding across South Africa's Western Cape, with provincial officials warning that the impact on informal settlements would be vast.