Nick Kotch obituary: Reuters bureau chief
Clutching the sides of a speedboat bouncing across the Zaire river's choppy brown waters, the reporter Nick Kotch found himself roaring full throttle away from one of the biggest stories of his career: the May 1997 capture of Kinshasa by a rebel movement bent on overthrowing President Mobutu Sese Seko, the long-serving despot.
Kotch and two colleagues from the Reuters news agency had heard they were about to be arrested for conspiracy. Having already spent ten hours in detention at the headquarters of the dreaded SNIP intelligence service — they could hear other 'guests' being tortured down the hall — and time sleeping on the British embassy's floor, a quick escape seemed in order. A friendly DHL representative provided the getaway boat.
Days later, his
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The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
Wagner Group leaving Mali after heavy losses but Russia's Africa Corps to remain
The Russia-backed Wagner Group said Friday it is leaving Mali after more than three and a half years of fighting Islamic extremists and insurgents in the country. Despite Wagner's announcement, Russia will continue to have a mercenary presence in the West African country. The Africa Corps, Russia's state-controlled paramilitary force, said on its Telegram channel Friday that Wagner's departure would not introduce any changes and the Russian contingent will remain in Mali. "Mission accomplished. Private Military Company Wagner returns home,' the group announced via its channel on the messaging app Telegram. It said it had brought all regional capitals under control of the Malian army, pushed out armed militants and killed their commanders. Mali, along with neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for more than a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. As Western influence in the region has waned, Russia has sought to step into the vacuum, sweeping in with offers of assistance. Moscow initially expanded its military cooperation with African nations by using the Wagner Group of mercenaries. But since the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in a plane crash in 2023, after mounting a brief armed rebellion in Russia that challenged the rule of President Vladimir Putin, Moscow has been developing the Africa Corps as a rival force to Wagner. Africa Corps is under direct command of the Russian defense ministry. According to U.S. officials, there are around 2,000 mercenaries in Mali. It is unclear how many are with Wagner and how many are part of the Africa Corps. Beverly Ochieng, a security analyst specializing in the Sahel for Control Risks consultancy, said the Russian defense ministry had been negotiating with Mali to take on more Africa Corps fighters and for Wagner mercenaries to join Russia's state-controlled paramilitary force. 'Since the death of Prigozhin, Russia has had this whole plan to then make the Wagner Group fall under the command of the Ministry of Defense. One of the steps they made was to revamp or introduce the Africa Corps, which is the way in which the Russian paramilitaries would retain a presence in areas where the Wagner group has been operating,' Ochieng said. Wagner has been present in Mali since late 2021 following a military coup, replacing French troops and international peacekeepers to help fight the militants. But the Malian army and Russian mercenaries struggled to curb violence in the country and have both been accused of targeting civilians. Last month, United Nations experts urged Malian authorities to investigate reports of alleged summary executions and forced disappearances by Wagner mercenaries and the army. In December, Human Rights Watch accused Malian armed forces and the Wagner Group of deliberately killing at least 32 civilians over an 8-month span. The announcement of Wagner's withdrawal comes as the Malian army and the Russian mercenaries suffered heavy losses during attacks by the al-Qaida linked group JNIM in recent weeks. Last week, JNIM fighters killed dozens of soldiers in an attack on a military base in central Mali. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, said the major losses might have caused the possible end of Wagner's mission. 'The lack of an official and mutual announcement from both the Malian authorities and Wagner indicate possible internal dispute which led to this sudden decision. Simultaneously, this could point to a new framework for Russian presence in the country," he said. Replacing Wagner with Africa Corps troops would likely shift Russia's focus in Mali from fighting alongside the Malian army to training, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 'Africa Corps has a lighter footprint and focuses more on training, providing equipment and doing protection services. They fight less than the 'Rambo-type' Wagner mercenaries,' Laessing said. ___ Associated Press writer Monika Pronczuk in Dakar, Senegal, contributed.
Scottish Sun
39 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Bitter Trump-Musk breakup forces allies to take sides as MAGA influencers quip Don's ‘not invited to Mars anymore'
LAWMAKERS have been forced to pick sides after President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's bromance came to a screeching halt. Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to pledge their allegiance after Musk called for Trump's impeachment and hurled unfounded accusations about the Epstein files. 7 Elon Musk's feud with President Donald Trump has left some MAGA loyalists picking sides Credit: Reuters 7 The feud erupted over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which proposed stripping billions in government subsidies from Tesla Credit: AP 7 The drama unfolded when Musk disapproved of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," calling it a "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill." Trump said the world's richest man was furious because the bill proposes stripping billions in government subsidies from Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla. The two exchanged digital blows with searing social media posts until late Thursday night, when White House aides were said to have scheduled a call between the bitter rivals. RECONCILIATION REJECTED Musk appeared to have offered a possible olive branch when he responded to a post on X from hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Ackman called for reconciliation, "for the benefit of our great country," and said, "We are much stronger together than apart." In a telling reply, Musk said, "You're not wrong." Speaker Mike Johnson raced to try to get Musk on the phone to negotiate a peace offering. He said they were trying to nail down a time to chat, but haven't been able to iron things out yet. But that all fell apart on Friday morning when Trump blasted Musk again and said he wasn't interested in talking anytime soon. Despite glimmers of hope, politicians and thought leaders have rushed to pick sides and share their two cents on the matter. Trump crushes hopes of 'peace talks' call with Musk as he insists Elon has 'lost his mind' after feud went nuclear Though many of them have been quick to stick to President Trump, not everyone is falling in line. TRUMP SUPPORTERS RALLY Support for Trump was immediate and forceful as allies rallied around the president. Johnson, who oversaw the passage of Trump's "big beautiful bill" in the House that prompted Musk's initial shot across the bow when he called the legislation a "disgusting abomination," was among the first to come to the president's aid. "Look, I know all of you are very concerned about [Musk's] tweets, but I think the American people are concerned about things that really matter," Johnson told reporters Thursday. How did Musk and Trump's relationship crumble? ELON Musk and Donald Trump spent Thursday launching insults on social media as their relationship quickly went sour. The Tesla owner called for Trump's impeachment as the president hit back and warned the government could end all federal contracts with Musk's companies. Here's how it went down: On Tuesday, Musk tweeted that Trump's signature "big beautiful" spending bill was a "disgusting abomination" that would add billions to the federal deficit On Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump addressed Musk's criticism of the bill and accused Musk of trying to kill it because the bill ends federal subsidies for electric vehicles Musk responded by live-posting on X as Trump spoke, initially shrugging off the president's assessment with an unbothered "Whatever," before tearing into the bill's other spending provisions Trump escalated the feud after the Oval Office meeting with multiple posts on Truth Social, saying he told Musk to leave the White House instead of continuing to work with Doge and threatening to dump Musk's federal contracts, which are worth billions Musk fired back on X by saying he was "decommissioning" the Dragon spacecraft made by SpaceX that brought the stranded Nasa astronauts back from the International Space Station in March Musk also escalated the war of words by reposting and replying "Yes" to a tweet claiming that Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance Musk further fanned the flames by claiming that Trump is named in the infamous "Epstein files" and making unfounded accusations that its the reason they haven't been released to the public. "That is making their taxes low, making their economy work, making the border secure, making energy dominance a big thing again, and that's what our bill is going to do." Johnson said he supported Trump's massive tax and spending cuts bill, and called it a "historic step forward." Vice President JD Vance rushed to his bosses aid and blasted "lies the corporate media tells about President Trump." "One of the most glaring is that he's impulsive or short-tempered," he wrote. "Anyone who has seen him operate under pressure knows that's ridiculous." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the feud was an "unfortunate episode from Elon," adding that he wasn't happy with the bill because "it does not include the policies he wanted." "As a businessman, he has a right to speak for his companies, but as president, President Trump has a responsibility to fight for this country," she told Fox News. CJ Pearson, who is the co-chair of the Republican National Committee Youth Advisory, made it clear who had his vote and confidence. "I'll be on the side of the guy that took a bullet for his country. Simple as that," he told the Daily Mail. 7 Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, slammed Musk's claims, but added that he should be respected Credit: Getty 7 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the 'big beautiful bill' when she was asked about the feud Credit: Splash EPSTEIN CLAIMS 'RIDICULOUS' Other Republicans fumed over Musk's unfounded claim that Trump is named in files on sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and should be impeached. Leader of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, Anna Paulina Luna, said the Epstein accusation was bogus. "The fact is, I do not believe that President Trump is in the Epstein files," she said. Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who Musk supported, disagreed that Trump should be impeached but added that he still respects the Tesla CEO. "This is the language Trump speaks in. [Musk] is speaking it back to him," he said. Meanwhile, Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett argued that if Trump were in the files, it would've already be used against him politically. "Honestly, if any of that stuff was true on Trump, don't you think the Biden administration would have brought it out? I mean, that's just ridiculous," he said. There's no evidence that Trump had any involvement in Epstein's crimes. 7 Vice President JD Vance blasted the 'corporate media' for portraying Trump as short-tempered Credit: AP MAGA INFLUENCERS CAUTIOUS MAGA influencers remain divided on the feud, including Emily Wilson, known as Emily Saves America, who said that she "doesn't agree with doing this publicly and it's not a good look for us… compared to Democrats, our party at least goes for it. "We go with what we think and feel, we don't just fall in line with each other. I feel like Democrats are all shady and do everything behind closed doors and eat their own." Raquel Debono, who runs Make America Hot Again, jokingly said: "I guess Trump's not invited to Mars anymore." However, activist Robby Starbuck said MAGA is stronger "with Trump and Elon working together," and hopes the two can come together. "Elon is right to want a balanced budget and Trump is right to want his signature legislation. "Remember, our founders in America did great things, often fought and later made up. "This doesn't need to be a breakup if they let cooler heads prevail." Meanwhile, podcaster Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump as president, called for Musk's phone to be thrown away. 7 White House aides reportedly set up a phone call between Musk and Trump to clear the air, but it fell through Credit: AP DEMOCRATS DIVIDED ON MUSK PRAISE The feud has had some in the Democratic party praising Musk, which has earned the ire of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. "The Dems, we've been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him," he said. Fetterman warned the party against fawning over the billionaire. "It wasn't that long ago that Tesla was like the virtue-signaling kind of accessory for Dems," he said. "I would never want to vandalize Teslas, and the 'big, beautiful bill' is wrong for America. So, from my perspective, I've just tried to be consistent through that." WHO'S STAYING QUIET Some key decision makers are keeping to themselves until tensions cool. "I'm staying out of it," Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, told NBC News. "There's a good verse in Proverbs, 'Stay out of fights.' I'm staying out of this one." Representative Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said that he has faith the feud will "blow over." When he was asked whether the two would make up, he merely shrugged.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
State Dept says current US visas from travel ban countries will not be revoked
The State Department instructed U.S. embassies and consulates on Friday not to revoke visas previously issued to people from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries now under President Donald Trump's new travel ban, which goes into effect next week. In a cable sent to all U.S. diplomatic missions, the department said 'no action should be taken for issued visas which have already left the consular section' and that 'no visas issued prior to the effective date should be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.' However, visa applicants from affected countries whose applications have been approved but have not yet received their visas will be denied, according to the cable, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting on Monday. Still, the cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, suggests there should be no issue for current visa holders from the affected countries entering the United States after the restrictions take effect on June 9 at midnight ET. During Trump's first term, a hastily written executive order ordering the denial of entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries created chaos at numerous airports and other ports of entry, prompting successful legal challenges and major revisions to the policy. The new proclamation, which Trump signed on Wednesday, appears designed to beat any court challenge by focusing on the visa application process. Rubio's cable says the only people who should be denied entry into the U.S. are those currently outside the United States who do not have a valid visa on the effective date. Despite Rubio's cable, physically entering the United States at a port of entry is not controlled by the State Department. It is up to the Department of Homeland Security and the discretion of individual Customs and Border Patrol agents to determine if a visa holder is admitted or turned away. The visa ban applies to people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Other visa restrictions will apply to people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some exceptions apply only for specific countries, like Afghanistan. Others are for most of the countries on the list, or are more general and unclear, like the policies for foreign visitors planning to come to the U.S. for the 2026 Word Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, two of the events Trump has said he is excited to host. Rubio's cable said criteria for the exemptions under a national security waiver would be issued soon.
