LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Mali is facing its most serious security crisis in years as al-Qaida-linked militants and separatist rebels join forces to intensify attacks against its military.

The partnership between the JNIM jihadi rebels and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) is the latest twist in a decades-long conflict in what is already the world’s most terrorized region.

It has resulted in some of the largest attacks Malian security forces and their partners have seen in years, analysts say.

The rebels and separatists launched massive simultaneous attacks across the country in April for the first time in a decade. Earlier this month, they partnered to ambush a Malian military convoy, capturing or killing dozens of soldiers, and mounting pressure on the ruling junta.

Fatalities from militant attacks increased by 35% to 3,435 in the first seven months of this year, compared with 2,546 in the same period in 2024, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), an independent conflict monitor.

“The JNIM and FLA see the benefit of working with each other because they function as force multipliers for each other,” said Heni Nsaibia, a senior analyst for West Africa at ACLED.

Both groups, Nsaibia said, have the same goal of “finishing the common enemy,” which they see as being the Malian armed forces and its partner, Russia’s Africa Corps paramilitary group.

The relationship between the groups is “a form of tactical coordination” focusing on military operations, FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told The Associated Press.

He said the groups had agreed that after securing independence of the northern region of Mali the communities would decide what version of sharia is applied.

The latest dimension to the Mali conflict began in 2012 with the northern Tuareg rebellion, which opened the field for jihadis, setting the country and the wider Sahel — a vast strip of semi-arid desert stretching from North Africa to West Africa — on a violent path.

Soldiers took over Mali’s civilian government in 2020, citing the security crisis, setting off a series of coups across the Sahel, which is considered the deadliest region in the world with a record of up to half of all terror-related deaths globally, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.

The period of military rule has fared worse than previous civilian governments, analysts say, with armed groups increasing their footprint across the country and the Sahel.

Here is a guide to the groups fighting in Mali and their goals:

The group is led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, a veteran of the Tuareg rebel group and a former Malian diplomat. It operates across much of Mali in the north, south, west and central axis. Last year, it imposed a blockade on fuel imports into the country, disrupting fuel supplies to the capital Bamako to date.

JNIM is also active in neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, and has been expanding its presence to coastal West Africa.

Analysts say JNIM has forced the Malian military to disperse across wider territories, stretching its operational capacity on multiple fronts. Recently, it has been presenting itself as an alternative legitimate authority to the government.

“JNIM has progressively expanded its influence, becoming an increasingly unavoidable interlocutor for some local communities and exercising de facto authority in certain areas where state institutions have only a limited presence,” said Beatrice Bianchi, an adviser for the Sahel-Sahara Security Strategies Centre.

Azawad Liberation Front (FLA)

The FLA, which was formed in 2024, is fighting for the independence of northern Mali. It is the latest iteration of the complex formations of several Tuareg separatist rebel groups that have emerged in the north.

Its roots date back to the 1960s following Mali’s independence from France, when it claimed that the central government marginalized the northern region politically and economically.

In April 2012, a coalition of Tuareg rebel groups under the Coordination of Azawad Movements declared independence and sparked a rebellion alongside Islamic militants.

A 2015 accord signed in Algeria between the Malian government and the rebels led to a cessation of fighting between the group and government forces. In 2024, however, the Malian junta exited the accords as tensions flared between the junta and the rebels, leading to renewed hostilities.

Several officials of multiple rebel groups then came together to form the FLA.

Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP)

The Sahel-based arm of the Islamic State group, the ISSP was formed by defectors from al-Mourabitoun, one of the four al-Qaida affiliates that came together to form the JNIM.

In Mali, it is considerably less prominent compared to JNIM, and most of its operations are in the Menaka region, which borders Niger.

The Islamic State group acknowledged the ISSP’s allegiance in 2022. Unlike JNIM, which tries to present itself as a better alternative to the government, ISSP’s stated goal is to build an Islamic caliphate in the region, and it’s considered more coercive in its relationship with civilians.

“Both organizations are responsible for significant violence against civilians, but JNIM has generally sought to combine coercion with efforts to build local acceptance, while the Islamic State has relied more heavily on overt violence and intimidation,” Bianchi said.

Both groups are also often at loggerheads as they violently compete for territories and differ on jihadi philosophies, reflecting the global rivalry between al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

Africa Corps

The Africa Corps is a Russian paramilitary group that succeeded the disbanded Wagner Group. After coming into power, the Malian military junta expelled French forces from the country in 2022, citing protection of national sovereignty and a worsening security crisis.

Mali then turned away from its traditional Western partners to Russia — first to the Wagner Group, a private organization that acted as Russia’s diplomatic proxy.

Russia has since replaced Wagner with the Africa Corps, answerable to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Africa Corps fights alongside the Malian army and has been accused of gross human rights violations.

Other pro-government forces

Other smaller ethnic auxiliary groups support the government.

They include the Dozo militias, former hunters that have become militarized, and some Tuareg groups, such as the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA) and the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), in the Menaka region.

The support can also be fluid. Dan Na Ambassagou, a militia group that fights against Fulanis, accusing them of harboring Islamist groups, was once embraced by the government but has now been denounced.

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Whatever Zendaya does, the whole world watches. From her acting career, to her relationship with Tom Holland, to the fashion she wears on red carpets, I know I’m certainly not speaking for myself when I say I am tracking her every move with baited breath.

So naturally, when she showed up on the red carpet for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere with the most stunning face of makeup last night (and her new husband on her arm) social media erupted.

Thankfully, there’s no gate keeping here, and celeb makeup artist Ernesto Casillas spilled the tea on the products he used to create the look.

The good news is, you can create it all at home, thanks to the entire look being done in Charlotte Tilbury products.

If you’re after a full face of makeup that’s just as glam – for a night out, or just for funsies – here are all the products you need to recreate Zendaya’s look.

Prince Harry has not yet taken his children to Balmoral, the private royal estate in Aberdeenshire that he has described as ‘simply paradise’.

He has, however, secretly taken them to a remote Scottish island owned by a hedge fund tycoon.

The Daily Mail understands that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, stayed earlier this month on Tanera Mor.

The private island is said to have inspired The Wicker Man, the cult 1973 film starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland.

Harry is thought to have previously visited the island, which was bought for £1.7million in 2017 by billionaire Ian Wace, co-founder of hedge fund giant Marshall Wace.

When Wace, 63, bought Tanera Mor, the largest of the Summer Isles, it had a population of just five, who were outnumbered by crofters’ cottages in various stages of dereliction. 

But the 800-acre island has since been transformed by Wace, who has poured £100million into it, planting 100,000 trees, restoring a dozen properties and laying three miles of roads.

He has also revived skills such as beekeeping. But perhaps the aspect which would have most appealed to Harry is that, by last year, more than half of the 1,000 guests Tanera had hosted were from the Taigh Mor Foundation.

Pictured: Ian Wace with his partner Saffron Aldridge. The island was bought for £1.7million in 2017 by billionaire Wace, co-founder of hedge fund giant Marshall Wace

Harry is thought to have previously visited the island, which as since been transformed by Wace, who has poured £100million into it, planting 100,000 trees, restoring a dozen properties and laying three miles of roads 

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It’s a charity which strives to bolster the wellbeing of those serving in the armed forces or emergency services. 

During their time on the isle, they restore buildings, harvest seaweed, fish for mackerel or work in the kitchens or gardens.

A noted philanthropist, Wace has been friendly with Harry and his brother, Prince William, for years. 

Wace’s then wife, former model Saffron Aldridge, 57, bonded with Meghan, 44, after the US actress moved to Britain to live with Harry. 

In 2019, the year after Meghan married the prince, Saffron and Wace joined the couple for a Cirque du Soleil performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Meghan, it was reported at the time, appreciated that Saffron was ‘a straight talker’. The women’s mutual interest in fashion also helped. 

Wace and Saffron split in 2023 and have since divorced but remain friends.

The Sussexes are believed to have travelled to Scotland from Northamptonshire, where they stayed with Earl and Countess Spencer at his ancestral home, Althorp. 

While there, they laid flowers at the grave of Harry’s mother, Diana. During the family’s trip to Britain, they also had tea with Harry’s father, King Charles, and stepmother, Queen Camilla, at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said: ‘This is not something we would comment on.’

A spokesman for Wace also declined to comment.

On the 60th anniversary of England’s World Cup win, John Shiels is on the forecourt at Old Trafford talking about why he is riding up and down the country at the age of 67, visiting all 92 Football League clubs, to raise money for a charity started by one of the heroes of ’66.

Shiels is a Nottingham-born lad who moved to Manchester at the age of 18 and never left. Until June, he was the chief executive of the Manchester United Foundation, a position he had held for 16 years and one that matched his passion for football with his passion for helping the community.

He retired from that job on June 10, and on June 11 he set off on his mission to visit every EFL club, raising the profile of the community work they do, and raising funds for the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation.

James Finlay, 38, from Redcar, was sentenced to four years in prison at Teesside Crown Court for sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity today (July 30).

The court heard Finlay simulated sexual intercourse against the child over her clothing.

James Findlay from Redcar. (Image: CLEVELAND POLICE)

He was found guilty by a jury following a trial.

Detective Constable Bonnie Dowson, from Cleveland Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People unit, said: “Finlay abused his position and took advantage of a child that understandably left her distressed.

“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge how swiftly the girl informed an adult on what had taken place and the ongoing courage and bravery she has shown to report it to police and see it through the criminal justice system.

“While no sentence will ever undo the harm Finlay caused, I hope it can provide a sense of justice and an opportunity to begin moving forward with the help and support available.”

Cleveland Police have encouraged anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to come forward.

The force said victims of sexual assault, rape or sexual abuse can contact police on 101, or dial 999 in emergencies.

Alternatively, reports can be made anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Victims can also seek help from Teesside Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) without involving police.

The centre offers 24-hour crisis intervention and support and can be reached on 0330 223 0099.

SARC can also refer individuals to specialist services including Barnardo’s and Arch.

The findings are part of Manchester Airport’s Holiday Mode: Activated campaign, which identifies four unique personality types according to how people spend time at the airport before boarding.

After the Airport Dad, the second most common personality is the “Switch-Off Specialist”, the traveller who looks for a quiet spot to relax or people-watch. That’s followed by the “Terminal Foodie”, who says every holiday should start with a meal or drink, and the “Shopaholic”, who browses airport shops before take-off.

More than four in ten Brits see themselves as the Airport Dad, according to a new study by Manchester Airport. (Image: Manchester Airport)

The research suggests airports, with their wide variety of food, drink and shopping options, such as Great Northern Market, Joe & the Juice, Rituals, Boutique Mall and LEGO at Manchester Airport, have become much more than simply somewhere to catch a flight.

More than one in ten people (13%) say their holiday begins the moment they arrive at the airport, while almost a quarter (24%) enjoy food or drink during the hour before boarding. Separately, 14% say shopping forms part of their ideal pre-flight routine.

The poll of 2,000 Brits also found that 42% typically arrive at least three hours before departure, filling their time by people-watching 23%, relaxing with a coffee 22% or browsing shops and World Duty Free 22%.

Manchester Airport’s campaign centres around this, encouraging Brits to switch into holiday mode from the moment they step into the airport, rather than when travellers land at their destination.

Travellers can discover which airport personality type they are thanks to a new interactive Airport Personality Quiz from Manchester Airport. The quiz matches travellers to one of the four personalities while showcasing the variety of places to eat, shop and relax across the airport.

The new departure lounge at Terminal 2 has more than doubled in size since its £1.3 billion transformation. It features six kitchens at Great Northern Market food hall, a premium boutique mall and an airport-first Fever-Tree cocktail and champagne bar, alongside stores like LEGO and Pandora.

To celebrate summer 2026, passengers can also enter a competition to win prizes tailored to their airport personality, ranging from shopping and dining experiences to a dream holiday.

Richard Jackson, Retail Director at Manchester Airport, said: “Everyone experiences the airport in their own unique way. Some people are counting down to boarding from the minute they arrive, while others get straight into holiday mode with a meal or shopping.

“Our new Airport Personality Quiz celebrates those different travel personalities while highlighting just how much there is to enjoy before take-off.

“Whether you’re an Airport Dad, a Terminal Foodie, a Shopaholic or someone who simply likes to switch off, there’s something for everyone at Manchester Airport.”

For more information, please visit the website here: https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/airport-facilities/shopping/

https://hosted.pushplanet.com/MAN/AIRPORT-PERSONALITY-COMPETITION

THE FOUR AIRPORT PERSONALITIES:

Airport Dad

• 52% constantly check departure boards
• 42% arrive at least three hours early
• 35% keep everyone’s passports together.

Switch-Off Specialist

• 41% enjoy people-watching
• 39% take everything at their own pace
• 15% immediately put on headphones and relax

Terminal Foodie

• 39% treat themselves to food or drink
• 35% browse restaurants before boarding
• 13% say the celebrations start with cocktails or a meal

Shopaholic

• 36% browse even without needing anything
• 20% buy gifts or treats
• 16% head straight for World Duty Free

Donald Trump has struck a ‘historic deal’ that includes the ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas in Gaza in an effort to end terror attacks on Israel.

Trump said the agreement made by the Board of Peace was part of his 20-point plan to bring peace to the Middle East. Hamas confirmed to the BBC that they have agreed to the deal.

In a Truth Social post Thursday night, Trump celebrated what he called a ‘monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY’ in the region. 

‘This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,’ he said. 

Trump added: ‘At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.’

The President said the agreement will be put into place ‘in carefully structured phases’ that will eventually lead to Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza. 

An International Stabilization Force and new Palestinian police force will work together to keep Gaza ‘safe for its residents and neighbors.’ 

The President said the agreement will be put into place ‘in carefully structured phases’ that will eventually lead to Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza

Trump thanked mediators on behalf of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey ‘for their important efforts’ alongside his own team. 

‘One year ago there was a violent raging war, humanitarian crisis and hostages kept in brutal captivity. We have made historic progress and there is still much work to do,’ he said.

‘CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERYBODY SAID COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED!’ 

Trump has been meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past week. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the prime minister for comment. 

In the four-page ‘roadmap’ for the deal, US officials said that both Hamas and Israel will remain at the same phase until both have reached its stated goals.

Smaller Hamas groups in Gaza will be taken apart to start before they get rid of their tunnel infrastructure.

Once the roadmap is complete, a new version of the Palestinian authority will control all weapons in Gaza. 

Earlier this month, Hamas dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of the deal.

Last October, Trump outlined the plan to end the war spurred on by the October 7, 2023 terror attack by Hamas. 

The US President pledged not only an ‘immediate end to the war’ in the Strip but ‘the whole deal’ to stop conflict that has ravaged the entire region for ‘thousands of years’.

Trump has been meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past week

Palestinians Hamas militants wave their group’s flag as they celebrate on the roof of a destroyed synagogue of the former Jewish settlement of Netzarim, in the Gaza Strip

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The plan states that on agreement by both sides, ‘the war will immediately end’ with Israeli withdrawals timed to release of the last hostages held by Hamas. During that initial period, there would be a ceasefire.

Existing ‘battle lines’ would be frozen in place and Hamas would lay down its arms with the terror group’s offensive weaponry being destroyed. 

While ‘full aid’ would be immediately sent to the Gaza Strip. 

Key points include the deployment of a ‘temporary international stabilization force’ and creation of a transitional authority headed by Trump.

The deal would demand Hamas militants fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government. However, those who agreed to ‘peaceful co-existence’ would be given amnesty.

Following Israeli withdrawal, the borders would be opened to aid and investment. 

In a crucial change from Trump’s earlier apparent goals, Palestinians will not be forced to leave and instead, the document said, ‘we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.’

Police would be ‘nationally recruited’ and ‘professionally vetted’ and be tasked with maintaining public order, investigating crimes and protecting civilians within Gaza.

Smoke from an explosion can be seen after an Israeli attack on July 28, 2026

Smoke rises during an Israeli military bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip on November 15, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas

Meanwhile the ISF – a multinational force – would guard borders, stop weapons smuggling, deter militant resurgence with targeted counter terror raids, and protect reconstruction projects. 

The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 73,098 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. 

It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

Israeli strikes have lessened considerably since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, but they continue almost daily. 

Israel’s military says it targets Hamas and other militants, often asserting they were planning attacks. The strikes have also killed many civilians.

Summit meetings on the fringes of funerals, diplomacy after death as the British political scientist Geoff Berridge put it, have a long and useful tradition. Not only can such working funerals force a meeting at a time that would not otherwise have happened, but they can remind those assembled of the transience of life, physical as well as political, and the urgency of now.

And so it was with the funeral of Senator Lyndsey Graham at Washington National Cathedral. The marking of his death provided the background to carefully choreographed visits to the White House for Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Each visitor, ostensibly in Washington for Graham’s memorial service, was granted 90 minutes in sequential closed-door meetings with Trump and his advisers. All sides later conveyed that the meetings were, in the words of White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, “positive and productive”.

Tale of two meetings

First up was Zelensky. For the Ukrainian president, this is not the first instance of funeral diplomacy with his US counterpart. The two presidents’ meeting at the Vatican in April 2025 for the funeral of Pope Francis provided the opportunity to put their relationship on to a more constructive footing just two months after their infamous clash at the White House.

Far from not having “the cards”, as Trump exclaimed in February 2025, Zelensky arrived at the White House this week in a much stronger position. Ukraine has demonstrated its capacity to strike deep into the Russian heartland causing substantial economic and military damage to the Kremlin’s war machine.

Ukraine is also an increasingly a high value tech partner in drone technology to the US and its allies in the Gulf and Europe.

Zelensky also stressed Ukraine’s usefulness as an intelligence partner to Washington. He reported he had supplied evidence to suggest that Russia has provided Iran with targeting information on US bases in the Middle East. While Trump himself tends to dismiss such allegations, posting recently on his TruthSocial platform that he doesn’t believe either Russia or China are assisting Iran, they almost certainly helped Zelensky in his subsequent meetings on Capitol Hill.

In a rare demonstration of bipartisan consensus, the Senate – in an 86-12 procedural vote – moved forward a sanctions package against countries who continue to trade with Russia and Iran. This was billed as a tribute to Graham, who – together with his Democrat senate colleague Richard Blumenthal – had conducted long and protracted negotiations to obtain approval from the White House.

Trump’s support for the sanctions package is another indication that his calculations on the Russian war against Ukraine are beginning to shift. The US president also repeated his commitments to allowing the manufacture of Patriot missiles in Ukraine and to advocating for the resurrection of the stalled peace talks between the US and Russia.

While Zelensky’s star is, for now at least, clearly on the rise in Washington, Netanyahu arrived for his meeting with Trump in a more precarious position. With Israel heading into crucial parliamentary elections in October, Netanyahu has most to gain domestically from being seen close to Trump.

Their meeting covered several issues where the two leaders’ views differ – from how to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon to US sales of F35 fighter jets to Turkey. No details emerged of any tangible agreements. Netanyahu was nonetheless full of praise, characterising the meeting as: “It was one of the best conversations I’ve had with our friend, US President Trump.”

While mainly aimed at his electorate back home, these hyperbolic statements from the Israeli prime minister were also designed to signal to Iran that Netanyahu still has influence in the White House and that the Iranian nuclear issue has not been abandoned in the new focus on the Strait of Hormuz.

How much influence, however, is debatable. Trump seems undecided, and above all unsure, on how to moved forward on Iran – oscillating between escalation and diplomacy.

À lire aussi :
Is Netanyahu’s star waning in Washington? His latest meeting with Trump suggests it may be

US impotence

As the two wars in Iran and Ukraine are becoming more and more connected, the capacity of the White House to manage them is limited at best.

Critical weapons shortages due to US commitments in the war against Iran are putting Ukraine’s air defences at risk. Russia is emerging as an enabler of Iranian strikes against US bases in the Middle East. Ukrainian strikes on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea target a vital supply chain between Moscow and Tehran.

And these are just some of the links between two conflict theatres that are individually growing in complexity. Yet, Trump still uses the same over-extended and under-qualified duo of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to lead US mediation efforts in both.

The best that the US president, therefore, could have hoped for as a result of his back-to-back meetings with Zelensky and Netanyahu was reminding them and everyone else of how the pivotal role of his administration in both wars continues to be. What Trump achieved instead was to highlight that the White House remains unable to bring either, let alone both, wars to a satisfactory conclusion on terms acceptable to Washington and its allies.

Under Trump, it seems, that funeral diplomacy is less about diplomacy after death than the death of diplomacy.

It is alleged that a teenage boy was assaulted in a park

A teenage boy has been sexually assaulted in a park. Lincolnshire Police were called to the Snowden Pavilion Park area, near Six Acre Lane in Crowland, near Peterborough, at around 12.51pm on Tuesday, July 28.

It is alleged that a teenage boy was seriously sexually assaulted by a man. The suspect is described as “being of slim build, believed to be of mixed race, and wearing a grey tracksuit consisting of a hooded top and jogging bottoms, a black cap, a black face covering over his mouth and nose, and black gloves”.

The incident is believed to have taken place between 12.15pm and 12.45pm. The teenage boy is being looked after by specialist trained officers.

Detectives are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the facts of the incident and the identity of the suspect.

Detective Chief Inspector Marc Horsewood, who is leading this investigation said: “We have been working around the clock to identify the person responsible. Multiple lines of inquiry are well underway, and we are now asking for the public’s help.

“If you were in the area at the time, no matter how insignificant you think the information may be, please get in touch. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have captured images, dashcam footage, doorbell camera footage, or any other recordings that could assist our inquiries.

“We understand this incident will cause great concern within the community. Please be reassured that this investigation is being treated with the utmost seriousness and significant resources are being dedicated to identify, locate and arrest the suspect.

“Members of the public will see an increased police presence while the investigation continues.”

Anyone with information should call Lincolnshire Police on 101 or report it online and quote incident 254 of July 28.