International News
Benin Republic Orders Probe After Violence Kills 15 In North
President Patrice Talon has ordered an investigation into military operations after deadly violence by “criminals” in northern Benin killed around 15 people, a government spokesman said.
Benin officials rarely give details about attacks in the north, where Benin like other Gulf of Guinea nations faces the growing threat of spillover from jihadist conflicts across the border in Burkina Faso.
Smuggling gangs and traffickers also operate along the border area.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, government spokesman Wilfried Houngbedji did not describe any attack or blame any group, but offered condolences to “bereaved families” in the “tragedy”.
In a text message to AFP, he later confirmed “around 15 deaths.”
“When these criminals try to establish themselves and do not succeed because there is a response (…) from the defense and security forces, they work to demoralize the local population, by carrying out reprisal operations of this nature,” he told reporters.
They want to “shock people and make them believe that the security response is not up to the task, and that they can only be saved by rallying to their cause”, he said.
He said the presidency had ordered an investigation, saying the “tragedy” was avoidable and that there had been a problem in the chain of military operations.
His comments were the first government reaction to what local residents said was an attack earlier this week in the Kerou area. Seven people had their throats slit while others were still missing, residents told AFP.
A police source said attackers had also killed three more people in the Banikoara area in northern Benin a day later, though officials have made no official comment about that incident.
Benin forces say they have faced around 20 incursions from across the border since 2021. Neighbouring Togo has also suffered attacks on its northern frontier area.
In a rare acknowledgement, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe last month said 40 soldiers and 100 civilians have been killed in what he described as jihadist “war” in northern Togo.
Ghana last month also sent 1,000 more troops and police to the northern area of Bawku to reinforce security after gunmen killed an immigration officer and wounded two others near the border with Burkina Faso.
Bawku, in Ghana’s Upper East region, faces a simmering ethnic dispute that often flares into violence, as well as spillover risk from the neighbouring jihadist conflict.
With Islamist militants controlling large parts of Burkina Faso, the United States and other Western partners are looking to help Ghana, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast strengthen their defences.
Ghana is also pushing the so-called Accra Initiative to bolster security cooperation and intelligence sharing among Gulf of Guinea neighbours and Sahel countries.
A French troop withdrawal from Mali in the face of hostility and disputes with the ruling junta has refocused Western partners to aid coastal West African nations battle the Sahel conflict’s southward shift.
AFP
The FIFA World Cup group stage has concluded, with the Netherlands securing first place in Group F and Japan finishing second. According to the knockout stage bracket, the top two teams from Group F will face the top two teams from Group E.
Two more Round of 32 matchups have been confirmed: Brazil vs. Japan and Netherlands vs. Morocco. The first Round of 16 matchup was announced yesterday, featuring South Africa vs. Canada.
Julian Nagelsmann defended question marks surrounding Germany’s commitment during their defeat by Ecuador, telling journalists: “Please stop the nonsense!”
Germany, already guaranteed top spot in Group E, were beaten 2-1 in their final group outing, as their opponents came from behind to snatch all three points at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Nagelsmann’s side saw their 11-match winning streak brought to an end, while they have now failed to register a clean sheet in any of their last nine games at the finals, equalling their longest streak along with their opening nine matches across 1934 and 1954.
And since the start of the 1998 World Cup, this was just the second time Germany had lost a game at the tournament in which they opened the scoring (W25 D2) following a 1-2 loss to Japan in 2022.
While not impressed by his players’ performance, he was quick to reject claims it was due to a lack of commitment, with their place in the knockout phase already secured.
“Please stop the nonsense, honestly!” Nagelsmann told reporters. “Didn’t the boys want to go full throttle?
“Of course, we made different changes than we might have done in moments when we urgently needed another goal.
“But we can’t tell any player that he didn’t step on the gas, that’s far too striking for me.
“We have to learn that after a good start and an early lead, we can play with more composure, instead of suddenly switching positions too much. We just need to be more patient and stay a bit more structured in our positions.
“We deliberately made a lot of changes. You could see that we also had a few tired legs. You can’t blame anyone for the fact that everything is a little slower and takes longer. We trust every player in the squad, and have to give the players the chance to show that.”
Coincidentally, it was in New York that Germany crashed out of the 1994 World Cup after surrendering a lead, losing 2-1 in the quarter-finals against Bulgaria at the Giants Stadium.
Joshua Kimmich, who won his 113th cap to move to joint-eighth with Philipp Lahm on his nation’s all-time list, conceded the four-time world champions were worthy losers against Ecuador.
“We started well, but then we gave the ball away too cheaply and kept inviting them on,” he added.
“We made it easy for them and let them grow into the game. In the second half, the defeat was deserved.”
Relegated Burnley and West Ham will meet on the opening weekend of the Championship season on Sunday, 16 August.
The Clarets finished 19th in the top flight last season and will host the Hammers, who went down on the final day.
Fellow relegated side Wolves will play the league’s curtain-raiser against Blackburn at Molineux on Friday, 14 August.
Elsewhere, Southampton, who will start the season on minus four points after the Spygate scandal, travel to Watford on the opening weekend and promoted Cardiff welcome Welsh rivals Wrexham on Monday, 17 August.
League One champions Lincoln start the season at beaten play-off finalists Middlesbrough on Saturday, 15 August and third tier play-off final winners Bolton begin the campaign with a home game against Preston on the same day.
The Championship season starts a week after clubs play their first competitive fixture in the first round of the Carabao Cup and one week before the Premier League gets under way.
Burnley, West Ham and Wolves will all be looking to secure Premier League promotions at the first time of asking.
The Clarets have now been relegated from or promoted to the top flight in each of the past four seasons.
However, now less than two months out from the start of the season they remain without a manager following the departure of Scott Parker in May.
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has remained despite them dropping out of the top flight after 14 seasons.
The Portuguese led Wolves to the Championship title in his one previous season managing at this level in 2017-18.
Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League in 2025-26 and sacked boss Rob Edwards earlier this month to bring in Cesar Peixoto.
They have bolstered their squad with former England defender Kieran Trippier and returning Mexico striker Raul Jimenez.
However, all three will be aware that in both of the past two seasons a team relegated from the top tier has suffered a second successive demotion to League One.
Former Premier League champions Leicester City went the same way as Luton Town had in 2024-25.
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