A hand holding up a deck of cards, the first card is Indestructible Aura from Magic the Gathering

A Russian private military company with links to Russia's Defense Ministry is withdrawing from Burkina Faso due to Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, French newspaper Le Monde reported on Aug. 29.

According to Le Monde, the 100-strong unit known as the Bears Brigade arrived in the West African nation of Burkina Faso in May to support the junta of Captain Ibrahim Traore, who came to power in a coup in September 2022.

Traore visited Russia in July 2023 for a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attended Russian Navy Day celebrations.

Around 300 Russian troops are estimated to be deployed in Burkina Faso, Le Monde said.

Le Monde contacted the commander of the Bears Brigade, Viktor Yermolaev, via Telegram, on Aug. 22, after Ukraine launched its incursion into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 10.

"When the enemy arrives on our Russian territory, all Russian soldiers forget about internal problems and unite against a common enemy," Yermolaev told Le Monde.

The Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine has opened a 24/7 hotline for the residents of Russia’s Kursk Oblast who need humanitarian aid or want to evacuate to Ukraine.

Source: Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine

Quote: "Due to the possible deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the adjacent territories of Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation, Ukraine should be prepared to accept Russian refugees.

Therefore, Ukraine’s Ministry of Reintegration opened a 24/7 hotline for the residents of Kursk Oblast who need humanitarian aid or want to evacuate to Ukraine.

Ukraine adheres to all the norms of international law. We will provide the civilians of Kursk Oblast with necessary protection and humanitarian support."

Scientists have discovered a reservoir of liquid water on Mars - deep in the rocky outer crust of the planet.

The findings come from a new analysis of data from Nasa’s Mars Insight Lander, which touched down on the planet back in 2018.

The lander carried a seismometer, which recorded four years' of vibrations - Mars quakes - from deep inside the Red Planet.

Analysing those quakes - and exactly how the planet moves - revealed "seismic signals" of liquid water.

Scientists have discovered a reservoir of liquid water on Mars - deep in the rocky outer crust of the planet.

The findings come from a new analysis of data from Nasa’s Mars Insight Lander, which touched down on the planet back in 2018.

The lander carried a seismometer, which recorded four years' of vibrations - Mars quakes - from deep inside the Red Planet.

Analysing those quakes - and exactly how the planet moves - revealed "seismic signals" of liquid water.

TUNIS, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Tunisia's electoral commission said on Saturday it had preliminarily accepted only three presidential candidates, including incumbent Kais Saied, amid widespread criticism of what the opposition says are moves to exclude serious contenders.

The commission said it had accepted the candidacies of Saied and Zouhair Magzhaoui, who is seen as close to Saied, and Ayachi Zammel for the Oct. 6 election, while rejecting 14 others.

Zammel is the head of the Azimoun party, and has not previously been regarded as a influential politician.

Prominent politicians, including Mondher Znaidi, Imed Daimi, Abdel Latif Mekki, Karim Gharbi, Safi Said, Kamel Akrout and Nizar Chaari, said the interior ministry refused to provide them with the criminal record details required by the commission as a new condition to run.

They accused the authorities of seeking to return Tunisia to the years of dictatorship and sham elections that were the norm before a revolution in 2011.