Gabon military declares ‘end of current regime’ – AFP

French journalists have reported the sound of gunfire in the capital, Libreville

A group of uniformed Gabonese soldiers have appeared on national television to announce the dissolution of all state institutions and the cancellation of the country’s disputed elections, after longtime leader Ali Bongo was declared the winner of last week’s presidential race.

The soldiers delivered a live address early on Wednesday morning, stating they would “defend peace by putting an end to the current regime” while claiming to speak on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions,” AFP news agency reported.

A spokesman for the group denounced the “irresponsible, unpredictable governance” of President Ali Bongo, claiming his 14 years in office had resulted in a “deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos.”

Following the address, journalists with AFP also reported the sound of gunfire in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, though it is unclear whether clashes were underway.

According to the Gabonese Elections Centre, Bongo won the recent presidential election with just over 64% of the vote, beating his top rival Albert Ondo Ossa by a wide margin in a single-round ballot.

Bongo first took power in 2009, and faced another military coup attempt in 2019, when armed military officers took hostages and announced the creation of a similar “National Restoration Council” to “restore democracy in Gabon.” The mutiny was quickly put down and resulted in few casualties, however.

The Central African nation of Gabon, with a population of 2.3 million, shares borders with Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea. It was a colony of France before gaining independence in 1960.

A military coup occurred in another former French colony, Niger, in late July. The situation in the West African state remains tense, with the regional ECOWAS bloc considering a Paris-backed intervention to reinstate the deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum. Mali and Burkina Faso – where the militaries also took power in recent years – have vowed to defend Niger’s new government from outside forces.

https://www.rt.com/africa/582068-gabon-military-regime-elections/

Russian air defenses repel coordinated drone raids – MOD

Ukrainian UAVs were downed over Russia’s Bryansk, Orel, Kaluga, Ryazan and Moscow regions

Around 2am, another drone was detected and downed over Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, the Defense Ministry added in another statement.

At 2:30am a plane-type unmanned aerial vehicle was downed in Ryazan region.

At about 3:30am, another Ukrainian UAV was intercepted and crashed over the territory of the Moscow region. The hostile UAV was downed while heading towards the Russian capital, Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said, adding that it caused no damage or injuries on the ground.

At 4am yet another UAV was downed over Ryazan region, according to the Defense Ministry.

At 8:30am, Bryansk Region governor Aleksander Bogomaz reported another incident, saying that two drones tried targeting a TV tower in the city of Bryansk. Both aircraft were shot down by air defenses, he wrote on Telegram, adding that the fires at their crash sites have already been extinguished.

Earlier, the Russian aviation authority had announced the emergency closure of airspace over the Tula, Ryazan, Kaluga and parts of Moscow Region, following explosions at an airfield in northwestern Russia.

https://www.rt.com/russia/582062-bryansk-oryol-drone-raids/

Republican Ramaswamy doubles back on US military aid to Israel

After urging the US to cut aid to Israel last week,Ramaswamy told an Israeli paper that he wouldn't cut the aid if elected.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will consider enlarging US military aid to Israel if elected, he told Israel Hayom on Wednesday after he previously said that the aid should be cut.

He told Israel Hayom that US military aid to Israel is actually beneficial for both nations.

"The reality is that the three billion in aid that we give to Israel is a tiny drop in the bucket for the US military budget," he said. "A lot of that work is done here in the United States of America. It's actually accretive to the US and our interests. And so, in a certain way, it would be silly for us to want to skimp or cut that when in fact, it's not just in Israel's interest, but that's in our own interest, even nationally, in building our industrial base."

"It's actually accretive to the US and our interests."

Vivek Ramaswamy

He added that the US won't cut the aid until Israel says it doesn't need it anymore.

Ramaswamy urged the US to cut the aid last week

The Republican candidate sparred with fellow candidate Nikki Haley in a debate last week over the issue of aid. At the time, Ramaswamy said it was important to cut the aid because the relations between Israel and the US weren't a "business relationship" but a friendship.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-756793