The United States and its Western allies are faced with a difficult conundrum as they navigate potential responses to the military takeover in Niger if democratic rule is not restored.

China’s economic recovery is losing a step after an initial burst in consumer and business activity early in

Former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr gave a devastating analysis of the indictment against Donald Trump, his former boss, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Mr Barr said that if even half of what is alleged in the 49-page, 37-count document is true, then the former president is “toast”. Host Shannon Bream asked the former attorney general about the argument from Trump loyalists that the case should have been handled under the Presidential Records Act and not under the Espionage Act. Mr Barr explained that this all began under the Presidential Records Act with the National Archives trying to retrieve the documents that Mr Trump had no right to have. However, it quickly became apparent that the government was particularly worried about how sensitive the classified documents were. He continued by saying that their sensitivity and how many there were shocked him, and that because Mr Trump had wilfully retained those materials that made the counts under the Espionage Act “solid”. “If even half of it is true, he is toast,” the former attorney general told Bream. “I mean, it’s a very detailed indictment, and it’s very, very damning.” Mr Barr also demolished claims that Mr Trump is some kind of victim being politically persecuted in a Democrat-led witch hunt. “This idea of presenting Trump as a victim here or a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous,” he said. “Yes, he’s been a victim in the past. His adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims. And I’ve been at his side defending against them when he is a victim. But this is much different. He’s not a victim here.” Mr Barr continued: “He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents. Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has. They have to be in the custody of the archivist. He had no right to maintain them and retain them.” The former attorney general then reminded viewers of his history of sticking up for Mr Trump despite the current hostility the former president now has for him. “He’s been angry with me for a while,” Mr Barr told Bream. “But you know, I defended the president on Russiagate. I stood up and called out Alvin Bragg’s politicised hit job. And I have spoken out for 30 years about the abuse of the criminal justice process to influence politics.” He continued: “But this is simply not true. In this particular episode of trying to retrieve those documents, the government acted responsibly. And it was Donald Trump who acted irresponsibly.” Mr Barr had previously drawn the former president’s ire by predicting he would face charges over the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. He also described it as a crisis of his own making. Mr Trump lashed out at him for those comments calling him “sloppy” and “weak”. The former attorney general has also warned that Mr Trump getting a second term as president would “deliver chaos” to the country. “If you believe in his policies, what he’s advertising as his policies, he’s the last person that could actually execute them and achieve them,” Mr Barr said at a City Club of Cleveland luncheon in Ohio in early May. Read More Jim Jordan rejects Trump’s statement suggesting Mar-a-Lago papers weren’t declassified Trump-appointed judge will stay on Mar-a-Lago documents case unless she recuses Jonathan Turley tells Fox News the Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’

The Senate has voted to overturn a District of Columbia law enacted last year to improve police accountability, the second time this year that Democrats have joined with Republicans to try and block the district’s crime regulations

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON The lawyers of U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, filed a lawsuit on

The Wisconsin state Assembly has approved a plan to spend more than half a billion dollars to help cover repairs at the Milwaukee Brewers' stadium

When NASA’s Perseverance Rover observed an image from Mars of its moon Phobos eclipsing the Sun, it was a reminder that the astronomical body is doomed to crash into the planet. Phobos is the closest of Mars’ two moons and it is due to fall out of orbit relatively soon. When it does, it will either crash into the surface of the planet or break up completely. Before it does, it will drift ever closer to Mars at a relatively rapid rate. "Phobos is nearing Mars at a rate of six feet (1.8 meters) every hundred years; at that rate, it will either crash into Mars in 50 million years or break up into a ring," NASA says about the moon. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter A statement about the recently recorded eclipse states: "Scientists already know that Phobos is doomed. “The moon is getting closer to the Martian surface and is destined to crash into the planet in tens of millions of years. But eclipse observations from the surface of Mars over the last two decades have also allowed scientists to refine their understanding of Phobos’ slow death spiral." NASA's Perseverance Rover Sees Solar Eclipse on Mars www.youtube.com Mars is the subject of much scientific interest right now, especially after Nasa discovered “diverse organic matter” on the surface of the planet, which could change our understanding of the red planet and the search for life in the universe. The Perseverance rover made the discovery in the Jezero Crater on Mars and a number of different explanations for the existence of the material have been posited. The materials could have been formed when water and dust interacted, or was dropped onto the planet by dust or meteors. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Main Sequence, the venture capital firm founded by Australia’s national science agency, raised A$450 million ($305 million) from

A freight ship carrying thousands of cars that burned for a week on the North Sea has been towed to a Dutch port for salvage

In a rare interview, she discusses new music and the "strange" experience of watching her 3D avatar.

New money for climate damage, but little progress on emissions. A round up of what was agreed in Egypt last year.

Russia will oppose the final declaration at the G20 summit if Moscow’s position on Ukraine is disregarded, said foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, casting doubts on India’s aspirations to make its presidency a success with a joint communique. Mr Lavrov is set to lead the Russian delegation in Delhi for the two-day summit betweeb 9 and 10 September in the absence of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Speaking to the students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Mr Lavrov said India will be forced to issue a non-binding communique in absence of agreement on all points from the G20 member countries. "There will be no general declaration on behalf of all members if our position is not reflected," Mr Lavrov said. The foreign minister said the western countries were eroding international institutions by promoting their own interests and said if the G20 meeting is not able to reach a consensus, the G20 president might consider releasing a chair summary. "Another option is to adopt a document that focuses on specific decisions in the sphere of G20 competences, and let everyone say the rest on their own behalf," he said. The pushback by Russia at the G20 summit in Delhi has thrown India’s hopes to conclude the economic forum with a Delhi Declaration in doubt as the host country was expecting to reach a breakthrough in reaching a consensus in the final meeting of the leaders. The G20 under India’s president risks going down as the first summit to conclude without a joint statement since the forum was created in 1999 if consensus is not reached between members. So far, none of the G20 ministerial or working groups meeting have been able to release a joint statement as representatives from the west on one side and Russia and China from another wrangled over language on the Ukraine conflict. Instead, India has been releasing a chair summary amid disagreement over some points in the final statement. Raising hopes over issuing a joint communique at the G20 summit, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar last week said he was “very confident” India will be able to provide a joint statement due to its unique position. "As a consultative chair, I am confident at the G20 summit, there will be shared interest for a common statement. We will do everything from our side," he told NDTV. In March, the G20 meeting foreign ministers ended without a joint meeting as there were “divergences” on the issue of the war in Ukraine “which we could not reconcile as various parties held differing views”, Mr Jaishankar had said after concluding the meeting. It comes as another blow to India’s presidency amid speculations that Chinese president Xi Jinping will give a miss to the summit after Mr Putin confirmed prime minister Narendra Modi that he will not travel to Delhi. Unconfirmed government sources told Reuters that Premier Li Qiang will fill for Mr Xi over the latest map controversy between the two countries, which are already amidst a bitter border dispute from past three years. China’s foreign minister was unable to confirm Mr Xi’s attendance most recently when asked at a regular press briefing. It would mark the first time that Mr Xi will skip the G20 gathering, a major economic platform, since taking power. Read More India tries to scare off monkeys as it gets Delhi ready for G20 leaders’ arrival India protests China's land claim ahead of the G20 summit President Xi Jinping is expected to attend Xi Jinping set to skip India’s G20 summit in blow to hopes for consensus The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary