Morning brief: Niger Junta open to talks, Modi pays tribute to ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on death anniversary

Niger's junta-appointed PMsaid the nation is ready to communicate with all involved partiesbut asserted the need for it to be independent. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects on the death anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, mentioning that the nation greatly benefited under his leadership.

In other news, the lawyer representing Hunter Biden, who negotiated a plea deal in the Justice Department's extensive five-year investigation into tax and firearm violations, has resigned from the position.

Niger coup: Junta open to talks to resolve regional crisis

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The Niger junta said on Tuesday (August 15) that it was open to talks to resolve the regional crisis caused by the July military coup. "We are in a process of transition. We have explained the ins and outs, reiterated our willingness to remain open and to talk to all parties, but we have insisted on the need for the country to be independent," the military-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine said, following his visit to Chad to meet President Mahamat Deby.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid his tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary. He stated that the nation benefitted greatly from his leadership.

Hunter Biden's lawyer steps down, to testify as witness in DOJ investigation

Hunter Biden's attorney, who negotiated a plea agreement for him in the Justice Department's five-year investigation into tax and gun offences, has stepped down. As per a New York Times report, the attorney has taken the step with the intention to testify as a witness on behalf of President Joe Biden's son.

Musk retracts slowed access to news outlets, but delay not removed for social media rivals

According to a recent report, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has retracted from its previous move of slowing down access to a few of the top news outlets however, the delays in accessing links to other of its social media competing platforms like Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram continues to remain. This alleged deliberate delay, which lasted approximately five seconds upon clicking a link on X, was observed during tests conducted by The Washington Post and Reuters. However, as of late Tuesday, X seemed to have eliminated this delay. Despite confirmation of the removal, there were no comments made by X.

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