Niger's security forces battle mutinuous soldiers at a strategic base, presidency district

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — A group of soldiers in Niger rebelled against officers at a key military base and fired at sensitive locations in the capital, Niamey, in an apparent mutiny marked by gunfire and explosions, authorities said Saturday, in what was seen as a major threat to the country's struggling junta.

Sustained gunfire and explosions were heard overnight into Saturday in the city, including at the main airport that houses the military air base, known as Base 101, and in the Plateau administrative district, where the presidential palace and key institutions are located.

It's the latest threat to Niger's military junta under Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power following a 2023 coup. The West African country has since then severed ties with longtime Western security partners and turned to Russia. It has continued, however, to face attacks from jihadi rebels and worsening economic hardship after aid cuts.

Niger’s Defense Minister Gen. Salifou Mody said some soldiers took some officers hostage at the base and shot at “sensitive sites” in a “break with the discipline and military regulations.”

The prompt reaction of the Defense and Security Forces made it possible to intervene "and gradually regain control of these sites," Mody said.

It was not immediately clear if the situation was under control.

Security forces were deployed around the airport and in the Plateau district while a major road leading to Niamey was closed. Many residents remained indoors over safety concerns.

It is the third time this year that the base at the Diori Hamani International Airport has been attacked, after two earlier assaults by jihadi rebels.

State broadcaster RTN stopped its live transmission for some time on Saturday morning, but later resumed its broadcast.

The ruling military council, known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, called for unity. “Our Defense and Security Forces are mobilized for the Defense of the Fatherland. Let us remain united, vigilant and supportive,” it said in a Facebook post.

Bana Wagana Ibrahim, a local lawmaker, called Saturday's incident a “cowardly attack” and said the situation has been brought under control.

The airport is a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the joint Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali military force.

The mutiny adds to pressure on the military authorities, which have struggled to contain deadly jihadi violence. The violence has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including Niger's neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, which are also run by military juntas.

It comes amid recent military takeovers in Africa’s Sahel, the vast, arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert that has become a global hot spot for extremist violence. Before the 2023 coup, Niger had been the West’s last reliable partner in the region in battling jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

FILE - A view of a street in Niamey, Niger, Wednesday, July. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Hama, FIle)

FILE - Motorcyclists ride by the entrance of the airport in Niamey, Niger, Aug. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

LONDON (AP) — Defending world champion Lando Norris has extended his contract with McLaren until at least the end of 2030, the F1 team said Saturday.

McLaren said the new deal features “a multi-year option to commit beyond that date.”

Financial terms were not announced. The Press Association news agency said the British driver's new contract could be worth up to $35 million a year.

The 26-year-old Norris secured McLaren’s first drivers’ title last year since Lewis Hamilton won his first championship in 2008.

“McLaren is my home, and I’m very pleased to be signing a new contract to keep me with the team until at least 2030," Norris said.

“When I started this journey nine years ago, I was clear about the goals I wanted to achieve: to get McLaren back to the front and to win championships. We’ve achieved that goal, but we want more; we want to keep on winning, and we know as a team that we’re capable of achieving it.”

The announcement came just over a week after his rival for the last two titles, Max Verstappen, similarly committed to 2030 with Red Bull.

These are very long contracts by F1 standards. Racing with McLaren into 2030 would mark 12 seasons for Norris with the team since his debut in 2019. That would match the current F1 record of Lewis Hamilton’s 12 seasons with Mercedes for the most by a driver with the same team, though Verstappen’s contract puts him on course to break that.

Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23 after his victory in Hungary before the midseason break. He is currently fourth in the standings, trailing leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes by 83 points. Ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, the back-to-back wins reignited talk of a successful title defense but Norris said he doesn’t yet have a car capable of vying for the championship.

“I know I’ve just won two races in a row and had two poles in a row, but at the minute I don’t have the car I need to fight for a championship,” Norris said. He added that the right changes to target McLaren’s troubles in slow-speed corners could set him up to chase down Antonelli.

Norris has raced in 163 Grands Prix for McLaren, more than any other driver in the team's history, securing 18 pole positions, 48 podiums, and 13 wins.

“He is an exceptional driver, someone who combines outstanding natural speed with maturity, consistency and a strong commitment to McLaren, but above all, he is a special human being who is valued by everyone in the team,” said Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal.

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McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain holds the trophy after winning the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort , Netherlands, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)