For couples with an ultra high net worth, a wedding on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como, in the surrounds of a turreted French château or on a sun-kissed Mexican beach is de rigueur.

But these actors, sports stars and tech billionaires don’t spend their evenings on Google, searching for the perfect location, researching suppliers or scrolling through endless online reviews.

They enlist the world’s top destination wedding planners to make, as planner Jung Lee of Fête New York puts it, “the impossible, possible.”

Take the brief provided by a recent bride-to-be to wedding planner Colin Cowie:

“I want to go somewhere that’s not easy to get to, I want it to be so remote that they’ll never go back there again. And I want it to be extraordinarily memorable.”

For Cowie, this is standard fare. The South African-born New Yorker has made a career of planning parties for the rich and famous – including, in August 2022, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s three-day wedding extravaganza.

For this recent client, Cowie pinpointed Lake Wānaka in New Zealand: gorgeous, peaceful and – for the American wedding party – pretty far-flung.

The whole thing, says Cowie, was “exorbitantly expensive.” The wedding party, the guests and Cowie’s multiperson team flew business class across the world to spend days celebrating in style. Cowie pulled it off without a glitch.

“We were working in the New Zealand landscape, which was just so beautiful, such extraordinary foods, extraordinary wines – an amazing experience,” says Cowie.

A mutual relationship

Wealthy couples planning blowout destination weddings trust their planners with thousands, maybe millions, of dollars – and one of the most special days of their lives.

They pick their planner carefully, but elite wedding planners say they’re equally judicious when choosing the couples with whom they work.

“While you’re interviewing me, I’m interviewing you – it’s a two way street,” says Cowie. “There are people out there that are Bridezillas and Groomzillas. I run for the hills when I see them.”

Josiah Carr of the event planning business Samkoma echoes this. Carr says he and his husband and co-founder Justin McGregor will pay close attention to prospective clients interactions during introductory conversations:

“Just watching a couple communicate about their wedding, we get a good sense of how they treat each other on the call. And that in turn, helps us get a good sense of how they would also treat us,” he says.

Carr planned the much-buzzed about November 2022 wedding of “Twilight” actor Taylor Lautner and his wife – also called Taylor – at a California vineyard. Carr says he and his husband often become close with their clients over the months they spend working together.

“Most of the time after the wedding, we remain very close with those couples, we consider them friends, they consider us friends,” he says.

Having a good relationship with the clients’ families is often equally crucial. “I have more moms on speed dial than I ever thought I would,” says Carr.

It’s part of the wedding planner’s job to smooth over any familial disagreements.

“I tell people all the time that I have not had cable TV in my entire adult life because I have enough reality shows going on between my eight brides and their families,” says Carr. “I don’t need cable to keep myself entertained. It’s definitely an entertaining career for sure.”

“There are people out there that are Bridezillas and Groomzillas. I run for the hills when I see them.”

Colin Cowie, wedding planner

Some couples prefer to work with companies based in their home countries, but others will choose a wedding planner based in the destination where they’re intending to get married.

Wedding planner Giorgia Fantin Borghi thinks being an Italian who is based in Italy is one of her big selling points.

“To be honest with you, many ultra high net worth, ultra rich people are a bit afraid of Italians,” she says, suggesting Americans view Italians as blunt. Fantin Borghi says she’s able to be a bridge between Italian vendors and the English-speaking couples with whom she works.

Once a destination wedding planner and ultra high net worth client relationship is nailed down, a non-disclosure agreement often follows.

Lee – who has planned events for Katy Perry, Ronan Farrow and President Joe Biden – says over half of her jobs involve signing NDAs. Whether or not she’s signed a formal agreement, she and her team are “fiercely protective of our clients.”

“The vendors that we bring on also make sure they do the same,” she adds.

Early conversations between a destination wedding planner and prospective clients will also include discussions of budget – yes, even the richest couples generally set a budget for their nuptials.

“I have very, very wealthy clients,” says Lee. “And I’ve never, ever encountered where somebody was willing to give me a blank check.”

Still, these budgets have the potential to be astronomical. And the more mammoth the budget, the bigger the affair – think more attendees, more days of celebrating, bigger venue.

“Essentially take whatever original wedding budget was for one day, we would just do that four times over the course of four days,” as Carr puts it.

This could take the form of “an over-the-top welcome party, maybe a beautiful romantic candlelit dinner on the first night,” he says. “And then an over-the-top welcome party with live entertainment on the second night, and then their wedding. And then we have a send off brunch on a boat.”

Guests attending swanky destination weddings usually pay for their own airfare, with an understanding that if they can make their way to the venue, they’ll be looked after from there on in.

There are exceptions. Cowie says that “in certain circumstances, the client will say ‘I want to fly everyone, I’m going to charter a big jet.’”

While many destination wedding planners welcome a boundless budget, UK-born, French-based wedding planner Sarah Thomas, of Sarah Thomas Events consciously caps her weddings at 500,000 euros (around $548,000).

Thomas still plans some extremely fancy events – think French château-based weddings inspired by her years working for the British Royal Family. She just felt the need to introduce a limit “after doing a wedding for a trust fund kid.”

“It just broke me,” she says. “And I just said to my partner, ‘I can’t work with these people.’ ”

In-demand destinations

Elite destination wedding planners are not only top notch event planners – skilled in everything from table arranging and floral displays to in-law management – they’re also walking guidebooks of the world’s most beautiful destinations and potential wedding venues.

Sometimes, says Carr, couples will come to his company Samkoma with an idea of where in the world they want to host their nuptials, but just as often they’ll look to him for inspiration.

Carr will ask prospective couples: “Are there certain landscapes that you gravitate most towards? Are you more drawn to the ocean? Are you more drawn to the countryside, the mountains?”

The goal, he says, is “to try and get a sense of what the couple’s looking for geographically.”

“And then from there, a lot of times I’m able to recommend just from my own travels.”

Certain countries – namely Italy and France – remain perennially popular. And within those countries, certain spots are at the top of many couples’ lists.

Fantin Borghi says Lake Como is the premier Italian location, in part, she thinks, due to name recognition. Not only do American couples know the region from movies like “Casino Royale,” celebrity couples like John Legend and Chrissy Teigen famously wed there.

Fantin Borghi suggests Lake Como is also popular because of the plethora of five-star hotels that popped up around the lake in the past couple of decades. If the 1% are coming, they have certain expectations of service and accommodation – in the surroundings of Lake Como, they know they can get it.

Cowie says ensuring a venue is able to provide a super-luxurious, super-seamless experience is absolutely crucial. His clients have what he calls “the Four Seasons mentality.” Even when he’s planning a wedding at a five-star venue, he never puts anything down to chance and always brings in his own people who work with those already on site.

“We bring in a whole layer of management,” he explains. “We bring in our own concierge that dovetails with the hotel’s concierge, we bring in our own food and beverage manager to second guess and to work with the hotel.”

Cowie says he was recently asked to “salvage” a wedding that had been planned by someone else. The issue, says Cowie, was there weren’t enough people on the ground able to deliver the high service needed.

“I literally went to the island with a SWAT team,” he says. “I went and did an analysis, and then I brought in the rest of the team to create the support that should have been there at the very beginning.”

All this said, Cowie stresses that local planners are also integral to the process. In his experience, it’s the local team who’ll step in if there are any day-of issues.

“We were just doing a wedding, six weeks ago, in Cannes, in the south of France,” he recalls. “Out of nowhere, we had a thunderstorm and the party was outdoors on a beautiful gravel area – and before we knew it, we were deep in water. But because we had local people with us, they brought in four trailers of pea gravel, and covered the floor completely. The water disappeared.”

This all happened right before the first guests were due to arrive. When the attendees pulled up at the beautiful spot moments later, they were none the wiser.

High level entertainment

Once the venue is locked in, the planners and clients move on to discussing what’s often the next most expensive component – wedding day entertainment.

This could be a multi person orchestra playing as the couple walk down the aisle, a drone light show, a personalized ballet performance or a surprise appearance from a world famous musical artist.

While Cowie is open to any requests, he says he usually discourages superstars perfroming at his nuptials. World-renowned musicians come with their own demands – think a 36-foot stage, a lighting plan, a time limitation.

“And all of a sudden, it becomes about the headliner, and all the guests are talking about the headliner,” says Cowie. “It often takes over the wedding.”

The couple should be the “stars of the show, the focal point of everything,” says Cowie.

“So why dilute that with someone? And also, people are coming there to express their love for you. It’s not about coming to be entertained in the most over-the-top way.

“I usually say to the client: ‘Why don’t you save that for your next big birthday?’”

Still, if a couple insists, the destination wedding planners will acquiesce.

“Obviously, the bigger the name, the higher the price point,” says Carr. “But when you’re working with some of these clients that just have an unlimited budget, if they want the remaining members of Journey to come play for two minutes, that price point is going to be high, but I mean, some people will pay it.”

If they want the remaining members of Journey to come play for two minutes, that price point is going to be high, but I mean, some people will pay it.”

Josiah Carr, wedding planner

And even if the musician is mid-tour and unable to swing by, there are workarounds that can provide the intended thrills.

“We have been able to work with their management companies to have the artists do a two or three minute song recorded and then send it to the couple and we have video projected on the wall,” says Carr.

Speaking of the potential for the attention being drawn away from the couple getting married, how do wedding planners handle the impact of a potential VIP guest list?

Cowie says he’s attended “many weddings with huge, huge, huge major stars” and says it’s “not really a problem.”

After a bit of initial excitement, everyone usually turns their attention to the wedding – everyone is there to celebrate the couple getting married, after all, and that creates a bit of a level playing field.

“It normalizes it, there’s only so much you can be enamored,” agrees Lee.

“It’s not unusual that a well-known person is there – whether it be a sports person or an actress – it’s not unusual, but I’ve not seen it where they’re taken over or overshadowed our couple,” she says.

Expecting the unexpected

A lot of the destination wedding planner’s work is about anticipating every last detail. Cowie says his team will plan each day “literally minute by minute.”

The goal is to “know exactly what to expect from who at what time, and how it’s going to happen – and what we’re up against,” he says.

“We did Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s wedding last August,” says Cowie. The Georgia location was “close to a swamp. So we had to make sure that we sprayed for mosquitoes, we had to make sure that we had extra umbrellas on hand, we had to make sure that we had tents in case it rained at any given time,” he recalls.

“A lot of our business is all about thinking proactively about what could go wrong. And how do we ensure we have all the safety nets in place to make sure that it doesn’t go wrong.”

While you might think wealthy couples hire wedding planners to avoid thinking about these minor, potentially stressful details, Cowie says he’ll share all this intel with his clients.

“Because at the end of the line, there’s a big price tag attached,” he says. “And we want them to understand exactly where every dollar has gone.”

“I find the more information we give them, the more confidence it gives them to know that we have interpreted what they’re looking for,” says Cowie. “And they’ve got someone who’s much more than just creative – someone who can really ensure an extraordinary guest experience no matter what happens.”

The director of Rome’s Colosseum has called for an end to concerts at the nearby Circus Maximus, after a performance by US rapper Travis Scott on Monday sparked fears of an earthquake.

From about 10.30 p.m. local time, Romans also took to social media with comments like: “Anyone feel an earthquake?”

The movement turned out to be a result of tens of thousands of people jumping up and down to the music, especially when Scott introduced a surprise guest: Kanye West.

It was the first time that West, now known as Ye, has performed since he sparked a storm of controversy with a series of antisemitic comments.

Now, Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, has called for an end to performances at the Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman chariot-racing and entertainment venue.

Russo has called for only opera and ballets to be staged at the grassy oval arena, which has no seating, leaving audiences to stand on the flat surface or sit on the outer edges.

“These mega rock concerts put it at risk, including the Palatine Hill nearby,” she said.

“Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”

The Circus Maximus, situated at the bottom of the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum, has become a popular concert venue in recent years. This summer it has played host to Imagine Dragons, Guns N’ Roses and Bruce Springsteen.

Scott’s’ “Utopia” concert was only announced on August 1, after his concert at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, scheduled for July 28, was canceled due to “complex production issues.” The 70,000 tickets sold out within hours.

At least 60 people needed medical attention after someone sprayed pepper spray into the concert crowd on Monday, according to Rome’s civil protection department. And a 14-year-old who scaled a false wall to see the concert for free was injured after falling four meters (13 feet), the department added.

“Utopia” is Scott’s first full-length album after his ill-fated 2021 Astroworld Festival in Houston, where a crowd crush left 10 people dead and injured hundreds.

Sleeping under the stars is a romantic notion but getting a really good look at them in today’s artificial-light-filled world can be challenging.

Now, for the first time, there’s lodging with official “dark sky” credentials.

The luxury tent resort Under Canvas Lake Powell – Grand Staircase in Utah is the first lodging to receive certification from DarkSky International, a non-profit that has designated more than 200 Dark Sky Places worldwide since 2001 as part of its mission to combat light pollution.

Under Canvas collaborated with DarkSky to develop criteria for certifying lodging. The program criteria will be posted next week so that other interested lodging providers can begin the application process, the organization said.

Approved lodging will have “distinguished quality starry nights and a nighttime environment preserved through on-site DarkSky Approved lighting,” according to the organization’s website.

“Under Canvas has been working diligently for several years on assessing sky quality, inventorying lights, and making the necessary changes to meet our program requirements,” Ruskin said.

The glamping resort is located on a sweeping canyon rim plateau in southern Utah close to the Arizona border within easy reach of Lake Powell, Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. Plus, it has its own slot canyon on site.

Safari-inspired luxury canvas tents are available in a variety of configurations, including the two-person stargazer tent that has a viewing window positioned over the head of its king-size bed. The tent also has a private bathroom, a private deck and a wood-burning stove.  The glamping resort also offers complimentary programming, including stargazing.

Under Canvas Lake Powell – Grand Staircase rates this year range from $329 to $449 per night through the season’s end on October 30.

The new certification coincides nicely with the Perseid meteor shower, which will reach its peak this weekend.

The Tower of Pisa was once feared on the brink of collapse as the lean that made it such a popular landmark threatened its very existence.

But this week, as the monument celebrated its 850th birthday, the tilting monument’s future appearances in jokey tourist photos was assured for years to come as its guardians gave it a clean bill of health.

“Today the bell tower is a stable monument,” Andrea Maestrelli, the president of Opera della Primaziale Pisana (OPA), the 1,000-year-old body that looks after the cathedral complex that includes the tower, said Wednesday at a press conference outlining events to celebrate its anniversary.

It wasn’t always the case. In the early ’90s the tower, the centerpiece of a UNESCO World Heritage site, reached a lean of 4.5 degrees and fears for its stability led to an international effort to stop it from toppling over, with work lasting eight years from 1993.

Now, experts say its future is “bright,” with satellite and terrestrial surveillance currently keeping tabs on even the slightest shift in its position, making the famous bell tower one of the most monitored monuments in the world.

The Tower of Pisa’s first foundation stone was laid on August 9, 1173, “thanks to the donation of 60 coins made by a widow named Berta, for the construction of the bell tower of our cathedral,” the Archbishop of Pisa Giovanni Paolo Benotto said during Wednesday’s press conference.

Trouble from the start

Trouble over the tower’s stability started early. Construction was interrupted at the height of the third open tier of columns due to subsidence and only resumed in 1275 when a further three levels were added.

In an attempt to straighten the tower, the top three floors curved in the opposite direction of the lean. The tower was completed in the middle of the 14th century, when the belfry was added.

As the lean worsened at the end of the 20th century, soil was removed from beneath the foundations on its northern side through a series of perforations, causing an imperceptible reduction of the tilt.

The latest report by the surveillance group that monitors the monument “highlighted that the inclination has decreased by about 460 millimeters, said Maestrelli, adding that the lean has returned to that of the early nineteenth century.

The consolidation works have allowed this tower to look to the future with “great confidence,” he added.

Today the tower is the case study at the center of one of the most complex monitoring systems in the world, OPA’s technical director Roberto Cela explained. Thanks to an agreement between Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and OPA, experts integrate satellite monitoring with data collected at ground level.

The progress of these terrestrial and satellite monitoring activities will be presented next year, as part of the series of events scheduled to celebrate the tower’s 850th anniversary.

Devastating wildfires in the Hawaiian Islands – coupled with vast communication gaps created by the interruption of services – have many travelers in limbo as they struggle to leave the especially hard-hit island of Maui or reschedule imminent travel plans.

Here’s what we know right now about Hawaii travel.

Which islands are affected?

Fires on parts of the islands of Maui and Hawaii were burning Wednesday, creating dangerous conditions in some parts of those two islands. The most harrowing conditions on Wednesday appeared to be in West Maui in the town of Lahaina.

A blaze engulfed the historic town, which is a popular tourist destination, and the town was evacuated. Communication networks have been crippled, and it’s still unclear how much the fires have impacted the surrounding coast, where numerous resorts are located.

Travel adviser Jim Bendt, owner of Pique Travel Design in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, also noted the communications challenges. Bendt had been in contact Wednesday with people in Hawaii.

Some areas of the Kohala Coast on the island of Hawaii have been evacuated because of the fires, according to the county’s website. Fire hazards and emergency shelters are noted here. By late Wednesday, state officials had not discouraged travel to that island.

How are travelers getting out of Maui?

Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) is open, the Hawaii Department of Transportation posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The HDOT urged patience at the airport.

“All airlines are sending additional support to aid in getting people off island,” the DOT said in another post. “@TSA_Pacific Hawaii leadership will be adding resources to support OGG.”

The DOT also provided details on reaching the airport via a bypass.

Nonessential inbound travel to Maui is strongly discouraged, Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation, said Wednesday at a news conference.

About 2,000 people stayed overnight Tuesday at the airport in Maui, Sniffen said.

He noted that another 4,000 visitors want to leave the island from the west side.

Airports in Maui are still “operating efficiently,” he said, and the Kahekili Highway is open so that people can get into town and to the airport area.

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority also said on Wednesday afternoon that visitors who are in Maui on nonessential travel are being asked to leave the island.

What about travelers who have upcoming plans to visit Maui?

As noted above, government officials are discouraging nonessential travel to Maui.

Travel adviser Jim Bendt is following that guidance. Bendt said Pique Travel Design is advising clients traveling to Maui in the next week to reschedule their trips to “help ease the burden on local infrastructure.”

Pique Travel will be working with its partners on the island to waive or minimize cancellation and change fees, he said.

Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines all are offering travel waivers for travel to Maui allowing passengers to change plans without penalty.

“Guests with non-urgent travel inquiries are encouraged to call back later so that we can assist those with immediate needs,” Hawaiian Airlines posted on social platform X. The airline urged travelers to check their flight status before going to the airport.

For clients who had plans to visit Maui for part of their Hawaii trips, Bendt’s company is looking at finding alternatives for them on other islands such as Kauai or Oahu.

“For future travel, we are waiting on damage assessments to determine the best path forward but don’t anticipate canceling trips once it’s safe to return,” Bendt said.

In its travel guidance, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority specifically called out West Maui as the area that near-term travelers need to avoid.

“Visitors with travel plans to stay in other parts of Maui and the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island in the coming weeks are encouraged to contact their hotels for updated information and how their travel plans may be affected,” the tourism management authority said in an update Wednesday.

She’s been unable to communicate with the hotel they had booked in the resort area of Ka’anapali, which is near one of the fire outbreaks. “I’ve tried to phone them several times, but the line is absolutely dead. I sent them a text message but no reply so far.”

Their return flight to Germany is scheduled out of Maui. Kappelar anticipates trying to fly out of Daniel Inouye International Airport on Oahu instead.

What about other islands?

Bendt said travelers with plans to visit islands other than Maui won’t need to change their plans.

“Hotels and tours are operating as normal,” he said.

Another travel adviser, Norman Aynbinder, who is president and CEO of Excursionist in Miami, also noted the limited range of the current fires.

“It is important to note that Oahu, Lanai, and Kauai have no active fires and that the fires on the Big Island are limited to the Kohala Coast and do not impact most of the touring on the rest of the island,” Aynbinder said via email.

The tourism authority noted that tourism to “Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and other parts of Hawaiʻi Island are not affected at this time.”

More broadly, what’s next for travel to Maui?

For now, it’s a wait-and-see situation.

“Natural disasters are, by nature, quick-moving. If you have a trip to Maui a few weeks from now, your best bet for now is to wait and see if the fires get contained,” said Scott Keyes, founder of travel site Going.com.

Keyes said that “there’s no added benefit to canceling a trip a few weeks in advance versus a few days in advance.”

And canceling could have a big impact on the island.

“The potential loss of tourism revenue could be another devasting blow to the local community that relies on it,” Bendt said.

“As of today, the tourism infrastructure outside of Lahaina has not been damaged and will be open for business,” Bendt said. “Once officials have said it’s safe to travel back to Maui the best thing people can do is not cancel their trips.”

The leaders of a coup in Niger are digging in their heels as they face a looming deadline from neighbors to give up power or face possible military action.

Regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given the Nigerien military a Sunday deadline to release and reinstate the country’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.

One of the group’s officials said a plan for an intervention had been “worked out,” but that it remained a last resort.

But with the clock ticking, the possibility of military action is becoming a real possibility.

How did we get here?

Niger lies at the heart of Africa’s Sahel region, which has seen numerous power grabs in recent years including in Mali and Burkina Faso.

But Niger has also been one of the few remaining democracies in the region.

President Bazoum’s election win in 2021 marked a relatively peaceful transfer of power, capping years of military coups following Niger’s independence from France in 1960.

But there were signs that Niger’s military leadership believed they had a lack of government support to fight militants and that a coup could change that campaign.

The coup was launched in late July when Bazoum was seized by members of the presidential guard, before national institutions were shut down and protesters from both sides took to the streets.

The head of the guard, Abdourahamane Tiani, has been named as the new leader. The whereabouts of Bazoum are unclear, in an op-ed for The Washington Post he described himself as a “hostage.”

Is intervention likely?

ECOWAS has shown a willingness to take action in cases where leaders refuse to relinquish power or when political crises escalate. The new chairman is Nigeria’s new President Bola Tinubu, who analysts say will be keen to make a mark and show that he is not a pushover.

It will be the first crisis of his short leadership tenure at the ECOWAS and of his country. Tinubu, however, has no military experience.

There is no shortage of tough talking rhetoric though. Local media outlets reported Friday that Tinubu had written to inform lawmakers in Nigeria, as he is legally required to do, of the ECOWAS intention to intervene militarily in Niger if the coup leaders “remain recalcitrant.”

Senegal, a key player in the region, has also pledged troops while Niger’s former colonial power France said it supported ECOWAS’s position.

After a meeting of ECOWAS this week, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah called any military option the “last resort” but added that “all elements that would go into any eventual intervention have been worked out here and are being refined.”

“To my own understanding, Nigeria is not going to back down and will do whatever it takes to return Niger to civilian rule,” he added.

“They want power returned to Bazoum but likely that may not be a feasible outcome. They may have to compromise by getting the junta to leave power but they will not hand over to Bazoum. They will lose out and Bazoum [will] too, and someone neutral could come in to run a transitional government,” Adetayo said.

What is at stake?

There are fears that a region plagued with insurgency from fearsome terror groups such as al Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram could be plunged into an all out war that further destabilizes the region.

Mali and Burkina Faso, led by soldiers who seized power forcefully, have stated that any military intervention would be seen as a declaration of war.

Niger’s new military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani has also asked Mali for support.

Mali however has considerably reduced military capacity after expelling the French military and asking UN soldiers to leave the country after a 10-year peacekeeping mission.

Experts say Mali and Burkina Faso have limited capacity to send a significant number of troops to Niger. However, Russian mercenaries Wagner are known to operate in Mali and their leader has already offered help to Niger.

With US and French troops based in the country, there are fears of a potential proxy war unfolding.

Has ECOWAS intervened before?

The last notable instance was in 2017, when ECOWAS deployed military forces in Gambia to remove President Jammeh who did not want to give up power after elections.

A show of force at the border compelled Jammeh to step down, leading to a swift resolution. This event has raised the question of whether similar tactics would be successful in the current situation in Niger.

The bloc has also deployed peacekeeping forces, mainly from Nigeria to war zones such as Sierra Leone and Liberia.

But this is the first time it has threatened to intervene in a coup – there was no such response after coups in neighboring Mali or Burkina Faso.

So why Niger?

Niger has huge regional significance. It is the largest country in West Africa and a vital gateway between the Sahel and the rest of the continent.

The country is a critical battleground in the fight against terrorism and a focus for regional and international security efforts.

Niger possesses significant natural resources, with uranium being its most notable asset.

After five coups, ECOWAS heads of state want to prevent a contagion effect in their own countries. Some of the world’s poorest people live in West Africa and thee are many disaffected citizens demanding regime change.

ECOWAS needs to be seen to act decisively to quell any other military takeover attempts.

However, the biggest concern remains the ever present threat of insurgency. Terrorists may seize the opportunity to launch attacks if regional forces are preoccupied with action in Niger.

How are people in Niger reacting?

Many Nigeriens are torn – the country has seen multiple coups and dictatorships, but at the same time poor governance has tarnished the idea that democracy is the solution.

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and people are suffering. Basic necessities like food and shelter are priorities.

Some have welcomed the coup. Protests saw Nigeriens denounce France and praise Russia, whose Wagner group plays a role propping up some other West African leaders.

“There has been bad governance in Niger for the past 10 years and a lack of justice and a general feeling of insecurity. There are also poor schools and health institutions. All this has led to people welcoming a change of regime,” he added.

That kind of sentiment suggests that even if the stated goal is to restore democracy, a military intervention may not be welcomed across the country.

England’s star player Lauren James has apologized for stepping on an opponent during the team’s Round of 16 game against Nigeria, a move that earned her a red card and elimination from at least one World Cup match.

In what appeared to be a moment of madness, James stepped on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie and was sent off in the 87th minute of Monday’s match at Brisbane Stadium.

After the game, which culminated in Nigeria losing a penalty shootout, Alozie took to Twitter Tuesday to share her respect for James despite the incident.

“We are playing on the world’s stage. This game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments. All respect for Lauren James,” Alozie wrote.

In response, James apologized, tweeting: “All my love and respect to you. I am sorry for what happened.”

“Also, for our England fans and my team-mates, playing with and for you is my greatest honor and I promise to learn from my experience.”

The red card means James will miss England’s next game, Saturday’s quarterfinal against Colombia in Sydney, Australia.

She could also be out of commission for subsequent games, should England progress. Receiving a red card results in an automatic one match ban, but the FIFA disciplinary committee can increase that if it sees fit.

After James apologized personally, her team also issued a statement.

“Lauren is really sorry for her actions which led to the red card and is full of remorse. It is wholly out of character for her,” the Lionesses tweeted.

“We will be supporting Lauren throughout and will be putting forward representation on her behalf. We fully respect FIFA’s disciplinary process and will not be making any further comment until after any decision has been made.”

James initially received a yellow card for what appeared to be a petulant and deliberate decision to step on Alozie. After a review from the video assistant referee (VAR), the punishment was upgraded to a red card and she was sent off, leaving England to finish the match down a player.

In a press conference after the match, England coach Sarina Wiegman said James is “an inexperienced player on this stage and has done really well, and I think in a split second she just lost her emotions.”

“And of course she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She’s the sweetest person I know, and things happen like that and you can’t change it anymore, so it’s a huge lesson for her to learn, but of course it’s not something that she really did on purpose.”

Many have compared the situation to the 1998 Men’s World Cup, when David Beckham received a red card and was sent off for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone.

Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki won her first competitive tennis match in three-and-a-half years on Tuesday, defeating Australian Kimberly Birrell 6-2 6-2 at the Canadian Open.

The 33-year-old Wozniacki announced her retirement after the 2020 Australian Open but said in June that she was planning a comeback.

She made light work of her first match back on tour in 1,293 days, ousting qualifier Birrell in one hour and 37 minutes in Montreal to set up a second-round contest against Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová.

“It feels great,” Wozniacki – who won the Canadian Open title in 2010 – said in her on-court interview. “It’s been my first match back in over three years and I was definitely a little rusty.

“But what an amazing place to come back and play my first match. I love playing here in Montreal. I have amazing memories here.”

Wozniacki won 30 singles titles, including the 2018 Australian Open, before announcing her retirement.

She has since had two children with her husband, former NBA player David Lee, and has stayed close to the sport by playing legends doubles events and working as an analyst for ESPN and Tennis Channel.

In a first-person piece for Vogue announcing her return to tennis, Wozniacki said that she was targeting this year’s US Open. The US Tennis Association (USTA) later announced that it would be giving the Dane a wild card into the main draw of the women’s singles competition at the tournament.

Aaron Rodgers has been one of the most talked about NFL stars in recent years and fans have now gotten a glimpse into the veteran quarterback’s new life with the New York Jets.

In April, Rodgers was traded to the Jets, after spending his entire 18-season NFL career with the Green Bay Packers.

His new team was subsequently named the participant in HBO’s and NFL Films’ five-part docuseries, “Hard Knocks,” which takes viewers into the franchise’s training camp.

The opening episode, which premiered on Tuesday, focused mainly on Rodgers and how the 39-year-old is settling in with his new teammates.

With head coach Robert Saleh aiming to bring his roster of both emerging stars and prominent veterans together, he’ll likely lean on four-time league MVP Rodgers to impart some advice.

“I’m just happy to be out here. Excited to be with you guys,” Rodgers said, as he’s filmed speaking in a huddle during training.

“All I’m going to say is that this camp is a long camp, right? Let’s just enjoy the little things every single day.

“Take time to laugh a little bit. Find a conversation at lunchtime with somebody new, don’t always sit in the same little group. Get to know your teammates a little bit.

“That’s part of the leadership role. And just enjoy the little moments. It goes by fast, and then you get to be really old and gray, and savoring every little moment. So savor them right now.”

The first episode shows Rodgers impressing his new teammates in training, but the veteran – who has made headlines for reasons away from sport recently – looks cool and collected throughout.

That is, of course, until he meets “Hard Knocks” narrator Liev Schreiber. The long-time voice of the show visits the Jets’ training camp and is filmed speaking to Rodgers, who has previously said he was excited to meet the actor.

The pair have a bonding moment about growing up in California with both clearly as excited as each other.

“I asked how you get the water boy gig, but they said you’ve got to be related to a coach,” Schreiber quips.

The quarterback responded: “Yeah, I think so. Sorry, buddy.”

Rodgers, who contemplated retirement following last season, has now indicated he plans to play more than one season in New York.

It’s safe to say that whatever he does with his new team, Rodgers will have the eyes of the world on him.

On the eve of his Hall of Fame induction, NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki has said that his daughter is “mostly embarrassed” about any “hoopla” surrounding her dad.

The former Dallas Mavericks superstar, who was the first European in league history to receive the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, will be among those inducted into basketball’s Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Alongside the German, two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol, four-time NBA champion Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s basketball team, among others, will be inducted.

However, at a press conference on Tuesday, Nowitzki admitted that his impending inauguration has not yet fully resonated with his children.

“They always watch me towards the end of my career and all they know is: ‘Papa, you were so slow,’” the 45-year-old said with a laugh. “I go to YouTube and it’s all grainy, it’s still films. But I try to pull up some stuff from the early 2000s. But they’re not really having it.

“I think my daughter understands the most, she’s 10 now and I think she’s mostly embarrassed about the whole hoopla or when people recognize me when we travel and she goes: ‘Oh, God,’ and she just walks the other way.”

It’s understandable that Nowitzki gets recognized when he’s out and about; he became one of the most iconic NBA players over his long career in North Texas.

His trademark fallaway jump shot was nigh-unstoppable and has been immortalized in a statue outside the Mavs’ American Airlines Center as well as being replicated by many of the current generation of basketball stars.

Nowitzki scored 35,223 points across 21 seasons in Dallas, playing 1,667 games for the only NBA team he ever featured for – only John Stockton played more games for one team across his career.

His crowning moment arguably came in 2011 when he led the Mavs to the NBA title, the organization’s first and only championship in its history.

Such was his success, Nowitzki is credited with playing a key role in opening the floodgates for European basketball talent to flourish in the US, paving the way for the current set of international superstars in the NBA, including current Mavericks star Luka Dončić, as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić.