My father-in-law is from Burkina, and his family, including my brother-in-law, still live there. The rejection of ECOWAS and the alliance with Mali and Niger is popular, owing mostly to what I’d describe as a general anti colonialist and, particularly, anti French sentiment, which I suppose is understandable.

The article talks about how the countries have rejected French military aid, but the overwhelming opinion I hear from any of the expats I talk with is that the French were only there to protect their mineral interests and provided minimal aid outside of that.

Ultimately, the combined military power of all three nations is not enough to fend off the insurgency. They are further hampered by inter-ethnic conflict, and I very much doubt that Russia will be able to provide any meaningful support, especially for free. This all leads to intense civilian suffering which, in my opinion, requires UN intervention. Unfortunately unless the military junta suddenly reverses its opinion on western influence, this is unlikely to happen.

Ah yes, the famous Soviet era of the United States. How could I forget?

It was a US made Bell 212

More details here.

Basically she had written in her diary about her enduring feelings of guilt over the deaths of her children, which is what formed the base of the original case against her. Prosecutors argued that the children were probably smothered, despite there being no physical evidence for that.

A recent enquiry heard new evidence that at least 2 of her children carried a genetic defect that could potentially have caused their deaths, which coupled with the circumstancial nature of the evidence used in the original conviction was enough the NSW governor to pardon her under reasonable doubt. That pardon lead to a trial in the criminal court of appeals which have now acquitted her of the charges.

She was pardoned in June and has subsequently has been acquitted in the criminal court of appeals.