In Ivory Coast, voters head to polls amid opposition boycott

Recent violent attacks against Hindus have reopened old wounds for religious minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Rights groups say these attacks often are forgotten by the legal system and go unpunished.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso has imposed a state of emergency and called for a concerted fight against the rising violence of drug cartels. But observers suspect other reasons behind the measure.

Violence has been on the rise in the country's sprawling cluster of refugee settlements, with armed gangs vying for power and kidnapping opponents.

In Ivory Coast, painters, photographers, designers and sculptors are choosing to settle in the city of Grand-Bassam, away from the urban chaos and air pollution of Abidjan. The historic UNESCO World Heritage city, located an hour from the economic capital, is attracting more and more designers in search of a more serene and affordable lifestyle. As the once-popular artisanal village of Grand-Bassam grapples with a drop in tourism, a new generation of artists from diverse backgrounds is reclaiming this historic cultural centre and breathing new life into it. Our correspondents report.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. ⁣

Fish have become scarce in the Ébrié Lagoon in southern Ivory Coast. Its water is polluted and littered with waste. Scientists and NGOs are striving to restore degraded resources and raise awareness among the population.

A teenager in the United States was rescued after flashing a hand signal that was popularized on TikTok indicating domestic violence. Experts say sharing such resources on social media can help those most at risk.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso deployed police and the military to "take control of all the country's prisons" after scores of inmates were killed in gang clashes.

The number of people impacted by gun violence in the United States has surged dramatically recently. DW’s Ines Pohl reports from Washington DC, which has seen its highest number of shootings in 16 years.

Every two-and-a-half days a woman in Germany dies at the hands of her partner or former partner, according to figures presented on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, GuardianTV's Ijeoma Thomas-Odia discusses 'Eliminating Violence Against Women' with Risikat Omolara Yusuff - Founding President, Organization Nonformal Education Foundation (ONEF), Amaka Chibuzo-Obi - Founder, Wivesroundtable Foundation, and Abimbola Ojosipe - Executive Director at Chamagne Foundation.

The NGO says authorities desperately need to do more to address the crisis of gender-based violence, particularly amid the pandemic. But hard data on the number of victims is still worryingly difficult to come by.