Ivory Coast goes to the polls amid fears of unrest

It is now less than 12 months to the 2023 general election, and different politicians have indicated interest to pilot the affairs of Nigeria. Both inter and intra-party politics have begun to take place within the parties. GuardianTV went out to speak with a cross-section of Nigerians and this is what they have to say about the President they want in 2023.

Senegal's President Macky Sall said on Wednesday that 11 newborn babies died in a fire at the neonatal section of a regional hospital in the town of Tivaouane, around 120 km (74.56 miles) east of the capital Dakar.

A picture on social media is being shared as alleged proof that Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up his security and wears a bulletproof vest. Also, some users, including politicians, are claiming that Russian soldiers burned Ukrainian history books. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiadis granted an interview to FRANCE 24 from the capital Nicosia. The northern third of the Republic of Cyprus has been under Turkish domination since 1974. Anastasiadis said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine uses the "exact same arguments that Turkey used to invade Cyprus". Asked about tensions with Turkey over hydrocarbons, he expressed hope that Ankara will not "will not attempt to do anything that will cause conflagration and risk peace in the region".

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited wounded soldiers from the war in Ukraine for the first time on May 25. Following this visit to a Moscow hospital, users claimed that Putin used secret service bodyguards as extras to pose as "'injured soldiers" as he's extremely paranoid about his safety. Is there any truth to these claims? We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Much of the wildlife in Ivory Coast has become virtually extinct after decades of heavy deforestation. But a nature reserve nestled in the centre of the country is doing its best to restore the region's fauna. In just over 20 years, the N’zi River Park has managed to recreate an animal ecosystem, fight poaching and organise its own safaris. Our correspondents report.

President Kais Saied issued the order with a list of judges to be dismissed, accusing them of corruption and stalling terrorism cases. Critics have blasted the dismissals as an "affront" to judicial independence.

As Tunisia’s president continues on his autocratic path while the economy is on its knees, can international aid return the country to a democratic track?

Senegal's President Macky Sall appeals to the West to ease sanctions on Russia to facilitate the export grain to Africa. Millions on the continent face hunger amid a global food crisis sparked by the Ukraine war. We talk to David Laborde, Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute about the crisis.Also in this edition: Sudan marks the three-year anniversary of the June 3rd massacre, and in Cameroon, refugees prepare to go back home to the Central African Republic.

No matter how an incumbent or ex-governor acts neutral and uninterested, his or her eyes are fixed on the process that will produce a successor. But before Ekiti goes to the polls to elect the next governor, here are a few questions the electorate needs to ask aspirants.

After being definitively acquitted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court last year, Charles Blé Goudé, the former right-hand man of ex-Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, is expected to soon return to Ivory Coast after more than a decade in exile. On May 30, Blé Goudé received an Ivorian passport via the current president, Alassane Ouattara. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Blé Goudé discussed his upcoming return home, as well as his political ambitions.

Joe Biden is set to travel to Israel on July 13 before heading to the occupied West Bank and Saudi Arabia. The trip's announcement comes despite pledges to side-line the "pariah" Saudi state.