Ivory Coast reaches deal to end mass mutiny

Africa has some of the lowest rates of infertility in the world – at just over 13 percent, according to the latest WHO figures. But unlike in the West, couples who do struggle to conceive are often shut out of fertility treatments or have to bear the considerable cost themselves. Infertility is still widely considered taboo and frowned upon in West Africa. Our Ivory Coast correspondents report on the sole clinic in the region that's helping couples with fertility problems conceive through IVF treatment.

In DR Congo, the regional force deployed by East African nations to stop the M23 rebels' advance in the east of the country is coming under scrutiny. While the regional force maintains that the rebels are gradually withdrawing from the territories they conquered, dubious Congolese authorities are demanding a "truthful discussion" on the mandate of the East African Community's force.

The West African nation has been under financial strain stemming from the rolling impact of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and a range of other global economic trends.

In his first remarks since launching — and ending — an insurrection against Russian military leaders over the weekend, Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin said the aim was to avoid the destruction of the mercenary force.

The Wagner Group's attempted insurrection has drawn attention to how far Chinese President Xi Jinping is willing to go to support his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

One of the Wagner Group boss' biggest complaints was about how Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu was running the Ukraine war. But little has been said about Shoigu's future — as yet.

A six-storey building collapsed while under construction in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan on Friday (June 30), killing at least seven of the builders on site, firefighters at the scene said on Saturday (July 1).

The building was under construction in an area of Abidjan where several embassies and the presidential palace are located.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Sudan is edging ever closer to outright civil war. He also condemned an air strike that killed more than 20 people and widespread violence in Darfur.

The Wagner chief's uprising has been seen as the biggest challenge to Putin since the Russian president came power. Wagner commanders are said to have been offered "alternative options for employment."

Heavy rains brought destructive floods to northern India, triggering landslides and damaging houses. People are warned not to venture outside, as weather experts warned more rain is expected.

Ivory Coast is one of the West African countries where people with severe mental disorders are chained. Half the population must get by on less than one euro per day. This makes it hard to care properly for someone with special needs.