Nigeria: Five soldiers buried after jihadist attacks

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

Russia is monitoring a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but tensions over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region have risen this week.

Several local protesters were injured after French soldiers fired warning shots into a civilian blockade. Anger against France's military intervention has been growing in the African country.

Since France began its military withdrawal from Mali, many social media posts have been misleading. Reports assert that Mali is negotiating with the Russian private military company Wagner. One photo on Facebook from November 10 claims that a Wagner military instructor is training Malian soldiers. Another photo from November 20 claims that Mali received a delivery of military equipment from Russia. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Since France began its military withdrawal from Mali, many misleading social media posts have appeared. Reports claim that Mali is negotiating with the Russian private military company Wagner. One photo on Facebook from November 10 allegedly shows a Wagner military instructor training Malian soldiers. Another photo from November 20 claims to show that Mali received a delivery of military equipment from Russia. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Human Rights Watch says that more than 100 former Afghan security personnel have disappeared or been killed by the Taliban since they came to power in August. The actual number could be much higher than that.

French troops leave a key base in Timbuktu, handing it over to the Malian military. We explain how this marks a turning point in France’s wider Sahel mission. Also, Kenya's High Court suspends a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination order, saying it violates the constitution. Finally, Congolese rumba wins UNESCO World Heritage status. FRANCE 24 shows you how the music and dance tradition jumped from Africa to Cuba to the world.

French troops left their military base in Timbuktu as part of a reorganization of Operation Barkhane announced by French president Emmanuel Macron in June. The Kidal and Tessalit bases were handed over to the Malian army in October and November, respectively.

A total of 150 Taliban soldiers on Thursday graduated from the first brigade of the 203rd Mansoori Corps in the southeastern zone after three months of training in the southeastern Khost province. Officials at the brigade say the graduates are well-trained and will strongly defend Afghanistan.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Friday.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Nigeria is striving to reintegrate former Boko Haram terrorists who have voluntarily laid down their arms and surrendered to the authorities. But in many communities, resentment towards the ex-fighters is still strong.

While the war rages in Ukraine, NATO has been conducting a massive military drill in Norway. The alliance says the maneuvers are designed to test troops' readiness for combat in cold conditions.