Families of deceased soldiers wallowing in pain, anguish — Ekwerenmadu

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

Suspected militants have killed five soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir amid a spike in violence in the region. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Guatemalan riot police are deployed as former soldiers storm the rear area of Congress on and torch several vehicles in protest over unpaid compensation for their service during the country's civil war from 1960 to 1996.

The injuries were mild, officials said, in the second such scuffle in three days. Poland has drastically increased its military presence at the border with Belarus as people seek to enter the EU by the thousands.

Some 600 coca growers with sticks and machetes took a group of soldiers hostage earlier this week. The government has increased its efforts to eradicate coca plantations.

In 2019 alone, militia groups recruited nearly 8000 child soldiers, some as young as six. One of the countries where children are most at risk is the Central African Republic. Deutsche Welle has visited a project aiming to rehabilitate such children.

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.