Angela Merkel wins fourth term – exit polls

Dozens of people are killed in twin attacks in Somalia. Al Shabaab extremists claim responsibility, saying they were targeting politicians in a bid to disrupt already stalled elections. Also, Tunisian farmers take the law into their own hands in the midst of an ongoing water crisis. Poor planning, scarce water resources and the worsening impact of climate change have all hit the country's agricultural industry hard.

Zimbabwe's newest opposition party, the CCC, plants its flag solidly ahead of next year's general election after winning two thirds of seats in by-elections

Pakistan's lower legislative chamber has been dissolved after a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan was blocked. The country will hold fresh elections in 90 days unless the Supreme Court rules otherwise.

The rejection of the opposition's no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan could have serious repercussions for Pakistan's democratic set-up, say experts.

Some social media users have been warning of electoral fraud during the French presidential election, showing paper ballots for far-right candidate Marine Le Pen that were "deliberately spoiled". According to specialists, this does not constitute an invalid vote. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.

Northern Ireland voters go to the polls today (May 5) in what could be the most important election in a generation. They will elect the 90 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, from which a power-sharing executive should be formed. These institutions were created by the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. According to opinion polls, Sinn Fein - representing mostly people of Catholic and Irish background - could become the largest party for the first time.

The British prime minister has faced calls to step down after breaking COVID lockdown rules. In Northern Ireland, polls suggest the Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein could win the largest number of seats.

Is it a sign that Northern Ireland is ready to overcome old divides, or of new troubles ahead? For the first time ever, Unionists could find themselves in the minority when ballots are counted in regional assembly elections. Under the Good Friday Agreement, the DUP would still share power with Sinn Fein, who could trigger a referendum on a united Ireland.

On May 15, parliamentary elections will take place nationwide in Lebanon. The Lebanese diaspora, estimated to be double the size of the domestic population, already cast their ballots last week. Around 60 percent of people across 58 countries turned out, slightly more than in 2018. We bring you a special edition of Middle East Matters on Lebanon's first elections since the mass protests of 2019.

There's political upheaval in Nigeria after ten government officials step down, signalling their interest in the 2023 elections. And Somalia prepares for a presidential poll this weekend, after months of delays. Sunday's winner will have no shortages of challenges, as the country faces an Islamist insurgency, famine, and drought. Finally, in Niger, anti-corruption NGOs file a legal complaint over the government's accounting. They allege that over 95 million euros of state funds are missing.

Germany's race to cut its reliance on gas from Russia has injected urgency into the first official visit to Africa by Olaf Scholz as he hunts new sources of energy supplies.