Azerbaijan needs independent media, says opposition

More than 30 countries are participating in the 50th World Petanque Championships in Cotonou, Benin. It marks the first time that a world cup is being hosted in West Africa.

In the US, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says the House of Representatives will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. That's a long-shot effort to remove the Democrat from office after two impeachments of former Republican president Donald Trump. The focus is on Biden's youngest son, Hunter, and allegations of corruption in business dealings as Catherine Viette explains.

As France hosts hundreds of thousands of rugby fans from around the world for the 2023 World Cup, we take a deep-dive into the business that surrounds the game with Herbert Mensah, president of Rugby Africa who joins us from Accra in Ghana, as well as Christina Philippou, a principal lecturer at the University of Portsmouth with a particular research interest in sports finance.

Fiji claim historic win over Australia as England hold firm against Japan

China has sharply rejected statements made by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in the United States about Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Prehistoric ruins outside the ancient West Bank city of Jericho have been given UNESCO World Heritage status after a vote of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh. The UN agency says Tell al-Sultan was home to a permanent settlement by the 9th or 8th millennium BC. But the decision has sparked controversy, with Israelis denouncing the move and Palestinians celebrating it. FRANCE 24's Science reporter Shirli Sitbon examines how UNESCO tries to dissociate heritage from politics.

Keir Starmer is in Paris a day ahead of King Charle's delayed state visit to France. The UK opposition leader has said he wants closer ties to the EU but won't seek to rejoin the bloc.

Organizers of the Benin World Petanque championship hailed the event as a cultural victory for the country. From leisurely street games to fierce club tournaments, Benin is carving out its place in the sport. Angela Ukomadu has more.

African Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina faults global finance architecture.

The sites at Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero in Rwanda commemorating the mass killings of mainly Tutsi victims were “just inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list”, the organisation posted on social media on Wednesday.

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

This week in Across Africa, Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Namibian President Hage Geingob ahead of his arrival in New York for the UN General Assembly. He shares his perspective on governance, the impact of Africa's first climate change summit and the role of the African Union in responding to regional upheaval.