Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso has imposed a state of emergency and called for a concerted fight against the rising violence of drug cartels. But observers suspect other reasons behind the measure.

Violence has been on the rise in the country's sprawling cluster of refugee settlements, with armed gangs vying for power and kidnapping opponents.

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

The residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was hit in an apparent drone attack, Iraqi officials said. The military has described the strike as an assassination attempt.

After losing in the latest federal election, supporters of some Iraqi political parties have resorted to riots and even likely drone attacks to avoid being sidelined. Could the situation escalate?

A teenager in the United States was rescued after flashing a hand signal that was popularized on TikTok indicating domestic violence. Experts say sharing such resources on social media can help those most at risk.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso deployed police and the military to "take control of all the country's prisons" after scores of inmates were killed in gang clashes.

After years in hiding, Seif al-Islam, the son of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi, will run for president in upcoming Libyan elections. Experts believe his return complicates things even further in the unstable nation.

The number of people impacted by gun violence in the United States has surged dramatically recently. DW’s Ines Pohl reports from Washington DC, which has seen its highest number of shootings in 16 years.

Haitian officials had said the gang had asked for $1 million each for the group of 17, which included five children. The gang had threatened to kill the North Americans.

Every two-and-a-half days a woman in Germany dies at the hands of her partner or former partner, according to figures presented on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, GuardianTV's Ijeoma Thomas-Odia discusses 'Eliminating Violence Against Women' with Risikat Omolara Yusuff - Founding President, Organization Nonformal Education Foundation (ONEF), Amaka Chibuzo-Obi - Founder, Wivesroundtable Foundation, and Abimbola Ojosipe - Executive Director at Chamagne Foundation.