Malawian musician Giddes Chalamanda had never dreamed in his 92 years that he might one day be famous enough to dine with the president followed by a night in a luxury hotel. Last month the singer did both, thanks to his unlikely new stardom on TikTok, a social media platform beloved of youths four generations removed from him -- one he can't access because he lacks a smartphone or even electricity to charge one.

"President" is a Sundance award-winning film that gives us a gripping and unprecedented front-row seat to recent history. It's about an election that was believed to be stolen and a people who felt robbed of their first free and fair vote following the removal of longtime leader Robert Mugabe in a military coup in Zimbabwe in 2017.

More than 200 judges and lawyers in black robes protested Thursday outside the main court in the Tunisian capital after President Kais Saied vowed to scrap a key judicial watchdog.

German politicians and delegates from across the country reelected Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the largely ceremonial role of head of state.

To preserve and honour the legacy of South Africa's iconic leader, Nelson Mandela, his home, which was a symbol of his presidency and struggle against apartheid, has now been transformed into a luxury hotel.

Six months after the Taliban retook Afghanistan, FRANCE 24 spoke to former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who remains in the country. Karzai strongly criticised the Biden administration's recent decision to unfreeze Afghan assets but divide the funds between aid to Afghanistan and victims of the 9/11 attacks, saying the funds "belong to the Afghan people". He also said he believed the Taliban would eventually allow girls to return to school, since doing so is "absolutely necessary for the well-being" of Afghanistan.

Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in three weeks after leading a coup that toppled the government. Observers and neighbors have remained concerned but reserved about the developments.

As Burkina Faso's military leader Paul-Henri Damiba was sworn in as president on Wednesday (February 16) local residents of the capital Ouagadougou said they want him to focus on security issues. Resident Simplice Bama said that the security situation had been deteriorating since 2015. "We continue to be attacked so I say to myself that this new president has a lot to do," he told Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw military exercises involving Russian "strategic forces." The drills included ballistic and cruise missile launches.

Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall discussed military and scientific partnerships in a region racked by terrorism and a wave of military coups.

Has war been declared? Following a day during which the Kremlin ratcheted up its rhetoric, François Picard’s panel weighs the consequences of the call in Moscow to recognise Ukraine’s pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. They also discuss Vladimir Putin’s ultimate goal.

Global stock markets have taken a beating as investors rush for safe havens amid an escalation in geopolitical tensions over Ukraine. Russian stocks and bonds as well as the ruble are among the biggest losers.