Best Of The Observers: the battle for Abidjan, Putin's secret palace and Iran's curly locks

Presentation: Derek Thomson. Editorial Team: Julien Pain, Lorena Galliot, Ségolène Malterre, Sarra Grira, Peggy Bruguière.

STORY 1: IVORY COAST

We begin today with Ivory Coast… and a look back at the near-war that broke out between rival presidents Alassane Ouattara, who'd been elected, and Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to leave office. When Outtara's troops finally entered the commercial capital Abidjan, residents found themselves stranded in their homes. Our Observers – Ivorians and expats – told us they were afraid to go outside.

OBSERVER:  Yves, a Frenchman who's lived in Abidjan for five years.

STORY 2: RUSSIA

Back in February, we ran an allegation by a Russian businessman that Vladimir Putin was building a huge palace on the shores of the Black Sea. At a cost believed to be close to a billion euros. The prime minister's press attaché denied said he had no connection to the project. But in five months, the authorities have still not offered any proof to refute the businessman's account.

OBSERVER: Sergei Kolesnikov.

STORY 3: IRAN

 In spite of this year's revolutions in the Arab world... Iran has not seen a revival of the mass protests that took place there in 2009. But there are other... quieter ways to protest. Our Observer sent us this report in February.

OBSERVER: Asal Akhavan