Midrand, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | Women legislators have been urged to step up advocacy and oversight efforts to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation in Africa. Given their representative, legislative and oversight roles, legislators are seen as better placed to mobilise communities to stop the vice. Statistics indicate that more …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The nuclear weapons disarmament campaigners awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize denounced US President Donald Trump’s decision on Friday to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, saying it makes proliferation more likely. “President Trump’s rejection of the JCPOA is an incitement to proliferation, makes achieving further agreements …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday declared a more aggressive strategy on a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers but stopped short of withdrawing from the 2015 deal. Struck in Vienna by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Beset by ethnic divisions, political tensions and bloody fighting in its east, Democratic Republic of Congo faces fresh challenges in the coming months over feared delays to eagerly-awaited presidential elections. Concern about the timetable has created “tensions and a climate of uncertainty,” the UN’s …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Five people were killed in a suicide bomb attack when Boko Haram raided a remote village in northeast Nigeria, a civilian militia member and the emergency services said Thursday. Ibrahim Liman, from the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF), said the attack happened at Belbelu village, near …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s opposition vowed to pursue a campaign of protest for electoral reform, defying a ban on rallies in main city centres announced by government Thursday. The ban came after the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) called for daily protests next week. The country remains gripped …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian pop star Davido was questioned twice by police over the suspicious death of his friend after two other members of his entourage died later in the same week. The incident triggered passionate reactions in Nigeria, where the 24-year-old singer, whose real name is David …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s central bank said Wednesday it had received its first overseas fund transfer in US dollars since Washington announced the lifting of a 20-year-old trade embargo against Khartoum. Washington last week announced the lifting of sanctions from this Thursday onwards, saying Khartoum had made progress on …

Washington, United States | AFP | Tackling disparities in education is crucial to reducing global income inequality, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday, urging governments to spend more on schooling for disadvantaged children. In a report, the IMF said that over the past three decades, 53 percent of countries had become …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s justice minister said Wednesday that emergency measures imposed at the height of a political crisis that followed the detention of an opposition leader on treason charges would not be renewed. The southern African nation was earlier this year rocked by soaring tensions that also saw …