Politics and society

Authorities in Ivory Coast’s biggest city, Abidjan, have announced a ban on begging to try to combat what they call urban disorder, local media reported. The city’s Deputy Governor, Vincent N’cho Kouaoh, said begging in all its forms – including the use of handcarts – was forbidden in order to …

More than 100 inmates have died so far this year in Democratic Republic of Congo’s underfunded and chronically overcrowded prisons, Reuters reported, citing a U.N. human rights official. The main cause of the deaths was contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, which spread easily in crowded facilities and require unavailable medical …

Legislative and regional elections in Togo will no longer be held on April 20 as the government has postponed this double ballot to a later date, indicates a press release. The Togolese must still wait to vote for their next deputies and governors. The country’s authorities postponed the date of …

Authorities in Zimbabwe have declared a state of disaster over a drought that has left around three million people facing hunger – making it the third country in southern Africa to raise the alarm. Poor rains have wrought havoc across much of the region, where according to the UN’s World …

Kenyan public hospital doctors who have been on strike since last month convened in two major cities on Tuesday to discuss their grievances against the government, Reuters reported. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), which represents over 7,000 members, went on strike on March 15 to demand …

Kenya’s largest public referral hospital has announced it will dispose of hundreds of unclaimed bodies currently at its morgue if family members are unwilling to collect them. “Interested members of the public are therefore requested to identify and collect the bodies within seven days, failure to which the hospital will …

As of this Friday, March 29, in the United Kingdom, army soldiers are allowed to grow beards and wear them, even during service or a ceremony. This ends a ban dating back more than 100 years, reports The Telegraph. The move comes as the army faces increasing difficulties in recruiting …

From Monday April 1, Germany will become the third country in the European Union to legalize recreational cannabis under conditions. This flagship law of the government of Social Democratic Chancellor (SPD) Olaf Scholz was adopted – 407 votes for, 226 votes against -, after having been the subject of numerous …

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Defence Ministry announced that the army would release more than 300 people suspected of being part of the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency. 313 people who had been suspected of being members of Boko Haram, will be released after a ruling by a court in northeastern …

It’s not yet final, but Thailand is now moving closer to legalizing same-sex marriage. A step was indeed taken on Wednesday, with a vote by deputies, in favor by a large majority. This strong position taken by parliamentarians marks an important step forward, but we will still have to wait …