Polls open in a referendum on whether to create a semi-autonomous state in the restive Sidama region. People in southern Ethiopia’s Sidama region are voting in a referendum on whether to create a new regional state along ethnic lines. Polls opened at 6am (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday and will close at 6pm (15:00 GMT). Preliminary […]

Scores held after clashes at Pretoria compound of UN refugee agency where hundreds camped out to demand resettlement. Pretoria, South Africa – Close to 200 people have been arrested after clashes between foreign nationals and security forces broke out at the offices of the United Nations’ agency for refugees (UNHCR) in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. In […]

A selection of photos from across Africa and of Africans elsewhere this week: Pictures from AFP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters Source: Read Full Article

Several well-known brands of maize flour have been taken off supermarket shelves in Kenya, after a warning about unsafe levels of a poisonous substance known as aflatoxin. This has led to widespread concern, as maize is the country’s main staple. The flour is used to prepare ugali, a cooked starchy paste the key ingredients of […]

NAIROBI (AFP) – The number of women and girls in poor countries embracing modern contraception has leapt by tens of millions with Africa recording the biggest gains, the organisation Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) said Monday (Nov 11). A new report shows that 314 million women and girls in 69 countries – out of 926 million […]

Human Rights Watch calls on government to probe mental health centres as it documents abuse in various facilities. An international rights group has called the Nigerian government to ban chaining as it condemned the “terrible” abuse faced by thousands of people with mental health conditions across the country. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a […]

Kenya’s population census figures have been released, causing controversy among some groups who feel the results are not fair or accurate. It found that the total population of the country is now 47.6 million, nine million more than in 2009. But some regions have experienced a decrease in population. These outcomes can be hugely controversial […]

TUNIS — The imbalance of power seemed unmistakable. On one side, a prominent politician, freshly elected to Parliament. On the other, a 19-year-old student who accused him of sexually harassing her outside her high school. The student’s accusation — initially posted, with photographic evidence, to a private Facebook group — prompted not just shock and […]

ICC decision ‘contains many errors’, lawyers say, after former rebel leader sentenced to 30 years over war crimes. Former Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda will appeal a 30-year jail term handed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, his lawyers have said, adding that their client was “at peace” […]

A selection of photos from across Africa and of Africans elsewhere this week: Pictures from AFP, Getty Images, Nur Photo and Anadolu Agency Source: Read Full Article