A lecturer at a government university in Zimbabwe has been jailed for three months for labelling veteran President Robert Mugabe "a rotten old donkey," in the latest such case, lawyers said on Saturday. More »Zimbabwe lecturer jailed for Mugabe insult
Residents of an insurgent stronghold in northeast Nigeria fled their homes on Saturday as military fighter jets and helicopters carried out heavy air strikes on Boko Haram Islamist camps. More »Nigerians flee town after air raids on Islamists
For Bethlehem Tilahun, the answer to ending poverty in Africa is not aid or sympathy or donations from the West. It's shoes. More »Boosting Ethiopia's economy, one shoe at a time
As Zimbabwe approaches watershed elections, a renowned lawyer at the forefront of defending human rights activists, vowed never to give up -- even after her own arrest earlier this year. More »Despite arrest, Zimbabwe's top rights lawyer won't relent
By Charlie Dunmore BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Critics ridiculed European Union bureaucrats on Saturday for taking time off fighting the euro zone's debt crisis to impose strict new rules on how restaurants serve olive oil. From January 1, 2014, eateries will be banned from serving oil to diners in small glass jugs or dipping bowls, and forced instead to use pre-sealed, non-refillable bottles that must be disposed of when empty. The European Commission said the move is designed to improve hygiene and reassure consumers the olive oil in restaurants has not been diluted with an inferior product. ... More »EU finds time to tell restaurants how to serve olive oil
Iran is tightening control of the Internet ahead of next month's presidential election, mindful of violent street protests that social networkers inspired last time around over claims of fraud, users and experts say. More »Internet in 'coma' as Iran election looms
There is no shortage of cash or credit in Angola -- Africa's second oil producer -- but the struggle small businesses face to get loans is stimying efforts to diversify the economy. More »Angola's skewed lending said to stifle economy
By James Mackenzie VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Pope Francis on Saturday and, apparently responding to his criticism of a heartless "dictatorship of the economy", called for stronger regulation of financial markets. On Thursday, Francis appealed in a speech for world financial reform, saying the global economic crisis had made life worse for millions in rich and poor countries. Merkel visited Rome for a few hours specifically to meet the pontiff and spoke with him privately in his library for 45 minutes, unusually long for a private papal audience. ... More »Germany's Merkel visits Pope, urges tougher market controls
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired three short-range missiles from its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, prompting Western powers to urge Pyongyang to exercise restraint. Launches by the North of short-range missiles are not uncommon but, after recent warnings from the communist state of impending nuclear war, such actions raise concerns about the region's security. "North Korea fired short-range guided missiles twice in the morning and once in the afternoon off its east coast," an official at the South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman's office said by telephone. ... More »North Korea fires three short-range missiles
By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Saturday that advanced weapons supplied by Russia to war-torn Syria could end up in the wrong hands and be used against the Jewish state. A Russian shipment of Yakhont anti-ship missiles to Syria was condemned by the United States on Friday and Israel is also alarmed by the prospect of Russia supplying S-300 advanced air defence missile systems to Damascus. ... More »Israel warns against Russian arms supply to Syria
ROME (Reuters) - Thousands of people protested in Rome on Saturday against austerity policies and high unemployment, urging new Prime Minister Enrico Letta to focus on creating jobs to help pull the country out of recession. "We hope that this government will finally start listening to us because we are losing our patience," said Enzo Bernardis, who joined the sea of protesters waving red flags and calling for more workers' rights and better contracts. ... More »Rome protest turns up heat on new Prime Minister
Major Western nations are "deeply disturbed" about the abuse and killing of civilians and the looting of property in South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state, and call for a "political and not a military solution" to the fighting between rebels and the army, a statement by diplomats said on Saturday. More »Western nations 'disturbed' by S. Sudan violence
By Karen Brooks (Reuters) - Federal investigators on Saturday searched for the cause of a rush-hour train crash in Connecticut that injured dozens of people commuting home from New York City, three of them critically. More than 60 people were hospitalized Friday night after an eastbound commuter train derailed and collided with a westbound passenger train on an adjacent track near the Connecticut suburb of Fairfield. Eight people remained hospitalized on Saturday, three in critical condition, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said. ... More »Investigators seek cause of New York commuter train crash
LIMA (Reuters) - Proposed peace talks for Syria would not curb "terrorism" in the country and it is unrealistic to think they would succeed, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published in an Argentine newspaper on Saturday. Speaking in Syria with the newspaper Clarin, Assad said he was doubtful that mediation the United States and Russia have proposed could settle a deadly conflict that has convulsed the country for two years. "There is confusion in the world between a political solution and terrorism. They think a political conference will halt terrorists in the country. ... More »Syria's Assad - Little chance peace talks would succeed -newspaper
MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern on Sunday over North Korea's launch of short-range missiles, urging Pyonyang to refrain from further launches and return to stalled nuclear talks with world powers. Ban, who spoke to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti during a visit to Moscow, called North Korea's launch of three short-range missiles from its east coast on Saturday a "provocative action". "We are very worried over North Korea's provocative action," he told RIA in comments translated into Russian. ... More »U.N. chief Ban says worried over North Korea missile launch
LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - African military chiefs agreed on Saturday to more than double the size of a regional peacekeeping force deployed in Central African Republic, where authorities have struggled to contain violence after a rebel takeover. Thousands of fighters from the Seleka rebel coalition led by Michel Djotodia marched into the capital Bangui on March 24, forcing President Francois Bozize to flee to neighbouring Cameroon. Djotodia, a former civil servant, was later named interim president by parliament and asked to lead the country to elections within 18 months. ... More »Regional force boosts troop numbers in Central African Republic
By Li Hui and Maxim Duncan QIANTUN, China (Reuters) - Two years short of 70, Zhang Guosheng spends his days caring for an 81-year-old fellow villager - washing his clothes, bringing meals to his bed, and keeping him company - a routine he'll keep up until he himself needs the type of care he is now giving. "Living here is better than staying at home alone. We help each other and have a common language," said the spritely Zhang, an enthusiastic dancer. "We are very happy here. ... More »Greying China taps rural elderly to care for those even older
Saudi woman Raha Moharrak reached the summit of Nepal's Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, in a first for the conservative Muslim kingdom where women's sports are severely restricted, tourism officials said on Sunday. More »Saudi woman tops Everest as country warms to women in sports
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's main opposition bloc said on Saturday that a Muslim Brotherhood-backed bill to regulate human rights groups and other private organisations was an attempt to stifle their work. The National Salvation Front (NSF), an alliance of liberal and leftist opposition parties, said the draft law submitted to the Shura Council, which for now has legislative powers, was more restrictive than laws under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak. ... More »Egypt's opposition attacks Brotherhood-backed NGO draft law
A senior Mali army officer accused France Saturday of picking favourites among the country's warring militias after its troops attacked Arab rebels who had captured a village from armed Tuaregs. More »France accused of favouring Mali's Tuareg rebels
Max didn't make me cry – I was frustrated, says Zille
Mail & Guardian OnlineZimbabwe wants SA to keep its citizens
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