Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s public prosecutor is seeking the death penalty in the trial of 147 opposition activists accused of “rebellion,” their lawyer said on Wednesday. The activists, including senior officials of the main opposition party, the Citizens for Innovation (CI), were arrested following elections in …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | French air power on Wednesday killed at least 10 jihadists in northeast Mali near the border with Algeria, local and foreign military sources said. “French forces on Wednesday led at least one raid near Tinzaouatene, at the Algerian border, against the terrorists,” a local Malian …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The United Nations said Wednesday it had registered 18 alleged cases of sexual abuse and exploitation by its peacekeepers and civilian personnel in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year. Fourteen of the allegations involve paternity cases or complainants seeking “care for children …

New York, United States | AFP | The International Rescue Committee on Wednesday confirmed three cases of sexual abuse under its watch in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, saying police were informed and those involved dismissed. The admission comes with the international aid sector rocked by growing public allegations …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer told the New York Times Tuesday he paid $130,000 of his own money to a porn star who once said she had an affair with Trump. The long-time Trump attorney, Michael Cohen, said he was not reimbursed for the …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Police in Burundi have threatened to arrest anyone campaigning prematurely against a referendum to revise the constitution, which if passed could allow President Pierre Nkurunziza to remain in power until 2034. Police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye issued the warning to anyone who might “try to impede …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | NATO defence ministers gathered for talks Wednesday amid US concerns over the EU’s landmark defence cooperation pact and increasingly strained relations between Washington and Turkey. Washington and Ankara, two of the transatlantic alliance’s most important members, are at loggerheads over Turkey’s military offensive in northern …

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Valentine’s Day was banned in some Indonesian cities Wednesday as police rounded up amorous couples, giving the official kiss-off to a tradition which critics say doesn’t deserve any love in the Muslim-majority nation. The prohibitions come amid concerns that traditionally tolerant Indonesia is taking a …

Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia | AFP | In a small medieval Slovak town, couples are getting ready on Valentine’s Day to make a “deposit” about their romance in a place dedicated to love stories. The “Love Bank” is the main attraction of an exhibition commemorating the world’s longest love poem, “Marina” …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | A local leader of the main Tanzanian opposition party has been found beaten to death after men bundled him into a car, party chairman Freeman Mbowe said Wednesday. Daniel John was responsible for the Chadema party in the Hananasif district of the economic capital Dar …