Africa news items of interest

Kenya court rules Islamic courts are illegal

Kenya's Islamic courts are illegal and discriminatory, a panel of judges has ruled.

The three judges said the Islamic "Kadhi" courts favoured Islam over other faiths, and that this was unconstitutional as Kenya was a secular country.

South Africa's Julius Malema defends his radical views

The controversial leader of South Africa's youth league has defended his behaviour after being disciplined by the ruling ANC.

Julius Malema had provoked anger with a series of outbursts about race, Zimbabwe and Jacob President Zuma.

In a BBC interview, he efused to admit he had done anything wrong, and brushed aside the measures taken against him.


EU trains 400 Somalis in Uganda
and Somalis clash with Ethiopia forces.

Kenya Inches Closer to New Constitution but churches oppose it on anti-choice grounds:

Kenya's interim electoral commission has released the official symbols that will guide voters in an August 4 referendum on a proposed new constitution for the country.

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The East African nation voted in a similar referendum in 2005, and 57 per cent of voters returned a "No" vote. The current draft constitution has faced strong opposition from Christian churches, which argue that it leaves loopholes for abortion by choice.

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