Benin: Soldiers shoot at protesters in post-election unrest

A resolution is imminent in the dispute over more than 1,000 bronzes stolen from the former Kingdom of Benin. Germany wants to return all the objects to Nigeria.

West African nations will close their borders with Mali, sever diplomatic ties and impose tough economic sanctions in response to its delay in holding elections following a 2020 military coup, the 15-state regional bloc said on Sunday.

West African leaders have imposed punitive measures on Mali as the military stalls a return to civilian rule. The move comes as regional leaders met in Ghana to discuss the crisis.

A total of 150 Taliban soldiers on Thursday graduated from the first brigade of the 203rd Mansoori Corps in the southeastern zone after three months of training in the southeastern Khost province. Officials at the brigade say the graduates are well-trained and will strongly defend Afghanistan.

Child trafficking is often described as modern day slavery. despite legal and social measures aimed at combating the practice, it remains rife in a number of west african countries.

The ECOWAS bloc has suspended Burkina Faso after the army overthrew the president. Burkina Faso is the third member to face punishments from the bloc as a result of a military takeover in roughly 18 months.

A coup in Burkina Faso follows military takeovers in Guinea and Mali as civilian administrations are blamed for a failure to tackle a rise in insurgent violence.

Nigerians celebrated the homecoming of Benin bronzes pillaged during the colonial era. It comes as African leaders are pushing for the restitution of the artifacts from Europe.

In Benin, artefacts that were looted by French forces during the 19th century and formally returned to their homeland last year are about to go on display. The objects include sculptures, masks and small pieces of furniture for ceremonial uses. FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith reports from the capital Cotonou. Also, French lawmakers pave the way for artworks stolen by the Nazis and currently on display in French museums to be returned to their rightful heirs.

After a 130 years away, 26 stolen artefacts from Benin are finally being displayed at home after having been returned by France.The pieces were looted by soldiers from the kingdom of Dahomey in 1892 and are now taking pride of place at the presidential palace.

While the war rages in Ukraine, NATO has been conducting a massive military drill in Norway. The alliance says the maneuvers are designed to test troops' readiness for combat in cold conditions.

When Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, some of the troops invaded from Belarus in the north to occupy the areas around Kyiv and Chernihiv. They have now withdrawn — but are they still in Belarus?