Lawmaker says NGO bill aims To fight corruption, terrorism

With four months to go until election day, the two top candidates for the presidency are already at the center of allegations of corruption and abuse of power, with debate over policy relegated to the background.

British PM Johnson under pressure over corruption scandal at weekly questions

Former chancellor Sebastian Kurz is facing allegations that he used state money to pay for flattering polls to boost his image. Kurz has denied any wrongdoing.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday⁣

A Berlin-based human rights group says top clothing retailers may be sourcing Xinjiang cotton that has allegedly been picked using forced labor. The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has filed a criminal complaint in a federal court in Germany.

The Greek and Tunisian coast guards have also reported successful rescue missions. Nonetheless, dozens of people have died in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean over the past several days.

"King, the terrorist is the one who has exported ... Daeshi ideology to the world, and it is you," Nasrallah said in a speech, using an acronym for Islamic State, the hardline Islamist group that declared a caliphate straddling parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014. His comments were criticised by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati who said the criticism of Saudi Arabia did not serve the national interest or represent the country's official stance. Saudi Arabia and a number of other Gulf Arab states withdrew ambassadors and expelled Lebanese envoys in October and November over what the kingdom later said was arch-foe Hezbollah's dominance of the Lebanese state.

Prosecutors have added terrorism to the five charges a man who allegedly set fire to South Africa's parliament was already facing. The 49-year-old was also diagnosed with "paranoid schizophrenia."

From establishing special commissions to mounting public billboards, Africa has made strides in tackling corruption. But the problem refuses to disappear. We catch up with our correspondents in Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe on the battle against corruption.

South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma appeared in court on Monday (January 31) to face a long-standing corruption trial regarding a $2 billion government arms deal. Zuma's lawyers had argued that lead state prosecutor, Billy Downer, should be removed from the case, claiming that Downer is biased and his involvement would result in Zuma not getting a fair trial.

For decades, Montenegro has been unable to get organized crime under control. Rampant corruption is hindering development in the country, which is a candidate for EU membership. Now, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic is attempting a political awakening.

Fleeing war means leaving one's home and taking only the bare minimum of belongings; leaving one's community, school or workplace and often embarking on a dangerous journey to get to safety. The world's nearly 30 million refugees have gone through these ordeals, which often create both short and long-term trauma. And yet, psychological assistance is often overlooked. Zarlasht Halaimzai, who was once a refugee herself, has founded Amna, an organisation that provides non-clinical, psychosocial support to the forcibly displaced. She joined us for Perspective.