Australia postpones Afghanistan match over Taliban attitude to women’s sport

An entrepreneurship association made up mostly of young women from South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is manufacturing soap from coffee beans. The group’s coordinator, Mademoiselle Solange Kwinja, says the product is a great success since it is now being marketed in Bukavu, the provincial capital.

Australia could become a "renewable energy superpower," said incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He is due to be sworn in just a day before a Quad summit in Tokyo.

The Taliban has made face veils mandatory for all Afghan women appearing in public, including those on television. This edict was ignored by presenters on Saturday, but they relented a day later.

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan last year, international aid for the country has dried up. The pandemic and the ongoing food crisis have complicated an already dire economic situation. Unicef says that as more families are pushed deeper into poverty, they are forced to make desperate choices, such as putting children to work and marrying girls off at a young age. Our France 2 colleagues report.

Many women in Angola’s province of Bengo are now achieving places often occupied by men. For example: arbitration. Young female referees show the importance of cooperating with each other – no matter who, no matter where.

Many women in Angola’s province of Bengo are now achieving places often occupied by men. For example: arbitration. Young female referees show the importance of cooperating with each other – no matter who, no matter where.

Kabare prison is notorious for deaths in custody caused by hunger. Now, women are changing it with a food project.

Afghanistan is heading back to the pre-2001 dark days of the Taliban, and Western powers were naive if they ever thought this wouldn't be the case. That's the view of Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch. As women are told to cover their faces in public again and female television presenters are told to do the same, she spoke to us on Perspective about the how the Taliban are rolling back women's rights and what, if anything, the West can do about it. "Life has become a prison for most women and girls," she told us.

For more than nine months, Afghan girls over the age of 11 have been prohibited from going to high school. The Taliban have not reneged on the ban they imposed on taking power last August, despite their initial promise to do so. In the western city of Herat, FRANCE 24's reporters followed one teacher who hopes that her former students will be able to continue their education. They also met a teacher who is defying the ban by giving clandestine lessons. Meanwhile, some fathers are trying to convince the authorities to reopen girls' schools for their daughters.

In what is set to be a landmark agreement for gender equality, the EU is to vote on legislation where companies will face mandatory quotas to ensure women have at least 40 percent of seats on corporate boards. Annette Young talks to Carlien Scheele from the European Institute for Gender Studies on what it means for businesses across the European bloc. Also as the Taliban continues to ban schooling for girls aged over 11, we meet the Afghan people risking all to ensure girls receive an education. Plus the story of Viola Smith, the first female professional jazz drummer who fought for greater recognition of women in the industry.

According to the United Nations, some 23 million people are suffering from acute hunger n Afghanistan, including 10 million children who urgently need help in order to survive. Since the start of the year, humanitarian organisations have been able to help 8.2 million people by providing food assistance, including emergency food rations and supplements for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. But this aid is dwindling fast and the situation, which has continually worsened since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, is reaching a critical stage. Our team reports from Herat, in north-western Afghanistan.

Swimming's world governing body will only allow transgender athletes who transitioned before age 12 to compete in elite women's competitions. Some support a desire for inclusion, others say it would make races unfair.