ZIMBABWE: A law denying abortions to women raped by their husbands and girls under the age of 18 is unconstitutional, the the High Court said in a ruling made public today.

In his decision, handed down on November 22, Judge Maxwell Takuva said that since Zimbabwe’s laws already criminalise marital rape and sex with a minor, victims should be allowed to abort if they become pregnant.

BANGLADESH: A court in the south-east rescheduled by a month today the bail hearing for a prominent jailed Hindu leader who in recent months led large rallies in the Muslim-majority country demanding better security for minority groups.

This coincided with tensions surging following reports that the Indian flag had been desecrated across Bangladesh.

IRAN: Authorities have released a government critic and popular hip-hop artist who won fame with his lyrics about the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, local media reported today.

Toomaj Salehi spent a little over a year in jail and faced a death sentence issued by a “revolutionary court,” which usually involves closed-door hearings and gives limited rights to those on trial. 

NATO: Secretary-general Mark Rutte sidestepped questions today about Ukraine’s possible membership of the military alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen Kiev’s hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons.

Mr Rutte was speaking ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that extending membership of the military alliance to territory now under Kiev’s control could end “the hot stage” of the war with Russia.