Lawmakers in the lower house of the Dutch parliament have backed a partial ban on “face-covering clothing”, including Islamic veils and robes such as the burqa and niqab. The legislation still requires Senate approval before it becomes law. Studies suggest that only a few hundred women in the Netherlands wear such clothes, but successive governments have attempted to ban the …

Struggling with a shortage of cash Zimbabwe has introduced a new currency, a “bond note”, redeemable against US dollars, which has been the country’s official currency since 2009. However, many people fear the bond note will wipe out savings and trigger printing of money, which raged out of control in 2008, leading to the adoption of the dollar. The secrecy …

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has warned that anyone involved in violence or unrest during the country’s presidential election on 1 December would be dealt with harshly. “There will be zero tolerance of violence and anyone disregarding public order will face the full force of the law,” Jammeh told supporters at a rally broadcast on Gambian TV on Sunday. “I am …