Israel ended a stalemate with about 20 African migrants stranded along its border with Egypt for more than a week, allowing two women and a child to enter but turning the rest of the group away. A statement from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that although Israel granted entry to two women and a child, the country was 'determined to stop the flood' of migrants. A group of around 20 Eritreans had been stuck outside a nearly-completed border fence, where the Israeli military was providing them with food and water.

The Campaigning Toolkit is a comprehensive printed and online resource for people at risk of removal, and the groups working to support them. The Toolkit aims help migrants understand the asylum and immigration systems, to know their rights, and to be as well-equipped as possible to make a successful application. In the case of a refusal, we hope the Toolkit enables migrants to know what a campaign is, whether it’s right for them, and to be at the centre of the campaign and of all of the decisions made.

Conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where M23 rebels and other armed groups are fighting government forces, is dangerously undermining efforts to combat a cholera outbreak. There has been 'a sharp increase in the number of cholera cases in the armed conflict area of North Kivu' Province, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement. Between 11 June and 1 July some 368 new cases were reported.

Nigeria's main opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Sunday asked the Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to resign immediately, after his son's indictment in connection with the US$6 billion fuel subsidy scam, being described as one of the biggest corruption cases in Nigeria's history.

Irresponsible transfers of weaponry, munitions, armaments and related equipment across borders have resulted in the loss of millions of lives and livelihoods and the violation of fundamental human rights. In particular, the widespread availability of small arms and light weapons increases the risk to both men and women’s security, and impedes their enjoyment of their civil, political, social and economic rights in different ways. There is a gender dimension to the trade whereby women are disproportionately affected by armed gender-based violence.

Thousands of people have been left homeless in the Nigerian city of Lagos after a recent government-led eviction of an almost 200-year old shantytown. During last week's eviction of the Makoko slum, home to about 100,000 people, residents were given only 72 hours to evacuate before men in speedboats were sent to destroy their houses.

Foreign companies operating in Africa siphon US$ 1.5 trillion illicitly every year from Africa in the form of hard currency, leading to high inflation and deepening income gaps, a report by an African Union-backed think-tank said Friday. The report by the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial flows from Africa, a group created by the African finance ministers in 2011, under the leadership of former South African President Thabo Mbeki, said the funds were wired back to rich states, draining hard currency reserves in Africa.

This report by the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) examines the policy and practice of Kenya’s refugee protection framework. Although much has been written on the situation in the Dadaab camps, there has been no holistic examination of the legal and policy backdrop to refugee protection in Kenya. The purpose of the study, therefore, is to establish the range of rights to which refugees and asylum-seekers in Kenya are entitled under national law (as well as international and regional legal frameworks), and to identify and assess the current implementation gaps.

Ethiopian authorities blocked the publication of a prominent independent newspaper over the weekend in connection with its stories on the health of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, according to local journalists. The state-run printing company Barhanena Selam told the weekly Feteh early Sunday morning that the government had ordered that week’s edition of the paper, about 30,000 copies, to be blocked on grounds of inciting national insecurity and endangering the government and the public, local journalists said.

Disparities on land access are one of the major causes for social and gender inequalities in rural areas. Gender differentiated rights to land have implications on rural food security and nutrition as well as on the wellbeing of rural families and individuals. This online database from the Food and Agricultural Organisation explores the issue.

Dioncounda Traore, interim president of Mali, has moved to stifle Cheick Modibo Diarra, his prime minister, by announcing the creation of new bodies tasked with ending the ongoing crisis in the west African nation. In an address delivered on television on Sunday, Traore announced he would be in charge of a High Council of State, lead talks for a unity government himself and create a committee to negotiate with the fighters who currently control the north of the country.

Threats and violence against women journalists are on the rise in many regions of the world. In their work exposing injustices and bearing witness to human rights violations, women journalists are women human rights defenders and as such are in need of better security and protection mechanisms.

The Pentagon is seeking to send hand-launched drones to Kenya as part of a $40 million-plus military aid package designed to help four African countries fight al Qaeda and al Shabaab militants, notably in Somalia, the Wall Street Journal reported. Kenya would get eight 'Raven' unmanned aerial systems - an unarmed drone that can be use to identify targets for strikes by ground forces or other aircraft.

Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo has introduced his model skirt that is just two inches below the knee in a bid to quell the storm over the miniskirt row. Mutula’s new move unveils a skirt length which appears long enough to sooth the anger of clerics and conservatives, and short enough to appease the teenagers. He chose Rwathia Girls Seconday School to unveil the official skirt length recommended by his ministry. Mutula said that the Rwathia administration erred in imposing changes without consulting students, and that is why he supported the students. The Rwathia students who went on strike three weeks ago had complained that their new purple skirts were too long, ugly and not meant for their age.

Twenty one years ago Kakuma Camp was established with an initial capacity of 100,000 to temporarily accommodate thousands of refugees fleeing the civil war in Sudan. For a very long time it has been one of the most cosmopolitan camps in the world. It has accommodated refugees and other forced migrants from East Africa, the Horn of Africa, Central African Republic, Great Lakes region and other parts of the world. As of mid-May, there were a total of 95,300 refugees and asylum seekers in the camp, reports the Kakuma News Reflector. The latest edition of the Reflector is available through their website.

Mombasa Anglican Church of Kenya Bishop Julius Kalu has said gays are worse than terrorists and called for Christians to be ever vigilant. It is now emerging that the Bishop had 'asked for money from different gay groups' to assist in planning for a workshop where several Anglican priests and their wives were expected to attend.

Contributors from the African continent and other developing countries are invited to write on the topic above – addressing the theme of Gender and - from either a research or an activism perspective. Abstracts and contributions must be written in English and in a style accessible to a wide audience. Please submit abstracts to [email][email protected]

Zambia must engage the public and other stakeholders before deciding whether to start accepting Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or not, the country’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has said. NBA registrar Alfred Sumani said that the Zambian public and stakeholders need to be given balanced information on the merits and demerits of accepting GMOs into the country.

Recent weeks have seen demonstrators, for the most part students, take to the streets of Khartoum - and to a lesser extent other Sudanese cities - to protest against the rising cost of living and call for an end to the 23-year rule of President Omar al-Bashir. This IRIN Africa post is a brief overview of anti-government forces which, despite some alliances, lack strong cohesion or coordination among their various elements.

Led by Community Media For Development Productions, Youth Fit Africa is a new online magazine featuring sport, fitness, and health information for youth, by youth. The magazine was launched with a two-day basketball tournament and fitness event with ten under-19 clubs; winning teams received a full team kit sponsored by Swoosh, and there were sponsored prizes and giveaways courtesy of NBA Africa, PVM Energy Products, and Umoja. YFA includes feature stories, youth profiles, health and fitness tips, events, and opportunities.