Morocco’s Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi is once again at the center of a growing storm, as his remarks on Islamic principles continue to draw sharp backlash from across the country.

The Senegalese government continues to pursue its election pledges, including a review of foreign investment contracts seen as contributing to the exploitation of national resources and the waste of public wealth.

Senegal has doubled prison sentences for same-sex activity, sparking domestic support and international human rights criticism.

Amir Ohana is the first openly gay Speaker of the Knesset; he lives with another man and they have adopted twins, and his election to the position has drawn sharp criticism from rabbis and ultra-Orthodox officials who refuse to shake his hand.

Fears are growing that a new pope with an anti-Islamic outlook could revive the confrontational policies of earlier pontiffs, reigniting tensions with the Muslim world.