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Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, says Iran's objective at the United Nations is to defend the legitimacy, rights and interests of the Iranian people.

In a statement marking the arrival of "Sacred Defense Week," the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) emphasized that the Sacred Defense served as a strategic school of thought for generating national power and unity.

German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz on Monday called his party's state election defeat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a "heavy blow," while ruling out any internal leadership challenge.

Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, made an important speech at the closing ceremony of the Third Workshop for Officials in the Information Sector of the WPK on September 21.

Australian Army Reserve soldiers deployed to New Zealand's South Island to train with New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel on Exercise Tasman Reserve.

ADV Reliant recently delivered vital equipment and stores to sustain Fiji's maritime security capability during a port visit in Suva.

Le militant panafricaniste Kémi Séba comparaît à nouveau ce mercredi 23 septembre 2026 devant le tribunal de Pretoria, en Afrique du Sud.

Kémi Séba comparaîtra à nouveau devant la justice sud-africaine. Initialement prévue le 11 août dernier, l'audience avait été reportée en raison d'une panne d'électricité ayant empêché son transfert depuis le lieu de détention vers le tribunal.

Détenu en Afrique du Sud depuis avril 2026, Kémi Séba fait l'objet d'une procédure liée aux lois sud-africaines sur l'immigration. Les autorités béninoises, de leur côté, demandent son extradition vers le Bénin dans le cadre des poursuites engagées contre lui.

Lors des précédentes audiences, sa défense avait notamment contesté les conditions de sa détention et demandé sa remise en liberté sous caution, sans succès.

La marche organisée mardi 22 septembre par l’UDPS/Tshisekedi en soutien au chef de l’État s’est déroulée dans plusieurs villes de la RDC ce mardi 21 septembre.

À Kinshasa, les manifestants sont partis de la 11ᵉ Rue, dans la commune de Limete, sous la conduite notamment du secrétaire général du parti, Augustin Kabuya. Le cortège s’est dirigé vers le Centre culturel et des arts de l’Afrique centrale.

Un jeune homme poursuivi pour des faits présumés d'escroquerie en ligne a comparu, jeudi 10 septembre 2026, devant la Chambre correctionnelle de la Cour de répression des infractions économiques et du terrorisme (CRIET).

Interpellé à Cotonou, un jeune homme a tenté de cacher son identité en donnant un faux nom aux policiers. Son identité a finalement été établie au commissariat après l'intervention de son père, venu à la recherche de son fils selon Libre Express.

À l'audience du jeudi 10 septembre 2026, le prévenu a reconnu avoir communiqué un faux nom aux policiers. Il a rejeté les accusations d'escroquerie en ligne et contesté être le propriétaire du téléphone retrouvé en sa possession. À l'en croire l'appareil lui avait été remis par un ami.

Le ministère public s'est appuyé sur les éléments retrouvés dans le téléphone, notamment des données présentées comme liées à des activités cybercriminelles et une photo de profil WhatsApp attribuée au prévenu.

Le procureur a requis cinq (05) ans d'emprisonnement et une amende de deux (02) millions de francs CFA. Il sera fixé sur son sort le 12 novembre 2026.

L’ancien président gabonais Ali Bongo s’est prononcé, dans une vidéo, sur l’affaire des biens mal acquis. Le parquet national financier a requis le renvoi de 18 personnes et cinq sociétés devant le tribunal correctionnel. Neuf des enfants d’Omar Bongo sont mis en cause, la justice française les soupçonnant d’avoir acquis près de 85 millions d’euros de patrimoine avec des fonds publics.

L’ancien président gabonais Ali Bongo s’est prononcé, dans une vidéo, sur l’affaire des biens mal acquis. Le parquet national financier a requis le renvoi de 18 personnes et cinq sociétés devant le tribunal correctionnel. Neuf des enfants d’Omar Bongo sont mis en cause, la justice française les soupçonnant d’avoir acquis près de 85 millions d’euros de patrimoine avec des fonds publics.

For many couples cohabitation has become an alternative to marriage rather than simply a step toward it. Credit: Shutterstock

By Joseph Chamie
PORTLAND, USA, Sep 22 2026 (IPS)

Marriage is declining in many countries, with fewer people marrying and many postponing marriage until later in life. At the same time, increasing numbers of men and women are choosing cohabitation instead of marriage.

Various social, economic, and legal factors have contributed to this shift from marriage to cohabitation. Moreover, cohabitation is increasingly not simply a prelude to marriage but, in many cases, an alternative to it. Although its prevalence varies considerably across regions and countries, cohabitation among unmarried couples has continued to rise in many parts of the world.

Historical demographic trends indicate that marriage has become less common over the past several decades, with particularly pronounced declines among younger adults. Nearly 90% of the world’s population lives in a country where marriage rates are declining. This change in union formation is part of the broader transformation in family and household patterns around the world.

In the mid-20th century, about 65% to 70% of adults worldwide were married. By 2021, however, the global share had declined to approximately 50% to 55%.

The proportion of married adults has declined across major age groups. In the United States, for example, the share of adults who were married decreased across all major age groups between 1960 and 2010 (Figure 1).

Source: U.S Census Bureau.

In addition, declines in marriage rates have been accompanied by substantial delays in marriage. Several decades ago, women in many countries typically married in their early or mid-twenties. Today, the median age at first marriage for women has risen to the late twenties or early thirties in many developed countries.

Historical demographic trends indicate that marriage has become less common over the past several decades, with particularly pronounced declines among younger adults. Nearly 90% of the world’s population lives in a country where marriage rates are declining. This change in union formation is part of the broader transformation in family and household patterns around the world

Marriage is therefore becoming less common in an increasing number of countries. At the same time, cohabitation has become increasingly widespread.

Once more common among people with lower levels of education and socio-economic status, cohabitation has in recent decades spread across educational and socioeconomic groups, making it a more broadly established form of partnership.

Cohabitation is particularly common in Central and South America, where levels are among the highest in the world. Rates of 40% or more of all unions are found in Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

Brazil provides another striking example. In 2022, nearly 40% of couples were in consensual or cohabiting unions, compared with about 38% in civil and religious marriages. For the first time, consensual unions surpassed civil and religious marriages as the most common form of union.

The rise of cohabitation in Latin American countries has also been accompanied by increasing proportions of children being born outside of marriage. From roughly 2016 to 2020, approximately 75% of children in Latin America were born outside marriage. The proportions ranged from about 60% in Guatemala and Ecuador to more than 80% in Colombia and Panama.

By contrast, cohabitation remains less common in Asia and the Middle East. These lower rates are generally attributed to the continuing influence of traditional family structures, marriage practices, and cultural and religious norms.

In addition, some countries have cultural restrictions and laws prohibiting sex outside of marriage, effectively making cohabitation illegal. These include Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. In most of these countries, a large majority of adults aged 18 to 49 are married.

Various factors have contributed to the shift from marriage toward cohabitation in many countries. Unlike marriage, cohabitation generally involves fewer legal procedures, costs, and formalities and may avoid some of the financial and legal complications that may arise from divorce (Table 1).

Source: Author’s compilation.

Cohabitation also gives men and women opportunities to get to know each other, assess their compatibility, financial circumstances, and make decisions about their future without immediately assuming the legal obligations of marriage. For many couples, therefore, cohabitation has become an alternative to marriage rather than simply a step toward it.

The widespread availability of modern contraceptives has given men and women greater flexibility in forming personal relationships and greater control over the timing and number of their children. Other important factors include urbanization, rising educational attainment, increasing female labor-force participation, financial pressures and unemployment, changing priorities regarding careers, personal growth, and independence, and evolving social and economic roles of men and women.

Additional factors include the rising costs associated with marriage, the potential financial consequences of divorce, changes in laws governing unmarried couples, and growing social acceptance of cohabitation.

Among OECD countries, about 12% of adults aged 20 and older lived in a cohabiting union around 2023. The proportions were considerably higher in some OECD countries, including Iceland (22%), Sweden (20%), and France (19%).

As in many Latin American countries, a large proportion of the births in OECD countries now occur outside marriage. A half century ago, fewer than 10% of children were born outside of marriage in most OECD countries. By 2020, that share had risen to more than 30% in most countries and to more than half in several, including Denmark, Estonia, France, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

In sum, although substantial regional variations persist, particularly in more traditional and religious societies, marriage has declined significantly in most countries over the past several decades. Many men and women are also postponing marriage until later in life. At the same time, cohabitation among unmarried couples has become increasingly common, reflecting a broader transformation in partnership patterns.

Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer and a former director of the United Nations Population Division.

 

Amid strained ties with Ottawa, some Indigenous leaders are suggesting that they may pursue new partnerships.

Le banquier d’affaires, qui n’exclut pas une candidature à la présidentielle, dit vouloir être jugé sur son engagement et ses convictions plutôt que sur son compte en banque.

Les habitants de la province du lac Tchad subissent de plein fouet les effets du changement climatique. La région et la vie qui s’y développent ont historiquement pris forme autour de cette immense étendue d’eau. La pêche mais aussi l’agriculture, qui sont les piliers des communautés de la zone, sont largement handicapées par les irrégularités du climat. Conséquences : manque de poisson, terres agricoles détruites, augmentation du coût de la vie.

Les habitants de la province du lac Tchad subissent de plein fouet les effets du changement climatique. La région et la vie qui s’y développent ont historiquement pris forme autour de cette immense étendue d’eau. La pêche mais aussi l’agriculture, qui sont les piliers des communautés de la zone, sont largement handicapées par les irrégularités du climat. Conséquences : manque de poisson, terres agricoles détruites, augmentation du coût de la vie.

His handling of the dollar crisis could define his record before he returns to the voters to seek a second term.

Une partie des installations de l’Hôpital général de référence de Mambasa, en Ituri, a été détruite par un incendie dans la nuit de lundi à mardi 22 septembre 2026. 

Des sources au sein de l’hôpital rapportent que le feu a notamment touché l’ancien bâtiment du Centre de traitement d’Ebola et une partie du service des soins intensifs.

Une enquête exclusive de France 24 et une vingtaine de médias partenaires révèle les expulsions de masse d’immigrés en situation irrégulière des États Unis vers des « pays tiers ». Treize pays africains sont concernés par ces accords souvent opaques menés par l'administration Trump, dont l’Eswatini, petit royaume enclavé entre l’Afrique du Sud et le Mozambique. Les explications de Caroline Dumay, correspondante à France 24.