Public broadcaster ZDF has ranked every town in Germany based on three categories: work and living, free time and nature, health and security. Of the top five, three are in Bavaria, reports Elizabeth Schumacher. MUNICH The capital of Bavaria was chosen for its sprawling English Garden park, museums, cultural events like Oktoberfest, and proximity to the mountains. It ranked No. …

The Schengen area comprises of European countries that have abolished passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. The area mostly functions as a single jurisdiction for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. The Schengen Agreement, which seeks to create a single European territory devoid of internal borders, was signed by five European Union …

The European Commission is proposing to upgrade the Visa Information System (VIS), the database containing information on persons applying for Schengen visas, in order to better respond to evolving security and migratory challenges. A proposal by the European Commission on Wednesday to upgrade the Visa Information System (VIS) aims to make it easier for police to identify people not permitted …

Swedish car maker Volvo says its vehicles built in China might actually be superior in quality to those it makes in Europe. In an interview with Australia’s Go Auto, Volvo’s senior vice-president of design, Robin Page, admitted that some were concerned about the automaker’s decision to build many of its vehicles in China. “What we’re finding is that the quality …

The South African Anglican cleric and theologian known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has been voted Africa’s most reputable and ethical individual, while Gift of the Givers and Botswana were recognised as the most admired organisation and country on the continent respectively. Gift of the Givers Foundation is a South African non-governmental …

This year’s Africa Day will be marked for the 8th consecutive time in the western German city of Dortmund with the theme “Global networking & modern economy”. The Day, which commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union) in Addis Ababa on 25 May 1963, is marked both in Africa and its Diaspora communities across the …

The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR has urged the Austrian government to keep the protection of refugees at the centre of draft amendments to the country’s asylum law. The UNHCR has presented a juridical analysis of the draft amendments to Austria’s asylum law, urging the Austrian government to uphold its commitment to protect sensitive asylum policies. The organization expressed ”concern” about …

The visa rejection rate rose again last year. The German foreign missions mainly rejected applications from African countries. Parliamentarians of the Left in the federal parliament criticize the visa practice. Germany once again rejected more visa applications from foreigners last year. While the rejection rate was 6.7 percent in 2016, it rose to 8.5 percent last year. In 2015, the …

Germany granted residence permit to some 35,000 Eritrean refugees last year. This entitles them to bring their families over. But not all are successful. Daniel Pelz of Deutsche Welle (DW) reports on the reasons for this. With its population of around five million, Eritrea is one of the main countries of origin of African refugees. Young people especially are among …

After years of hashtags and outcries, Twitter now recognizes Swahili, one of East Africa’s most common languages. The social media platform now offers translation for the language spoken by tens of millions in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and some parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most African languages for the past decade and over of social media platform Twitter’s existence …

The German Cabinet has approved legislation allowing refugees with subsidiary protection status to bring their direct relatives to Germany. Critics say that the bill breaches human rights, and that it will force more migrants to put their fate in the hands of people-smugglers. Marion MacGregor of Deutsche Welle (DW) reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet on Wednesday voted to resettle …

Since 13 April 2018, a delegation of the Dortmund, Germany-based association AfricanTide Union e.V. has been in Yenagoa, the capital of the Nigerian state of Bayelsa. Although the region, situated in the Niger Delta, has high oil and gas reserves, the population suffers from high levels of poverty and unemployment. Many people therefore are fleeing the region, even to Europe. …

Some of the best-known Black actors in Europe gathered in Tarifa at the just-concluded Tarifa-Tangiers African Film Festival to discuss their situation in different countries in a session moderated by Spanish journalist Lucía Mbomío. Last Saturday (5 May), nine actors shared their experiences, as well as the difficulties and challenges they face, calling for greater visibility and the normalisation of …

At the just-concluded Tarifa-Tangiers African Film Festival (Festival cine africano de Tarifa or FCAT), international critics have voted for the best African films of all time. FCAT, which takes place in the Spanish town Tarifa and the Moroccan city of Tangiers, celebrates its 15th year of promoting and subtitling cinema productions from Africa into Spanish from 26 April to 5 May. …

The opening of the Accra Marriott Hotel near the Ghanaian capital marks the Marriot hotel group’s debut in West Africa. The hotel is located opposite the Kotoka International Airport, and just a few kilometres outside of Accra’s central business district providing easy access to major corporate businesses, government entities and well known city landmarks. With 208 well-appointed rooms, three dining …

Africa’s economy is projected to continue to rise to 3.2% in 2018 and to a further 3.5% in 2019. This is according to the latest World Bank report released early 2018. According to the report, non-resource intensive countries are expected to expand at a solid pace, helped by robust investment growth. South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, the region’s largest growing …

World Cup-bound African teams have received a major boost after FIFA agreed to advance each of the five countries US$2 million ahead of the global football fiesta which kicks off in Russia next month. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil saw the Ghana and Cameroon national teams arguing with their football associations over bonus payments: Cameroon arrived late, Ghana’s government …

After being at the centre of attention in 2017, Germany’s Africa policy has somewhat stagnated. But Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wants to keep communications open and is visiting Ethiopia and Tanzania this week. Ludger Schadomsky of DW reports. Germany’s Africa policy is back in the spotlight, this time at the highest level. Only six weeks after assuming office, German Foreign Minister …

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediately cease the importation of codeine. The ban is specifically in respect of codeine as an active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough preparations. The directive is meant to curb an addiction crisis exposed by the BBC in a recent undercover film. The …

There is a “critical period” for learning a second language, with people remaining adept learners until the age of 17 or 18, when their ability drops, according to a new study. Conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the study suggests that the “critical period” for learning a new language is much longer than scientists had previously thought. “It was …