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Accra hosts trade fair for African design

The second edition of the Design Market by Dabira, a seasonal event to showcase contemporary design in Africa, will open its doors on 4-5 November in the Ghanaian capital city. The Design Market is a premier, seasonal market that features talented designers, artists and makers from across the African continent. The second edition will take place on November 4th and …

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African Ahmadiyya Muslims hold peace conference in London

The Pan-African Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (PAAMA) UK hosted its first ever Africa Peace Symposium on Saturday 21 October at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London under the guidance and tutelage of His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Worldwide Spiritual and Administrative Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The event which had Unity in Diversity as its theme and was …

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African leaders discuss challenges to continent’s industrialisation  

Unemployment and poverty are serious concerns for the continent, where more than 70% of the working age population is unemployed or has no job security, prompting the UN to declare 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III). African leaders deliberated in New York on how to industrialise the continent in a socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable manner to …

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Kenya: Odinga calls for new election as Kenyatta wins rerun

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared winner of last week’s rerun presidential election which was boycotted by main opposition leader Raila Odinga. Kenyatta garnered 7,483,895 votes representing 98.26%, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati announced on Monday. National Super Alliance (NASA) candidate, Odinga, garnered only 0.96% of the vote despite his boycott. Total valid votes were …

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Pope Francis decries low birth rates in Europe

Europe is suffering from “dramatic sterility,” the pope has said, urging Christians to preserve their moral values and “revitalize” a continent that is increasingly being characterised by a plurality of cultures and religions. Pope Francis on Saturday decried low birth rates in Europe and urged more help for young people preparing their future path in society. “A Europe that rediscovers …

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Spain: Deposed Catalan leader calls for peaceful resistance to Madrid

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who was fired by the Spanish government over the region’s declaration of independence, has called on the people to non-violently resist Madrid’s takeover bid. In a televised address on Saturday, Puigdemont said Madrid’s decision to suspend the autonomy of the province and appoint Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria as Catalonia’s provisional head goes …

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Forty percent of world’s population will be African – UN report

A new UN report has said that four in 10 people on earth will be African by 2100. This demographic change requires investment in health and education in order to avoid potentially staggering humanitarian crises. Elizabeth Schumacher of Deutsche Welle (DW) reports. The population of Africa is set to soar, according to a study released by the United Nations Children’s …

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Low voter turnout, violence mar Kenya’s repeat presidential election

Kenya’s electoral commission has announced an estimated 48 per cent voter turnout after the country’s presidential election rerun on Thursday, which was marred by opposition boycott, protests and deadly clashes. The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said 35,564 polling stations opened for the election out of the 40,883 in the 47 counties nationwide. Voting in four counties, which are opposition …

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Singapore edges out Germany as world’s most powerful passport

By removing visa requirements for Singaporeans, Paraguay helped Singapore edge out Germany for the top spot in the Passport Index published by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. Singapore was previously tied with Germany for the number-one spot. Paraguay recently removed its visa requirements for Singaporeans, giving citizens easy access to 159 countries, compared to 158 for German passport-holders. Historically, …

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US worried about Togo as Gambian minister backpedals on resignation call

The United States says it is concerned about the increasingly deteriorating political situation in Togo. The use of excessive force by security forces on protesters was of particular concern to the American government. A statement issued by a US Department of State spokesperson, Heather Nauert, said violence and restrictions on rights of people troubling to the US. “We are particularly …

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Germany launches website to discourage irregular migrants

There is currently a humanitarian crisis in Libya where between 800,000 and 1 million migrants are trapped. Most of them are waiting to embark on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. With new measures adopted by the Libyan government and other similar developments, the chances of the overwhelming majority of the migrants reaching Europe are almost foreclosed. Most …

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Account Verification: Give Nigerians abroad more time, Dabiri-Erewa urges

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, has called for more time for Nigerians in Diaspora to obtain their Bank Verification Number (BVN). Dabiri-Erewa also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to put modalities and logistics in place to make it easier for Nigerians …

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Asylum requests in Switzerland hit seven-year low

Requests for asylum in Switzerland dropped by a third in September, bringing the total for the first nine months of 2017 to just under 14,000, the lowest since 2010, government data showed. A drop since mid-July in the number of would-be refugees trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean played a role, the State Secretariat for Migration has said, adding …

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100,000 Brits sign up for polygamous dating site

A website that helps Muslim men find “second wives” in Britain has more than 100,000 users registered, it has been revealed. The practice has been accused of opening women, often younger than their husbands, to physical abuse and even trafficking. In the UK, polygamous marriages – in which a person has more than one spouse – are only recognized if …

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Ronaldo retains FIFA award for world’s best player

Real Madrid’s Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA’s The Best awards gala on Monday. The  four-time Ballon d‘Or winner won a La Liga and Champions League double with the Madrid club this year. He stroke twice against Juventus in the European Cup final to help Real …

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UN praises German refugee policy, urges improvements

While praising Germany’s openness toward refugees, the UN refugee agency UNHCR has called on newly elected German lawmakers to further improve the situation and prospects for refugees, reports Ashutosh Pandey. The German office of the UN refugee agency UNHCR has urged the newly elected members of the Bundestag, which will hold its first session on Tuesday, to provide the right …

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Togo president must resign immediately, says Gambian foreign minister

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé should resign immediately and the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should persuade him to step down, Gambia’s Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe has said. Darboe’s comments, during an interview with the news agency Reuters, are an early sign that opinion is shifting against Gnassingbé who took power in 2005 following …

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Liberian Election: George Weah visits famous Nigerian Pastor in Lagos

Presidential candidate in Liberia and football legend, George Weah, on Sunday, 22 October attended a Church service in Lagos, Nigeria, to seek divine intervention for his nation. The famous Liberian was part of a multi-cultural congregation at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) led by Prophet Temitope B. Joshua. During his sermon which was broadcast live on popular Christian …

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