EUROPE

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) has elected a new executive committee to steer its activities for the next two years. The election took place during the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), held from 7-10 November in Athens, Greece. The newly elected leadership for the 2024-2026 term succeeds the team led by Dr Bashir Obasekola, who served two consecutive …

In the first month since Germany began enforcing border checks across its land borders, about 1,000 people were denied entry. From 16 September to 20 October, the Federal Police recorded approximately 1,700 unauthorized entry attempts and apprehended around 30 suspected human smugglers, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. While open borders are standard within the Schengen zone, Germany …

A new Change.org campaign, initiated by Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, wife of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is gaining momentum. The petition is directed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Attorney General Richard Kermer Q.C., urging them to use diplomatic and economic means to secure Kanu’s immediate release from Nigerian detention. Kanu, …

Germany will introduce controls at its nine land borders for the next six months beginning from 16 September, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) announced in Berlin on Monday. Accordingly, temporary border controls will be implemented at all of Germany’s land borders, including those with Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. Given that …

A new data study has revealed the most popular banks across Europe. The research conducted by banking experts Finansvalp analysed 43 European countries based on how many times each Googles a term related to saving money and banking.  The data includes 681 keywords, such as “health savings account”, “danske bank savings account”, “how to start saving money”, “nordjyske bank”, and …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, outgoing Member of the European Parliament, writes on the significance of Gambian parliamentarians’ decision not to rescind the ban on female genital mutilation in the west African country ____________________ Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains banned in the Gambia. Despite pressure from religious dignitaries and retrograde groups in society who consider female genital mutilation to be an integral …

New WHO report highlights how big industry fuels chronic diseases, obstructs health policy and targets vulnerable people A pioneering report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe spells out clearly how specific powerful industries are driving ill-health and premature mortality across Europe and central Asia, including through interfering in and influencing prevention and control efforts for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), condemns discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs as well as anti-Black racism, and calls for decisive action against all forms of hatred. She makes a recommendation on how to tackle Afrophobia more effectively at the European level ——- Discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs has no place in our …

New data has revealed the most ‘TikTokable’ European cities, with Berlin and Hamburg making the top ten.  Using data sourced from Statista, marketing experts at Upbeat Agency analysed the number of views each European city had received on TikTok.  Barcelona is the most popular European city on TikTok, with 106.1 billion views. The cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s most popular tourist …

In a recent study, the Netherlands emerged as Europe’s most active online nation. SEO agency Digital Climax analysed data from Eurostat to compare the percentages of individuals engaged in six selected categories of online activity across each country in Europe. The data was then used to create an overall ‘Online Activity Score’ out of ten, for each European country.  The …

Nigerian leader meets Dutch prime minister in The Hague, said his country offers immense opportunities across several sectors for foreign investors and that his government was deepening reforms to improve the investment climate. President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria is well-positioned to power the clean energy future of Europe and the world with its high-grade lithium deposits. Speaking during a meeting …

Furaha Kensmil explains why she feels like a foreigner in both Suriname, where she was born, and the Netherlands, where she has lived most of her life. Furaha delves into the complexities of the identity of the people of African descent in the Netherlands, which prides itself as a colour-blind nation. I find it difficult to call myself Dutch. The …

A recent study conducted by experts at Vignetteswitzerland.com has unveiled the most and least affordable European countries for car ownership.  The research considered factors such as fuel prices, vehicle taxes, and insurance costs, compared to average salaries, to assign each place a unique score to reveal where owning a car is the least financially draining.  The higher the index score …

Polish voters will go to the polls on 7 April to elect leaders at the communal level. A Nigerian living in the country will participate at the elections. “I’m thrilled to announce my candidacy for the position of Wolomin county councillor in the upcoming Polish district and local government elections,” Dr Tade Daniel Omotosho said in a press release. Wołomin …

New research has revealed the European countries using electric vehicles the most, with Norway coming out on top. The study by electronic registration portal Vignettecroatia.com analysed the latest 2022 data from Eurostat, to see which European countries had the highest percentage of electric vehicles. It found that Norway is leading the way for electric vehicle use in Europe, with a whopping 20.12% …

Newly released research has identified the top European country for female career progression. Scandinavian nations, particularly Iceland, were found to be leaders in fostering female career advancement.  The study, conducted by experts at Claims.co.uk, delved into gender gap data sourced from the World Economic Forum (WEF) to pinpoint the most progressive country for female employment. 46 European countries underwent a …

As First Vice-Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE) of the European Parliament and Substitute Member of its Committee on Women‘s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana took part in the Parliament’s recent Mission to Ethiopia. The Green politician reports on the Mission. Historical and geopolitical aspects The Federal Republic of Ethiopia has a population of around 125 …

Finland is the best country in the EU for women in the workplace, a new study has revealed.  Personal finance experts Finansvalp analysed Eurostat data on seats held by women in national parliaments, women in senior management positions, and the 2022 median net income by gender in the 27 EU member countries. Each country was given a gender-equality score out …

New research has revealed the most dangerous European countries to drive in, with Romania coming out on top. The study by Vignetteswitzerland.com analysed the latest data from the European Transport Safety Council to see which countries had the highest road deaths per million inhabitants. It found that Romania is statistically the most dangerous country to drive in in Europe. 2022 …

A new study has revealed the most affordable European countries in which to take out a personal loan, with Luxembourg claiming the top spot. Loan experts Lånea analyzed data from Trading Economics, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Numbeo to create an index of the European countries most affordable for those wanting to take out a personal …