News

Rights activist Omoyele Sowore has cried out over an alleged plot to arrest and detain him. In a statement published on his Facebook page, the publisher of the online news platform SaharaReporters accused the presidency of working with the Nigerian army and the judiciary to obtain an unjustifiable court order for his renewed detention over the revelation of SaharaReporters that …

BBC News Africa has launched daily one minute video Coronavirus (Covid -19) stories in Afrique, Hausa, Igbo, Pidgin and Yoruba. Delivered by 6pm GMT each video will showcase the two top stories with one being a fact-check video. They will give valuable tips and also dispel disinformation about Covid -19. The first videos include: · What is the relationship between …

With about three billion people worldwide having to stay at home in order to avoid further spreading of the coronavirus, Africa has also been adversely affected. Forty-six African countries have officially recorded cases (2,819 as at 26 March) and they have adopted various measures, ranging from compulsory quarantine and border closures to strong recommendations to stay at home. The pandemic …

Ghanaians in the diaspora will hold a global conference meeting by phone on Saturday (28 March) to discuss how their communities are affected by the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Titled Corona Protection International (Disapora) Conference Call, the meeting offers an opportunity for Ghanaian communities in the different countries to share experiences and discuss how best to protect their members. A …

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Government of Ethiopia have received a consignment of medical equipment for distribution to African countries for their fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The donated consignment includes 1.5 million testing kits, 6 million medical masks and 60,000 protective suits to be distributed throughout Africa. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 23, 2020/ — Africa’s …

The proliferation of fake news about the COVID-19 pandemic has been labelled a dangerous “infodemic”. Fake news spreads faster and more easily today through the internet, social media and instant messaging. These messages may contain useless, incorrect or even harmful information and advice, which can hamper the public health response and add to social disorder and division. Confusingly some fake …

Restrictions on everyday life in Germany have again been tightened significantly as the federal government announced a new set of nationwide measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease. The chancellor and the prime ministers of the 16 federal states agreed on the new package of measures at a conference call on Sunday and it includes new regulations on …

Germany’s state and federal leaders are yet to decide on whether to impose a nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Bavaria has introduced drastic measures of its own, but other states have also edged closer to curfews. Several German states are imposing drastic lockdown measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The federal government has still stopped short declaring a state …

This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to reach 2 billion people and enables WHO to get information directly into the hands of the people that need it GENEVA, Switzerland, March 21, 2020/ — Today, WHO is launching a messaging service with partners WhatsApp and Facebook to keep people safe from coronavirus. This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to …

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the world, causing mass disruptions to daily life – rattling markets, suspending travel plans, cancelling sports and music events, the disease is instigating a reappraisal of life as we know it. Our contributing editor and medical doctor at the Berlin Charité hospital, Michael Nnaji, writes on important lessons to be drawn from the crisis. …

To prevent a widespread infection of their populations, African countries are increasingly imposing travel restrictions to keep out people from countries that have a high number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. Nigeria is the latest country to take the drastic step of imposing entry bans as part drastic measures to stop the spread of the virus in the country. “The Federal …

Euro 2020 has been postponed until 2021 because of the ongoing global coronavirus outbreak. UEFA, European football’s governing body, made the decision at an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The football tournament had been due to kick off in Rome, Italy, on June 12 and was to be played in 12 different host cities across the continent. The 24-team European Championship, …

The federal and state governments have adopted several drastic measures to slow down the increasing infection rate of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country. The measures order unprecedented restrictions on public life in the country. In a national TV address on Monday evening, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the federal government and the governments of the 16 federal states have agreed to …

Our contributing editor Alexander Macbeth writes on how the Ghanaian novelist focuses on the experience of women from their perspective, exposing how male authors have long neglected the true desires and challenges of the continent’s women. Amma Darko’s tales of wise grandmothers, resilient daughters and strong-willed victims, often caught in difficult circumstances, have made her a favourite on both sides …

To mark the European Action Week against Racism (16-29 March), civil society groups, educational institutions and city governments are carrying out activities to protest against racism and celebrate the diversity that enriches European societies. To commemorate the week, our contributing editor Sarah Udoh-Grossfurthner, writing from Vienna, narrates a story that will make you laugh and then feel pity for racists. …

In this opinion piece, Albert Mashika (Caritas Africa) and Maria Nyman (Caritas Europe) take a look at the relationship between the EU and Africa in view of the upcoming EU-AU Summit in October. They explain why they think that the European Commission’s proposed new strategy on Africa overlooks the huge and often negative influence that EU member states and companies …

Seventy per cent of people irregularly migrating from Nigeria are from Edo State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said. UNHCR’s Senior Liaison Officer, Amah Assiama-Hillgartner, stated this in Benin, the state capital, during the agency’s Telling the Real Story (TRS) meeting on Thursday. She described Nigeria as the country of transit and trafficking of irregular emigrants, …

Last year, far more right-wing extremist and racist attacks were registered in Berlin. A new central office to prevent and respond to hate crimes in the federal capital The number of right-wing extremist and racist attacks in Berlin continued to increase in the past year. A total of 390 attacks were registered, as the victim advisory centre Reach Out announced …

Facebook is inviting applications from sub-Saharan Africa for its Community Accelerator programme. Up to $3 million in total will be awarded to 80 programme participants worldwide JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 10, 2020/ — In line with its mission to give people the power to build community around the world and its commitment to supporting the community leaders who drive change, …

In Uganda, LGBT+ people face life in prison as well as violence and discrimination in private and public life. Following a deportation trial, German authorities have granted refugee status to a Ugandan lesbian. A hearing at a Bavarian courthouse on Monday over the asylum application of a lesbian woman from Uganda was thrown out after she was granted her refugee …