News

What African leaders fail to learn from Mandela, by Leymah Gbowee

Tuesday, 11 February 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison after 27 years of incarceration by the then South African apartheid regime. Liberian peace activist Leymah Roberta Gbowee delivered a lecture at an event organised by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to commemorate the historic day in Cape Town’s City Hall. Ms Gbowee, who was awarded the …

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Family launches project to mark 30th anniversary of Mandela’s release from prison

30th Anniversary Of Nelson Mandela’s Release From Prison To Be Marked With The Launch Of Mandela Freedom Project JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, February 11th, 2020,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The House of Mandela is set to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison by launching the Mandela Freedom Project. The Freedom Project is a unifying global initiative to advance …

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AU Summit commits to ending all conflicts in Africa

The 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union ended in Addis Ababa on Monday with the organisation expressing its commitment to tackling the continent’s challenges. The Summit, which took place from 9-10 February under the theme “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”, agreed to undertake actions, including mediation …

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African leaders gather in Addis Ababa to discuss conflicts on the continent

African leaders converge in Addis Ababa for the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government Summit of the African Union on 9-10 February. Amongst many issues on the agenda, the 2020 Assembly under the theme “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”, will take stock of the challenges to peace, stability and sustainable development on …

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Time to put climate change on African Union’s agenda, by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

As African leaders converge at the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 9-10 February, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Finance Minister of Nigeria and Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, explains in this opinion piece why an African leadership role on climate action is …

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German Chancellor Merkel visits South Africa, Angola

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s arrived in Pretoria on Wednesday in the first leg of her 4-day trip to South Africa and Angola. Top on her agenda on the visit is increased economic co-operation with both countries, say analysts. South Africa is Germany’s biggest trading partner in Africa and Angola, with its mineral riches, promises more opportunities for German companies. South …

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National body of Ghanaian associations in Germany chooses new leaders

 The Union of Ghanaian Associations in Germany (UGAG) elected a new National Executive Committee at its recent bi-annual conference held in Kassel. The conference, attended by representatives of local Ghanaian associations from all over Germany, chose the following 7-member National Executive Committee officials: Mr. Akwasi Opoku Edusei – President; Mr. Alexander Okai Anane – Vice-president; Mr. Aaron Hooper – General Secretary; Mr. Paul …

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Nigeria launches new visa policy

President Muhammadu Buhari launched the new Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2020 at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday. The objective of the NVP 2020 is to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a key economy in Africa by attracting more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country’s economy, he said. The NVP 2020 features visa-on-arrival for African Union nationals, increase in …

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Brexit’s Transition Period: What you should know

The United Kingdom officially ended its 47 years of European Union membership on 31 January, ending the uncertainties that have characterised the bloc since 23 June 2016 when 52 percent of Britons voted to take their country out of the then 28-member bloc (now 27). Brexit however is yet to be fully consummated as the two sides still have to …

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Nigerian government reacts to US visa restrictions

The Nigerian government has officially reacted to the Trump administration’s decision to add the country to the latest list of nations to face stringent travel restrictions to the United States. In a press statement signed by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, the Nigerian government clarified that the measure “is the suspension of the issuance of immigrant visas to Nigerian passport holders …

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US imposes new travel restrictions on Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, two others

President Donald Trump has added Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan and Tanzania as well as Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan to the list of countries to face stringent travel restrictions to the United States, according to an official announcement on Friday. In line with the new policy, immigrant visas, issued to those seeking to live permanently in the United States, will be banned for …

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Greece plans sea barriers to block irregular migrants from reaching its islands

The Greek government unveiled a plan to build sea barriers across the Aegean Sea in a bid to prevent irregular migrants crossing to the Greek islands from Turkey in a bid, according to analysts, to call the bluff of Turkish President Erdogan, who has repeatedly threatened to send millions of refugees to Europe. Greece’s defence ministry published a call for …

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EU unemployment at 20-year low

Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, has released figures showing that unemployment in the EU is at its lowest since 2000. The average unemployment rate in the 28 EU states was 6.2 percent in December 2019, the lowest in almost 20 years. The Czech Republic (2.0 percent) as well as Germany and the Netherlands (both 3.2 percent) had the lowest jobless …

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More and more people work multiple jobs in Germany

Over 3 million people in Germany work more than one job, many because of financial difficulties. Opposition politicians are calling for the minimum wage to be raised. The number of people in Germany working a second job rose nearly 4% in the space of a year, according to figures from the Federal Employment Agency. They were revealed in response to …

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Government approves plan to make Germany more attractive for skilled immigrants

As a new labour migration law is set to enter into force, the federal government has approved an integration plan under which prospective migrants will be offered language lessons and information about Germany in their home countries. The federal government wants to prepare potential migrants for life in Germany already in their home countries. This is according to the National …

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Berlin confronts Germany’s colonial past with new initiative

The German capital has launched a five-year project to mark its part in European colonialism. Streets which still honour leaders who led the Reich’s imperial expansion will be renamed — and some locals aren’t happy. Ben Knight reports Berlin’s relationship with its colonial history is being reconsidered, despite opposition from far-right politicians and some disgruntled locals unhappy at plans to change the …

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Why you should avoid drinking Garri in cold water – Medical expert warns

As Lassa fever spreads across Nigeria, a medical doctor has warned against drinking garri in cold water. The Director of Public Health, Enugu State, Dr Boniface Okolo, has cautioned Nigerians against the consumption of garri soaked in cold water to avoid contacting Lassa fever. Okolo, who gave the warning in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday …

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Sowore’s political organisation registered by Nigerian government

The Take it Back Movement (TiB), founded by rights activist Omoyele Sowore, has announced that it has been registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission as a socio-political organization. In a press release issued on Sunday, the Movement described the registration as “the latest milestone in our journey towards being the political anti-thesis of the unconscionable government of the day in …

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Short Story: Voyage across the sea of death

Originally titled ‘Evanesce’, Berlin-based legal scholar and creative author Nelly Sarpong writes on a fictional precarious journey across the Mediterranean in a rickety boat overfilled with African migrants, revealing the perils faced by thousands of migrants every year in their quest for better life in Europe.

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