News

Following a recent United Nations Security Council resolution, the Swiss government has decided to lift targeted sanctions against Eritrea. The sanctions – that include an arms embargo, travel bans and asset freezes – were repealed on Friday, said a government statement. The UN Security Council had imposed the sanctions in December 2009 after Eritrea was suspected of supporting armed groups …

World leaders gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, to sign the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration on Monday. A number of countries have refused to sign the non-binding accord, among them the US and 7 EU member states. The world’s first-ever global pact on how to deal with migration was adopted on Monday by 164 countries at a …

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Worldwide has nominated its representatives to the Federal Government’s Board of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). Kenneth Gbandi, the Chairman of NIDO Europe, said on Monday in a press statement that the nomination was in line with the act establishing the commission. He said the representatives, two from each of its continental bodies, were nominated …

The Christian Democrats have chosen Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to lead the party into its next phase. After 18 years, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her decision to step down as the leader of the governing CDU in October. She did therefore not seek re-election at the CDU congress in Hamburg on Friday (7 December) but she will remain chancellor until the end …

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo of Nigeria held a town hall meeting with his countrymen and women living in Germany on Sunday evening in Berlin, where he assured them of the federal government’s determined efforts to solve the country’s major problems. Prof Osinbajo took questions from a cross-section of Nigerians on burning issues, including inadequate electricity supply, security, deficient infrastructure and unemployment. …

Less than three months to Nigeria’s next presidential election, a coalition of opposition parties have adopted a common candidate for what analysts say will be a tough poll. The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has announced its selection of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate,  Atiku Abubakar, as its candidate in the 2019 presidential election. By this decision, the CUPP …

The Danish government has agreed on a controversial policy to detain rejected asylum-seekers convicted of breaking certain laws on an isolated, uninhabited island. According to a government statement, the new centre will also house refugees who have a “tolerated stay” status, meaning they do not have a residence permit but cannot be deported for reasons, including threats to their life …

Pan-Africanists from all over the world will gather in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, from 8-13 December to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first All-African People’s Conference (AAPC). The event marks the 1958 congress, which also took place in Accra and that brought together freedom fighters from all over Africa, including independent and colonised states, to strategise on …

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally reacted to reports that he had been cloned. While addressing Nigerians in the Polish city of Krakow on Saturday, the Nigerian leader said some people had wished him dead when he was sick for many months. Responding to a question from a Nigerian resident in the country who wanted to know if he was real …

Surprised by details Germans take for granted, some newcomers are shocked by the country’s supermarket culture. Here’s useful advice from Elizabeth Grenier, a self-declared grocery shopping expert from Canada, who learned the hard way. Know your different types of supermarkets The different categories of grocery stores in Germany can be confusing for newcomers. A few chains are actual supermarkets, while …

Border checks between Schengen countries should be limited to a maximum of one year, instead of the current two-year period, the European Parliament said in a draft law on Thursday (29 November). Worried by member states that have introduced internal border checks within the Schengen area, the European Parliament (MEPs) decided on Thursday on new rules governing the use of …

Femi Awoniyi concludes his 3-part report on the annual general meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe, which held in Vienna, Austria, on 8-10 November. The third and final day of the annual general meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), chaired by Ambassador Vivian Okeke, Nigeria’s envoy to Austria, featured discussions on the challenges before the …

It was a special moment for international environmental protection on Wednesday when the President of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag), Dr Wolfgang Schäuble, presented the German Africa Prize 2018 to conservationists Clovis Razafimalala from Madagascar and Gerald Bigurube from Tanzania. Ecological and economic development must go hand in hand, Schäuble at the ceremony, attended by over 300 guests from the worlds …

The Italian parliament has passed into law a tough anti-migrant and security bill designed to make it easier to deport migrants and restrict residency permits. The controversial bill, which makes it easier to expel migrants and limits residency permits, was passed in the lower house of parliament with 396 in favour to 99 against on Wednesday (28 November). “I’m happy, …

Immigrants in Germany are better integrated than was the case a decade ago, researchers have found. While most German residents with foreign roots have become part of society, a small group feels like they don’t belong. Most immigrants in Germany view integration as important but also wish to maintain their own culture, according to a new study from the VHW, …

Leaders of the European Union gathered in Brussels have endorsed an agreement on Britain’s departure from the 28-nation bloc. But British PM Theresa May still needs to get the deal approved by the UK parliament. Leaders of 27 European Union nations on Sunday endorsed an agreement detailing the terms and conditions on which Britain will leave the bloc on March …

Liberian activist and former Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Leymah Gbowee, has been awarded the 2018 Bonn International Democracy Prize. She was announced winner in mid-October 2018 but the award ceremony took place on 16 November. The award goes with a 10,000 euro cash prize. The latest award is for her continuous fight for the rights of Liberians and championing women …

Côte d’Ivoire and Chelsea great striker Didier Drogba has formally announced his retirement from football after a 20-year career. The 40-year-old scored 164 goals in 381 appearances for Chelsea, winning four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League, while he is also Côte d’Ivoire’s all-time record goalscorer with 65. Drogba spent the last 18 months of …

Last year, about 38,000 migrants from third countries received a residence permit in Germany because of their work experience and skills. Compared to 2009, it’s an increase of more than 50 percent. Most came from India, Bosnia-Herzegovina, USA, Serbia and China. The immigration of skilled workers from non-EU countries to Germany is increasing. Last year, more than twice as many …

Germany’s Interior Ministry has proposed new measures to monitor and deport persons whose asylum application has been rejected.  The German Interior Ministry on Sunday (18 November) confirmed plans to facilitate and accelerate deportations of failed asylum-seekers along with those who should have their asylum requests processed in another EU country under the so-called Dublin rules. According to the European Union’s Dublin …