WORLD

Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher/editor-in-chief of the Nigerian online newspaper Premium Times, has been honoured with the 2020 International Press Freedom Award by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Olorunyomi was awarded for dedicating his life to holding the powerful to account and his “fierce advocacy” for press freedom. Three other exemplary journalists – Shahidul Alam (Bangladesh), Mohammad Mosaed …

Professor Charles Egbu has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University. The Nigerian scholar will take up his new position on 1 November 2020. In a statement on its website, the institution said Egbu would take over from Margaret A House, the outgoing VC, who had held the office for seven years. . Reacting to his appointment, Professor Egbu said: …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, member of the European Parliament, MEP, has criticised Germany’s Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, for stopping the planned investigation into racial profiling in the country’s police services. In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Ms Herzberger-Fofana, who represents Germany on the platform of the Green party in the European parliament, said Seehofer by his decision “denies the existence …

Kenya won the much-coveted UN Security Council seat after beating its African rival Djibouti in second-round voting in New York on Thursday Kenya has been elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, defeating Djibouti for a seat designated for African countries. UN Member States chose the country in a second round of voting on Thursday in the General …

Kenya and Djibouti will battle for a seat on the UN Security Council on Wednesday (17 June) during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, holding at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The seat is one of the three non-permanent seats allocated to Africa. Kenya has been endorsed by the African Union and, and all …

Nigeria has commenced enrolment and issuance of National Identification Numbers (NIN) to its citizens in 16 countries across five continents. The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Aliyu Aziz, made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja. He was speaking on “Strategic Roadmap for ID Development’’ at a video conference with newspaper editors. The civic registration exercise, being …

Below is the statement of Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament (representing the Green Party of Germany), on the police killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, on Monday, 25 May 2020, in Minneapolis. “I can’t breathe,” he protested as a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for 9 minutes whilst 3 other officers …

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), is at the centre of a brewing storm.  Adesina, a former Nigerian agriculture minister, is due for re-election for a second term of 5 years at the helm of Africa’s leading development finance institution. The AfDB’s mission is to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent through promoting …

Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, has sanctioned LoveWorld Television Ministry, a Christian network founded by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, a Nigerian televangelist, for airing “potentially harmful statements” about the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the regulator in a statement released on Monday (18 May), programmes aired in early April by Oyakhilome’s LoveWorld perpetuated baseless conspiracy that the virus is linked to the …

A herb touted by Madagascar’s government as healing coronavirus is undergoing tests by a group of international researchers. The WHO warns, however, that there are no scientific studies yet that prove Artemisia works. Clarissa Herrmann/DW reports. Scientists at Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam are among a group of researchers from Germany and Denmark collaborating with …

Since 2015, DW – the German public international broadcaster – has presented the Freedom of Speech Award annually to a person or initiative that has shown outstanding commitment to human rights and freedom of expression in the media. In 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, DW has decided to honour 17 journalists from 14 countries. They represent all …

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Centre is featured at the top of News Feed and provides a central place for people to keep informed about the Coronavirus JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 24, 2020/ — Facebook is expanding its Coronavirus Information Center to 24 more countries in Africa as part of its ongoing commitment to empowering people around the world with timely …

The Berlin Senate (government) has approved changes to the corona containment measures introduced in March, easing some of them while introducing new ones. On Tuesday (21 April), the Berlin Senate passed amendments to the regulation to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2). Berlin’s Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) said he was proud of how responsibly Berlin residents had observed …

Saudi Arabia’s top Islamic authority has called on Muslims around the world to perform prayers at home during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Ramadan, marked by intense worshipping, begins on 24 April, but most Muslim countries have shut down mosques in an effort to contain the illness. A feature of the …

The lockdown that countries all over the world are currently experiencing is putting a renewed focus on personal hygiene. But despite people being advised to wash their hands often, how many apply the same rigour to their smartphones? Kaspersky provides a few tips on keeping mobile devices ‘virus-free’. “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is frightening to think how much …

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has claimed the life of a prominent UK-based Nigerian doctor. Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, died on Tuesday afternoon at the Whittington Hospital in north London. He was infected with the virus while volunteering in a hospital in London. According to his son Dani Saadu, the doctor started to show symptoms of coronavirus two weeks ago and …

A 25-year-old graduating Nigerian student identified as Bassey Offiong has died after contracting coronavirus (COVID-19) in the city of Detroit, US. He was expected to graduate with a chemical engineering degree at the Western Michigan University in a few weeks but died Saturday, 28 March, after allegedly having been turned down several times for a coronavirus test in the Kalamazoo …

An emergency global conference call of Ghanaians abroad took place on Saturday, 28 March. Attended by members of the Ghanaian diaspora from Italy, USA, Spain, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Canada and Czech Republic, among others, the meeting discussed the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and how it’s impacting on their communities across the globe and also their home country. …

In Europe, clocks will be set forward by one hour in the night from 28 March to 29 March.   Sunday, 29 March 2020, 02:00:00 clocks are turned forward 1 hour to Sunday, 29 March 2020, 03:00:00 local daylight time instead. Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later on 29 March 2020 than the day before. There will …

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 …