Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn has decided to make corona testing mandatory for people entering Germany. It will apply to all travellers entering Germany from high-risk areas from Saturday, 8 August. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s centre for disease control, lists the countries that are classified as high-risk areas on its website. The list of high-risk areas currently …

Robert Ajani*, scholar, journalist and former Associate Editor of The African Courier , looks at the roots of anti-African racism in the West and the supremacist logic that degrade and devalue Black people The notion that Black people are normal human beings is a relatively new discovery in the modern West. The idea of Black equality in beauty, culture and …

Arsenal football club is one of Europe’s topflight sides that has been a shadow of itself in the last few seasons, especially since the departure of their long-time manager Arsene Wenger. The departure of Wenger brought about the signing of former Villareal manager Unai Emery by the English side. Unai Emery inherited an Arsenal side who were Europa league finalists, …

The year 2020 for football fans would be unforgettable due to the delays and cancellations of leagues and competitions across the world. UEFA champions league was not left out of the affected tourney due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that has affected every aspect of life. Now that the competition is back, it comes with some new changes …

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday unveiled the first vehicles assembled in Volkswagen’s new plant in Accra. “It is a good day for Mother Ghana. The Volkswagen assembly plant will create a lot of highly skilled jobs, reduce the high amounts of foreign exchange used in the importation of second-hand vehicles, and, thereby, help strengthen the Ghanaian currency, whilst, at …

Garden City is a new children’s book. It tells the story of Ama Tricie, a Black girl determined to change the world one idea at a time. After a series of ups and downs, she realises that all you need to do is to believe in yourself and everything else will fall in place. Have you heard that saying, “Children …

The South African-based supermarket chain Shoprite has announced its plan to exit Nigeria while reporting its business report on Monday (3 August) in Johannesburg.  Shoprite said the decision was made after “approaches from various potential investors, and in line with our re-evaluation of the Group’s operating model in Nigeria.” The company, Africa’s largest supermarket chain, said its business in Nigeria …

Kenya handled its first international flights on Saturday since they were suspended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Rwanda on the same day reopened its airport for foreign travel. Kenya Airways’ first flight took off from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to London while RwandAir, the country’s flag carrier, restarted flights from Kigali International Airport to Dubai in …

The new month begins with a number of legislative changes that you should be aware of. From August 2020, not only corona tests will be mandatory for people returning to Germany from some countries, but there will also be more financial support for pupils, students and employees in further education and training. Moreover, there will be changes affecting government assistance …

“I’m used to not being German enough, living in this country, but not being African enough to represent Africa in Germany was a new one to me,” writes Jennifer Odusola, narrating the complexity of the experience of Germans of dual African-German heritage. — Thoughtless statements or comments that aren’t meant to ‘offend’ often have ways of exposing hidden conflicts regarding …

The novel Efuru established Nigerian author Flora Nwapa as the first African woman to publish a book in English. Her work set the stage for the emergence of female writers in Nigeria and other African countries, writes of Sam Olukoya in the German international broadcaster DW’s series “African Roots”* —— When did Flora Nwapa live? Flora Nwapa was born in …

A much awaited report by an Independent Review Panel has completely exonerated the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina of any ethical wrongdoings. The Independent Review Panel was set up by the Bureau of Governors of the Bank, following a complaint by the United States to review the process by which its two organs – the Ethics …

A judge has ruled against the municipality of Castel Volturno in Italy’s southern Campania region after it refused to pay a maternity grant and family benefits to a Nigerian migrant. The judge said that similar EU legislation demanded the woman be treated equally. The municipality of Castel Volturno near the southern city of Caserta had argued that the Nigerian mother-of-five …

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to hire more people from minority groups after meeting with members of the European Parliament’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (AIRD) on Tuesday (28 July). The meeting, called at the request of the anti-racist MEPs, focused on the Commission’s Action Plan against Racism and Xenophobia and discussed the AIRD’s proposals on “how …

The share of people with a migrant background in Germany rose to 21.2 million last year, the Federal Statistical Office said in a report on Tuesday. They represent roughly 26% of Germany’s population. The figure represented a 2.1% increase from the previous year, but it was the slowest rise in people with a migration background since 2011. In Germany, a …

The head of the Robert Koch Institute for health, Lothar Wieler, said on Tuesday (28 July) that he was “very concerned” by the surge of new coronavirus infections in Germany, the press reported. “We don’t know yet if this is the beginning of a second wave, but of course it could be,” Wieler said. Last week, Germany recorded 3,611 new …

The Nigerian community in the southern German state of Bavaria has elected a new executive committee to pilot the affairs of the association for the next two years. At the event, which took place in Munich on Saturday, 25 July, Kazeem Ojoye was elected the new chairman of the Nigerian Community Germany Bayern (NCBG) e.V. Mr Ojoye, a former Financial …

The Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustpha, has said that inbound passengers from foreign trips will henceforth be tested for COVID-19 on arrival at the Nigeria airports. Mustpha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made this known on Monday (27 July) at the daily briefing of the task force in …

The FrauenComputerZentrumBerlin e.V.  is offering a free digital empowerment training program to improve the media competence of women migrants and refugees in the city. The course, which begins on 12 August, aims at improving the computer and language skills of the participants, who will learn how the Internet, computer and smartphone work and how they can use these technologies independently …

With this global health crisis comes an economic disruption of unprecedented proportion, Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka* looks at the possible long-term impact of the pandemic on African countries and suggests what they must do to turn the crisis to opportunity ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, July 27, 2020/ — At one time or another, nations and individuals confront crisis points – moments of …