Armin Laschet, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, has been elected chairman of Germany’s governing Christian Democrats (CDU). Laschet (59) defeated Friedrich Merz by 521 votes to 466 in a run-off vote at an online-only party conference on Saturday. A third candidate, Norbert Röttgen was eliminated in a first round of voting. Laschet’s victory puts him in a strong position to …

Our contributing editor Kester Kenn Klomegah writes on the difficulties African countries face to access coronavirus vaccines as the producers struggle to immunise their own populations and worldwide demand outstrips global production capacity —- With its large population and fragile health systems, Africa has recorded more than three million Covid-19 cases, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and …

PORTSMOUTH, United Kingdom, January 13, 2020 -/ African Media Agency(AMA)/- The African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Awards committee has unveiled the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the African of the year 2020; the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, as the African Political leader of the year 2020; Graca Michel as the African …

BERLIN, Germany, January 14, 2021/ — 800,000 people in Africa reached with over 100,000 registered users; digital learning enables Africa’s youth to reach their personal potential. atingi (www.atingi.org), the digital learning platform of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has exceeded expectations in its first year. Within twelve months, atingi has reached almost a million people …

Travellers returning home and those entering Germany from a high-risk area (Risikogebiet) must be prepared for a mandatory coronavirus test as from tomorrow (14 December). This means everyone must be tested in the 48 hours prior to entry or immediately thereafter. The Federal Ministry of Health wants to curb the spread of mutations of the coronavirus with the new measure. …

Here’s a statement issued by international personalities, from Adam Clayton to Bishop Desmond Tutu, from Wole Soyinka to Mary Robinson, calling for free and fair elections and a stop to the intimidation of Bobi Wine and other opposition leaders as Uganda goes to the polls: —– Please Help Bobi Wine and the People of Uganda Urge the International Community to …

The annual Henley Passport Index has just been released. It ranks passports according to the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free. The latest ranking named Japan as the country with the most powerful passport in the world followed by Singapore while Germany and South Korea tie for third place Holders of the Japanese passport can travel visa-free …

The Nigerian Embassy in Germany has announced new fees for its services in line with a recent Federal Government’s directive. The notice announcing the changes indicates that consular services will henceforth attract administrative charges in addition to regular charges. The notice, which is also published on the embassy’s website, reads: “In furtherance to our notice of 15.12.2020, the general public …

A survey conducted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), has shown that a predominant majority (79% average) of respondents in Africa would take a COVID-19 vaccine if it were deemed safe and effective. Conducted between August and December 2020, the survey interviewed more …

DW Akademie is accepting applications for its International Media Studies program (IMS) in Bonn, Germany, which will start in September. Students who successfully complete the four-semester program will be awarded a master of arts degree. DW Akademie is part of Deutsche Welle (DW). It is the centre for education and knowledge transfer at Germany’s international broadcaster. Its activities include international …

Due to drastically increasing numbers of infections, London has declared a “state of emergency” or “major incident”. The mayor of the British capital, Sadiq Khan, wrote in a press release that the threat from the virus had reached a critical point. “One in 30 London residents currently has Covid-19. If we don’t respond immediately, our health service is at risk …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament, representing Germany on the platform of the Green Party, writes on her efforts to make Europe leave up to its self-professed commitment to upholding the memory of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and work for the mitigation of its present-day negative legacies, such as racism and discrimination —– In June 2020, the European …

Vaccines are safe and they save lives. The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has people asking questions about their safety. Here is an overview of the reactions and side effects you can expect – Special Report by DW —- Millions of people worldwide are hoping for a vaccination against the coronavirus in the near future. Vaccines have been found safe …

The United Kingdom on Thursday announced a ban on travellers entering England from southern African countries in a measure to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa. The UK said it was responding to “new evidence showing an urgent need to halt travel from all southern African countries to help prevent the spread of a …

After the disruption of its joint session on Wednesday, the United States Congress has reconvened and affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Donald Trump at the November 2020 elections. The counting of Vermont’s three electoral votes during the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes, at 8pm ET, put Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris over the 270-threshold …

Against the background of the mayhem caused by supporters of President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, former President Goodluck Jonathan has issued a press statement addressed to American leaders. The US capital was engulfed in chaos as Trump supporters breached the hallowed chambers of Congress to stop the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes that will confirm President-elect Joe …

Because of the persistently high coronavirus infection rates in the country, Germany’s state and federal governments resolved on Tuesday to extend the lockdown rules in the country. In addition to the extension of the shutdown, the latest resolution also contains an expansion of the containment measures. Accordingly, the current lockdown regulations, which have been in effect since 16 December and …

A new book with invaluable tips on how to have a successful marriage was launched on Christmas day in the Dutch city of Almeres. Written by Pastor Elvis Iruh, an ordained minister of the Victory Outreach International, Getting to know you highlights simple principles that are often taken for granted in a marital relationship. “Whether you’re preparing for marriage or …

Police had to be called to maintain order in front of the Nigerian embassy in Berlin on Monday. According to the police, about 150 people wanted to enter the embassy ostensibly on appointment for various consular services. As they were not allowed to enter the grounds of the chancery, which cannot take that number of people at a time, a …

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing every day. What is true or good advice now can rapidly become out-of-date, so it’s important to check sites that are updated regularly. Here’s a general guide for migrants and refugees in Germany by Marion MacGregor In Germany, the spread and containment of the virus and the rules of conduct can be different from state …