Rwandan President Paul Kagame has defended China’s relations with Africa stating that the global economic giant treats Africa as equals in dealings between the two parties. “I also want to say a few words from the heart. The growing relationship with China is based as much on mutual respect as on mutual interests. That is evident in your personal commitment …

A German government program aims to help migrants who choose to leave Germany voluntarily to find jobs and prospects in their home countries. But critics say the results of the program are little more than lip service. Daniel Pelz of Deutsche Welle (DW) reports. After four years, Derrick Adamson had had enough. He was living in Germany illegally, and without …

Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president of Nigeria, has declared his bid to become president of Nigeria when elections are held in 2019. Atiku is seeking to run on the ticket of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party he rejoined earlier this year. He left the PDP to join the ruling All Progressives congress (APC) which brought Muhammadu …

Despite unrelenting rain, around 20,000 people demonstrated in Munich on Sunday to protest the hardline immigration stance of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bavarian allies CSU, three months before they face a tough election in the state. Demonstrators said they marched against a “politics of fear” of state premier, Markus Soeder, and CSU leader and federal interior minister, Horst Seehofer, whose …

Footballer Mesut Özil has quit the national team amid the fallout from meeting Turkey’s president and Germany’s World Cup exit. In a strongly worded statement, Özil said he would “no longer stand for being a scapegoat.” Matt Pearson reports. Mesut Özil said on Sunday he will no longer play international football for Germany following the fallout from his meeting with …

Wednesday 18 July marks the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela. Events took place across the globe to mark the milestone, honouring an international icon for democracy, freedom and peace. It has been a century since South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon and the first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, was born. South Africa on Wednesday marked the Nelson Mandela’s birthday with a …

Social media giant, Twitter Inc., has announced the appointment of Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to its board of directors. Also appointed is former World Bank chief, Robert Zoellick, as the microblogging site reshuffled its board, Twitter said Thursday. According to the Executive Chairman of Twitter, Omid Kordestani, Okonjo-Iweala would be an incredible asset for the company as …

Nigeria’s aviation minister announced at the Farnborough Airshow International, a biennial major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries with a public airshow in the UK, that the country’s new national airline will be called Nigeria Air and will launch in December. He also explains how the country is planning against the failure of the new carrier. Minister of …

UN’s International Organization for Migration has said that over 50,000 migrants have irregularly reached Europe’s coasts by sea in 2018. A reported 1,443 died as the central Mediterranean route remains the most lethal, the organization said. The UN agency International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that 50,872 migrants and refugees this year have reached Europe by sea as of …

Ethiopia has appointed an ambassador to Eritrea for the first time in 20 years, the latest in a series of peace moves between the neighbours. “Redwan Hussein has been appointed as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Eritrea — the first for 20 years, the foreign ministry said,” according to Ethiopia’s state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation. The announcement on Thursday follows a flurry of …

Nigeria-Austria Business Forum 2018 took place recently in Vienna and was attended by businesspeople from countries and Nigerian government officials, including Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State. The second Nigeria-Austria Business Forum took place on 28 June 2018 in Vienna, Austria, and it was dedicated to deepening trade ties between both countries. The event was jointly organised by the Embassy …

Germany’s federal cabinet wants to add three Maghreb states and Georgia to a list of “safe countries of origin.” But will the change pass Germany’s upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, where it failed last year? Timothy Jones and Jefferson Chase report. The German government will put forward legislation declaring Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Georgia “safe countries of origin.” The …

An aid group has blamed both Libya’s coast guard and Italy’s interior minister for the deaths of a woman and child in a stricken raft. Libya and Italy reject the accusations. Spanish sea rescue charity Proactiva Open Arms said on Tuesday it had found one woman alive, clinging to the wreckage of a destroyed migrant boat about 80 nautical miles …

A peaceful demonstration was held yesterday at the premises of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague where President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria delivered a keynote speech to mark the 20th anniversary of the court. The protesters, under the aegis of Nigerian National Association-The Netherlands (NNA-NL) who gathered outside the premises of the court, condemned the leadership of the …

Just before leaving on his visit to Africa this week, his first trip to the continent since leaving office, former US President Barack Obama revealed his favourite books on Africa. He wrote: “Over the years since, I’ve often drawn inspiration from Africa’s extraordinary literary tradition. As I prepare for this trip, I wanted to share a list of books that …

Hundreds of Nigerians resident in The Netherlands and their supporters will hold a peaceful demonstration at the International criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, venue of one of President Buhari’s events while in The Netherlands. The Nigerian leader is currently on a 3-day visit to the country. A release from the organizers direct all Nigerians to assemble at Oude Waalsdorpweg …

Nigeria has commenced negotiation with aircraft manufacturers preparatory to the unveiling of a new national carrier, many years after Nigerian Airways was liquidated. The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, said that the Federal Government was also negotiating with investors at the ongoing Farnborough International Air Show in the United Kingdom. Mr James Odaudu, Deputy Director, Media and …

Eritrea reopened its embassy in Ethiopia on Monday, taking yet another step in the implementation of the peace pact reached between two countries a week ago that effectively ended two decades of military stalemate. Eritrea has reopened its embassy in Ethiopia, another evidence of the rapid improvement of relations between the two countries that a week ago ended two decades …

As Germany’s elderly population continues to grow, its under-staffed old age care system is struggling to keep up. Recruiting foreign care workers will be Germany’s “nearest option” to fix understaffing at homes for the elderly, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn. A patients’ advocacy group says standards must not be lowered. Spahn sought to implement a key promise of Chancellor …

A major blow was dealt the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday as its candidate in the Ekiti State’s governorship election lost to that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC’s candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, emerged victorious securing 197, 459 votes, defeating the PDP candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola Eleka, a protege of the state’s outgoing governor …