The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to elect Germany, Belgium, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia for a two-year term in the Security Council starting from January 1, 2019. Germany was voted onto the United Nations Security Council for the sixth time on Friday, after it secured a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly. The place was effectively …

The African Union (AU) passport is expected to be fully rolled out by 2020, the AU Commissioner in charge of Infrastructure, Energy, ICT and Tourism, Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, has disclosed. The passport, a common travel document set to replace existing national passports, is expected to grant citizens of member states of the AU visa exemption to all the 54 states …

The Ghanaian government has decided to dissolve the country’s football association after claims, in an undercover documentary, of bribe-taking by referees and kickbacks to top officials. Information minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said “the government had decided to take immediate steps to have the GFA (Ghana Football Association) dissolved” because of the “widespread nature of the apparent rot”. The revelations, filmed over …

Michael Ballack believes there is more going on behind the scenes between Joachim Low and Leroy Aziz Sané than has been said following the Manchester City star’s shock omission from Germany’s World Cup squad. Sané is the son of former German rhythmic gymnast and the 1984 Summer Olympics bronze medalist Regina Weber and former footballer and Senegalese international Souleymane Sané. …

Egyptians are hopeful Mohamed Salah will be available for the start of their World Cup campaign in Russia but the team must find a way to avoid depending too much on the striker, coach Hector Cuper has said. Liverpool’s Salah is recovering from the shoulder ligament injury suffered in last month’s Champions League final loss to Real Madrid when he …

Hundreds of Ghanaians on Wednesday trooped to Accra to watch alleged acts of bribery involving football officials, including the head of the country’s football association, captured on video demanding kickbacks. Kwesi Nyantakyi, who is also a member of the FIFA Council, was seen in a hotel room taking a $65,000 (£48,393) bribe from a supposed businessman seeking to sponsor the …

Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder has unveiled new measures to speed up the asylum process and deport rejected applicants. He believes the rest of Germany should follow his lead. With Bavaria’s elections only a few months away, State Premier Markus Söder of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), is advocating a tougher stance on asylum-seekers. The CSU, which has traditionally dominated …

The African festival in Germany’s federal capital opens on 7 June with a wide-ranging programme including live concerts, dance workshops, bazaar and workshops at the popular Alexanderplatz in the city centre. The Festival is visited by around 5,000 people daily! Kenako Afrika Festival, from 7-17 June, parades established and up-and-coming artists, including Afrikadelle, a group that combines the best of …

In a surprise move, Ethiopia announced Tuesday that it would fully accept the 12 December 2000 Algiers Agreement between the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which established a special boundary commission. The Algiers Agreement stipulated that the two states, fresh out of a two-year costly war, would accept a decision by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) as “final and binding.” …

“Germany said it has about 25,000 to 30,000 Nigerians seeking asylum and they can’t guarantee they will get it. So, there is every possibility that they will be returned to Nigeria,” Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said. She spoke at a program; “Developing a mixed migration strategy for …

Death toll from the sinking of the boat near Kerkennah Islands has risen to 112, the UN migration agency says. The death toll from the sinking of a boat packed with migrants off the coast of Tunisia on Saturday has risen to 112, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday. On Sunday, officials said 46 people died when …

Russian police have detained two baggage handlers at a Moscow airport on suspicion of taking cash worth $11,000 from former Arsenal soccer star Nwankwo Kanu’s check-in luggage as he flew from London to the World Cup host country. The world’s top soccer players and thousands of foreign fans are set to converge on Russia for the World Cup from June …

Attacking midfielder Leroy Sané was a surprise omission from Joachim Loew’s final Germany squad for the World Cup finals on Monday as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was named among the 23 players heading to Russia for the defending champions. Neuer made the squad despite playing in just one official game, a friendly against Austria on Friday, since breaking a bone in …

The documentary ‘Mareyeurs’ by director Matteo Raffaelli explores how exploitation of fish stocks in Senegal can drive young people to migrate to Europe. The film, produced by Ocean Film in collaboration with HF4, tells the story of Ibrahima, a young trader specialized in wholesaling fresh fish products in Senegal, who is worried about the depletion of fish stocks and his …

With the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ just ten days away, the full squads of all 32 teams can finally be confirmed as anticipation for kick off cranks up another notch. All the initial provisional squads have been trimmed down, injuries weighed up and fitness assessed as the teams go through their final preparations ahead of the big kick-off in …

At least 35 people have drowned after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Tunisia. The country has become the preferred jumping off point for desperate migrants after Libyan forces tightened security. The bodies of 35 migrants were recovered off the coast of Tunisia Sunday, raising the death toll put out earlier by the Defense Ministry. As of 1 …

MoneyGram, a leading provider of international money transfers, knows how difficult it can be for Africans in Germany to settle in their new home country while keeping close ties to family and friends in Africa and supporting them from a distance. Following the slogan “That’s the African Way – discover your way”, MoneyGram contributes to both important aspects. Discover your …

Ethiopia has started issuing visa online for tourists and other visitors across the world effective today (1 June 2018). The news was released by Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Fitsum Arega. According to him, the move coupled with a relaxed visa regime will enhance the country’s openness and also entrench the leading reputation of its national carrier, Ethiopian …

Unemployment in the Euro area is at its lowest level since 2008 according to Eurostat. The rate fell to 8.5% in April from an upwardly revised 8.6% in March. Greece, Spain and Italy recorded the highest rates of unemployment while the Czech Republic, Malta and Germany recorded the lowest. The eurozone consists of 19 members who are EU members and use the euro. …

The minimum age for a Nigerian to run for political office has been reduced to twenty-five years from the previous thirty years cap. This follows the signing into law of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill. President Muhammadu Buhari signed the law at the presidential villa in Abuja Thursday flanked by a number of young advocates who vigorously campaigned for the bill. Of …