A court in Munich has fined a 58-year-old man €208,000 for passing calf liver (Kalbsleber) as lower-cost fruit at a grocery store. The court said the fine was justified since the man earned tens of thousands of euros a month. A 58-year-old man has been given a record-breaking fine for theft at a Munich supermarket, the Munich District Court has …

A postal vote among some 450,000 German Social Democratic Party (SPD) members has begun in order to get their approval for another ‘Grand Coalition’ led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Deadline for voting is 2 March with the result expected on 4 March. SPD’s youth and left wings are fiercely opposed to another governing coalition with Merkel. “We were against this …

Liberia’s new President George Weah on Tuesday pledged to fight endemic corruption as he spoke about conditions in his “broke country” on the first day of an official visit to Paris. The former international football star, who took office on January 22, is faced with a dire economic situation in Liberia following two civil wars and a deadly Ebola epidemic …

Flu has already claimed 102 lives in Germany since December 2017 – This is what you should know and how you can protect yourself. The flu wave continues to spread nationwide. The Robert Koch Institute warned in January about the influenza virus spreading from Australia to Europe. Since then, more and more cases of the illness have been detected. It …

Morocco recorded a bumper year for tourist arrivals in 2017, breaking through the 11-million barrier for the first time, the tourism ministry announced on Monday. Visitor arrivals numbered some 11.4 million, a 10% increase over 2016, with tourists from “emerging markets” such as China and Brazil joining those from France, Spain and Germany. Revenues from the sector jumped to 69.7 …

Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA) Addis Ababa has been ranked among the top World Aviation Training Centres by Aviation Voice, a global aviation news provider engaged in the ranking of global aviation training centres. The ranking is against 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced ranking covering the full range of a training centre’s areas of …

The BBC has launched its new Igbo and Yoruba services, as part of an expansion in local languages aimed at more in-depth reporting of countries around the world. The digital-only services went live online and on social media on Monday (19 February), joining a platform for Pidgin speakers that was launched last year and has attracted widespread interest. The Igbo …

A monument will be erected in honour of Bob Marley in Harare, Zimbabwe. In 1980, the world-renowned reggae icon performed during the Independence Day celebrations of the country. On 17 April 1980, Marley took to the stage and launched the young country of Zimbabwe into revolutionary reggae songs. For many Zimbabweans, it’s a night they still reflect on with much …

Residents of Berlin’s multicultural district of Kreuzberg turned out in large numbers on Saturday to confront a march of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). Protestors clashed with police during the heated counter-demonstration against the far-right party.   Several arrests were made when demonstrators tried to obstruct AfD supporters as they marched through Kreuzberg, a district of Berlin known for …

The leadership of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Europe (NIDOE) was in The Hague on Thursday (15 February) in continuation of its consultative tour of Nigerian diplomatic missions in Europe. The members of the body’s Central Executive Council, led by the chairman of NIDOE, Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, were warmly received by Nigeria’s ambassador to the Netherlands, His Excellency Oji Nyimenuate …

The President of the German chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Kenneth Chukwudi Alaekwe, has passed away. He died at the age of 55 on Saturday 17 February 2018 at a Berlin hospital after a brief illness. Kenneth is survived by his wife Ulla and son Henry. At the time of his death, Kenneth was Director for Conference …

Namibia has as once again been accorded the top position of having the best roads in Africa by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The results were released via the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2017/18, which tracks the performance of approximately 140 countries on 12 pillars of competitiveness, including the quality of road infrastructure development. The development of road infrastructure …

South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu stepped down as an ambassador for Oxfam on Thursday, citing disappointment at the British aid agency’s embroilment in a sex scandal involving staff in Haiti after a massive 2010 earthquake. Employees of Oxfam International, which groups about 20 national and regional branches in 90 countries, have been accused of raping women in South Sudan, …

Two-thirds of supporters of Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) back forming a coalition government with Angela Merkel’s conservatives, an opinion poll published on Friday shows. The poll conducted by Kantar Emnid for the Funke group of regional newspapers showed that 66 percent want a “grand coalition” and only 30 percent favour new elections, while 78 percent of supporters of the conservatives …

Britain’s Export Finance Agency will add the naira to its list of “pre-approved currencies”, allowing it to provide financing for transactions with Nigerian businesses denominated in the local currency. The naira will become one of three West African currencies that UK Export Finance has pre-approved for its programme of funding transactions that promote trade with Britain, it said. Britain voted …

Ethiopia’s prime minister has announced he will resign, in what he says is an effort to advance reforms aimed at easing the country’s political unrest. Speaking on state television Thursday, Hailemariam Desalegn said he has submitted his letter of resignation as both prime minister and chairman of the ruling EPRDF coalition. Hailemariam said he is stepping down “to be part …

Cyril Ramaphosa, head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), has been sworn is as South Africa’s president, fewer than 24 hours after the resignation of embattled ex-leader Jacob Zuma. “I will try very hard not to disappoint the people of South Africa,” Ramaphosa (65) said on Thursday as he ended his speech to parliament, shortly after the Parliament elected …

Sunday Oliseh said he was suspended from his job at Fortuna Sittard, Netherlands due to his refusal to participate in illegal activities at the club. The 43-year-old former Super Eagles coach was relieved of his duties as coach on Wednesday via a statement on the club’s website “www.fortunasittard.nl”. “The club management makes this decision as a result of the repeatedly culpable …

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has died aged 65 after a lengthy battle with cancer, party officials announced on Wednesday. The Vice President of his Movement for Democratic Change said the family has confirmed his death and that he passed away in hospital in South Africa, where he had been receiving treatment. “I can confirm that he died this evening. …

Ethiopian journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega has finally been released from a prison facility after seven years in jail. Nega was among the over 740 prisoners who were set for release by the federal government as part of political reforms announced in January 2018. His release comes barely a week after he reportedly refused to sign a ‘false confession form’ …