awoniyi270514

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“If you are poor and Black, the colour bar is a lived reality”: An assessment of the situation of people African descent in Britain today

For many the current position of Britain’s Black population is one that is mired between achievement and marginalisation, reports Alasdair Soussi Glasgow, United Kingdom – They are one of Britain’s most dynamic and enduring communities whose presence in the UK dates back hundreds of years. From serving Britain with distinction in the first and second world wars to their modern-day …

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Gambia: Jammeh blasts ECOWAS, says deployment of troops is ‘an act of war’

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has warned that any troop deployment by ECOWAS members would constitute “a declaration of war”. In a New Year’s message broadcast on Saturday, Jammeh said the “blatant and one-sided” approach of the regional body, “disqualified it from providing mediation services”. “Let me make very clear, we are ready to defend this country against any aggression,” Jammeh …

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Congolese President Kabila to step down under new deal with opposition

Agreement reached by Congolese political parties aims to have transitional government in place by March. President Joseph Kabila will step down as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo after elections held before the end of 2017, under a draft agreement reached by political parties, according to a lead mediator from the Catholic Church. Under the deal, reached on New …

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“Go into 2017 with optimism and defy terrorism,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel advises in New Year’s speech

In her New Year’s speech, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on citizens to go into 2017 with optimism and defy terrorism. But to guarantee “security in freedom,” she said new security measures may be necessary. With Germany still reeling from the deadly Berlin truck attack, Angela Merkel has used her annual New Year’s message to insist the country and …

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Gambian election crisis: Jammeh appoints six foreign judges to Supreme Court to hear his petition as President-elect Barrow prepares for inauguration

Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has appointed six foreign judges into the Supreme Court to join the remaining member, Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, a Nigerian national, so that his election petition could be heard. Although the names of the judges have not been officially revealed, they are believed to come from Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The President has also ordered the …

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Refugees rescued at sea should be sent back to Africa, says Germany’s governing coalition party

Refugees arriving in Europe via the Mediterranean should be sent back to Africa, and the current migrant policy must end, Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), a junior partner in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, demanded in a leaked policy paper. “The existing policy of automatically bringing to Europe all people rescued in the Mediterranean must be broken,” urged in an …

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“No Blacks”; racist advertisement for apartment for rent sparks outrage in France

Black people often experience prejudice from landlords or estate agents when they look for an apartment in Europe. However, most times they’re not able to prove that racism is responsible for why they’re not able to rent an apartment. Landlords always emphatically reject any accusation of bias. Now a case in France has shown that indeed landlords do specifically discriminate …

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Interview: The story of Dr Adebisi Laja’s life in Europe since arriving in June 1954 in the words of the Germany-based Nigerian-born medical doctor

Adebisi Laja, born in 1932, first arrived in Europe in June 1954, when he disembarked a ship that took him from his native Lagos to Liverpool. In October 1958, he moved to Germany to study medicine. The old, but still very energetic man, talks about life in Europe and Germany then and now; he reveals how he deals with the …

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Nigeria Army ousts Boko Haram from its last major camp; two major roads in Borno re-opened

The Nigerian Army has driven Boko Haram militants from their last camp in the northeastern Sambisa forest, President Muhammadu Buhari has said in a statement. The military has launched a large-scale offensive against the jihadist group in recent weeks. Buhari said in a statement that the head of the army informed him on Friday, 23 December that the last major Boko Haram …

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5,000 migrants drown in Mediterranean in 2016

More than 5,000 migrants are thought to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016, a record figure described as “a devastating milestone” by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). On Thursday, 23 December alone, some 100 mainly West Africans were feared to have perished making the treacherous crossing to Europe. To save lives, the UNHCR says legal entry for those …

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Gambia: ECOWAS threatens Jammeh with military action; Senegalese troops ‘on alert’

President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia stands the risk of being forcefully removed from power should he carry out his threat to sit tight after losing the December 1 election. ECOWAS leaders warned yesterday that they would not hesitate to send troops to Banjul, if Jammeh, who lost the election to opposition candidate, Adama Barrow, fails to step down next month. Senegal,which …

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Congo’s opposition agrees to deal for Kabila to step down

Congolese politicians have agreed in principle to a deal under which President Joseph Kabila willl leave office by the end of 2017, opposition leaders said on Friday, 23 December, an unexpected breakthrough after dozens were killed in anti-government protests this week. If the deal does succeed, it would be a major achievement for the Catholic church, which has been mediating …

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Cybercriminals target African countries with ransomware

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 21 December 2016,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Check Point, the largest global pure-play network cybersecurity vendor, has revealed that five African nations were among the top 10 most-attacked countries in November as cybercriminals made increasing use of ransomware attacks using the Locky and Cryptowall viruses. Botswana was the most-attacked country in Check Point’s list of 117 at-risk nations, …

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Nigeria to reward those who expose thieves of government funds with 5 per cent of the recovered loot

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the payment of 5 per cent of recovered looted fund to the whistle blower behind the recovery. Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun briefed State House correspondents at the end of the cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, 21 December. According to her, the programme is designed to encourage anyone with …

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