The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday in New York, a UN statement said. “I was fortunate and grateful to get the first dose of my COVID-19 vaccine today,” Guterres said after getting his shot. “We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. Our world …

At the conference of Germany’s federal and state governments on 19 January, it was decided that it’s compulsory to wear medical or FFP2 masks on public transport (bus, train, tram) and while shopping. Lufthansa has also announced its adoption of the new regulation aboard its flights from 1 February. What are medical and FFP2 masks? Where can I get them? …

German carrier Lufthansa has announced that its onboard mask policy will become stricter from 1 February. The airline will no longer permit what it calls “everyday masks”. “We are adapting the policy to wear face masks while travelling. From 1 February 2021, only the following types of face masks will be permitted on flights to and from Germany: FFP2, KN95 …

An international organisation has called on European governments and private collectors to return African artefacts taken from Africa during the colonial period to their rightful owners. “In recent months demands for the repatriation of the remains and the definitive restitution of the treasures have continued, as well as the attempts by some former colonizers to hinder this inevitable step of …

The international business magazine Forbes has released its annual list of Africa’s most wealthy individuals. According to the report, the continent has 18 billionaires this year, down from 20 in 2020. Together, they are worth $73.8 billion, slightly more than the $73.4 billion aggregate worth of the 20 billionaires last year. Aliko Dangote of Nigeria is the richest person in …

Because of the stricter coronavirus containment measures in force requiring medical masks to be worn on public transport and while shopping, the federal government wants to support those in need: Hartz IV recipients are to receive ten free FFP2 masks each Around five million recipients of basic benefits (Hartz IV) are to receive ten FFP2 masks each, Social Minister Hubertus …

"Until vaccines reach everyone, new clusters of disease will keep popping up. The cycle of inequality will continue"

“Creating and maintaining secure access to food systems in Africa is crucial for the continent’s economic development,” said Stefan Liebing, Chairman of the Africa Association of German Business at the opening of the 7th German-African Agribusiness Forum (GAAF). The annual event, organised by Afrika-Verein (German-African Business Association) and the German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA) and held in digital form on Tuesday …

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged the world’s wealthiest countries to stop “hoarding” vaccines and called for an end to “vaccine nationalism.” In remarks delivered at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda event, Ramaphosa cautioned that some countries had ordered more supplies of vaccines than they needed, and that this was counterproductive to the global recovery effort. …

In view of the Corona pandemic, a broad alliance of 36 trade unions and social associations is demanding an increase in the standard rates of Hartz IV and basic old-age security to at least 600 euros as well as immediate additional assistance for poor people. The signatories of the letter to the federal government, calling for increased social support for …

Newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden has reversed placed on some Muslim countries by former US president Donald Trump in January 2017. Citizens of Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen were banned from entering the United States following the ban.  “When visa applicants request entry to the United States, we will apply a rigorous, individualized vetting system. But …

According to a new report of the global news agency Reuters, Africa’s coronavirus case fatality rate stands at 2.5%, higher than the global level of 2.2%, a trend that is alarming experts. Earlier in the pandemic, Africa’s death rate had been below the global average, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) head John Nkengasong is quoted as …

The European Commission announced on Tuesday (19 January) its plan to accelerate the roll-out of vaccination across the EU. The Commission wants to see at least 80 percent of health and social care professionals and 80 percent of people over 80 years old vaccinated by March. But member states should also have vaccinated at least 70 percent of the adult …

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of the federal states (Länder) after a crucial meeting on Tuesday agreed on new corona pandemic containment measures in Germany. Among them are a lockdown extension and new, stricter rules on the types of masks that must be worn in certain public places. An overview of the new measures. — Extension of the lockdown …

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 …

President Yoweri Museveni has been declared winner of the 2021 Presidential election by the country’s electoral commission. According to the commission on Saturday (16 January), Museveni won a sixth term in office with 58.6 percent of the vote, in an election disputed by his main rival Bobi Wine who trailed with 34.8 percent. “The electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni… elected …

Hundreds of thousands of people have left Britain due to the effects of the pandemic on the economy, a new study carried out by the London’s Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence has revealed. The study said that there is an “unprecedented exodus” of workers born outside Britain. According to the authors, “It seems that much of the burden of job losses …

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 …