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BY STEFANIE HIRSBRUNNER / With Germany and Malta, yet another two European countries have recently approved gay marriage. While this is an important step forward in the struggle for equality, many LGBTQ people in other parts of the world still face severe discrimination [LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. These terms are used …

According to the latest MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, two South African cities, Lagos, Casablanca and Cairo received the highest number of visitors in the continent last year. Johannesburg has emerged as the most popular destination city in Africa in 2016, followed by Cape Town, according to the annual MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index. Johannesburg welcomed 4.57 million international overnight …

Air Berlin will stop flying by 28 October at the latest as the administrators for the insolvent airline continue discussions with prospective buyers. The airline had already announced the end of its long-haul routes as aircraft lessors started taking back planes from the bankrupt carrier, now all Air Berlin flights will cease, although subsidiaries Niki and LG Walter will continue …

The number of African governments selling land to foreign investors has increased dramatically over the past decade. As the Africa Film Festival in Cologne showed, many filmmakers are now tackling the difficult subject in their work, reports Aude Gensbittel. “How can they say the land is not ours?” asks Okello O to the camera, horrified. “Our ancestors are buried here, …

A British Airways hostess has been sacked after a Snapchat video she recorded slamming Nigerian passengers went viral. Joanne Wickenden, who was wearing her uniform in the minute-long video, was complaining about excessive demands by Nigerian passengers while making references to male genitals. “All the Nigerians are gonna be there like ‘gimme Coca Cola, gimme beef, why you have no …

A new museum which, according to experts, will transform the way contemporary African art, is viewed opens its doors for the first time today (22 September). The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is located at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. The 100,000-square-foot space on the V&A waterfront comprises 80 galleries spread over nine floors, …

The biggest festival dedicated to African filmmaking in Germany marks an important milestone from 21 September to 1 October 2017. About 80 new feature films, documentary films and short films will be presented in the presence of 20 directors as Afrika Film Festival celebrates 25 years of its existence in Cologne. Already the prologue of the Africa Film Festival has …

Ethiopians ushered in a New Year on 11 September with bright and colourful decorations in the capital, Addis Ababa, and other cities and towns across the country. Nationals enter the year 2010 according to the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar, which is nearly seven years behind the Gregorian calendar commonly used worldwide. Locally known as Enkutatash, Amharic for gift of jewels, family …

The city of Frankfurt will again host the Nollywood Film Festival Germany (NFFG) and its sister event Nollywood Europe Golden Award (NEGA) on 8-10 September. Some of the leading lights of the Nigerian and Ghanaian film industry will grace the festival. Among these is Naida Buari, the Ghanaian diva, whose new film “Deranged” will be premiered at the festival. Other …

Around 200 authors from over 40 countries are expected to attend the Berlin International Literature Festival on 6 – 16 September to consider the current challenges facing literature. Among leading writers expected to attend the festival are India’s Arundhati Roy, France’s Yasmina Reza and the US’s Donna Leon with authors presenting new works at about 100 events, organizers said. Now …

The Igbo culture of Nigeria will be celebrated on Saturday, 26 August when the Anambra Day holds in Frankfurt am Main. Hosted by the Anambra Progressive Union (APU), the festival of arts and culture will feature music and dance performances as well as a display of Igbo folklore in drama and poetry. Other activities to take place on the Anambra …

Sauti Sol, a popular Kenyan award-winning group, will perform live with their band in Berlin’s Kesselhaus on 8 September and in Cologne’s Sartory on 9 September. This is the start of their European Tour. Naming a few of their accolades to date, they won East African Artists of the Year (2016 Bingwa Awards), Best African Group at African Muzik Magazine …

Through an innovative partnership showcasing South Africa’s diverse tourism attractions, the South African launch of Nollywood action comedy 10 Days in Sun City recently took place at Sun City where the movie was filmed. Directed by South African-based Nigerian director Adze Ugah, the movie is the highest-earning film in Nigeria this year and topped the country’s box office for two …

The annual summer season of African music and culture in Germany, which has been in full swing since April, is slowly nearing its close. However, there are still some outstanding festivals still to take place. Here are 7 Top Festivals, holding from now until the end of summer, promising an unforgettable experience: Afrika Karibik Festival Aschaffenburg  10 – 13 August …

The biggest festival dedicated to African filmmaking in Germany will mark an important milestone from 21 September to 1 October 2017. About 80 new feature films, documentary films and short films will be presented in the presence of 20 directors as Afrika Film Festival celebrates 25 years of its existence in Cologne. In June 1992, the organisation FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. …

From Friday, 4 to Sunday, 6 August, the German town of Emmendingen is once again the focus of African culture and, above all, the music of the continent. The African Music Festival kicks off on Friday with the relaxed rhythms of Salsa and Latin. Soneros de Verdad will once again be entertaining on this evening. Latin & Afro Cuban music …

French national carrier, Air France, will soon resume flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi after an 18-year absence. Air France served Nairobi until March 2000. Air France, a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, announced the decision on Tuesday …

After several years of turmoil, Cameroon’s national carrier has embarked on a recovery plan at an estimated 91.5 million euros over the next 5 years. Yaounde, April 5 (Reuters) – Nearly a year after selecting a consortium led by Belgium’s SN Brussels to buy a majority stake in struggling national airline, Cameroon’s government abandoned the sale on Thursday and said …

The 2017 edition of the All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) has received an overwhelming response after receiving 4,816 entries from African music artistes and music professionals at the close of the two-month entry submission process. The African Union and the International Committee of Afrima had opened the 2017 Afrima call for entries on 8 May 2017 giving an opportunity to …

The annual summer season of African music and culture in Germany has been in full swing since April. Here are 10 Top Festivals, holding from now until the end of summer, promising an unforgettable experience:   Afrika-Orient Kulturfestival Bonn  28 – 30 July / Bonn, Bottlerplatz & Friedensplatz In addition to live performances by high-calibre musicians, story-tellers and dancers and …