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Angola, the official Host Country of ITB Berlin 2026, is the focus of the international travel industry from 3 to 5 March. At the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show the country from southwest Africa is showcasing its cultural diversity, spectacular natural beauty and a vision for sustainable development. Events kick off with the opening press conference and opening gala on …

A migration expert, Olayinka Adekunle, has called on Africans living in Berlin to actively seek out and make use of the wide range of support services provided by public and private institutions across the city. She made the appeal at an information and networking event on Social Participation and Community Networking organised by the German-African Initiative for Development and Integration …

Berlin rejected almost one in every 20 citizenship applications in 2025, as the city’s immigration authorities combine faster digital processing with significantly tougher checks aimed at combating fraud. According to figures released this week by the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), 4.9 percent of all naturalisation applications reviewed last year were refused. At the same time, the authority approved a record …

African-American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson died on 17 February. The Baptist minister and two-time US presidential candidate was a towering moral voice whose powerful oratory helped shape the civil rights movement in the decades following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Widely regarded as one of the most respected global moral figures of the past 70 years, Rev …

Brussels, 24 February 2026 — The European Union has adopted a controversial revision of its asylum and deportation rules that will allow member states, including Germany, to deport asylum applicants to countries outside the EU — even when they have no personal connection to those states. The decision, finalised by EU governments this week in Brussels, forms part of the …

Every household in Germany pays the Rundfunkbeitrag, a compulsory monthly licence fee for public broadcasting. In 2026, the fee remains €18.36 per month. This fee serves to finance public broadcasting service based on a contributory model. Who can be exempted? For people with good incomes, €18.36 per month may not matter much. But those living on social security support, every …

Berlin-based independent bookshop Buchhandlung InterKontinental has once again been awarded the coveted Deutscher Buchhandlungspreis for 2025, marking its third recognition (previously honoured in 2021 and 2023). The award, announced on Tuesday (10 January), underscores InterKontinental’s continuing influence in Germany’s cultural and literary landscape. Located in the heart of Berlin’s district of Friedrichshain, InterKontinental has built a unique reputation as Germany’s …

Since the beginning of 2026, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has suspended all new admissions to integration courses under Section 44, paragraph 4 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG). The circular, sent to course providers on 9 February, clarifies that this freeze affects asylum-seekers, tolerated residents (Geduldete), Ukrainians with temporary protection and EU citizens, who had previously …

When Berlin-based freelance journalist Wolfgang König recently travelled to New Orleans, he found himself drawn not only to the city’s famous music clubs and historic streets, but to a modest open space whose global significance is easy to overlook. In this reflection, König traces the remarkable history of Congo Square — a place where African traditions survived enslavement, shaped the …

February 2026 may be short, but it brings wide-ranging changes—from migration and travel rules to religious life. Staying informed helps residents navigate the month with fewer surprises and better preparation. Here is a clear overview of what is new—and what it means in everyday life. Continued School Support for Low-Income Families As the second half of the 2025/2026 school year …