The BBC World Service has appointed Rachel Akidi Okwir and Toyosi Ogunseye as heads of language services for East and West Africa respectively.  The appointments are part of the BBC World Service’s continuing expansion in Africa. Rachel Akidi Okwir, Head of East Africa Languages, is based in Nairobi, Kenya and oversees services in Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Swahili and Tigrinya. …

Young people without German citizenship are more likely to struggle to get vocational training slots than their German counterparts, according to a new study. Their prospects are especially bleak in the country’s east. Natalie Muller (with dpa) reports. The study, published by the Bertelsmann Foundation on Monday (18 December), found that more than half of all “young people without a …

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has elected Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as its new leader. The former trade unionist and top businessman will replace his embattled boss; President Jacob Zuma; and would lead the ANC into elections slated for 2019. Ramaphosa polled 2440 votes as against 2261 received by his main rival, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in the tightly fought …