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UN Vote on Slave Trade Recognition Sparks Renewed Reparations Debate

The United Nations General Assembly has taken a significant symbolic step in confronting one of the darkest chapters in human history. On 25 March 2026, the Assembly adopted a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a move widely welcomed by advocates of historical justice and reparative action. The occasion was the UN Plenary to …

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End of Passport Stamp: What Europe’s New Digital Border System Means for Travellers

From 10 April, the EU’s Entry/Exit System becomes fully operational across 29 European countries. Every non-EU national — including visitors, tourists and those travelling to see family — will now have their biometric data registered at the border instead of receiving an ink stamp. Here’s what you should know about the new system For decades, the ink stamp in a …

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Key Changes Taking Effect in Germany in April 2026

A package of legislative and regulatory changes come into force in Germany in the new month, affecting everything from how much you pay at the petrol station to how you cross the EU’s external borders. For Africans living in Germany, several of these changes are directly relevant. Fuel Prices: One Rise Per Day, at NoonAs from 1 April, German petrol …

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Recognition Without Responsibility? The UN Slavery Resolution and the Limits of Western Moral Politics

COMMENTARY By Amal Abbass* On 25 March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement as the “gravest crime against humanity.” Though non-binding, the resolution explicitly links historical recognition to reparatory justice, including apology, restitution, compensation, institutional reform and the return of cultural property. This article argues that …

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Germany Approves Tougher EU Asylum Rules

Germany’s upper house has approved legislation to implement the EU’s reformed Common European Asylum System, bringing faster border procedures, stricter Dublin transfers, and new detention-like centres for migrants who must leave Germany — with rights organisations warning of serious consequences for vulnerable people. Germany has taken a decisive step towards one of the most significant tightenings of European asylum law …

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Lured Into War: How Russia Recruits Africans to Fight against Ukraine

A growing number of African nationals are being drawn into Russia’s war against Ukraine. What investigators, journalists and governments have pieced together is a troubling picture of systematic deception. Young men targeted in countries where unemployment is high and poverty is prevalent are lured with the promise of well-paid civilian jobs and then coerced into military service on some of …

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Nigeria signs agreement for easier removal of citizens from UK

Signed on the margins of President Tinubu’s state visit to London, one landmark agreement on migration and two MoUs on organised crime and business visas carry real implications for Nigerians at home and in the diaspora During President Bola Tinubu’s two-day state visit to the United Kingdom (on 18 and 19 March 2026), both countries signed an agreement establishing a …

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Opinion: TIME FOR NIGERIA TO RISE TOGETHER

Victor Oladokun*, a renowned Nigerian media professional and strategic communications expert, has used the occasion of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s historic visit to the UK to make a clarion call to his countrymen and women to unite. Here’s why he believes that now more than ever, the citizens of Africa’s most populous nation should choose unity over division. Victor Oladokun/Photo: …

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Tinubu’s Historic Visit Opens New Chapter for Nigeria–Britain Relations

For the first time in 37 years, a Nigerian head of state has been received at Windsor Castle — and the visit has yielded concrete economic rewards, from a landmark ports financing deal to fresh commitments on trade, security and cultural exchange. When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu stepped out of a royal carriage at Windsor …

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Nigerian thriller makes HBO Max debut in Europe

A landmark moment for Nollywood and African storytelling has arrived with the launch of the critically acclaimed Nigerian thriller The Weekend on HBO Max across Central and Eastern Europe, showing the growing global appetite for bold African cinema. HBO Max is a major global streaming platform operated by Warner Bros. Discovery, offering movies, TV series, documentaries and original programming to …

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