The Swiss Federal Council has adopted new regulations that would require foreigners residing in Switzerland to meet certain criteria of good behaviour before their residence permits are renewed. The seven-member executive body adopted the new regulations on Wednesday (15 August) as part of the revision of the Act on Foreign Nationals. The new rules will enter into force in 2019. …

The series of consultation with civil society on irregular migration, organised by the Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria (MEPN), kicked off in Abuja on Saturday [18 August]. The Stakeholders’ Roundtable Dialogue on Migration brought together youths, parents and multipliers, such as journalists, artists, educationists and religious leaders, among others, to exchange ideas and experiences on the issues deriving from irregular migration. …

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened the floodgates of tribute for one of his predecessors, Kofi Annan, who died yesterday aged 80 after a short illness in Geneva, Switzerland. Guterres described Annan, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 2001, as a guiding force for good. Guterres in his tribute said: “it is with profound sadness that I learned …

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila will not stand for re-election in December, a government spokesman has announced. Kabila’s ruling coalition nominated former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as its presidential candidate, Lambert Mende, the government spokesman, said on Wednesday. The move put an end to years of speculation on whether Kabila would defy terms limits.  The government …

An increasing number of naturalized Germans are no longer required to renounce their original citizenship before receiving a German passport. Exceptions for EU citizens and refugees have led to more naturalized Germans holding two passports in recent years. Some nations prohibit or make it difficult for nationals to give up citizenship when becoming German. Chase Winter reports.    An increasing number …

At the recent Nigerian Diaspora Global Development Conference in London, government officials and business people from Nigeria exchanged ideas and experiences with the country’s nationals living abroad on how the Diaspora can better contribute to national development. Under the theme “Supporting the Development Roadmap for Nigeria”, the 3-day (26-28 July) event looked at the challenges confronting the country and identified …

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has announced the appointment of former Nigerian winger, Emmanuel Amuneke, as the new head coach of the national team, Taifa Stars. Amuneke signed a two-year contract with the TFF on Monday. “I am happy to start this new job and work hard so that we can achieve a lot together,” Amuneke, who was most recently …

Former Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, may have left office over a year now but news about him still command a lot of attention. Jammeh in a recently-leaked tape talks of staging a comeback to the country he ruled for over two decades until January 2017. His mothers’ death this week in exile and the subsequent repatriation of her remains to …

The parties to the South Sudan conflict have signed an agreement on the outstanding issues on governance and security geared towards restoring peace in Africa’s youngest nation. South Sudan’s warring parties have reached a power-sharing deal to end a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions in the world’s youngest country. President Salva Kiir …

More than half of Germans surveyed in a monthly poll classify racism as a major social ill. At the same time, those polled say social issues are more important than asylum and refugee matters. Jefferson Chase (Berlin) reports.  German society is still struggling with racism. That’s one of the major conclusions from the Infratest-Dimap “Germany Trend” poll for August, which was …