TimeLine Layout

October, 2017

  • 26 October

    Singapore edges out Germany as world’s most powerful passport

    By removing visa requirements for Singaporeans, Paraguay helped Singapore edge out Germany for the top spot in the Passport Index published by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. Singapore was previously tied with Germany for the number-one spot. Paraguay recently removed its visa requirements for Singaporeans, giving citizens easy access to 159 countries, compared to 158 for German passport-holders. Historically, …

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  • 25 October

    US worried about Togo as Gambian minister backpedals on resignation call

    The United States says it is concerned about the increasingly deteriorating political situation in Togo. The use of excessive force by security forces on protesters was of particular concern to the American government. A statement issued by a US Department of State spokesperson, Heather Nauert, said violence and restrictions on rights of people troubling to the US. “We are particularly …

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  • 25 October

    Germany launches website to discourage irregular migrants

    There is currently a humanitarian crisis in Libya where between 800,000 and 1 million migrants are trapped. Most of them are waiting to embark on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. With new measures adopted by the Libyan government and other similar developments, the chances of the overwhelming majority of the migrants reaching Europe are almost foreclosed. Most …

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  • 25 October

    Account Verification: Give Nigerians abroad more time, Dabiri-Erewa urges

    Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, has called for more time for Nigerians in Diaspora to obtain their Bank Verification Number (BVN). Dabiri-Erewa also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to put modalities and logistics in place to make it easier for Nigerians …

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  • 25 October

    Asylum requests in Switzerland hit seven-year low

    Requests for asylum in Switzerland dropped by a third in September, bringing the total for the first nine months of 2017 to just under 14,000, the lowest since 2010, government data showed. A drop since mid-July in the number of would-be refugees trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean played a role, the State Secretariat for Migration has said, adding …

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  • 24 October

    100,000 Brits sign up for polygamous dating site

    A website that helps Muslim men find “second wives” in Britain has more than 100,000 users registered, it has been revealed. The practice has been accused of opening women, often younger than their husbands, to physical abuse and even trafficking. In the UK, polygamous marriages – in which a person has more than one spouse – are only recognized if …

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  • 24 October

    Ronaldo retains FIFA award for world’s best player

    Real Madrid’s Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA’s The Best awards gala on Monday. The  four-time Ballon d‘Or winner won a La Liga and Champions League double with the Madrid club this year. He stroke twice against Juventus in the European Cup final to help Real …

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  • 24 October

    Newly-elected German parliament sits for the first time today

    Following its election on 24 September, the German Bundestag will hold its constituent sitting on Tuesday, 24 October, at 11 a.m. in the Plenary Chamber of the Reichstag Building in Berlin. The agenda includes the election of the Bundestag President and the other members of the Presidium, along with the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the German Bundestag. …

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  • 24 October

    UN praises German refugee policy, urges improvements

    While praising Germany’s openness toward refugees, the UN refugee agency UNHCR has called on newly elected German lawmakers to further improve the situation and prospects for refugees, reports Ashutosh Pandey. The German office of the UN refugee agency UNHCR has urged the newly elected members of the Bundestag, which will hold its first session on Tuesday, to provide the right …

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  • 24 October

    Togo president must resign immediately, says Gambian foreign minister

    Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé should resign immediately and the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should persuade him to step down, Gambia’s Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe has said. Darboe’s comments, during an interview with the news agency Reuters, are an early sign that opinion is shifting against Gnassingbé who took power in 2005 following …

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