August, 2017

• 23 August

  Angola elects new president as dos Santos retires after 38 years

  Angolans vote Wednesday in an election that will see President Jose Eduardo dos Santos quit after nearly four decades in power, but with his hand-picked successor widely expected to take over. The long-time leader has laid the groundwork for his designated successor in an oil-rich country where poverty, corruption and human rights concerns are unlikely to dissipate anytime soon. Defense …

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• 23 August

  Erdogan’s advice divides Turkish voters in Germany

  

  The Turkish president has called on Turks living in Germany not to vote for “enemies of Turkey.” Will his call be heeded or ignored? DW’s Christoph Ricking went to the heart of Cologne’s Turkish neighbourhood to find out. Cologne’s Keupstrasse, the main street for Turkish life in the city’s Mülheim district, bustled with Monday morning business activity: trucks made shop …

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• 22 August

  Spain’s Muslims demonstrate against terrorism following Barcelona attack

  Hundreds of Muslims gathered just meters away from where the Barcelona terror attack of last Thursday took place to protest against Islamic-inspired violence. Spain was hit by its worst terrorist attack in more than a decade on 17 August, when a van driver rammed into dozens of people enjoying a sunny afternoon on one of Barcelona’s most famous thoroughfares, killing …

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• 22 August

  Erdogan urges Germany’s Turks not to vote for main parties

  In an unusual intervention in Germany’s coming general election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday called on Turkish-origin Germans to give a “slap” to both parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition in September polls. Erdogan has caused consternation in Berlin by urging ethnic Turks in Germany to vote neither for Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its coalition partner …

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• 22 August

  Pope Francis advocates citizenship for migrant children born in Italy

  “The statelessness in which migrants and refugees sometimes find themselves can easily be avoided through legislation on citizenship complying with the fundamental principles of international law,” Pope Francis said in his message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018. The Pope’s statement was issued a day after Premier Paolo Gentiloni irked anti-immigrant parties by vowing to pass a bill …

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• 22 August

  MasterCard partners Ghana for a cashless economy

  A cashless economy is one in which the purchase of goods and services and the payment of debts and remittances are done through electronic money media, either through credit and debit cards, direct transfers from one account to another, smart cards, mobile payment systems, and other technologies. With aspirations of becoming an African economic powerhouse, Ghana is partnering with organisations …

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• 21 August

  Nollywood blockbuster shines spotlight on South African tourist sites

  Through an innovative partnership showcasing South Africa’s diverse tourism attractions, the South African launch of Nollywood action comedy 10 Days in Sun City recently took place at Sun City where the movie was filmed. Directed by South African-based Nigerian director Adze Ugah, the movie is the highest-earning film in Nigeria this year and topped the country’s box office for two …

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• 21 August

  Togolese at home and abroad rise against Gnassingbe ruling dynasty

  Thousands of Togolese nationals held demonstrations in about half a dozen cities around the world including the capital Lome where it turned deadly after clashes with security forces. The demonstrations, organised by the opposition Pan African National Party (PNP), were held simultaneously in Accra, Libreville, New York and Berlin on Saturday demanding the reinstatement of the 1992 constitution that limits …

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• 21 August

  Buhari declares Nigerian unity “settled”, condemns ethnic hate commentaries

  President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable, in an apparent reference to tension in the country.  In his broadcast to the nation this morning, following his extended medical vacation in the United Kingdom, Buhari also directed security agencies to fight and destroy terrorists and criminals “so that the majority of us can live in …

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• 20 August

  Buhari returns to Nigeria; but can he govern?

  Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returned home unexpectedly on Saturday after three months in Britain where he had been on medical leave. A group of Nigerians had staged a protest outside the London residence of the ailing president on Friday, demanding that he returns home to Nigeria or resign immediately due to an undisclosed ailment that had kept him out of …

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