The German parliament has passed legislation to tighten the country’s asylum laws, making it easier to deport failed asylum-seekers and monitor those deemed dangerous to public security in a move that has been slammed by opposition parties and rights groups as an assault on the rights of refugees. These are the new regulations in the legislation passed by the federal …
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May, 2017
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20 May
Nigerian Femi Kuti finally breaks world’s saxophone record after two attempts
After a second try, Nigerian musician Femi Kuti successfully broke a saxophone world record for playing a single note for over 51 minutes. He used a circular breathing method to sustain the note for 51 minutes 35 seconds last Sunday which he gladly posted on his Twitter page. “Done. proven. #circular breathing tonight at the Shrine 51 mins 35secs 83mili …
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20 May
These are Africa’s most powerful passports
Visa-free travel is something many of us take for granted in today’s increasingly interconnected world. But for many Africans this modern luxury is much more of a lottery, with citizens of some African countries enjoying similar travel rights to Europeans, while others fare little better than residents of war-torn Syria. Citizens of the Seychelles have the most travel freedom among …
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20 May
Rejoinder: Why Frisky Larr is wrong on democracy in Africa
Kolapo Fujah, writing from Lagos, joins issues with Frisky Larr, whose book Lost in Democracy calls for an alternative to the Western-inspired system of government in Africa because it has failed to deliver good governance in the continent. Fujah argues that the problem with democracy in Africa is not with the system itself but how it’s practiced. For starters, democracy …
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19 May
AfricanTide Union hosts Africa Day in Dortmund
“We need a day to discuss the problems that we don’t usually talk about,” said Dr RosaLyn Dressman, the chairperson of AfricanTide Union, a non-governmental organisation based in the western German city of Dortmund. These are the issues that will be discussed during the activities marking this year’s Africa Day in Dortmund on 25-27 May. Dr RosaLyn Dressman, a sociologist …
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18 May
Another Black woman appointed minister in new French cabinet
After the appointment of Senegalese-born Sibeth Ndiaye (37) as press secretary or media advisor in the French presidency, another Black woman has been named minister in the new government of President Emmanuel Macron. France’s new cabinet, which was unveiled on Wednesday, is made up of 11 women and 11 men, including Laura Flessel, as sports minister. Aged 45, she is …
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18 May
Why the media is so important to credible elections in Africa
Kenyan-born scholar George Ogola, writing from the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom, explains why the impartiality of the media is crucial to free and fair elections in Africa and the sustainability of peace and stability on the continent. The news media is usually one of first casualties of bungled or contested elections. From the recent US elections, …
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18 May
Nigerian Diaspora Germany elects new executive members
The German chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) has elected a new executive council. The body’s Annual General Meeting, which took place on Saturday (13 May) in Frankfurt, elected Kenneth Chukwudi Alaekwe as President, Dr RosaLyn Dressman (Vice President) and Prof Dr Brando Okolo (General Secretary). Other new members of the council are Dr Augustine Okeke (Assistant General …
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18 May
Ugandan lawyer awarded German Africa Prize 2017
The Ugandan human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo has won the 2017 German Africa Prize. In a statement, the German Africa Foundation which has awarded the prize since 1993, said Opiyo had been honoured for his role in protecting peace, democracy, and human rights in the east African country. Opiyo, founder of the human rights organization “Chapter Four Uganda”, has worked …
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18 May
Interview: Karamba Diaby on how he made it into Germany’s federal parliament
Karamba Diaby (57) represents the eastern city of Halle in the German Federal Parliament on the platform of the Social Democrats, the SPD. The election of the Senegalese-born holder of a doctorate degree in chemistry and that of the Afro-German Charles Huber (CDU) as the Bundestag’s first members of African descent in 2013 marked a watershed in the history of …
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