News
Spain welcomes tourists back as emergency ends
Spain has lifted its state of emergency, reopening its borders to visitors from most of Europe and allowing British tourists in without having to quarantine.
For three months Spain has been under one of Europe’s toughest lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that hygiene controls must be observed strictly, despite the easing.
Spain’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 28,322 – the third-highest in the European Union (EU).
The state of emergency was decreed on March14, and for several weeks people could not go out to exercise and children were not allowed to leave their homes for any reason.
Spain normally attracts 80 million tourists a year, with tourism providing more than 12 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Opening up the holiday market again before the summer season is over is seen as crucial to the Spanish economy.
Arrivals will have their temperature taken at the airport, state if they have had the virus and provide contact details. Spain is opening up again to the rest of the EU and Schengen zone countries outside the EU.
And now Spaniards can once again enjoy unrestricted travel in their own country.
But social distancing rules remain in place: people have to stay 1.5m (5ft) apart in public, wear masks in shops and on public transport, where that rule cannot always be kept, and clean their hands frequently.
“We must remain on our guard and strictly follow hygiene and protection measures,” said Mr Sánchez.
He warned of the risk of a second coronavirus wave, “which must be avoided at all costs”.
Spain’s land border with Portugal remains shut until July, at Portugal’s request.
Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told the BBC that there would no longer be a two-week quarantine for British tourists. Spain is still in discussions over whether the UK will reciprocate.
But she said Spain’s move was “out of respect for the 400,000 British citizens who have second residences in Spain” and who are “dying to benefit” from them.
In recent weeks Spain has been gradually easing restrictions, like its EU neighbours, reopening businesses and public spaces such as parks.
Guillermo Umbria, a Madrid resident, said ending the state of emergency was “very positive for society in general”. -BBC
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
