Author: Ewang Johnson

This week on arts24’s film show, critic Manon Kerjean from Lost in Frenchlation joins us to explore four very different slices of French cinema – from monumental architecture to female bandits, nostalgic comedy and a sweeping national portrait. We begin with “L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche” (The Great Arch), a visually striking portrait of the architect behind Paris’s modern landmark, La Grande Arche de La Défense. Director Demoustier turns stone and steel into emotion, capturing the tension between ambition, politics and legacy, with Danish actor Claes Bang mastering French for the role. Source link

Melania TrumpTailoring, tightly belted trenchcoats and sharply cut tuxedos are often her style of choice. Occasionally military-inspired, always highly polished and glamourous, Melania Trump’s style has been the subject of both adulation and consternation. For some, she is the epitome of first lady style, for others, she embodies something else. She famously wore sky-high heels en route to visit the site of a natural disaster and a pith hat – a symbol of colonial rule – on safari in Kenya. Some point to her extravagant tastes – many of her outfits have price tags running well into the thousands. But perhaps most famously there was a jacket she…

Mastercard held its inaugural Africa Edge summit, convening leaders from across Africa’s payments ecosystem to explore how collaboration and innovation can accelerate the continent’s digital growth. The forum focused on building the infrastructure, trust, and interoperability needed to support Africa’s fast-growing digital economy, projected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030, and create new opportunities for consumers and small businesses.Hosted by Mark Elliott, division president, Africa, Mastercard, the event brought together senior representatives from banks, fintech companies, telcos, regulators, and technology partners. Speakers and panelists discussed how to expand low-cost acceptance, improve interoperability and enhance security at scale to create a…

French novelist Laurent Mauvignier has won France’s most prestigious literary honour, the Goncourt prize, for “La Maison Vide” (“The Empty House”). The book “recalls the great realist authors of the 19th century, like Zola, Maupassant and Flaubert”, FRANCE 24’s Culture Editor Olivia Salazar-Winspear tells us from the awards ceremony in Paris. Source link

The Republic of Guinea has completed a major rebasing of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) under the supervision of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. This revision, carried out with the support of the IMF, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and AFRISTAT, shows a 51.2% increase in GDP, providing a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the country’s economic structure.The rebasing, which updates the national accounts reference year from 2006 to 2018, marks a significant milestone for Guinea’s economic statistics. The number of sectors covered has increased from 34…

Kenyan photographer Thandiwe Muriu is turning heads and bending reality. Her vibrant portraits blend women seamlessly into richly patterned fabrics, creating hypnotic optical illusions that celebrate African identity while questioning how we see beauty, culture and self-expression. Now, Muriu returns to Paris for her third solo exhibition, “Clouds Bring Blessings”, at 193 Gallery. For the first time, she’s created her own tie-dye fabrics, calling nature her “uninvited co-creator”. In this edition of arts24, Muriu opens up about her journey from Kenya’s first female commercial photographer to a global art sensation – and how fabric, light and heritage weave together in…

Die My Love stars Jennifer Lawrence as a young mother having a mental breakdown Source link

As South Africa prepares to observe National Children’s Day on 1 November, the question every boardroom, policymaker, and family should be asking is: how are we investing in our children’s potential? For the Ruta Sechaba Foundation, the answer has become increasingly clear.“Quality education for disadvantaged learners is not a cost – it is the smartest investment a nation can make,” says Natasha Mkhize, Executive: Strategic Relations at the Ruta Sechaba Foundation. “Supporting the brightest learners from disadvantaged backgrounds does more than change individual lives – it generates a ripple effect that strengthens families, communities, and the country’s economic future.”The Foundation’s…

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for the video game Godbreakers.Artificial intelligence, the loss (and recovery) of human identity, and the age-old longing for transcendence… all form the bedrock of the game’s thematic concerns.Every now and then a video game comes along that is as provocative as it is entertaining. These types of games are usually relegated to the bigger budget AAA titles put out by high-profile publishers, and they tend to make a splash. But every so often, an indie project sneaks onto the radar and does something interesting.Godbreakers, from small, semi-independent studio To The Sky, looks to be…

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem. She’s one of the UK’s most exciting breakout stars of the last decade, with Grammy and Mercury nominations under her belt. Her music is a mix of bold, genre-blending pop and razor-sharp lyrics. She’s also an actress, with roles including Sally Bowles in the West End production of “Cabaret”. Self Esteem’s third album “A Complicated Woman” is her most theatrical and truthful record to date, exploring the complexities of womanhood – from burnouts to depression to sexuality. She’s currently on a European tour,…