Author: Ewang Johnson

For centuries, depictions of Cleopatra have emphasised her beauty and romantic entanglements – much more so than her two-decade rule of Egypt. The Institut du monde arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris aims to change that with “The Mystery of Cleopatra”, a new exhibit running until January 11, 2026.  Source link

Onafriq, in collaboration with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), announced the launch of a new cross-border payment service that will initially pilot outbound transactions in Ghana. This launch operationalises the partnership established in 2022, aimed at promoting intra-African cross-border trade and enhancing financial inclusion. The service improves financial interoperability by making transactions faster, more convenient, and cost-effective for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individuals. Effective immediately, banks partnering with PAPSS and Onafriq’s authorised fintech, mobile money service providers and traditional partners in Ghana can enable their customers to send and receive money directly into mobile wallets and…

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, one of the most powerful people in the fashion world, said on Thursday she will be looking for a new head of editorial content at American Vogue as she steps down from the role after nearly 40 years. Source link

AlamyOne of show business’s most glamorous – and notorious – images, there’s more to this 1957 snapshot of Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield than might first appear.On the night of Sophia Loren’s “Welcome to Hollywood” dinner party in April 1957, Jayne Mansfield walked into the exclusive Romanoff’s restaurant in Beverly Hills with a plan. The swanky soirée being thrown by Paramount Studios was packed with some of the biggest Hollywood stars of the era, from Barbara Stanwyck and Montgomery Clift to Gary Cooper and Shelley Winters. But it would be a candid photograph of Mansfield and Loren that would earn…

In a first for the continent, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking is the first authorised bank to offer transactions through China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS).  The bank was recently granted license to offer CIPS transactions at this year’s Lujiazui Forum. The Forum was created as a high-level global platform for government officials, world financial leaders and outstanding scholars to discuss and foster international financial cooperation and further the financial reform and market opening in China.  eponymous conference held in Shanghai.  The payment system will allow for interbank payments between Africa and China using Chinese Renminbi (RMB) as the…

Argentinian composer Lalo Schifrin, the genre-blending film and television composer behind the musical scores of “Mission: Impossible,” “Bullitt,” and “Cool Hand Luke”, died Thursday at the age of 93, leaving behind a career of nearly 100 works scored. Source link

Brook RushtonFrom Superman to I Know What You Did Last Summer – these are the films to watch at the cinema and stream at home this month.A24EddingtonBest known as the horror auteur who chilled audiences with Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster moves on to state-of-the-nation satirical comedy with his latest film, Eddington. The title is the name of a small desert town in New Mexico where the sheriff, Joaquin Phoenix, is at loggerheads with the business-minded mayor, Pedro Pascal. Their feud has something to do with the sheriff’s wife, Emma Stone, but it spirals out of control in 2020 when…

Award-winning and renowned jazz artist and trumpeter Mandisi Dyantyis is set to headline Saso’s Brunch Marquee at the upcoming Hollywoodbets Durban July on Saturday, 5 July, at Greyville Racecourse. In a grand reprise, the marquee will also feature performances by equally captivating artists including Zee Nxumalo, Scott Maphuma,Oscar Mbo, DJ Merlon, and others soon to be announced. Known for songs such as “NguMama,” “Ndimthanda,” “Cwaka,” and “Molo Sisi,” Dyantyis has earned widespread respect for his ability to fuse jazz, Afro-soul, and traditional isiXhosa music into a distinct and moving sound “We always love playing in Durban, and we’re truly looking…

Note: This article contains potential spoilers for The Snow Girl.Miren: I’m not a very good journalist, you know.Nacho: [Laughs]…No?Miren: No… The rules, the… technique… I’m not the best at that. But I know how much you suffer when [expletive] your life. Victims don’t have to be perfect. We shouldn’t ask that of them. A victim is a victim. It doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad, a friend or daughter.This quote by investigative journalist Miren Rojo encapsulates The Snow Girl’s overarching theme. Determined to get justice for victims of heinous crimes, Miren does whatever it takes to hold accountable those…

Her protagonist is a cinematic Sheherazade, captivating viewers with tales of courageous feats and astonishing achievements. Yet Heiny Srour’s “Leila” is not dealing in fiction but in fact: re-telling the story of the Palestinian and Lebanese people with women back in their rightful roles, as active participants in their country’s stories. As the film returns to cinemas 40 years after it was made, the Lebanese director tells us why its themes are still extremely topical today. We also discuss her pioneering documentary, “The Hour of Liberation Has Arrived”, which made Srour the first Arab women to present a feature at…