Author: Ewang Johnson
The future of the UN is at stake. For it to remain relevant and survive, it must cast off dogma and embrace a results-oriented approach. In the corridors of the United Nations as it celebrates its 80th anniversary, anxious diplomats speak of a new ‘darkest hour’. Conflicts rage in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond. Climate shocks intensify. Human displacement has reaches record levels. Humanitarian budgets shrink. It is no wonder that the President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock has warned that “there are some people out there saying…we don’t need this institution anymore.” The causes are known to us…
When you find out that your favorite modern novelist has written her own new fantasy take on your all-time favorite novel, at first you feel elated. Then you feel nervous. (Or at least I do.) Of course she’ll nail it—right? She’s a wonderful writer—but it’s a formidable task …Turns out I needn’t have worried. A Far Better Thing, H. G. Parry’s version of Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, is everything I could have asked for, and then some.A Far Better Thing is one of those takeoffs that makes you both love it for itself, and love the book it’s based on even…
After breaking most music industry records during her “Eras” tour in 2023 and 2024, Taylor Swift is back with the hotly anticipated account of that time in the form of her twelfth studio album. “The Life of a Showgirl” brings in pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, who produced Swift’s synth pop album “1989” and mega hits “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space”. The release coincides with a weekend screening of a behind-the-scenes documentary, where the US star will unveil a new music video from this latest album. FRANCE 24’s Olivia Salazar-Winspear tells us more.…
“The idea started as a concept after watching Poltergeist [1982] for probably the 100th time,” Leonberg tells BBC Culture. “In the opening of that film, the family’s dog clearly senses the presence of the ghost before anyone else. That trope of ‘the dog who knows better’ appears in so many horror films, and I thought, ‘Someone should really tell that story from the dog’s perspective.'”Leonberg didn’t have to search far to cast the lead, as Indy is his own dog, who he thought could be perfect due to his “intense, unblinking stare”. Through expressive head tilts, whimpers and inquisitive stares,…
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President Afreximbank and Akaego Okoye, Founder African Business StoriesNEW YORK, United States of America, 02nd October 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- On the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, African Business Stories (ABS) marked the one-year anniversary of its flagship Roundtable Series with two milestones: the presentation of its inaugural Africa Champion Award to Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), and the launch of its first Impact Report, capturing a year of progress in closing Africa’s $42 billion gender financing gap.Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (Florida’s 20th District)The event opened with special remarks from Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (Florida’s 20th District),…
Choreographer and dancer Akram Khan took inspiration from the Nabataean tribes of the Saudi Arabian desert for his latest creation “Thikra: Night of Remembering”, as he delves into regional traditions with Saudi artist Manal Al Dowayan. He tells us why staging an all-women production in the kingdom came naturally, despite taboos surrounding public performances and why his work has always been informed by a female gaze. We also discuss his life-changing collaboration with the late director Peter Brook and his upcoming projects as Khan tours his last production with the dance company he founded 25 years ago. Source link
Released on 24 October in the US and Canada, and internationally from 30 OctoberDisneySpringsteen: Deliver Me from NowhereAre we moving on from the era when pop music biopics such as Ray, Walk the Line and Elvis would squeeze decades of a star’s life into two hours? Last year’s A Complete Unknown concentrated on the earliest years of Bob Dylan’s career, and now Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere dramatises an even shorter chapter of its subject’s life story. As played by Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Bruce Springsteen is shown making just one album, 1982’s Nebraska. He is on the verge…
Across Africa, there is a growing recognition that narratives matter. The way a continent tells its own story influences how its people see themselves, how policies are shaped and how the world engages with it. AfroTalks has emerged as part of this shift not as an entertainment event or a conference series, but as a think tank organisation working to amplify African voices, ignite the idea of an African Dream, and channel conversations into community impact.A Platform for African NarrativesBy convening Africans from diverse backgrounds entrepreneurs, creatives, policymakers, and young professionals AfroTalks positions dialogue as a form of strategic action.…
The debut of an AI-generated “actress” named Tilly Norwood drew sharp condemnation on Tuesday from the SAG-AFTRA actors union, which warned against replacing human performers with “synthetics.” Producers touted interest from studio executives after unveiling Norwood at a Zurich film industry conference. Source link
As part of the Sustainability & ESG Africa Conference & Expo (SEACon), a high-impact SMME Workshop will guide businesses through what it really takes to become compliant and ready to do business with corporates. Running from 08:30 to 11:00 on 16 October 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre, the session cuts through jargon and offers practical tools to help SMMEs become compliant, qualify for supplier opportunities and implement a sustainability plan. The workshop leaders are all experts in the sustainability and ESG field and will cover the following in the workshop. Douglas Kativu from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Africa, a…