Author: Ewang Johnson

Africa’s first black billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, grew his fortune by $200 million in May, reaching a net worth of $3.2 billion. The uptick is tied to the solid performance of his mining firm, African Rainbow Minerals, which posted a 2% stock gain in May and a 5.37% rise year-to-date. The company remains popular among investors and was traded heavily between February and May. However, Motsepe’s influence extends beyond mining. He’s also a major investor in Tyme Group, a digital banking company that recently became Africa’s ninth unicorn after a major funding round, which saw its valuation rise to $1.5 billion. Motsepe’s…

Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent – the names that define Parisian chic are French. But did you know that the entire French Haute Couture empire was built by … an Englishman? Join Eve Jackson at the Petit Palais in Paris for a dazzling deep dive into a new exhibition on Charles Frederick Worth, the revolutionary British designer who transformed fashion from mere clothing into high art and big business. Source link

Getty ImagesThe Profumo affair led to a government minister’s resignation on 5 June 1963. In 1983, Christine Keeler talked to the BBC about her part in a story of sex, lies and Cold War paranoia.”For 20 years, I think I’ve just been a newspaper clipping, I’ve never really had my say,” Christine Keeler told the BBC’s Sue Lawley on Nationwide in 1983. She was recalling the notorious political scandal that had engulfed her life and made her a household name: the Profumo Affair.The 21-year-old model found herself thrust into the media spotlight when, on 5 June 1963, John “Jack” Profumo…

Ener-G-Africa (EGA) has opened five retail stores in, Lusaka, Zambia. The stores ensure EGA’s extensive range of energy saving products are more accessible to consumers in Zambia. “Zambia’s heavy reliance on charcoal and firewood for cooking has led to significant environmental degradation, health risks and rising household energy costs. This created a strong demand for cleaner, more efficient and sustainable cooking solutions,” says Richard Bunderson, Chief Commercial Officer at EGA. “Simultaneously, frequent and prolonged load shedding has intensified the need for reliable alternative energy sources, increasing demand for clean cookstoves and solar products.” He says the decision to establish five retail…

Washington, D.C – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroonians until August 3, 2025. Originally scheduled to end on Saturday, June 7, the extension grants beneficiaries an additional 60 days of protection.The decision the Department stated on its website follows a review of current conditions in Cameroon and consultations with interagency partners. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem concluded that the country no longer meets the legal criteria to warrant continued Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation.TPS holders from Cameroon now have until August to prepare for the program’s termination.…

With music festival season in full swing, we chat to Last Train frontman Jean-Noël Scherrer. His band have just had a sold-out tour here in France and played extensively in Germany, the UK and other European countries. We also speak to Tallulah Sim-Savage of up-and-coming English trio HotWax, whose debut album is a punchy blend of grunge and rock ‘n’ roll. Source link

Photo of Lighthouse, 2025/ AlamyBanksy’s new mural in Marseille is not the first image he has connected to the history of ideas. From Plato to Foucault, a Banksy expert reveals the philosophy behind these popular artworks.Which is the real you, the person you are now or the one you are capable of becoming? It’s a heady question, to be sure, and not one you would expect to be confronted with while strolling down a street in Marseille in the waning days of May. Yet it’s precisely the existential dilemma that Banksy, who once asserted “being yourself is overrated” – has…

Commits to partnering with governments that put people’s health and wellbeing first In an address today in Nelson Mandela Hall at the African Union, Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates urged African leaders to seize the moment to accelerate progress in health and development through innovation and partnership, despite current headwinds. He announced that the majority of his $200 billion spend over the next 20 years will go to Africa with a focus on partnering with governments that prioritize the health and wellbeing of their people. “I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next…

One of the titans of African Literature, the Kenyan Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o died at the age of 87 in the United States on May 28. He was a fearless champion of the rights of people in their battle against oppression and a tireless proponent of literature written in African languages. Anver Versi was one of his students in the 1970s. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was my lecturer in African Literature when I was a first year student at the University of Nairobi in the early 1970s. Literature had been easily my favourite subject throughout school. I enjoyed reading everything I could…

Potboiler films like director Ron Howard’s trilogy, The Da Vinci Code (2006), Angels and Demons (2009), and Inferno (2016), invite us to accept outlandish fictions with a promise of thrills to come. Excitement builds once we buy into their imagined world. These three movies are underrated, unappreciated, and mired in theological debate. But such disputes seem to miss the point. Movies may enhance our belief, but they do not define it. Faith is a gift of the spirit, not of Hollywood. Langdon struggles to be honorable in an endlessly challenging world. These films are the tale of his journey. But they…