Author: Ewang Johnson
This is the third and final article in a three-part series. (Read Part I and Part II.)In the first article of this series, we laid a theological framework for thinking about extraterrestrial life. In the second, we examined the rise of UFO mythology in popular culture and clarified how the scientific search for life differs from the images of little green men with ray guns. Now, in this final installment, we explore a more difficult task: how Christian theology might respond if we one day confirm the existence of life beyond Earth. Not because we know it exists, but because…
A series of fires broke out around the city. In an effort to see in the dark, many New Yorkers had lit candles indoors, and curtains and furniture accidentally caught fire. “I just remember it turning into this nightmare situation where it was non-stop,” Sharon Hawa, who worked for the American Red Cross at the time, told the organisation’s podcast in 2021. “It was like a wildfire happening in the city.”Fewer arrests than usualFire crews were called out to more than 60 residential fires that night, with two deaths attributed to the use of fire to provide light. “The borough…
Opinion by Matsie Mpshe, Founder and Managing Director at The Transformation Firm and Founder of the SMME Empowerment Summit South Africa has over 2.5 million small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), employing nearly 10 million people. Yet, many of these businesses are still viewed by corporates through the narrow lens of CSI or supplier development compliance. What if we have it backwards? What if it is big business that can no longer afford to underestimate the value and innovation of small business? The truth is, without meaningful partnerships with the SMME ecosystem, especially in underrepresented and township communities, large companies…
By Maureen Phiri, Sales Manager at Oxyon People Solutions The engineering sector has historically been a male-dominated field, and to a large extent it still is. However, this is changing, and the shift is gaining significant momentum as more women begin to take up leadership roles, spearheading innovation and driving inclusive growth. These women are reshaping the industry, driving innovation and change, and Women’s Month is an ideal moment to reflect on how far we have come, while recognising how far we still must go in ensuring equity, diversity and inclusivity. Stepping up to change the industry In recent years,…
LONDON, United Kingdom, 8 August 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Backbase, the global leader in Engagement Banking, in partnership with the African Banker magazine, has launched the inaugural report in the Africa Digital Banking Experience Series 2025, a timely publication that explores the transformation of banking across the continent in an age of hyper-personalisation, AI integration, and financial inclusion. The report “Retail banking: Competing for the modern African customer” is based on an exclusive survey of over 200 senior banking executives across 40 African countries. It provides a detailed, data-driven analysis of how African banks are shifting from traditional transactional models to…
By Dumisani Kadango, Country Manager, TransUnion Malawi LILONGWE, Malawi 7 August 2025 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Financial inclusion has become one of the most critical building blocks for sustainable economic development, not only in Malawi but across emerging markets. When individuals and small businesses have access to affordable, appropriate, and timely financial products and services, they are empowered to save, invest, manage risk, and improve their quality of life. Yet in Malawi, a portion of the population still faces challenges in accessing comprehensive financial services. According to the 2023 FinScope Consumer Survey, 88% of Malawian adults are considered financially included, meaning they…
“We have the science, we have the technology—now we need the political will and investment to match.” Dr. Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Director of Women’s Health Innovations, Gates FoundationThe Gates Foundation on Monday announced a $2.5 billion commitment through 2030 to advance a wide range of innovations aimed at improving women’s health spanning new medicines to prevent maternal deaths to vaccines targeting infections that disproportionately impact women. To explore the significance of this investment, Africa.com Founder and Executive Editor Teresa Clarke connected with Dr Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Director of Women’s Health Innovations at the Foundation. Africa.com: This is the largest investment…
“The Prince of Darkness has died” has a distinctly different ring from “the King is dead,” the headline that marked Elvis Presley’s passing. If Elvis was the king of rock and roll, then the late Ozzy Osbourne was the patron saint of what came to be called heavy metal. For those who loved him, Ozzy was a Falstaffian madman who brought joy to millions and a consummate performer who died just seventeen days after his final concert. For others, he was the lunatic who bit the head off a dove and a bat (the bat was an accident), micturated on…
What is certain is that The Black Cauldron aimed to be a different kind of Disney film. “Ron Miller, the former CEO of the company and the son-in-law of Walt Disney, wanted the film to be a departure,” Neil O’Brien, author of After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America’s Favorite Media Company, tells the BBC. “He wanted it to appeal to a teenage, young-adult audience, and deliberately went about making sure there were no songs in the movie that could turn off teenage audiences.” The Black Cauldron also had a PG rating, a first for Disney. “That’s standard now,…
Google highlighted the impact of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on the South African innovation landscape and business scenes at the AI in Action event held in Cape Town today. The event, attended by various stakeholders in the tech ecosystem, business community, and media was an opportunity for Google to reaffirm its commitment to advancing Africa’s digital transformation journey through AI adoption. Held under the theme “AI is Now,” Google used the opportunity to demonstrate how businesses, developers, and communities in South Africa can leverage AI to enhance productivity, ignite innovation, and tackle real-world challenges in a way that is…