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‘Bel’ movie review: A haunting tribute to a Kenyan-Scottish musician on the cusp of stardom
“Bel”, Louise Lockwood’s new documentary, pays tribute to Beldina Odenyo, the Kenyan-Scottish musician who performed as Heir of the Cursed and died by suicide in 2021 aged 31. The film, which closed the Edinburgh International Film Festival, follows her sister Leah’s effort to posthumously release Odenyo’s debut album, blending celebration of her exceptional musical talent…
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‘It’s like a dog set loose on us’ – fear over Kenya’s crackdown on foreign traders
Kenyan President William Ruto’s order for foreign nationals to stop working as petty traders or running small businesses by 7 September has triggered fear and confusion among East African migrants living in Kenya, particularly Burundians. Many say the announcement, made in reference to draft legislation restricting foreign nationals from low-level trade, has been taken by…
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Tartuffe (Remixed) review – Mark Rylance sinks his false teeth into Molière’s trickster comedy
Mark Rylance stars in Darren Raymond’s Tartuffe (Remixed), a modern update of Molière’s 1664 comedy about a religious fraudster who infiltrates a devout household, now transplanted to the eve of a Jamaican-Nigerian wedding at London’s Marylebone theatre. The production continues a trend of relocating the play’s central hypocrite figure to new cultural settings, following earlier…
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Six Nigerians accused of romance scams to be extradited to the US
South African police are extraditing six Nigerian nationals to the United States on Friday to face charges over an alleged romance scam network. The men, arrested in 2021, are accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the US — including pensioners and businesspeople — of over 100 million rand (around $6m/£5m) by cultivating fake…
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Spider-Man and The Odyssey deliver bumper summer for box office
Cinemas worldwide have enjoyed a record-breaking summer, driven largely by two blockbusters starring newlyweds Tom Holland and Zendaya. US cinemas recorded their biggest ever May-to-September period, taking $4.761bn (£3.51bn), narrowly surpassing the previous record set in 2013, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey the standout performers. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has taken $2.4bn…
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Nat Geo May Have Its Most Beautiful Wildlife Series Yet With ‘Africa: Earth’s Wild Home’ — Watch Trailer (Exclusive)
National Geographic is launching “Africa: Earth’s Wild Home”, a seven-part natural history series billed as the first instalment in a multi-year franchise documenting the planet continent by continent. Executive produced and narrated by actress Wunmi Mosaku, the series was filmed over four years across nearly 30 countries and features never-before-seen footage, including black rain frogs…
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Glencore oil chief denies West African bribery conspiracy charges
Alex Beard, Glencore’s billionaire former head of oil trading, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments, in a case brought by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office. He appeared alongside his former deputy Andrew Gibson at Southwark crown court, with both men accused of facilitating bribes to government and state…
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Sir James Cleverly to challenge Sadiq Khan for London mayor as NHS pharmacy scheme expands
Cleverly steps down as MP to fight Khan for London mayor, stars urge Cooper to reverse prostate screening curbs, Mac Allister sinks Atletico for Liverpool, and Apple unveils its first foldable iPhone.
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UK Industry Program Breakthrough Leaders Widens Focus To International Biz & Becomes Global Breakthrough 360
British diversity-focused TV leadership scheme Breakthrough Leaders is rebranding as Global Breakthrough 360 (GB360), broadening its remit beyond the UK to reflect the increasingly international nature of the television industry. The expansion, aimed at individuals from Black, Asian and Global Majority backgrounds, will build new routes into African and Canadian markets through partnerships with MIP…
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Woke author is disinvited from speaking at African-American Library after major backlash over her post about Gaza
Children’s author and illustrator Vashti Harrison has been disinvited from a keynote speaking engagement at the African American Research Library & Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after concerns emerged over a 2024 social media post in which she voiced support for a Gaza ceasefire. Broward County Public Schools, which sponsored the 17 September event,…