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☆ Uxbridge by-election: In Boris Johnson's back yard, Britons are desperate for a change
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

A mid-term by-election to replace Johnson is taking place on Thursday, alongside two other by-elections to replace MPs elsewhere in the country. Boris Johnson is seen on a walkabout in Uxbridge in 2020, during his time as prime minister. Inside, the owner told CNN: "They're all the same ... Johnson’s company ran the first major opinion poll ahead of the Uxbridge by-election, which found a solid but assailable eight-point lead for Labour. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (far right) and Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves (right) on a campaign visit with Danny Beales, the local Labour candidate (back center).

Persons: Mike Okoli, ”, Okoli, Boris Johnson –, Johnson, “, ” Okoli, Rob Picheta, CNN Johnson, Manoj Supeda, I’ve, hasn’t, ‘, ’ He’s, Supeda, Johnson’s, ” Supeda, “ It’s, ” Manoj Supeda, Tony Blair, Labour's, Brexit, CNN Okoli, he’s, “ I’ve, Sonia Caetano, Boris Johnson, Stefan Rousseau, there’s, ” Caetano, Danny Beales, We've, Caetano, Keir Starmer, Steve Reed, Piers Corbyn, Jeremy Corbyn, Steve Tuckwell, ” Tuckwell, Reed, ” Reed, They’re, Mick, Starmer, “ We’re, we’re, ” James Johnson, Theresa May’s, Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, ” Tracy Peabody Organizations: United Kingdom CNN, European Union, CNN, Labour Party –, Tories, Labour, Conservatives, Britain, Uxbridge, Beales, London’s Labour, Conservative, Hillingdon Hospital, CNN ‘ Labour, “, Press Association Locations: Uxbridge, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Caribbean, London, South Ruislip, Britain, “, Okoli, Portuguese, Yiewsley, Portugal, Covid, Ukraine, Hillingdon, Ruislip Manor

☆ ‘Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire’ brings Afro-futurism to Disney+
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Flo Cornall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It’s not only the episodes making leaps and bounds into the future – there’s also a new generation of African filmmakers who are taking to the small screen. Fourteen up-and-coming directors are at the helm of the anthology, hailing from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt. “There was a real coalescing of talent, and it felt like the time was right for this particular set of voices to be unleashed on the world.”A year later he was contacted by Triggerfish, the driving force behind “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” about its anthology idea which had Disney+ support. At some point you forget that we are all one tribe.”Mogajane views all the shorts in “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire” as fundamentally human stories that spark an important conversation. “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire” will premiere on Disney+ on July 5, 2023.

Persons: It’s, there’s, Peter Ramsey, ”, Nyeke, Anthony Silverston, “, ” Ramsey, Ramsey, Triggerfish, “ Kizazi, Lesego Vorster, Sundiata, Lesego, Nonzi Bogatsu, Terence Maluleke, Isaac Mogajane, ” Mogajane, Moto ’ Organizations: CNN, Cape Town Animation, Disney, South, “ Locations: Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Cape Town, Africa, America, Europe, South, Soweto, Johannesburg, Mati

☆ Why this in-flight magazine is the fashion industry’s new must-read
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Nick Remsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Model Ismael Savane pictured in an Air Afrique T-shirt during Paris Fashion Week Mens Spring-Summer 2023 on June 23, 2022 in Paris. “We want to revive the African transcendence that Air Afrique represented,” Lamine Diaoune, the founder and creative director of the Air Afrique collective, said in a statement. It really was about more than just flights.”An Air Afrique stewardess, pictured during training in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 1971. The cover of Air Afrique magazine's first issue, featuring the French rapper Tiakola (far right). (All members of the Air Afrique collective have backgrounds in creative fields; each also has projects outside of the group, too.)

Persons: Michel Renaudeau, Côte, Senegal —, Ismael Savane, Melodie Jeng, ” Lamine Diaoune, ”, Djibi Kébé, ” Kébé, “, Côte d’Ivoire, they’ve, Bottega, Tiakola, Lamine Diaoune, Djiby Kébé, Jeremy Konko, Amandine Nana, Zhedy Nuentsa, Bamba Thiam, Axel Pelletanche, ” Nana, Paul Kodjo, Marie, Hélène Tusiama, Tusiama, ’ ” Pope Jean, Paul II, Jean, Claude Delafosse, Pope Jean, Abdel El Tayeb, El Tayeb, Matthieu Blazy, El Tayeb’s Organizations: France CNN, Afrique, Air, Central African, Paris, Centre Pompidou, Air Afrique, “, Air Afrique Air Afrique’s, Franco, El Locations: Paris, France, New York City, Mauritania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Niger, Republic of, Congo, Senegal, West Africa, New York, Abu Dhabi, Europe, Abidjan, Côte, Dakar, West, Africa, Ivory Coast, ”, ‘, Sudanese, El

☆ In Charleston, a Museum Honors a Journey of Grief and Grace
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Holland Cotter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Charleston Harbor, where the initiating shots of the Civil War were fired — Fort Sumter is distantly visible — I’m on the site of a former shipping pier known as Gadsden’s Wharf. On this spot now, looking a bit like a ship itself, stands the eagerly awaited and long-delayed new International African American Museum. After an almost quarter-century journey hampered by political squalls, economic doldrums, sometimes mutinous crews, and last-minute fogs, this cultural vessel has securely, and handsomely, come to berth here, opening to the public on Tuesday. The new museum is very much what this place is about: the original forced infusion of Black cultural energy into America, and the consequences of that for the present. It’s the first major new museum of African American history in the country to bring the whole Afro-Atlantic world, including Africa itself, fully into the picture.

Organizations: International African American Museum Locations: Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter, America, Africa

☆ Windrush Day: Manchester United great Andy Cole opens up about Jamaican roots and racism
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Darren Lewis | James Oware | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On one of the first voyages, 492 Caribbean islanders onboard the HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK on June 22, 1948. That generation of immigrants became the namesake of that ship, and their arrival date is now celebrated as Windrush Day. However, Cole says racist abuse and a lack of acknowledgement for his achievements meant that in adulthood, he recognized his father was right. Speaking on the inevitability of racist abuse that Black footballers face when missing penalties Andy outlined, “I think we’re just waiting, okay, what’s happening on social media? A clinical striker in his playing career, maybe one day Andy can transfer his wealth of knowledge to the boardroom.

Persons: Andy Cole, “, Darren Lewis, Cole reminisced, ” Andy, Windrush, Cole’s, Cole, Douglas Miller, ” Cole, Norma Gregory, Lincoln, ”, Caribbeans, Mark Leech, Andy, Devante, George Wood, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Vinícius, Romelu, Tom Jenkins, Vinicius Organizations: CNN, League, Champions League, CNN’s, Commonwealth, Caribbean, Hulton, Coal Miners, Heritage, English League, Barnsley, English, England, Inter Milan, FIFA, UEFA, Italy, Real Locations: Britain, Nottingham, Jamaica, Commonwealth, Runnymede, British, England, Real Madrid, Italian, Brazil, European

☆ Early-stage investor Black Seed wants to help create the Black Silicon Valley. It just raised $6.25 million to do just that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

London-based Black Seed has raised $6.25 million to back early-stage Black founders. The fund wants to create a "Black Silicon Valley" in London by investing in seed-stage startups. Black Seed, a VC fund dedicated to backing Black founders in the UK, has raised $6.25 million to invest in early-stage tech. Based out of Brixton, south London, Black Seed is the brainchild of Cyril Lutterodt and Karl Lokko. Black Seed has indicated that intends to raise the full amount.

Persons: Cyril Lutterodt, Karl Lokko, Lutterodt, We've, Lokko, hasn't, Black, haven't Organizations: Molten Ventures, Ventures, University of Texas, WestRiver Locations: London, Brixton, Manchester, Europe, Atomico, Black, Soho, Mayfair

☆ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' fans see Gwen Stacy as trans. Why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And there’s one thing some fans are particularly excited about: Gwen Stacy – a Spider superhero in an alternative universe – might be transgender. “Trans (and even cis) fans have every right to say Gwen Stacy is trans, even if the movies never outright confirm it. But whether Gwen Stacy is actually trans isn’t the most important part, Tunnell said. The first movie, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” was praised at the time of its release for highlighting minority cultures. A third “Spider-Verse” film, “Beyond the Spider-Verse,” is set to be released next year.

Persons: CNN —, Gwen Stacy –, Gwen, Gwen Stacy, Hailee Steinfeld, it’s, “, Zoe Tunnell, Tunnell, ”, they’re, Tunnell’s, ” Tunnell, Miles Morales, Peter Ramsey, ” Ramsey Organizations: CNN, Sony Pictures

☆ Dieuveil Malonga visited 48 African countries to create a new 'Afro-fusion' cuisine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Malonga visited 48 of the 54 African countries in a bid to better understand the diverse traditions, dishes and ingredients. Combining his Euro-centric training with his experiences of African cuisine, Malonga developed his signature style. Nigerian restaurant Ikoyi became the first Michelin-star West African restaurant in the UK in 2018, and the meteoric success of Chika’s, a multi-million-pound UK snack brand that highlights Nigerian flavors, shows a growing appetite for West African food. While the trend caused controversy and a backlash from some in Africa, it also sparked interest in West African cuisine among US internet users that has continued since. Next will be African cuisine – that’s why we are preparing the market,” he adds.

Persons: Meza Malonga, Dieuveil Malonga, ”, Malonga, –, Dieuveil, Chris Schwagga, Europe’s, “, matriarchs, Meza Organizations: CNN, Michelin, Chefs, Malonga's, Ikoyi Locations: Uganda, Cameroon, Africa, “ Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, Germany, Kigali, Rwanda, France, Europe, Malonga's Congolese, Congolese, Münster, Ivory Coast, Ghana, West, West African, Musanze, Lake Ruhondo

Here are the meanings of the least-found words that were used in (mostly) recent Times articles. Because the pull of gravity varies everywhere, this model, called the geoid, resembles a lumpy potato. — A Side-Effect of China’s Strict Virus Policy: Abandoned Fruit (Feb. 5, 2022)5. boogaloo — a genre of Latin music and dance popular in the 1960s:Afro-Cuban jazz was pioneered in the 1940s by Mario Bauza in Harlem. — A Vegetable Soup That Delicately Balances Sweet and Sour (Feb. 17, 2023)8. vivace — musical direction to play in a brisk manner:In her Op. — 36 Hours in Oslo (Jan. 26, 2023)And the list of the week’s easiest words:

Persons: geoid, finitude, infinitude, Richard Powers’s, Hope, longan, Worakanya, boogaloo, Mario Bauza, —, deadeye, Diego State’s, Scholl, galangal, vivace, Mitsuko Uchida, tacet, Marina Abramovic, Igor Levit’s, ‘ Goldberg Organizations: New, Diego, Huskies, Aztecs, pla Locations: U.S, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cuban, Harlem, South Bronx, New York, saunas, Oslo

For another, her anxiety and physical discomfort were approaching what felt like an unbearable peak. A week or so later, she delivered a tiny, squirming boy with jet black hair and soft, curious eyes. Marleny thought he was perfect, but her mother, a retired midwife, insisted that the placenta contained a hint of trouble. Go to the registrar’s office, the nurses told Marleny and Andrés. But the registrar’s office only sent Andrés back to the hospital, where a different nurse told them to try the notary’s office instead.

☆ Through Catastrophe, and in Community, the Art of Daniel Lind-Ramos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Holland Cotter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I often remember big museum roundups of new art for a single standout entry. In the case of the 2019 Whitney Biennial, the memory of a regally enigmatic sculpture titled “María-María” by the Puerto Rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos won’t let go. The head was a lacquered coconut; her oceanic cloak was a plastic FEMA tarp. Whatever the work’s meanings, the Whitney curators accurately gauged its potency. They set it apart from everything else, as if on an altar, in a niche-like west-facing window, with open sky and the Hudson River as backdrop.

☆ Prescient bets by the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Serena Williams have triggered an explosion in tech investing among Europe's sports stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

European sports stars are following US counterparts, such as Shaquille O'Neal, in betting on tech. O'Neal, who also made early bets on Google and Lyft, has shown how sports stars can become successful venture capitalists once their playing careers end. He's not alone in the US, with the football star Tom Brady and the basketball stars LeBron James and Steph Curry all actively investing in tech. The tennis legend Serena Williams went a step further and set up her own fund, Serena Ventures. Shaquille O'Neal has proven to be a shrewd tech investor with early bets on Ring, Google, and Lyft.

☆ A Harlem Institution Reimagines How Americans Interact With the African Continent
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Dionne Searcey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Situated on an East Harlem street corner overlooking Central Park, the Center has welcomed billionaires Bill Gates and Mo Ibrahim talking about the future of African business as well as the actress Lupita Nyong’o reading from her children’s book on colorism. Hank Willis Thomas’s Afro Pick installation was situated on its plaza. The Center has hosted African presidents and prizewinning authors — and a sweaty crowd breaking into a dance party. “There are places where your behavior has to be precious,” said Iweala, speaking about his vision. But that would require significant new fund-raising and a bump in staffing, which now stands at 11 full-time positions and four part-time.

☆ 'Lilo & Stitch' live-action remake raises concerns about colorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Disney’s animated hit “Lilo & Stitch” is getting the live-action treatment, but a reported casting decision has set off a new conversation about colorism in Hollywood. Why some feel Nani’s skin color is relevantThe new “Lilo & Stitch” is based on an animated film and Nani is a fictional, animated character. But unlike “The Little Mermaid,” which is rooted in mythology despite receiving racist backlash over Halle Bailey’s casting in the live-action remake, “Lilo & Stitch” draws from a very real culture and people. The live-action “Lilo & Stitch” is only the latest in a long line of projects that have faced accusations of colorism. Though Connor is disappointed, she hopes the “Lilo & Stitch” remake will otherwise stay true to the original, which she loved so much growing up.

[1/4] Sudanese cartoonist Khalid Albaih works at his home as a TV news broadcast shows images from Sudan, in Oslo, Norway April 20, 2023. "Art is needed in times like this because it is important to show people art is about hope, art is about showing there is a different way to talk about things," Albaih told Reuters. "Art is continuous resistance. Art is our way to continue fighting." Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Female-owned farms and companies are growing Ghana's taste for coffee
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As the women worked, Tamakloe walked among them with a device to test the coffee beans' moisture content. Today, Bean Masters coffee is mostly sold in bulk to high-end restaurants and hotels. But Tamakloe aims to expand her production of retail-sized bags this year to make Bean Masters available to all kinds of consumers. At Kozo, an Afro-Asian fusion restaurant in Accra, Tamakloe and the staff sipped espressos made with Bean Masters coffee. The owner visited Pagniw's farm with Tamakloe in 2021, and has exclusively stocked Bean Masters ever since.

☆ How Clarence Thomas went from a left-wing Black radical to one of the Supreme Court's most conservative judges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( James Pasley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Thomas spent a year training to become a priest, but after the prejudice he encountered, he changed his mind. Clarence Thomas is seen looking at a textbook with another student in a high school yearbook photo, circa 1959. He protested against the Vietnam War and segregation. In a speech he made in 1993, he said he was told he wasn't "really Black" if he didn't have an Afro. Sources: Esquire, New Yorker , New Yorker, ABC

Click to unmute A global city needs a global soundtrack, and in New York, you can find nearly anything you want. Over the past several months, we followed several New York musical scenes that reflect the city’s creative soul, thriving in community centers, local bars and public parks. The sight of a new generation encouraged Mr. Joseph, who sees the band as preserving traditional culture in the modern city. It becomes part of you.” New York itself is as much a player as any musician, transforming traditional tunes into something new. The people who embraced Mateo and his mother when they moved from Boston to New York in 2016 now consoled her.

☆ The Biden administration could exclude North Africans and Middle Easterners as 'white' in the 2030 Census. New categories will prevent undercounting of MENA people, advocates say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It includes categories for Middle Eastern and North African people previously considered white. The proposed changes come after years of reviews on the way the US Census Bureau collects its data. Last year, President Joe Biden continued the review effort after former President Donald Trump's administration stalled on decisions regarding the implementation of proposed changes for the 2020 census, NPR reported. The new MENA category would also help with allocating resources to these groups, the document notes. A MENA category was supposed to be added to the 2020 census, but the bureau announced in 2018 that would no longer be the case until further research on the categories was done.

☆ ‘Phoenix’ by Lakecia Benjamin Review: A Maturing Saxophone Tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Martin Johnson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Alto saxophonistLakecia Benjamin often plays with a big, broad tone, and that’s for a good reason. The New York native grew up in the predominantly Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights, and her first gigs were playing merengue and other Latin dance styles. Then some of her post-collegiate bookings were in large venues performing alongside stars like Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys , Prince and Stevie Wonder . Ms. Benjamin’s two most recent recordings, “Pursuance: the Coltranes” (Ropeadope, 2020) and “Phoenix” (Whirlwind, out now), showcase a new diversity in her sound. The new recording’s title refers to the world emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing with the post- George Floyd racial reckoning.

☆ Colombia must strengthen rule of law, state presence in areas hit by violence -UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk speaks before he signs the subscription to the headquarters agreement in Bogota, Colombia January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa GonzalezBOGOTA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Colombia must strengthen the rule of law and the state's presence to tackle violence in areas affected by the country's internal armed conflict, Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Wednesday. Colombia's human rights ombudsman on Monday reported that a record 215 human rights activists and social leaders - a term referring to community, land, and environmental leaders, among others - were killed in 2022. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified 112 killings of human rights defenders from last year, Turk said. "It's clear that in such a difficult situation as we currently have in Peru, we call on de-escalation, we call on respect for human rights," he said.

Nash - one of the United States´ best-known contemporary jazz performers, will lead a project called Jazz X. He and several Cuban musicians will compose new works inspired by visual art in Cuba´s National Museum of Fine Arts, then present them together to the public in several sessions. Well-known Cuban musicians Alejandro Falcón, Arnulfo Guerra y Ruy López Nussa will perform alongside Nash. The project, Nash said, brings together musicians from the two countries, and art of different forms, in a fusion of creativity across cultures and mediums. The U.S. economic embargo on Cuba has for decades restricted most travel and official collaboration between the two countries.

☆ Two bodies found in undercarriage of Avianca airplane in Bogota
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The bodies of two young men, who were possibly from the Dominican Republic, were found in the undercarriage of an Avianca (AVT_p.CN) airplane during maintenance in Colombian capital Bogota, the airline and the attorney general's office of Colombia said on Saturday. "At its arrival to the El Dorado airport in Bogota, personnel from the airline discovered the bodies of two people who flew irregularly (stowaways) in the undercarriage of the airplane," Avianca said in a statement, adding the discovery was made on Friday evening. "The technical investigation body of the attorney general's office is carrying out urgent actions to identify the nationality and origin of the bodies aged between 15 and 20, Afro-descendent, which were found inside the airplane," the attorney general's office said in a statement. The plane was last given regular maintenance on Dec. 27, the attorney general's office added, and has since traveled to Bogota, Guarulhos, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Santiago. Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz and Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ George Santos arrived in D.C. this week. No one is more riled than N.Y.'s other gay congressman.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Matt-Lavietes-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Matt Lavietes | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

“The House Republican chaos has a silver lining,” Torres tweeted Wednesday, referring to Republicans’ difficulty in electing a House speaker. Does Stefanik have George Santos in mind?” Torres tweeted Tuesday. In another tweet last week, Torres posted a screenshot of an invitation Santos sent to supporters, inviting them to celebrate his swearing into Congress. “He’s a pathological liar who cannot be trusted to serve the very public he defrauded,” Torres told MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Monday. “No one has handed me anything on a silver platter,” he previously told NBC News.

☆ Priests from Cuba’s Santeria religion see hard year ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Marc Frank | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Priests from Cuba’s Afro-Cuban Santeria religion on Monday warned of a difficult year ahead and called on followers to guard against calamities and mounting social ills after a tough year in 2022 in which a record number of Cubans left the Communist-run island. "Do not delay pending religious works and consecrations,” the priests, known as babalawos and grouped together in the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba, advised in their Letter of the Year published Sunday. “Natural disasters are forecast due to hurricanes, sea turmoil and river flooding with economic and human losses,” their Letter said. A record number of Cubans left, with some 250,000 entering the United States according to U.S. government statistics, the majority crossing over the Mexican border. "I am very hopeful that Cuba and the United States will reach an agreement."

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