This week, read up on interesting news and feature stories that include Nigerian artists who are addressing pressing concerns, the first woman to translate Homer’s Odyssey in English, the lingering fear of WWII bombs in Germany, a new species of Orangutans and much more.
Boko Haram, Mental Health And Art – Lagos’ Art X Fair Touches On Pressing Issues:
Following renowned musician and human rights activist, Fela Kuti’s footsteps, young Nigerian artists have come together for one of West Africa’s biggest contemporary art fairs to depict important issues through art. Rahima Gambo, a journalist, has taken to photography to focus on Boko Haram’s attacks on schools and the crumbling Nigerian education system. Suicides are still reffered to as ‘despicable acts’ and ‘ugly incidents’ in local newspapers. Olatunde Alara has projected his personal struggle with mental health problems through a painted installation called ‘Smile’.
You can read this story here.
Emily Wilson – The First Woman Classicist To Translate Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ Into English
This 12,110-line epic poem has seen over 60 English translations. Most of these translations have occurred in the last 100 years with a dozen of them appearing the last two decades. But, it is the first time that Homer’s Odyssey is being rendered by a woman. Emily Wilson, a professor at University of Pennsylvania, comes from a family of academicians in English literature. Wilson first came to know about the epic when she performed the role of Athena in a school play. It is after that, that she took to reading the Greek stories herself.
You can read this story here.
Fears And Bombs – Man Mistook Zucchini As Wwii Bomb In Berlin
An 81-year-old man summoned the police after he thought he found a World War II bomb in his garden. The police realised it was a large zucchini. In a statement, they said, “the object, which really did look very like a bomb”, measured 16 inches long and weighed five kilograms. According to reports, there are still discoveries of thousands of unexploded bombs dating back to WWII in Germany. Nearly 2.7 million tonnes of bombs were dropped during the war. Careful excavations take place by bomb experts while thousands are evacuated for the vicinity simultaneously.
You can read this story here.
Tapanuli Orangutan – Scientists Identify New Species In Sumatra
A small species of orangutans inhabiting Batang Toru forests in Indonesia have gained recognition as the third species. Scientifically named as Pongo tapanuliensis, these orangutans differ in their skeletal, tooth and genetic approach. However, they too are an endangered species with only 800 individuals left. They don’t just face threats by human hunters but also through agricultural practices, mining explorations and other development projects.
You can read this story here.
Prime Minister, Who? – Singaporeans Are Anxious To Know Who Their Next Leader Will Be
The current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, 65, announced earlier that he would retire in 2022. He has been in power since 2004. Transfer of power has never led to much speculation in the Lion city earlier. However, this time the current leader is yet to make sure that somebody is ready to take over form him. Potential successors have made their way to the cabinet. But the key to knowing who the next leader is lies in the elevation from the post of a minister to the post of deputy prime minister.
You can read this story here.
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- Commemorating 200 Years Of The Epic Battle Of Bhima-Koregaon - December 28, 2017
