International
Njideka Akunyili Crosby Unveils Obama Portrait
Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby has captured global attention with her vibrant new portrait of former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, unveiled as the first official joint painting of the couple for the Obama Presidential Center.
The artwork, titled The Obamas: Springing Forth, was revealed in a heartfelt video shared by the Obamas on social media. In the post, Michelle Obama expressed deep honor at commissioning the piece, praising Akunyili Crosby’s “artistic brilliance” and the way she infused “life and joy” into the composition.
“It was great joining @NjidekaAkunyiliCrosby — a gifted Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist — to unveil our first portrait together,” Barack Obama wrote. “This piece reflects so many chapters of Michelle and my story, and we’re thrilled that it will be on display in the Hope and Change lobby at the Obama Presidential Center starting this Juneteenth.”
Akunyili Crosby, daughter of the late Dora Akunyili — Nigeria’s renowned former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) — is known for her distinctive collage-style works that blend painting, photo transfers, and personal narratives. The portrait incorporates symbolic elements from the Obamas’ lives, including references to Michelle’s childhood home, a Harvard Law Review volume, and cultural touches like Stevie Wonder’s album.
The painting will greet visitors when the Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on Juneteenth (June 19, 2026) in Chicago’s South Side. Reactions have been largely positive, with many celebrating the representation of Black excellence and the artist’s Nigerian-American heritage, though some online commentators noted the work’s richly detailed, layered style.
This commission marks a significant milestone for Akunyili Crosby, a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, further elevating African diaspora voices in major American cultural institutions.
International
Russia Issues International Wanted on Telegram Founder Durov
Russian-born Durov — a serial tech founder who has lived outside Russia for years and holds French and United Arab Emirates passports — has frequently clashed with the Russian authorities as Moscow has tightened its grip on the internet.
•Telegram founder Pavel Durov
Russia announced on Wednesday that it was seeking the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov over accusations of “complicity in terrorism”, alleging he had let the platform be used for recruitment by Ukraine’s security services.
Russian-born Durov — a serial tech founder who has lived outside Russia for years and holds French and United Arab Emirates passports — has frequently clashed with the Russian authorities as Moscow has tightened its grip on the internet.
His Telegram messenger is one of the country’s main communications platforms and officials have repeatedly tried to block access or thwart its success in a bid to pressure Durov to hand over user data or push Russians to use an unencrypted state-backed alternative.
The FSB security service said it had launched international search proceedings for Durov, who is also Telegram’s CEO.
“An international wanted notice has been issued… for the head of the Telegram administration, P. Durov,” it said in a statement.
International
Just In: People trapped in Japanese mall hit by earthquake, with others missing after factory chimney collapse
Reports in Japan say 20 to 30 shopping centre staff may be missing – but the figure has not been confirmed.
Image credit : BBC
Many people are trapped inside a Japanese shopping centre after an earthquake, the fire service says.
One witness reported the second floor of the mall in Kumamoto collapsing – BBC Verify has looked at some of the images from the site.
Reports in Japan say 20 to 30 shopping centre staff may be missing – but the figure has not been confirmed
Elsewhere in the Kumamoto prefecture, people are reported missing at a paper factory after a chimney collapsed
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit inland on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT), causing power cuts, damaged roads, a collapsed castle wall, and a destroyed footbridge.
International
India’s Gen Z protesters force out education minister
The latest education protests erupted in May after NEET, India’s biggest medical entrance exam, was cancelled following a question paper leak, forcing nearly two million students to retake the test. More than 20 students died by suicide, with their families blaming the scandal.
Indian’s Gen Z protesters have forced out the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday, after more than a week of intense street protests.
In the words of 22-year-old Sakhi, a student activist in Delhi, “for the first time, it felt like we can make things happen through protests”.Soon after Pradhan quit, social media seized on an old video of a senior Modi minister boasting that “resignations do not happen in our government”, reflecting the confidence of the nationwide youth movement that had demanded his exit.
The latest education protests erupted in May after NEET, India’s biggest medical entrance exam, was cancelled following a question paper leak, forcing nearly two million students to retake the test. More than 20 students died by suicide, with their families blaming the scandal.
The outrage was channelled by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online campaign launched after India’s chief justice likened unemployed people with “fake and bogus degrees” to cockroaches.
Its founders staged a sit-in in Delhi, demanding Pradhan’s resignation, education reforms and compensation for the bereaved families.
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