I, John, priest by the almighty power of God and the might of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to his friend Emanuel, prince of Constantinople, greeting, wishing him health, prosperity, and the continuance of divine favor. read more

Bao Zheng ( 11 April 999 – 20 May 1062), commonly known as Bao Gong (“Lord Bao”), was a government officer during the reign of Emperor Renzong in ancient China’s Song Dynasty. During his twenty five years in civil service, Bao consistently demonstrated extreme honesty and uprightness, with actions such as sentencing his own uncle, impeaching an uncle of Emperor Renzong’s favourite concubine and punishing powerful families. His appointment from 1057 to 1058 as the prefect of Song’s capital Kaifeng, where he initiated a number of changes to better hear the grievances of the people, made him a legendary figure. read more

“The usefulness of the cup is its emptiness.”

“Choose the positive. You have choice. You are the master of your attitude, choose the positive, the constructive. Optimism is a faith that leads to success.” read more

Why We Stopped Buying Nigeria’s Oil, By White House

Written by Laolu Akande, New York

OFFICIALS of the United States government have for the first time in months presented an explanation on the sudden termination of oil imports from Nigeria since July, an action which spurred concerns whether there were any possible political connotation especially because of the current strain in Nigeria-US diplomatic relations. read more

Queen Charlotte of Great Britain and Ireland

Queen Charlotte’s possible ancestry remains a hotly debated topic in Art History. Charlotte was queen well after colonialism, chattel slavery, and racism were very much part of European society. Charlotte was considered “plain” because of her features. This is a marked difference from descriptions of Phillippa of Hainault, a previous black Queen, who was described by an envoy in 1321, “…all her limbs are well set and unmaimed, and nought is amiss so far as a man may see. Moreover, she is brown of skin all over, and much like her father, and in all things she is pleasant enough, as it seems to us.” read more