On a hilltop in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, thousands of members of the Nazareth Baptist Church gather for their annual pilgrimage. All photos: EPA
On a hilltop in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, thousands of members of the Nazareth Baptist Church gather for their annual pilgrimage. All photos: EPA
Known as the Nhlangakazi Holy Mountain, this sacred site is also the culmination of a 50km journey these predominantly Zulu pilgrims have made by foot, some coming from as far as the city of Durban, on South Africa’s east coast
Known as the Nhlangakazi Holy Mountain, this sacred site is also the culmination of a 50km journey these predominantly Zulu pilgrims have made by foot, some coming from as far as the city of Durban, on South Africa’s east coast
After walking barefoot up the hill for the final leg of their trip, the pilgrims gather on the holy hilltop, the sound of their soothing hymns carrying through the breeze as they sit in prayer
After walking barefoot up the hill for the final leg of their trip, the pilgrims gather on the holy hilltop, the sound of their soothing hymns carrying through the breeze as they sit in prayer
Clad in flowing white robes, approximately 20,000 members of the church walk through the lush green of the Valley of a Thousand Hills to reach Nhlangakazi, depositing stones wrapped in grass and flowers as offerings to their ancestors and to pray for spiritual cleansing for the year to come
Clad in flowing white robes, approximately 20,000 members of the church walk through the lush green of the Valley of a Thousand Hills to reach Nhlangakazi, depositing stones wrapped in grass and flowers as offerings to their ancestors and to pray for spiritual cleansing for the year to come
Entire families, including children, join the three-week journey through the rolling hills of the sparsely populated valley
Entire families, including children, join the three-week journey through the rolling hills of the sparsely populated valley
Exposed to the elements, the pilgrims have to be prepared for all kinds of weather as shelter can be hard to come by in this rural part of South Africa
Exposed to the elements, the pilgrims have to be prepared for all kinds of weather as shelter can be hard to come by in this rural part of South Africa
They come at the start of the year to spend a week at the foot of the sacred hill, creating a temporary village of tents on the mountain side during their stay
They come at the start of the year to spend a week at the foot of the sacred hill, creating a temporary village of tents on the mountain side during their stay
The pilgrims revere the church’s founder, evangelist Isaiah Shembe, as a prophet and African messiah, who said he was contacted by the Holy Spirit on the summit of Nhlangakazi over a century ago
The pilgrims revere the church’s founder, evangelist Isaiah Shembe, as a prophet and African messiah, who said he was contacted by the Holy Spirit on the summit of Nhlangakazi over a century ago
Shembe gained his reputation as a gifted preacher and his following grew during the early years of the Union of South Africa – the predecessor to the modern day republic – which imposed harsh segregation laws, including suppressing black people’s right to vote
Shembe gained his reputation as a gifted preacher and his following grew during the early years of the Union of South Africa – the predecessor to the modern day republic – which imposed harsh segregation laws, including suppressing black people’s right to vote
The church’s beliefs are a unique blend of Zulu customs and Christian tradition, with Shembe’s teachings combining with an emphasis on the biblical Ten Commandments and other aspects of the Old Testament, such as the Sabbath being observed on Saturdays and the prohibition of “unclean” foods such as pork and chicken, among others
The church’s beliefs are a unique blend of Zulu customs and Christian tradition, with Shembe’s teachings combining with an emphasis on the biblical Ten Commandments and other aspects of the Old Testament, such as the Sabbath being observed on Saturdays and the prohibition of “unclean” foods such as pork and chicken, among others
Beneath their shimmering white robes, the pilgrims sport icons of tribal Zulu culture, such as ankle chains and animal bracelets, while many also carry a traditional staff to help them on their long journey
Beneath their shimmering white robes, the pilgrims sport icons of tribal Zulu culture, such as ankle chains and animal bracelets, while many also carry a traditional staff to help them on their long journey

World

Zulus trek for miles on annual Shembe pilgrimage - in pictures

Believers walk miles to ascend sacred hilltop in South Africa for annual journey

The National

January 31, 2023

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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

THE APPRENTICE

Director: Ali Abbasi

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 3/5

Tomorrow 2021
UAE currency
French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

The biog

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: January 31, 2023, 10:32 AM`
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