https://arab.news/g3qz6
DUBAI: Part-Arab model Shanina Shaik is celebrating the festive season in Australia and took to social media to share a snap of her holiday activities — kangaroos and all.
The 31-year-old model, who is of Saudi, Pakistani, Lithuanian and Australian descent, shared a carousel of images depicting various moments of her stay in Australia, where she was partly raised, and captioned it “I’ve been enjoying my holiday break down under.”
A post shared by SHANINA SHAIK (@shaninamshaik)
Shaik shared a short video of herself feeding a pair of kangaroos, before she shared sweet shots of her new baby, Zai.
She welcomed her first child in September with her partner Matthew Adesuyan, the head of a record label in Los Angeles.
“Welcome to the world baby Zai Adesuyan Matthew. @bausmatthew and I are so in love!” she shared on Instagram in September.
“I have taken this time to adjust to my baby’s schedule and to understand the role of being a mother. Bringing life into this world is a beautiful challenge. I would be happy to share my experience soon,” she wrote to her 3.1 million followers on Instagram at the time.
A post shared by SHANINA SHAIK (@shaninamshaik)
Zai was born on Sept. 16 in Los Angeles, according to Shaik’s mother, Kim Shaik.
The grandmother wrote on Facebook: “My gorgeous grandson was born last night at 12:50 on the 16th September 2022.”
The catwalk star announced her pregnancy in May.
The former Victoria’s Secret model posted three images of her growing belly with an extended caption in the form of a letter.
“To the new love of my life, thank you for choosing me to be your mum. I have always wanted you for as long as I can remember, and at times my patience was tested. The timing had to be right, and I can say with confidence that I am ready to be your guide, your protector and your best friend,” she said.
“As each month goes by during this precious journey of pregnancy, I am learning what the role of being a mother entails. I worry a lot, especially about your wellbeing and development. It’s a feeling that I’ve never experienced before, not even about myself. I would do anything for you, be anything for you and sacrifice anything for you,” she continued.
She then praised her own mother, mentioning that she was raised by an “amazing woman” who taught her a lot about motherhood. “She has set the bar high and I don’t want to disappoint you. I want to raise you as she raised me.”
LONDON: Britain’s only Muslim pantomime is being added to the country’s largest pantomime archive, which spans four centuries of British pantomime history, organizers have said.
The University of Kent’s David Drummond Pantomime Collection is adding “Cinder’Aliyah: The Great Muslim Pantomime,” which is a reworking of the classic fairy-tale “Cinderella,” UK-based humanitarian charity Penny Appeal said.
“The inclusion of ‘Cinder’Aliyah’ into the David Drummond Pantomime Collection is a historic moment, as it is the first Muslim-themed pantomime to be included in the archive,” Penny Appeal said. “It further highlights the increasing diversity of British pantomime and its ability to both entertain and educate.”
The collection will make ‘Cinder’Aliyah’ available for viewing by students, academics and theater practitioners. It is hoped that it will inspire future generations of performers, writers and audiences alike.
The royal ball is still in full swing here at Penny Appeal, and we’re celebrating with more Cinder-Aliyah dates in the New Year!
Tickets are now 70% sold out! Book yours now before the Ugly Stepsisters get hold of them!https://t.co/zhsIuCA2S6 pic.twitter.com/D4u9DBqtA7
The award-winning Muslim pantomime, which is touring across the UK for the second year in a row from Dec. 9 to Jan. 29, was first performed in 2021 and has since been seen by thousands of people across the country.
It tells the tale of a young Pakistani girl trapped and exploited by her wicked stepmother and jealous stepsisters. The show’s proceeds will be raising funds for survivors of the devastating floods that recently hit Pakistan.
Following the tour, items from the show, including costumes and show posters, will be donated to the University of Kent’s Special Collections and Archives — a unique and distinctive collection of items that are preserved and made accessible for the benefit of teaching, scholarship and society.
Beth Astridge, the university archivist, said: “We are delighted to receive this donation from this fantastic pantomime to Kent’s Special Collections and Archives, to preserve it for the future and make it available for research and public enjoyment.”
She added: “Pantomime has been a long-standing research and teaching strength here, and we are lucky to have such incredible collections at our fingertips.”
Cinder’Aliyah has got off to a roaring start with five sold-out London shows! It’s been epic!
Next stop is Leicester on Friday! If you haven’t already, make sure you secure your spot TODAY!https://t.co/rn3f2fIrxp pic.twitter.com/Cb74la1HXR
Astridge also said that “this newest addition will enable us to continue our important work to accurately represent the voices and perspectives of our communities and audiences within our archive collections, allowing us to celebrate cultural diversity and support new research in the history and current performance of pantomime.
“As the recent AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) project ‘Beyond the Binary’ has shown, by working hands-on in the archives, together with diverse communities and practitioners, we continue to open up new understandings of this traditional and ever-changing performance genre.”
Writer and director Abdullah Afzal — best known for starring in BBC’s “Citizen Khan” — said he was grateful and delighted to be a part of the first Muslim-themed pantomime within this historic collection.
“Modern Britain is a beacon of inclusivity and diversity, so it only feels right that we should reflect this within our theater history,” said Afzal. “‘Cinder’Aliyah’ is an incredibly light-hearted yet educational take on the classic fairy tale, and it’s great that this will be recorded for generations to come. It’s a testament to the hard work of our cast and crew that this production is now part of British theater history!”
As per the 2021 census, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Britain and Muslims now stand at around 3.9 million or 6.5 percent of the population.
DUBAI: Lebanese American actress Razane Jammal, who made waves for her role in the Netflix series “The Sandman” this year, dropped the official poster for her upcoming Arabic show “Al Thaman” on Instagram over the weekend.
“So excited to finally share the official poster for ‘Al Thaman’. Coming to you soon,” she wrote, along with the poster.
An adaptation of the Turkish show “Bin Bir Gece,” the series also stars Syrian actor Bassel Khaiat.
A post shared by Razane Jammal رزان جمّال (@razanejammal)
Aside from starring in “The Sandman,” Jammal has had a whirlwind year in 2022.
Earlier in October, the actress was unveiled as the Middle East’s brand ambassador for French luxury label Dior.
A post shared by Razane Jammal رزان جمّال (@razanejammal)
“I’m so unbelievably excited to finally announce that I will be joining Dior as a brand ambassador in the Middle East!” Jammal posted on Instagram at the time.
“Ever since I joined the fashion community, I wanted to collaborate with people I can truly grow with, to join a family that I value as much as it values me. It’s been a long journey but I can confidently say I’ve found my home! The ME Dior team you have been so incredible,” she added.
A post shared by Razane Jammal رزان جمّال (@razanejammal)
In Netflix’s “The Sandman,” which follows Morpheus, the King of Dreams, Jammal plays Lyta Hall, a woman who dreams of her dead husband each night, slowly realizing that he is not a figment of her imagination but is hiding out in the dream world to be with his wife.
It’s a part that Jammal managed to play truthfully with subtlety — a subtlety that she credited her mother with teaching her to harness.
“I’ve always been extra, and my mom was far more subtle than I am. I had to fine-tune myself to vibrate on her frequency, a frequency that was very sweet and very raw and vulnerable and nurturing. I took that from her. She helped me hone my empathy and acting is where an empath belongs — if they know how to protect themselves from that precious place that my mother taught me to reach,” said Jammal in an interview with Arab News.
A post shared by Razane Jammal رزان جمّال (@razanejammal)
Jammal was raised in Beirut, Lebanon.
“I grew up having a simple, community-based life in a place where you have 500 mothers and everyone feeds you and you feel safe — even if it’s not safe at all. At the same time, we went through so many traumas, from civil wars to assassinations to losing all our money in another financial crisis,” said Jammal.
DUBAI: It is safe to say online travel guide Taste Atlas’s 2022 list of the world’s top 50 cuisines did not go down a treat on social media, with angry — or perhaps “hangry” (an amalgamation of hungry and angry) — users flooding the internet with their take on the countdown.
Italian cuisine nabbed the number one spot on the annual list that was based on audience votes for ingredients, dishes and drinks.
Which one is your favorite?
Full top 95 list: https://t.co/194Xj0ZMZ4 pic.twitter.com/v4uYHnGzGD
Rounding out the top three were Greece and Spain, who were joined by the likes of Japan, India, Mexico and Turkiye in the best ten. A surprise addition to the top 10 was the US, which left many on social media scratching their heads.
“This is a list you’d come up with if you’d never eaten food,” one bemused user tweeted, while others took to TikTok, Twitter and Instagram to offer up their suggestions — including Saudi, Jamaican and Afghan cuisines, which did not make the list.
Six cuisines from the region did make the list, however. Turkish food came in at number seven, while Iran took the 24th spot. Syria, 37, Lebanon, 40, Palestine, 42 and Tunisia, 48, also made the list.
Taste Atlas responded to the online scepticism with a tweet stating “Every year when we publish the list, there are a lot of angry people, even calls from embassies. We learned to live with it.”
Every year when we publish the list, there are a lot of angry people, even calls from embassies. We learned to live with it.
Let’s clarify our methodology. We are a site dedicated to local dishes and have a database of 15,000+ dishes and ingredients.
DUBAI: US actress Lindsay Lohan shared a rare photograph with her Kuwaiti husband Bader Shammas on Christmas Eve.
Lohan shared a pair of selfies on Instagram, one of which features the couple posing in front of a white Christmas tree. Shammas is not a regular fixture on Lohan’s Instagram feed, which is littered with posts praising her closest friends, as well as promotional posts for her latest film.
A post shared by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan)
The actress, who recently starred in her comeback movie for Netflix called “Falling for Christmas,” lives with Shammas in Dubai.
In July, the “Mean Girls” star shared a picture of her and Shammas, a financier, with her 10.9 million followers and wrote: “I am the luckiest woman in the world. You found me and knew that I wanted to find happiness and grace, all at the same time. I am stunned that you are my husband. My life and my everything. Every woman should feel like this every day,” the singer and songwriter wrote.
Shammas, whose Instagram is on private mode, is a financier who previously worked as an associate at BNP Paribas Wealth Management up until 2017, according to Elle magazine. Educated in the US, he reportedly holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from John H. Sykes College of Business, which is connected with the University of Tampa.
LONDON: Supporters in the UK capital showed their solidarity with Palestine by attending a two-day interactive event in east London’s artsy Shoreditch area, organizers said.
Palestine Pop-Up exhibited 21 illustrations from the new Injustice Illustrated collection, each highlighting a certain aspect of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, the UK-based non-governmental organization Friends of Al-Aqsa said.
Visitors got to enjoy interactive installations, including a 2.5-meter pencil, to “show the injustice taking place under Israeli apartheid and to raise awareness of key BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) campaigns, including #BoycottPUMA and #BoycottCocaCola,” said FOA, which promotes equality and justice in Palestine against Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime.
OPEN TILL 6PM
We have had an incredible amount of support this weekend. It’s been brilliant to see so many people wanting to show solidarity with Palestine
Come on down for our final day. With limited stock going at bargain prices!!
133 Bethnal Green Road, E2 7DG pic.twitter.com/0mVB5u5AL1
The event, which was held on Dec. 17 and 18 and was aimed at people of all ages interested in learning about Palestine, also featured competitions and distributed prizes throughout the weekend.
A Palestinian arts and crafts session was held for children, where they were able to learn about Palestine through designing, making and decorating badges, tote bags, bracelets and cupcakes.
On Saturday night, the venue transformed “into a hub for like-minded people to connect, exchange ideas and get inspired to build a stronger movement for Palestine in 2023,” FOA said.
“Last year, Israel brutally attacked Gaza, murdering 67 Palestinian children in May. Israeli forces also attacked peaceful worshippers at Al-Aqsa during Ramadan. This year, 2022, has been the deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2007, and this Ramadan over 250 worshippers were once again attacked by Israeli forces,” said Shamiul Joarder, head of public affairs at FOA.
“Even when Palestine isn’t making headlines, Israeli apartheid continues. Just this week, 16-year-old Jana Zakarneh was the latest victim of Israeli violence. Palestine Pop-Up will galvanize supporters to create stronger campaigns for Palestine in 2023, the 75th year of the ongoing Nakba,” he added.
The event was organized as part of FOA’s Silver Anniversary celebrations and the launch of its new website.