Watermelon soap from cosmetics firm Lush will support Palestinian children’s mental health
Soap made from natural ingredients and safe synthetics such as rapeseed, coconut, watermelon, bergamot, rose
Updated 19 July 2024
Arab News
LONDON: British cosmetics retailer Lush has launched a watermelon soap, the proceeds of which will fund essential mental health support and trauma counseling for children in Gaza and the West Bank.
Watermelons have emerged as a symbol of solidarity with Palestine, as they contain the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The Lush soap is made from natural ingredients and safe synthetics such as rapeseed, coconut, watermelon, bergamot and rose.
In 2011, the British Medical Journal published a review study that found high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder among Palestinian children. New research by Save the Children has reported that feelings of depression, hyperactivity, a preference for being alone, and aggression are now reported by 95 percent of children in Gaza.
Lush’s support is nothing new. The company sources extra virgin olive oil from Palestine’s Marda Permaculture Farm, which is dedicated to social and environmental regeneration. The farm encourages sustainable agricultural practices and offers economic opportunities to local communities.
Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is the youngest daughter of King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII
New Zealand’s Maori make up roughly 17 percent of the population, or about 900,000 people
Updated 05 September 2024
AFP
NGARUAWAHIA, New Zealand: New Zealand’s Maori chiefs anointed a 27-year-old queen as their new monarch Thursday, a surprise choice hailed as a symbol of change for the country’s Indigenous community.
Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was cheered by thousands as she ascended a high-backed wooden throne during an elaborate ceremony on the country’s North Island.
She is the youngest daughter of King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, who died on Friday after heart surgery.
After being selected by a council of chiefs, Nga Wai was ushered to the throne by a phalanx of bare-chested and tattooed men bearing ceremonial weapons -- who chanted, screamed and shouted in acclamation.
Wearing a wreath of leaves, a cloak and a whalebone necklace, she sat beside her father’s coffin as emotive rites, prayers and chants were performed.
The late king had laid in state for six days before being taken down the Waikato River on a flotilla of four war canoes each powered by more than a dozen rowers.
His funerary procession passed throngs of onlookers camped on the riverbank, before stopping at the foot of sacred Mount Taupiri.
From there, three rugby teams acted as pallbearers, shepherding his coffin up steep slopes to the summit and the final resting place of past Maori royals.
The coffin with the body of New Zealand's Maori King, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, is carried up Taupiri Mountain for burial in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand, on Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)
Ceremonial, yet potent symbol of identity
The Maori monarch is a mostly ceremonial role with no legal status.
But it has enormous cultural, and sometimes political, significance as a potent symbol of Maori identity and kinship.
As the king’s only daughter and his youngest child, Queen Nga Wai was perhaps considered an outside choice to become his successor.
One of her two elder brothers had taken on many ceremonial duties during their father’s periods of ill health and had been tipped to take over.
“It is certainly a break from traditional Maori leadership appointments which tend to succeed to the eldest child, usually a male,” Maori cultural advisor Karaitiana Taiuru told AFP.
Taiuru said it was a “privilege” to witness a young Maori woman become queen, particularly given the ageing leadership and mounting challenges faced by the community.
“The Maori world has been yearning for younger leadership to guide us in the new world of AI, genetic modification, global warming and in a time of many other social changes that question and threaten us and Indigenous Peoples of New Zealand,” he said.
“These challenges require a new and younger generation to lead us.”
Maori warriors participate during the funeral ceremony of New Zealand's Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII in Ngaruawahia on September 5, 2024. (AFP)
New Zealand’s Maori make up roughly 17 percent of the population, or about 900,000 people.
Maori citizens are much more likely than other New Zealanders to be unemployed, live in poverty or suffer cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes and have higher suicide rates.
Maori life expectancy is seven years less than other New Zealanders.
The Kiingitanga, or Maori King movement, was founded in 1858 to unite New Zealand’s tribes and provide a single counterpart to the colonial ruler, Britain’s Queen Victoria.
“People think Maori people are one nation -- we’re not. We’re many tribes, many iwi. We have different ways of speaking out,” said Joanne Teina, who had travelled from Auckland for the ceremony.
“The Kiingitanga was created to create unity -- among people who were fighting each other for thousands of years, before Pakeha (Europeans) came along. Now we just fight them.”
Legacy forged through respect and ‘aroha’
Queen Nga Wai is the eighth Maori monarch and the second queen.
Her grandmother, Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, held the position for four decades until 2006.
The new queen studied the Maori language and customary law at New Zealand’s Waikato University. She also taught “kapa haka” performing arts to children.
To mark the anniversary of the king’s coronation in 2016, she received a traditional Maori “moko” tattoo on her chin.
King Tuheitia, a 69-year-old truck-driver-turned-royal, died on Friday, just days after heart surgery and celebrations marking the 18th anniversary of his coronation.
Tens of thousands of Indigenous citizens and “Pakeha” -- those of European ancestry -- visited to pay respects, mourn and celebrate New Zealand’s rich Maori heritage.
Among them was Auckland-based Darrio Penetito-Hemara, who told AFP the king had united “many people across Aotearoa (New Zealand) who don’t often see eye-to-eye”.
The king leaves a legacy forged “through respect, through aroha (love)”, Penetito-Hemara said.
Iranian 2.46m para volleyballer struggles to find bed big enough
His coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani told the Olympics.com website that the 36-year-old was planning to sleep on the floor of the Olympic Village because his bed wasn’t big enough
Mehrzad, the second-tallest living man in the world, was diagnosed at a young age with acromegaly, a rare condition that leads to the production of excessive growth hormones
Updated 03 September 2024
AFP
PARIS: Iran’s sitting volleyball star Morteza Mehrzad has finally found a bed big enough to accommodate his 2.46-meter (8 ft 0.85 in) frame at the Paris Paralympics.
His coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani told the Olympics.com website last Friday that the 36-year-old was planning to sleep on the floor of the Olympic Village because — unlike during the last Games in Tokyo — his bed wasn’t big enough.
“In Tokyo, they have made a special bed, but unfortunately not here,” Rezaeigarkani said. “He’s going to lie on the floor.”
Mehrzad, the second-tallest living man in the world, was diagnosed at a young age with acromegaly, a rare condition that leads to the production of excessive growth hormones.
All athletes in the village are sleeping on the same sort of eco-friendly and modulable beds used at the Tokyo Olympics, which have mattresses made from recycled plastic and bases manufactured from cardboard.
The Paris organizing committee told AFP in a statement that they had initially provided two extensions for Mehrzad at the request of the Iranian Paralympic Committee.
“A third was later requested by the Iranian Paralympic Committee which has also been supplied to them,” the statement said. “Paris 2024 is in contact with the Iranian Paralympic Committee and the athlete now has all necessary equipment for his comfort.”
Mehrzad joined Iran’s national sitting volleyball team after the coach spotted him on a reality TV show about people grappling with difficulties in their lives.
During his teenage years, he had a bicycle accident which injured his pelvis and stunted the growth of his right leg.
He won gold medals in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics and earned the Gold Ball for the world’s best player in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
The beds at the Paris and Tokyo Olympics have frequently hit headlines, with reports claiming they were “anti-sex” because they had been designed to be too flimsy to support the weight of two adults.
Many athletes have since debunked the suggestion by posting videos of themselves jumping on the beds which are sturdy enough to support the weight of several people.
Food giant Ferrero on Tuesday announced the imminent launch of a vegan version of its popular hazelnut spread Nutella in Italy, France and Belgium, saying the move was in response to changing consumer tastes.
Vegan Nutella will no longer contain any dairy ingredients, which are to be replaced with chickpeas and rice syrup, Ferrero said in a statement.
“No compromises” were made concerning the taste of Nutella, launched 60 years ago and marketed in around 170 countries, the Italian company said.
The new product is to become available from Wednesday, it said.
“More and more consumers are opting to reduce, or cut out, animal products,” it said.
Lactose-intolerant people should, however, be careful about eating plant-based Nutella as it was being made in factories where dairy ingredients were used for other products, said Ferrero, which also owns the Kinder, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher brands.
Along with other food companies, Ferrero has come under criticism for using palm oil to make Nutella, thus encouraging the clearing of tropical forests to establish palm oil monocultures.
The company has since created a “segregated” chain for palm oil, which it says allows the tracing of its palm oil to the mills, “guaranteeing that it does not come from plantations subject to deforestation.”
Traditional Nutella contains sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, milk, cocoa, lecithin and vanillin, according to Ferrero.
The spread has a cult-like following across the world, with American blogger Sara Rosso in 2007 launching World Nutella Day, celebrated every February 5 when fans share pictures and recipe ideas.
Among Nutella-inspired initiatives was a challenge to make a record-length Nutella pizza in Sydney earlier this year, stretching for a continuous 100 meters (110 yards).
Beauty queen wins Miss Nigeria after South Africa row
Born to a Nigerian father in South Africa, Chidimma Adetshina withdrew from the country’s competition after a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa
Despite not being in the country in 20 years, she was invited to join the Nigerian final. Now she will represent Nigeria at the international Miss Universe competition in November
Updated 01 September 2024
AFP
LAGOS, Nigeria: A former Miss South Africa contestant hounded over a nationality row was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria on Saturday, capping a difficult few weeks for the beauty queen.
Born to a Nigerian father in South Africa, 23-year-old Chidimma Adetshina withdrew from the country’s competition “for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I” after a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.
“This journey has been a tough journey for me and I am so proud of myself and I’m really grateful for the love and the support,” Adetshina told AFP minutes after being crowned in Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos.
“This is something that I’ve always wanted, and I’m really glad that I have a second shot as well at achieving it,” Adetshina said.
Her Nigerian heritage attracted vicious xenophobic attacks and sparked controversy when she was announced as a Miss South Africa finalist in July, while the government said it was investigating a claim that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
Despite not being in the country in 20 years, organizers of the Nigerian contest invited her to join their final, saying it was a chance for her to “represent your father’s native land on an international stage.”
“We all need to stop with the xenophobia... with the tribalism,” first runner-up Paula Ezendu told AFP.
“We’re all one family. We’re all human beings,” she added.
The nationality controversy notwithstanding, Adetshina insisted she loved South Arica and was grateful for the support from the country.
She will represent Nigeria at the international Miss Universe competition in November.
“I know we are going to win,” she told reporters.
A Norwegian princess marries an American self-styled shaman in front of a star-studded audience
The wedding comes amid widespread criticism of the couple’s actions and waning support for the Norwegian royals, who have also been plagued by negative reports about an unruly family member who faces preliminary domestic violence charges
Updated 01 September 2024
AP
HELSINKI: Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests as the Norwegian king’s eldest child, Princess Märtha Louise, married an American self-professed shaman on Saturday in a wedding ceremony following three days of festivities.
The 52-year-old Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett, who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman from California, tied the knot in the picturesque small town of Geiranger, one of Norway’s major tourist attractions located on a fjord with stunning views.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Durek Verrett arrive at their wedding party at Hotel Unio in Geiranger on August 31, 2024. (AFP)
Following festivities that started on Thursday, the actual wedding ceremony took place in a large white tent set up on a lush lawn. Guests told media outlets that Norwegian and US artists performed at the event along with a gospel choir and a singer representing Norway’s indigenous Sámi people.
“It was fantastic! It was Hollywood meets Geiranger,” Norwegian TV personality Harald Rønneberg described the colorful ceremony to public broadcaster NRK. “It was gospel and love. We laughed, we clapped, and we were touched. It was absolutely beautiful.”
The couple has sold the wedding photo rights to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix. The deals prompted protests from Norwegian media, which say the arrangement goes against local practices. The couple have often lashed out against the press while promoting themselves on social media.
The 87-year-old King Harald, who has been in fragile health the past few years, attended his daughter’s wedding together with Queen Sonja and other member of the Norwegian royal house. Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel represented the Swedish royal house together with her brother, Prince Carl Philip, and his wife Princess Sofia. No other European royals attended the wedding.
The wedding comes amid widespread criticism of the couple’s actions and waning support for the Norwegian royals, who have also been plagued by negative reports about an unruly family member who faces preliminary domestic violence charges.
Märtha Louise and Verrett, 49, have attracted headlines with their alternative beliefs. She is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne but said in 2022 that she’ll no longer officially represent the Norwegian royal house.
The princess — she has retained the title — has said she can talk with angels, while Verrett claims that he communicates with a broad range of spirits and has a medallion which helps ward off spells and cure diseases.
They became engaged in 2022. Following their marriage, Verrett will not have a royal title or official duties.
In a 2019 deal, Märtha Louise and Verrett agreed not to use her connection to the royal house or her title for commercial purposes.
But earlier this year Märtha Louise labeled bottles of gin with her title and launched the brand in time for the wedding, defying King Harald’s directive that she should not profit from her royal status. The label was eventually changed.
Märtha Louise has three children from her previous marriage with author and playwright Ari Behn, whom she divorced in 2017 after 14 years of marriage.
