
German director of Florence's Academy Gallery who defended David's image fears for museum's future
Since she arrived in 2015, the German director of Florence’s Accademia Gallery has succeeded in drawing visitors’ attention to masterpieces beyond Michelangelo’s towering David, while winning landmark court cases to protect the familiar image of the marble masterpiece against misuse
2023-07-19 18:49

Edmunds compares: Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-90
The Kia Telluride has become a hit in the SUV space
2023-07-19 18:48

TikTokers are showing off pink outfits they’re going to wear to watch Barbie movie
For the last couple of weeks, the buzz surrounding Greta Gerwig’s new live-action film has transformed the world into “Barbie land”, as fashion fans embrace the film-inspired fads and obsess over Margot Robbie’s odes to vintage Mattel dolls on the red carpet. Between pink gowns, fur trims, polka dots, and kitten heels, Barbie has become the official summer wear trendsetter – and it’s fantastic. In preparation for the upcoming premiere on 21 July, eager TikTokers are manifesting the perfect, pink-themed party by crafting “Barbiecore” looks that they plan on wearing in theatres. While some are opting to thrift or buy new clothes, others are pulling pieces they already own to reimagine themselves as “country Barbie,” “roller skating Barbie,” or “cottage Barbie.” Popular influencer Jenny Nguyen (@jennyxngyn) brought her followers along with her as she perused a second-hand store for anything vibrant and pink. She stuck to her high standards when she tossed a lace-trimmed tank to the side because it wasn’t “Barbie cute.” However, a baby pink denim skirt and jersey T-shirt with the film’s title spraypainted across the chest stole her heart. The style enthusiast chopped the bottoms to be a “micro mini skirt” and completed the look with matching platform sandals. “This is my outfit for the Barbie movie,” she proclaimed. Commenters couldn’t believe her luck with finding the branded T-shirt. “That Barbie top!! No way,” a stunned woman wrote, while another agreed: “The Barbie shirt is perfect.” Jenny replied: “Omg, I know right!! My jaw literally dropped to the ground after seeing it.” @jennyxngyn what are you guys wearing to the Barbie movie??? #barbiemovieoutfits #allpinkoutfit #whatimwearing #barbiecore #outfitinspo ♬ original sound - Jenny Nguyen Cassi (@cassiscastle) on TikTok headed to Gap to try-on pieces from the brand’s collection for the movie. From pink and white pinstriped button-downs to logo-printed sweatshirts, tank tops, and skirts, the store was filled with viable options to wear. “This new Barbie x Gap collection is way too cute,” Cassi remarked. In a different video, the fashion lover switched between formalwear Barbie looks and casual daytime outfits with a sweet silk slip, pink crop tops, and heart-shaped sunglasses. @cassiscastle this new barbie x gap collection is way too cute!! wanted to try on my favorite items from the collection ??? #barbie #barbiemovies #barbieoutfits #tryonhaul ♬ Hi Barbie Hi Ken Barbie Movie Only In Theaters - Barbie Movie Since Warner Bros began promotions for the new film in April 2022, other brands like Zara and Crocs have hopped on the dreamhouse bus and sold-out new collections motivated by the Barbie aesthetic. Meanwhile, Maddy (@madisonhoward59) requested the help of her followers in choosing from the three outfits she created using clothes from her closet. The creator channeled the current Y2K fashion fixation with pops of pink detailing with a tight-fitting tank, halter top, and printed tube skirt. Women aren’t the only ones preparing ahead of the film’s release. TikToker @Beerrenicee proved that aspiring Kens were also readying themselves to watch Barbie on the big screen. In her 17 July video, she brought her boyfriend shopping to find a pink shirt for the premiere. “Making my boyfriend buy a pink shirt for the barbie movie so we can both pull up in pink outfits,” her caption read. The pair landed on a short-sleeve collared option. @beerrenicee He said ???? #fyp ♬ Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album] - Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice & Aqua One impressed viewer said: “If I had a man I would def do this and I’m being for real like bae we both matching I don’t care.” “I got my man a peach shirt at Ross and he actually like it which I’m surprised with,” a fellow girlfriend admitted. Another woman wrote: “Mine didn’t wanna wear pink so he’s wearing light blue for Ken.” “Already got my shirt, I just need someone to go with,” one man looking for his dream girl noted. Read More TikTokers are showing off pink outfits they’re going to wear to watch Barbie movie Issa Rae admits she ‘hates’ pink and plans to ‘burn’ her Barbie-inspired clothes Margot Robbie has fangirl moment over Love Island stars Ekin-Su, Davide and Liberty Barbie-inspired decor to get your pink fix at home Barbie premiere: All the best pink carpet looks as Margot Robbie film shows in London Michael Cera twinned with Ryan Gosling at Barbie premiere for sweet reason
2023-07-19 18:16

Chinese e-retailer Temu files lawsuit in US against rival Shein, alleging antitrust violations
Chinese e-commerce retailer Temu has filed a lawsuit accusing its rival Shein of violating U.S. antitrust law by blocking clothing manufacturers from working with Temu
2023-07-19 16:52

Hong Kong's security appointee signals resolve for tight control
By James Pomfret and Greg Torode HONG KONG China's appointment of a top intelligence official to run Hong
2023-07-19 16:46

How old is Alana Thompson? Honey Boo Boo expresses frustration over fans still seeing her as 'little kid'
Alana Thompson, who recently graduated from high school, is ready to start her journey as a college student
2023-07-19 16:25

Allan Saint-Maximin set for exit as Newcastle hope to seal Harvey Barnes deal
Newcastle United owners PIF have green-lit Allan Saint-Maximin’s move to Saudi Arabia and are hoping to bring in Harvey Barnes from Leicester City as a replacement.
2023-07-19 15:27

Does Ana Navarro hate reality shows? 'The View' host expresses her thoughts on ABC's 'The Golden Bachelor': 'I am in the minority'
'The View' host Ana Navarro, who claimed that 'The Golden Bachelor’ Gerry Turner was ‘right down my alley’, expressed her disdain towards reality shows
2023-07-19 14:48

Analysis-Australian office landlords face price reckoning amid buyer impasse
By Lewis Jackson SYDNEY Australia's largest landlords have announced a string of downgrades to the values of their
2023-07-19 13:57

Imad Alarnab: In The Jungle, food restored our faith
Food can bring people comfort in the darkest times, and for Imad Alarnab, this time came when he was stranded as a refugee in Calais for more than two months. A hot plate had been donated, people collected leftovers from supermarkets, and having been a successful chef back in Damascus – with three restaurants, and a string of cafes and juice bars – Alarnab did what he did best, night after night, he cooked. “It was just something I felt like I needed to do, because you get to make a lot of people happy. Especially at that time, they needed something to be happy about,” says the 45-year-old, who would feed as many as 400 people at a time. The overcrowded camp that became known as The Jungle was close by, but Alarnab says it was too terrifying and overcrowded, so he and a group of several other Syrians slept on the steps of a church instead. And it was here he cooked the food of home – adapted, of course, depending on what they had. “To have a decent warm meal – for people whose lives have been on hold, they can’t cross to safety – was a big deal for all of us,” says the father-of-three. In fact, it was the first time he’d cooked for lots of people since all of his businesses were bombed within a week in 2012, in the country’s civil war, and this was the moment hope returned. “I think it restored all of the faith that things could, and would, get better,” Alarnab writes in his debut cookbook, Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. By July 2015, he’d made the painful decision to leave his wife and three daughters in Damascus to make the treacherous journey via Lebanon, Greece and North Macedonia, to the UK, where they had relatives. With his children too young to make the journey, the family planned to join once he’d been granted asylum. “If I had any other choice, I would have definitely taken it. [Fleeing] wasn’t the easiest but it was somehow the safest,” he says. “When I was in Syria during the war, people were saying, ‘It’s not safe to go out of the house because maybe you’re going to die’. But I needed to feed my family, if I stayed in the house they would die from hunger. There’s no good choice or bad choice, but maybe it’s the only one you can make. “When I was leaving Damascus, my oldest daughter made me promise I would see her within one year. I said, ‘Yes, I promise,’ but I wasn’t really sure if I was going to keep that promise or not.” And during the three months before he reached the UK – walking hundreds of miles on foot, on train, in the back of cars, on push bike, at the mercy of smugglers, with false IDs and the kindness of strangers – there were moments of doubt, like when he was crammed in the back of a lorry in Turkey for seven hours. “There were about 95 of us, I felt it was a stupid decision, risking my life so much. I believe the driver was so scared, or maybe drunk – the speed was absolutely scary. I thought we were not going to make it.” His journey ended eventually by using a fake passport to cross the Channel in October 2015 (the moving, often harrowing, story is weaved through his new cookbook), and first finding work illegally in a car wash, where he also slept as an overnight security guard, sending money home. After his family were able to emigrate (just under the year he’d promised his daughter) someone introduced him to the Cook For Syria scheme – and soon he was hosting super clubs at his house. By May 2021, he’d opened his London restaurant, Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. His first cookbook is a combination of dishes served up at the restaurant and his late mother’s recipes. “Almost every single dish is somehow related to my mother – I keep seeking her approval in everything I do in life, but especially with cooking,” he says. It was his mum, Summer, who first taught him to cook. “Even if you create your own recipes, somehow you will [always] be inspired by your first teacher”. She died very suddenly while Alarnab was living alone in a caravan in west London. Syrian food at its heart is “simple, first of all, and affordable for everyone”, he says. “We use a lot of mild spices, not very hot spices.” They’re mostly things you’ll know; “cumin, mint, garlic, nothing really special about it. [but] you put it together in a special way”. Middle Eastern in identity, much of it might feel familiar; tabbouleh, hummus, baklawa; while traditional dishes include buttered halibut, jaj bailfurn (grilled chicken thighs) and kippeh (lamb and bulgur wheat dumplings). Lunch is typically a feast of many dishes. “We’re a family of five and we never ever have one dish for lunch,” says Alarnab. “And we don’t throw anything away.” Before the war – which began as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 but has since involved a complex number of groups fighting one another, including so-called Islamic State, leaving at least 11 million people displaced – Alarnab was one of the lucky ones, he says. “We had a comfortable life, but most people in Syria were suffering. When you have a dictatorship for more than 50 years, of course people will be suffering. You cannot explain life without freedom to someone who’s lived all of their life with it. “People keep asking me silly questions – ‘Why did you have to go to 10 different countries to come to the UK? You could just get a plane ticket straight from Lebanon to Heathrow’. No, it doesn’t work like that. As a Syrian, my passport takes me to three countries – war zone countries. Even if I wanted to go to every country supporting Assad, I’d still need a visa.” Once the fighting started, food, that once brought him so much joy, lost all meaning. “I don’t know how to describe it, but the food tasted like blood. I know it’s disgusting, but nothing tasted the same. When you live in fear for your family, when your daughters are not safe to go to school, food will taste [bad], nothing can make you happy.” Cooking Syrian food now makes him feel “connected” to his home country, of course, “but it also makes me feel part of this unique community in the UK”. Arriving in London, he says: “I felt safe, I felt ‘I can be different, I can be myself, no one cares’. Everyone’s so different, it makes all of us lookalike.” Even after starting from scratch in a new country after losing everything, with a highly-acclaimed restaurant and now a cookbook, he’s most proud of his daughters. His eldest is studying at Warwick University after gaining straight As, his middle child is a talented artist. “The youngest [13] is the naughty one still,” he laughs. “But you can feel they appreciate their life – they are so happy about it.” ‘Imad’s Syrian Kitchen’ by Imad Alarnab (HQ; £26). Read More The National Portrait Gallery’s new restaurant is fabulous upgrade The dish that defines me: Alex Outhwaite’s Vietnamese bun cha 3 TikTok-approved recipes for picnic season It’s easier to make baklava at home than you might think Get set for Wimbledon with top pastry chef’s strawberry recipes Pinch of Nom: Healthy eating doesn’t have to cost the earth
2023-07-19 13:54

'AGT' Season 18: Internet fumes as they feel Duo Just Two Men were robbed of Golden Buzzer reserved for 'singers'
Duo Just Two Men brought their balancing performance to 'AGT' in an effort to enhance their families' futures
2023-07-19 13:51

'AGT' Season 18: Howie Mandel faces severe backlash for claiming The Rybka Twins 'would not go viral', fans say 'he needs to retire'
Fans of 'AGT' criticize Howie Mandel for selecting performers based on their likelihood of becoming viral on TikTok
2023-07-19 13:26