Latest news with #Raya
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why Outlander star Sam Heughan was left deeply confused by Australia's winter weather amid visit Down Under
Sam Heughan has shared his astonishment at being met with sunny weather in Australia. The Scottish actor, who is Down Under for the the Supanova Comic Con & Gaming expo, filmed an Instagram Reel on Thursday as he strolled along Sydney 's famous Bondi Beach. The 45-year-old noted the clear skies and lack of snow or ice, with Sydney's winter weather reaching a mild peak of 16 degrees Celsius the day the video was filmed. 'Winter. Winter in Australia,' Sam marvelled as he strolled along the boardwalk beside the ocean. 'In Scotland, we have snow in winter. It's dark. Ice. The only ice here is apparently an iceberg, but it's a swimming pool' he added, referring to the Bondi Icebergs pool. 'Trying to do up my shirt because it's that cold,' he joked, gesturing at the sun. Sam may have gotten more of what he expected later in the night, when temperatures dropped to seven degrees Celsius once the sun went down. Last year, Sam signed up to the celebrity dating app Raya in a bid to find love, MailOnline revealed. Despite being known for his role as the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in Outlander, the actor is yet to find his dream partner. Sam, who was last seen enjoying a romance with Australian model Monika Clarke in 2022, decorated his Raya profile with a slew of hunky snaps, and lists his main location as the UK. MailOnline contacted a representative for Sam Heughan for comment. Raya is a private membership community that started out as a dating app, but has since become a platform for networking and social discovery. It was launched in 2015, and can be used on iPhones and iPads for $9.99 a month. A select few are chosen to be part of the 'elite community', with the waiting list to join the app said to be in the 'thousands' and 'not even 10 per cent of those who apply get in'. Other names thought to have signed up include F1 star Lewis Hamilton, actor James Norton and footballer Jude Bellingham. Sam was previously spotted kissing model Monika two years ago, and he was also romantically linked to Twin Peaks actress Amy Shiels in 2018. Before that he was romantically linked to Into The Woods actress MacKenzie Mauzy in 2017 before they split quietly the next year, and also previously dated Cody Kennedy and Abbie Salt as well. In May 2023, Sam shared rare insight into his love life by admitting he's still looking for 'The One.' He told People: 'I've done all of the gift-giving and turning up when least expected, but, so far, I'm still looking.' He has starred on Starz series Outlander throughout its run, with the second half of its seventh season set to premiere in November 2024. Outlander is a historical drama television series based on the ongoing novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. It is centered around an English combat nurse named Claire Randall (Catriona Balfe) from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Sam also starred opposite Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson in the steamy Channel 4 drama The Couple Next Door. The series saw Evie and her husband Pete (Alfred Enoch) moving into an upscale neighbourhood, where they met next door neighbours cop Danny (Sam) and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka (Jessica De Gouw). As time goes on, these two couples get increasingly close to each other and one fateful night, become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever. During filming, Eleanor and Sam worked with intimacy coordinator Vanessa Coffey. Prior to filming, the pair also knew each other through their mutual friend Caitríona Balfe, who plays Jamie's wife, Claire, in Outlander. Eleanor previously told The Radio Times: 'Sam is now one of my best friends. Every day was a joy and creating Danny and Evie's complicated and dangerous relationship was a lot of fun.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah
'We can endure any truth, however destructive, provided it replaces everything, provided it affords as much vitality as the hope for which it substitutes,' writes the Romanian philosopher EM Cioran in his classic The Trouble with Being Born. This quote characterises the Tanzanian-British novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah's latest novel, Theft – his first since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021. A testament to Gurnah's dedication to telling the stories of 'little people who somehow overcome things', it is divided into three parts. The first offers a slow reveal of characters and historical contexts. Perhaps this is Gurnah's nod to Tolstoy, whose short story Polikushka is invoked in a conversation in this novel. Here, readers learn what led to the marriage of 17-year-old Raya to Bakari Abbas, a divorcee in his forties. Raya was in love with Rafik, who had joined the Umma Party to free Zanzibar, then a British protectorate. But her father disapproved of Rafik, and foreseeing humiliation, gets his daughter married to Abbas. The rationale behind his rushed decision is explored only briefly but it establishes how, besides patriarchy, colonialism and communism too played a role in it. Raya and Abbas' marriage turns out to be a disaster. Powerless, she notes feeling Abbas' 'overbearing flesh upon her unresisting body'. This reflection on bedroom politics crucially underlines how some men believe it is their right to take what they desire. It was not so much Abbas' abusive nature but the 'charming' personality that he projected to others that disturbed Raya and made her wonder if anyone would believe her if she confided in them. With nothing to do, she internalises shame. She eventually summons up the courage to leave Abbas behind and returns to her parents' home with their three-year-old son, Karim. To avoid being her father's 'skivvy', she begins working at a clothing store but, in the process, fails to raise Karim with motherly affection. This loss — or theft? — of sorts, is one of the reasons why Karim turns out to be a careless father. Gurnah writes: 'Karim at times wondered why parents like his, who were neglecting and unloving, bothered to have children… He would do things differently when he became a father, that was certain.' When Raya remarries and moves to her husband Haji Othman's house in Dar es Salaam, Karim finds shelter in the home of his stepbrother Ali and his wife Jalila. Abbas' son from a previous marriage is a proxy father to Karim. These patterns of a newly-wed couple providing shelter to a forlorn man and of men looking for someone to fill the father-shaped void within themselves are repeated in the novel's climatic third part where Karim and his wife Fauzia open their doors for Badar. This circularity is perhaps what interests Gurnah the most, and is reflected in how Theft's principal character Badar Ismail's life pans out. When Badar was first brought to Haji's, he couldn't guess that he was to be their boy servant. While he missed his father, who was not actually his father, he accepts his fate as he finds nothing to complain about at Haji's. Except for Haji's father, Uncle Othman, everyone was nice to him. Juma, the old gardener, is good company and offers wisdom after the daily chores are done. Occasionally, Badar pleasures himself thinking of Raya 'when she had just risen from her afternoon rest and was dressed in a loose thin gown which sat well on her and clung a little to parts of her body as she moved'. READ MORE: Abdulrazak Gurnah: 'Silence can also be vocal' The sociopolitical history of Zanzibar and their own personal histories add layers of complexity to Gurnah's characters and their actions. This is particularly evident in the scene when Haji tries to appear candid by having a conversation full of rather 'touchy' questions with Badar. The latter is aware that Haji possesses the power to influence his future – something which eventually does happen when he is suspected of theft. Gurnah writes, 'Once again Badar found that the direction of his life had changed without any effort on his part.' And that's how Badar finds himself living with Karim and Fauzia before moving to his own space after having worked several months at the Tamarind Hotel, which features in the third part of the novel. The action and the anticipation in this section gives it a distinct energy and narrative tension. The goings-on at the hotel reveal the boundaries — kept and blurred — between people in the hospitality industry and their clients, corruption in the tourism industry, and the nexus between influential politicians and hoteliers like Bwana Sharif in a late-capitalist world. Theft makes readers think about how decisions are made and who eventually benefits from them. In reality, rewards don't distribute themselves but are purely dependent on the power their possible benefactors can wield. This novel is similar to Gurnah's earlier work in that it focuses on the mundane to reflect on a universal condition. It explores interactions between people, and presents the circuitous route that life often takes. Saurabh Sharma is a Delhi-based writer and freelance journalist. They can be found on Instagram/X: @writerly_life.
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Indian woman help M'sian pay for groceries amid app glitch
Kindness still exists — often when we least expect it, and from those we don't even know. That was the case for Threads user @atiqsaian, who shared a touching encounter at a Speedmart convenience store on the night of June 18. After work, she dropped by to pick up a few essentials — soy sauce, eggs, and bread — only to find herself unable to pay. Her Maybank card was declined, and QR payments via the MAE app weren't going through. 'I stood there in front of the store for a long time, just refreshing the app over and over,' she wrote. 'I didn't have any cash on me — the last time I held cash was probably during Raya.' Just as she was figuring out what to do, a stranger — an Indian woman — approached her and gently asked, 'You still can't log in to your bank? Do you want to pay? It's okay, I can pay for you.' ALSO READ: 'It's okay, sis. Please let your daughter eat' - M'sian rider helps hungry mother and child who couldn't pay for food The gesture stunned her and she accepted her kind offer. 'I had been crying at the office all day,' she admitted. 'Every day, I deal with people who are harsh and unpleasant but that night, Allah sent someone kind — a reminder to always assume the best in people.' Her post quickly gained traction online, resonating with Malaysians who had also been affected by the MAE app disruption. 'My daughter went through the same thing,' shared bellazyra97 in the comments. 'She bought waffles but couldn't pay via QR or swipe with Maybank. She was flustered since she had no cash, and the waffles were already in her hands. Amid the panic, a kind soul stepped in and paid for her. May that person always be blessed. Truly, it's a must to carry at least some cash.' In a follow-up post, @atiqsaian reflected on the lesson she learned that night: 'Always carry some physical cash — even RM10 or RM20 can make a big difference. And always trust in Allah's plans. Sometimes, the challenges we face daily — including dealing with difficult people — are tests sent to strengthen us.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
'It's okay, I can pay for you' - Kind Indian woman help M'sian pay for groceries amid app glitch
Kindness still exists — often when we least expect it, and from those we don't even know. That was the case for Threads user @atiqsaian, who shared a touching encounter at a Speedmart convenience store on the night of June 18. After work, she dropped by to pick up a few essentials — soy sauce, eggs, and bread — only to find herself unable to pay. Her Maybank card was declined, and QR payments via the MAE app weren't going through. 'I stood there in front of the store for a long time, just refreshing the app over and over,' she wrote. 'I didn't have any cash on me — the last time I held cash was probably during Raya.' Just as she was figuring out what to do, a stranger — an Indian woman — approached her and gently asked, 'You still can't log in to your bank? Do you want to pay? It's okay, I can pay for you.' ALSO READ: 'It's okay, sis. Please let your daughter eat' - M'sian rider helps hungry mother and child who couldn't pay for food The gesture stunned her and she accepted her kind offer. 'I had been crying at the office all day,' she admitted. 'Every day, I deal with people who are harsh and unpleasant but that night, Allah sent someone kind — a reminder to always assume the best in people.' Her post quickly gained traction online, resonating with Malaysians who had also been affected by the MAE app disruption. 'My daughter went through the same thing,' shared bellazyra97 in the comments. 'She bought waffles but couldn't pay via QR or swipe with Maybank. She was flustered since she had no cash, and the waffles were already in her hands. Amid the panic, a kind soul stepped in and paid for her. May that person always be blessed. Truly, it's a must to carry at least some cash.' In a follow-up post, @atiqsaian reflected on the lesson she learned that night: 'Always carry some physical cash — even RM10 or RM20 can make a big difference. And always trust in Allah's plans. Sometimes, the challenges we face daily — including dealing with difficult people — are tests sent to strengthen us.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Naomi Campbell fuels rumours she's reunited with German DJ boyfriend Rampa as they attend event together
Naomi Campbell attended a high society soirée with her German boyfriend, the DJ Rampa, in London last week, fuelling rumours that they have reunited. The couple made an appearance at the 150th anniversary of watch brand Audemar Piguet, held at the exclusive 180 The Strand part of the Soho House group. They were also seen arriving together at Travis Scott 's party in Monaco three weeks ago - despite unfollowing each other on social media back in December. An insider at Audemar Piguet's event, told MailOnline that the supermodel and DJ arrived together. 'Naomi and Rampa walked into the event side by side and spent the night chatting and sitting next to each other, they definitely seem to be together,' they said. 'They certainly looked relaxed and content in each others company.' Their grand entrance in a blaze of flashbulbs, was captured on camera and later posted on social media site TikTok, as further evidence of their growing bond. Naomi, who wore a cream dress, was one of the guests of honour at the event, where Brit award winner Raya performed and attendees tucked into food prepared by Michelin starred chefs. MailOnline has contacted Naomi's representatives for comment. Indeed her presence with the DJ, whose real name is Gregor Sutterlin, 42, raised eyebrows, after it was widely reported that the pair had split after a whirlwind romance at the end of 2024. Their relationship first came to light last August when they were spotted looking amorous during a night out in Mykonos, Greece. They had also been cited enjoying vacations in Ibiza and Istanbul, with onlookers describing their sizzling chemistry. But then towards the end of 2024, the couple were said to have called time on their romance, blaming their hectic schedules as 'life got in the way.' A source told The Sun: 'Naomi and Rampa's romance was a bit of a whirlwind but it's over now. 'They were really into each other and wanted to spend every moment together, which they did for quite a while - But life got in the way and they've both been really busy.' They added: 'Ultimately they decided to call time on their relationship, it became clear it wasn't feasible for them to be together so she's cut off contact with him.' Following their so-called break up, mother-of-two Naomi was said to have unfollowed Rampa on social media and removed affectionate comments she had posted previously. Then sources close to the supermodel said that she was focused instead on her career and her two young children, born via surrogate in 2021 and 2023 respectively. Rampa - who was born Gregor Sütterlin in Freiburg in Germany's Black Forest - is a renowned DJ and founder of electronic music record label, Keinemusik. It was reported back in September that the ex couple had 'real chemistry' as their 'whirlwind romance' went from strength to strength.
