Fact Check
KUWAIT CITY, April 18: The validity period for driving license renewals in Kuwait has been set at 15 years for Kuwaiti ...
Kuwait Expats Misled by Fake WhatsApp Message on Driving License Validity
KUWAIT CITY, Dec 28: The Ministry of Interior has refuted claims circulating on social media about a KD 500 fine being ...
False News: Ministry Denies KD 500 Fine for Biometric Non-Compliance
A video shared on social media claims to show 'the biggest turtle in the world' slowly moving along a beach. ...
Factcheck: The 'World's Largest Turtle?' Video Is Real, No AI Involved
KUWAIT CITY, Sep 19: There are longstanding local stories and rumors about a haunted house in Salmiya, Kuwait, but they...
Salmiya's Ghost House: The Truth Behind Its Disappearance
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 22: The Ministry of Health denied claims made by a doctor on the X platform that the need for using th...
MoH dismisses allegations of surgery delayed by biometrics
KUWAIT CITY, Jul 25: A video clip circulating on social media claims the existence of a liquor factory on a mosque prop...
Social Media Rumors Debunked: No Liquor Factory on Mosque Property
Fact-checking tips for online content Propagandists are already working to sow disinformation and social discord in the...
'Beware of misleading feel-good stories on social media'
KUWAIT CITY, April 27: The recent circulation of a video clip on several social media platforms depicts a reckless act ...
Fact Check: Egyptian Expat Arrested for Truck Theft
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 14: Has the Indian film "Tiger 3," featuring Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, been banned...
Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar Ban Salman Khan's 'Tiger 3'?
Iran Embassy in Madrid says "baseless claims" According to Mundo Deportivo , Ronaldo potentially faces legal repercussi...
Cristiano Ronaldo's Hug in Iran: 99 Lashes as Punishment?
A video of a giant octopus crushing a car's roof in a parking lot has been circulating on social media with a false cla...
Fake News: Octopus Never Crashed Range Rover in Qatar
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Baking Bread
How three self-taught bakers turned passion and persistence into purpose By Dena Al-Fadhli When Ahmed AlRefai sold his first cake — a babka, popular in Eastern Europe — to a stranger on Instagram, he had no idea it would propel him into a life devoted to baking. But something clicked that day in the kitchen. 'I felt something different. It was like everything around me became blocked,' he recalled. That first transaction — for KD 5 — became what he now calls his 'first investment'. Working from the small apartment kitchen he shared with a roommate, AlRefai began baking regularly through the night. His roommate wasn't always thrilled by the chaos that ensued well into the early hours, but AlRefai made peace offerings in the form of a scone or two. 'I didn't really know where I was going with it,' he admitted, 'but I knew it felt good.' As his passion deepened, so did his ambition. Determined to specialize, he set his sights on one of baking's most notoriously difficult challenges: the bagel. 'I chose bagels because they're one of the most difficult to master due to their low hydration,' he explained. What followed was a year and a half of self-guided trial and error — countless hours in the kitchen and endless experimentation with dough. Today, AlRefai runs his own bagel shop, welcoming customers from across Kuwait and beyond. Some come in for their very first bagel; others, for their seventieth. But for AlRefai, it's never just been about the bagel. 'It's about the interaction,' he said. 'What's your dream? Where do you work? What do you want to do — and how can I help you do it? You want to resign? Let's talk about how to make that happen.' For him, food is simply the medium through which a deeper human connection is made. That sentiment resonates with Aya Ghader, another self-taught baker in Kuwait whose perfect recipe isn't defined by the precise balance of ingredients but by her ability to connect with people. 'I always like to put myself in the customer's shoes,' she said. 'If they're celebrating their child's first birthday or marking a big milestone, I try to imagine I'm that person — the mom of the kid, the bride getting married. I try to feel the joy of the occasion to get the best result.' Like AlRefai, Ghader's journey also began with a single Instagram order. And like him, she chose a challenge right from the start: Macarons. Known for their delicate structure and unforgiving nature, macarons became her obsession. 'I'm competitive,' she told Kuwait Times. 'When something doesn't work, I just push myself harder until it does.' Ghader's customers are not the only connections she's formed through baking. As she spent countless nights in the kitchen well past midnight experimenting with flavors and textures, the kitchen became her refuge — a space of calm during stressful or anxious moments. Over time, she even developed personal relationships with her baking equipment. 'I name every piece,' she said. 'The biggest mixer is called Big Mama, the smaller one is Silvie, and my first coffee machine is called Marzo.' Twelve months and more than a hundred failed attempts later, she landed on the perfect macaron recipe — one that is now sold in her very own bakery. Running a business and baking full-time can be overwhelming, but what keeps Ghader going is the legacy she's building: 'I want my nieces, nephews, and the next generation to see that anything is possible — that you can leave behind more good than you came in with.' Lolwah, a Kuwaiti-Moroccan baker, has shown that same unyielding passion and perseverance since childhood. Her journey began in Salmiya at just five years old, standing on the sidewalk with a tray of homemade cupcakes. She recalls a vivid memory from that time — one sweltering afternoon with only one cupcake left to sell. She remembers catching sight of a man running past, clearly in a rush. 'He said he didn't have time to stop,' she recalled, 'but I yelled and yelled after him to buy it off of me — and eventually he agreed.' She returned home that day having sold out. That same spirit of determination continued to grow as she decided to take her baking to the next level. Years later, when a friend invited her to help at a fundraiser for Palestine, Lolwah committed to baking 150 cookies from scratch. She wasn't fully aware of how exhausting the process would be, but she followed through nonetheless. Baking isn't Lolwah's only strength; she also has a gift for persuasion and a deep commitment to her craft. With the launch of her Instagram-based cookie business, she constantly experiments with recipes and flavors, often coaxing her friends into taste-testing — even when they're overwhelmed by sugar. As a one-woman operation, she balances every aspect of the business: baking, delivery and marketing. 'The pressure is real,' she admitted. 'But knowing I can make someone's day makes it all worth it.' For these three bakers, the daily challenges of running a business don't discourage them. If anything, they fuel the drive to keep going — one baked good at a time.
Arab Times
23-05-2025
- Arab Times
Matadors in the Desert: Kuwait's First and Last Bullfight
In the spring of 1972, an unlikely and flamboyant spectacle unfolded in the heart of Kuwait. For three extraordinary days, the desert nation played host to its first—and only—traditional Spanish bullfight, an event that would be etched into the country's cultural memory as a bold experiment that was never repeated. The spectacle was staged by the Salmiya Sports Club and enjoyed high-level patronage from Sheikh Sa'ad Al-Abdalla Al-Sabah, then Minister of Interior and Defence. With full fanfare and diplomatic decorum, the arena came alive on Thursday, April 6, when a Spanish bull charged into the ring, facing off against seasoned matadors flown in from Spain. The occasion was not only unprecedented but also extravagantly symbolic, opening with the national anthems of Kuwait and Spain—a gesture underscoring the cross-cultural ambition of the endeavor. The following two days, April 7 and 8, saw encore performances, each drawing large, enthusiastic crowds. Among the attendees were members of Kuwait's National Assembly, including the Speaker, all seated alongside everyday citizens, bound by curiosity and the thrill of a foreign tradition. While aficionados in Spain might debate the finesse or authenticity of the performances, Kuwaiti spectators responded with visceral appreciation. The precise and dangerous artistry of the matadors—planting banderillas with practiced elegance—was met with gasps and applause. It didn't take a connoisseur to sense the drama unfolding in the ring, or to recognize the poise and peril faced by the bullfighters. Despite the evident success and spectator delight, the 1972 bullfighting event was never reprised. Whether due to logistical challenges, cultural reservations, or shifting public sentiments, the curtain quietly fell on what remains one of Kuwait's most curious cultural footnotes. Over five decades later, footage from that April afternoon still surfaces, showing sunlit crowds and a sand-colored arena alive with movement. The sounds of the national anthems, the flash of a matador's cape, and the power of a charging bull—these fragments endure, a fleeting and forgotten dance between two vastly different traditions. Kuwait's flirtation with the world of bullfighting lasted just three days. But for those who were there, it offered a rare glimpse of cultural spectacle, played out in the heat of the Arabian sun, never to be seen again.
Kuwait Times
20-05-2025
- Kuwait Times
Women claim spotlight in India's macho movie industry
India's giant movie industry is known for its macho, men-centric storylines, but a wave of women filmmakers is helping to break the mould. "More and more women are writing their stories, turning them into films," said writer-director Reema Kagti, who believes the trend brings a more "real and healthy perspective" to movies, with complex, outspoken women characters who are masters of their own story. The world's most populous nation churns out 1,800 to 2,000 films in more than 20 languages annually -- and Hindi-language Bollywood is one of the largest segments, with more than 300 productions. Yet the films have often failed to portray women authentically, choosing instead to box them into being passive housewives or mothers who bow to societal pressure. A 2023 study by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) found that female characters in most chart-topping Indian films play the role of a romantic interest -- and are "fair skinned with a thin body type and a small screen time". But industry insiders point to a slate of women-directed movies earning international acclaim that have also scored well at the tough domestic box office. Malayalam-language film "All We Imagine as Light", a poetic tale about two nurses forging an intergenerational friendship, was the first Indian production to win the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Director Payal Kapadia shunned the one-dimensional portrayal of women on Indian screens which tends to mimic "unrealistic standards set by society", she said, in favor of one that allows women to "just be ourselves, authentic and true to how we are in everyday life". India's official entry for the 2025 Oscars was Kiran Rao's "Lost Ladies" -- "Laapataa Ladies" in Hindi -- a comedy which challenges convictions surrounding marriage and womanhood, a sign of a shift -- even if it missed the final shortlist. Indian director Payal Kapadia (2second right) arrives on stage after she was awarded with the Grand Prix for the film "All We Imagine as Light" next to US actress Viola Davis during the Closing Ceremony at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 25, 2024. Bollywood film director and screenwriter Reema Kagti (center) attends a masterclass by American screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris and Bollywood actor and filmmaker Boman Irani in Mumbai on November 23, 2024. 'More inclusive narratives' It is not only arthouse films that are winning hearts. Mainstream movies with strong women co-leads are filling up theatres as well. "Stree 2", a horror comedy featuring Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor, smashed box office records last year, beating earnings by superstar Shah Rukh Khan's action flick "Jawan". And "Crew", a heist comedy about flight attendants, was widely seen as a win for women-centric movies. "Women still face challenges in telling stories from their perspective", said actor-producer Dia Mirza. "However, the increasing presence of female directors, producers and writers is paving the way for more inclusive narratives." Movies can also tackle the way regressive traditions manifest in the daily lives of Indian families. "Mrs.", a Hindi-language film released in February, dives into the unseen labor of a newlywed housewife, her silenced aspirations and the societal conditioning she struggles with. "Across social media, you can see people posting -- that the majority of women in India go through this turmoil," said Lakshmi Lingam, a Mumbai-based sociologist. She points out that there was no backlash to the film. "The voices of women saying, 'Yes, this is true and I can see myself there' is very high," she said. "So, there is that kind of ecosystem of women resonating with many of the ideas these women filmmakers are making." 'Still misogynistic' Industry figures suggest progress is being made, albeit slowly. Last year, 15 percent of Indian movies surveyed hired women for key production positions, up from 10 percent in 2022, according to a report by Ormax Media and Film Companion Studios. Konkona Sen Sharma, an actor-director who is a champion of women-oriented cinema, is cautiously optimistic about the role women will play in the future. Women are increasingly present in the film industry, but "we still don't have enough women in positions of power," she said. Filmmaker Shonali Bose points out that women directors need the independence and financial backing to tell new stories. "Our problem is not to do with gender, it is getting to make what we want to make," Bose said. "When we want to make world cinema, we are facing market forces which are getting increasingly conservative." Lingam, the sociologist, said that while moviegoers are being "exposed to the changing discourse", mainstream films are "still very male-orientated" and plotlines "still misogynistic". "Some of the women scriptwriters have great ideas, but producers don't want to back those stories," she said. "They intervene and make so many changes by converting the female protagonist into a male to make a 'larger-than-life character'. At the end of the day, the buck actually dictates what can be made and what cannot." — AFP
