Pop diva Beyonce and her rap mogul husband Jay Z have welcomed twins, according to US media reports. The babies take music’s royal family to five and are siblings for 5-year-old Blue Ivy.
News that the songstress had given birth, reported by entertainment outlets including People magazine and US Weekly, ignited social media, with the so-called "Bey hive" fan group buzzing over the yet unrevealed sexes and names of the latest additions to the Carter Clan.
US Weekly cited multiple unidentified sources as saying the twins were born last week. Entertainment news outlet E!, also citing unidentified sources, said the couple had been spotted at a Los Angeles area hospital on Thursday.
Speculation grew when an unidentified woman was photographed on Friday carrying a large bouquet of pink, blue and purple flowers - complete with a card that appeared to read “B + J” - along with twin pink and blue balloons in the shape of feet that read “Baby Girl” and “Baby Boy.”
A representative for Beyonce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Superstar Beyonce in February made the blockbuster reveal that she was expecting. Clad in panties and a bra under a flowing veil, she commanded control of the internet by posting a picture of herself kneeling beside a human-size floral arrangement, her hands cradling her rounded belly.
“We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over,” the 35-year-old singer wrote. “We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for all your well wishes,” she added, signing with Jay Z.
Speculation that Beyonce’s due date had approached was fueled last week when husband Jay Z, 47, was absent at the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The rapper, who grew up as Sean Carter, took to Twitter to thank artists who had influenced him as well as former US president Barack Obama.
Obama hailed the hip-hop mogul - who campaigned actively with Beyonce for the first African-American president - as a kindred spirit at the event in a surprise appearance by video.
“Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he’s going to have me beat once those twins show up,” the former president and father of two joked.
Some fans clamoring for details on the twins took Obama’s aside as a hint that the babies might be girls. But despite rumblings and guessing games no concrete details regarding sexes or names of the babies have been revealed.
Beyonce and Jay Z are among the most commercially successful figures in music, with a combined net worth estimated at $1 billion.
As an expectant mother Beyonce made a New Age celebration of women at the Grammy Awards earlier this year - putting on an extravagant, abstract performance while proudly displaying her baby bump cloaked in a flowing gold gown.
She pulled out of her headlining spot at April’s Coachella music festival in southern California, however, on the advice of her doctors.
She still made a number of red carpet appearances while carrying the twins and documented her pregnancy via social media - to the joy of her adoring fans.
Beyonce's mic-drop pregnancy announcement had triggered intrigue over the fact that it came a little more than nine months after her last album Lemonade in which she strongly hinted that Jay Z was unfaithful.
One lyric warns an unfaithful man of a “final warning” that he’s “gonna lose your wife” if his behaviour doesn’t change.
A sullen Jay Z appears at the end of the film to embrace her, suggesting reconciliation. And on the couple's ninth wedding anniversary in April, Beyonce released an updated video for her romantic ballad Die With You.
It features home video-esque footage of tender moments between the couple as well as clips from Blue Ivy’s birth and toddler years, ending with a scene of the new big sister of the family kissing her mother’s pregnant belly.
Agence France Presse
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Khodar
Based: Cairo and Alexandria, in Egypt
Founders: Ayman Hamza, Yasser Eidrous and Amr El Sheikh
Sector: agriculture technology
Funding: $500,000
Investors: Saudi Arabia’s Revival Lab and others
Employees: 35
UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024
Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).
Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
Swimming
Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
EMILY IN PARIS: SEASON 3
Created by: Darren Star
Starring: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park
Rating: 2.75/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
