Entertainment
First-ever Israeli-Palestinian boy band wants to be ‘humanitarian’ not ‘political’
First-ever Israeli-Palestinian boy band wants to be ‘humanitarian’ not ‘political’
AS1ONE, a new musical act hailing from the region where the Israel-Hamas war rages on, landed in Los Angeles to record new music on Oct. 6, a day before the war.
The group includes six guys in their early 20s picked out from thousands of auditioners, Billboard’s digital cover story reports.
Four of them are Israeli while two are Palestinian. As the news of the war began to trickle in from their friends and family back home, they clung to each other for support.
“Niv lives not far from where that rave was, so he undoubtedly would have been there,” shared music executive and the group’s producer James Diener, adding that a woman that singer Niv Lin had just started dating was killed in the attack.
“How crazy is it to get hugs from Palestinian friends when my Israeli friends died?” said Lin. “That’s our story.”
Lin sings in the group alongside Sadik Dogosh, Neta Rozenblat and Nadav Philips, while Ohad Attia offers vocals and guitar with Christian Aseel Farah as the group’s designated rapper.
In fact, Philips and Lin said they had never spoken with a Palestinian person until they joined the group.
After the news of the attacks that killed some 1,200 Israelis, AS1ONE “decided to stay” in LA and record rather than fly back to the region.
“In the beginning, we really felt bad that we couldn’t do anything, that we couldn’t help our families and friends in Israel,” said Attia.
“But then when you think about it, you really realize we’re on a mission and that we can be helpful. We can show the world.”
On Oct. 8, AS1ONE recorded with songwriters behind BTS tracks, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.”
“The toughest moments were during the sessions,” Rozenblat reflected. “I was told about two friends that were killed, Niv was told about friends of his that were killed — a lot of us found out about really awful stuff during that session, not to mention that now there’s a whole war going on.”
Philips agreed: “There’s no way to describe how bad you feel. Your first instinct is to go back and be with your friends and family.
Then a few days later, you realize there’s no better service to the world than what we’re doing, and it just gives us a bigger purpose.”
One of the unreleased songs they recorded is certainly colored by the tragedy.
“What if we just stopped the world,” read the lyrics. “Hold the phone/Faced the hurt/Take me home/We’re not built for this/We’re built for more/Forget the score/Show me what it’s like when we stop the world.”
However, the group seems determined to have a universal message and stay out of the gritty details of the conflict. “We don’t want to be political,” said Farah. “We just want to be ¬humanitarian.”
AS1ONE has not released a debut song just yet, but they’ve already faced strong criticism and roadblocks since their inception over the past two years.
Billboard describes one meeting where “a potential Palestinian talent scout was so opposed to the idea of a mixed band that she flicked her cigarette ashes at” the group’s producers.
“But as the two explained their history in the business and their vision for the group, the scout uncrossed her arms and listened — and, shortly thereafter, joined the team.
Such unlikely changes of heart happened again and again at meetings throughout the country.”
Diener believes the skeptics “felt our sincerity,” adding, “They didn’t feel like this was in any way a gimmick or a pretext.”
The group’s music is on the way, alongside a five-episode docuseries produced by James Carroll.
Entertainment
Dananeer Mobeen, Ahad Raza’s growing bond leaves fans speculating
Ahad Raza Mir and Dananeer Mobeen are making headlines with their ongoing drama ‘Meem Se Mohabbat’, which has garnered a great deal of attention from viewers.
However, it’s not just their on-screen chemistry that has fans talking. Off-screen, the duo has also become the subject of dating rumours, with fans speculating about the growing bond between them.
Ahad and Dananeer’s families have also become close in recent months. Ahad’s father, Asif Raza Mir, stars alongside Dananeer in ‘Meem Se Mohabbat’, and Ahad’s mother.
Adding fuel to the dating speculations, Dananeer recently shared a heartfelt Instagram story featuring a picture of her favorite dish, Dumba Karahi, cooked by Ahad’s mother Samra Asif using her own mom’s recipe.
This thoughtful gesture from Ahad’s family has left fans wondering if there’s more to their relationship than meets the eye.
It is to be noted that a few months ago rumours were rife that Ahad is in relationship with actress Ramsha Khan. But now latest buzz suggests that he is no longer seeing her.
However, there has been no official confirmation regarding any of these speculations.
Earlier, Ahad and his father also celebrated Dananeer’s graduation, further strengthening the bond between the two
Entertainment
Video showing Salman Khan travelling in taxi makes the rounds
A leaked video from the film’s set recently went viral on social media.
It shows Salman stepping out of a kaali-peeli taxi in a rugged look, wearing a blue shirt and jeans. The shoot took place in Mumbai under tight security, and parts were also filmed near Hyderabad’s famous Falaknuma Palace.
While the Ek Tha Tiger actor is seen sitting beside the driver, a few others can be seen sitting in the backseat. As the taxi stops, two other taxis coming behind are seen pulling their brakes.
A couple of months back, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan reportedly purchased bulletproof SUVs from Dubai, amid the death threats issued by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
After around 8 months of the firing incident, Salman also upgraded the security of his home in Mumbai’s Galaxy Apartment.
However, recently, Sallu was spotted travelling in a ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxi and the video has gone viral on social media.
Salman Khan is ready to wow his fans once again with his upcoming film Sikandar. Directed by AR Murugadoss, known for hits like Ghajini and Thuppakki, the movie promises intense action and drama. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Sikandar will release on Eid 2025.
Entertainment
Richard Gere says happier than ever after leaving America for Spain
Richard Gere has opened up about moving to Spain from the United States with his family.
In a recent interview with Elle España, the 75-year-old said that since making the move with his wife Alejandra Silva and their children — sons Alexander, 5, and James, 4, in addition to Silva’s 11-year-old son Albert from her previous marriage to Govind Friedland — they are “happier than ever.”
“The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum. We are happier than ever,” he told the publication. “[Alejandra], because she is at home and I because, if she is happy, I am happy.”
The Pretty Woman actor first revealed he was selling his home in Connecticut with the goal of moving to Spain back in November 2024.
The home had been originally purchased in 2022 for $10.8 million.
Back in April that year, the Runaway Bride actor opened up about wanting to leave the U.S. and start a life with Silva in Spain so she could spend more time with her relatives.
Silva, 41, is originally from La Coruña, Spain, though she’s spent considerable time with Gere in the States since their 2018 wedding.
Gere met Silva in Positano, Italy, in 2014 when he was still married to his second wife, Carey Lowell — with whom he shares 24-year-old son Homer. Before Lowell, the Hollywood star was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995.
“For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends, and her culture,” Gere told Vanity Fair Spain at the time. “She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers.”
The Agency actor further discussed the move while speaking on The Today Show in November. “My wife is Spanish, and we’re going there for her family, her friends, her culture,” he said. “The kids are bilingual, so it’s really going to be great for them.”
Gere isn’t the only well-known figure to have left the U.S. Eva Longoria also revealed in a November interview with Marie Claire that she and her family were splitting their time between Spain and Mexico City.
“I get to escape and go somewhere. Most Americans aren’t so lucky. They’re going to be stuck in this dystopian country, and my anxiety and sadness is for them,” she told the outlet.
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