Storied Italian jewellery house Bulgari has unveiled its latest fine jewellery collection at a glittering event in its namesake hotel in Dubai.
Called Jannah, meaning garden in Arabic, this is the second collection designed in conjunction with Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the first launched as a high-end, one-of-a-kind collection in 2020.
Now, the same design inspired by a five-petaled flower has been reworked in gold, mother of pearl and white diamonds.
To launch the fine jewellery pieces, Bulgari called on its new global ambassador, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
For the daytime event, Chopra Jonas teamed drop earrings and two necklaces and a vivid orange jacket and head cowl by newcomer designer Mohamed Benchellal, while for the evening soiree, she wore all-white, to best frame the jewels.
Bulgari chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin explained why this collection is such an achievement for the house. "This is the only time, I think, a jewellery house has worked so deeply with a royal highness to create a real collection, and not just a unique piece like a tiara for a special occasion.
"We have had many collaborations for crowning events or whatever, but this is the first time that a jeweller is really creating, together with a royal highness, two full collections as a collaboration, and not just an endorsement. She brought to the table the idea of the five-petal flower, the original of which she had admired in the Abu Dhabi [Sheikh Zayed Grand] mosque, which we would never have thought about."
The flower motif is caught inside a circle, to become the focus of drop earrings, the centre of a ring and even the charms scattered around a long, sautoir necklace.
"For jewellery, flowers are a classic, so the challenge is to express a different flower, which is not always easy," says Babin. "To have the five-petal flower surrounded by a circle was a fantastic idea, because anything fitting in a circle is immediately associated with femininity."
Babin was also filled with praise for Chopra Jonas, who is the epitome of the jewellery brand's clientele; "independent" and who can either be "gifted jewellery, or can indulge herself", he says.
"Priyanka absolutely embodies the Bulgari woman. She is married to an American, is of Indian origin, and she respects and understands both cultures. She can choose what she likes and she is typical of the clientele today we like to attract."
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
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Super lightweight:
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Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
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Featherweight:
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Middleweight:
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Middleweight:
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Welterweight:
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Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
