Best photos of July 11: Drought in Afghanistan to Oasis returning to Manchester
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Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
July Festival delivers historic milestone for Dubai's Godolphin stable
At Newmarket, the long-established heartbeat of British flat racing, Godolphin added another significant chapter to its illustrious racing story with a weekend to remember at the July Festival. The Dubai-owned stable proudly celebrated its 450th Group 1 triumph, while retained jockey William Buick marked his 2,000th career win. The defining moment came on Friday as Cinderella's Dream, a filly bred in the royal blue tradition of excellence, stormed to a stirring victory in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes to mark Godolphin's 450th top-level win since the stable was founded in 1993. Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by Buick, Cinderella's Dream showed trademark grit and class as she fended off a determined challenge from Irish raider January, pulling half a length clear at the finish. 'This filly is all class,' said Buick, who was celebrating his 60th Group 1 win with Godolphin. 'She gave everything, and it's days like these that make the job so rewarding.' The victory was the centrepiece of a sensational Friday treble for the Appleby-Buick axis, with King's Charter landing the Heritage Handicap and Distant Storm taking the Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes. Buick joins Racing Royalty But before Cinderella's Dream stole the show, Thursday had already delivered a moment of personal significance for Buick. In the Group 2 Princess of Wales's Stakes, his masterful ride aboard El Cordobes brought home a victory that sealed his 2,000th British win, a milestone that cements the 36-year-old Norwegian-born jockey as one of the modern greats of the weighing room. 'I'm incredibly proud,' Buick said. 'To do it here at Newmarket, for Charlie and Godolphin, it means everything. I owe so much to my family, and to everyone at Godolphin who has supported me since I joined as a stable jockey in 2015.' Since then, Buick has won the British jockeys' title in 2022 and 2023, and ridden more than 150 winners in each of those championship years, including one in the coveted Epsom Derby in 2018 aboard the legendary Masar. The three-day July Festival ultimately reaffirmed Godolphin's deep resources and competitiveness, although Saturday brought mixed fortunes. The day's big story came from outside their camp, as former jockey-turned-trainer Richard Hughes delivered a shock result in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup (G1), saddling rank outsider No Half Measures to a stunning victory, two decades after he won the same race aboard Oasis Dream. Notable Speech, Godolphin's star miler and 2,000 Guineas winner who went into the race as the favourite, couldn't replicate that form and finished sixth in the six-furlong sprint. Al Basti's Commitment to Racing Race sponsor Al Basti Equiworld, a prominent equine industry supplier based in Dubai, was established in 1998, demonstrates a strong global commitment to top-level horse racing through both marquee sponsorships and holistic investment in racing communities worldwide. Spanning Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, and Dubai, their support includes high-profile races as well as grassroots initiatives like jockey development schemes, reflecting a dedication to nurturing the sport's future. Back at Newmarket, Godolphin did not leave the final day's race empty-handed. In the Group 2 Superlative Stakes, two-year-old Saba Desert overcame a stuttering start to power home under Buick, sealing Godolphin's eighth win in the race's history. The win was a nod to former champions like Dubawi, Master of the Seas, and Native Trail, who used the race as a springboard to elite careers. Trainer Appleby hinted at high hopes for the young Dubawi colt: 'Saba Desert did everything we could have asked for, he's a colt with real potential. He wasn't straightforward today, but that often brings out the best in the good ones.' With targets like the G1 National Stakes or Dewhurst now under discussion, Saba Desert may well be the next headline act from a stable that is showing no sign of slowing down. By the Numbers: Godolphin & Buick 450 Group 1 wins worldwide for Godolphin since its founding in 1993. 2,000 Career British wins for William Buick after Thursday's Princess of Wales's Stakes. 10 Group 1 wins for Godolphin in the 2025 season to date. 60+ Group 1 victories by Buick in Godolphin colours since 2015. 2 British Champion Jockey titles in the Godolphin colours for Buick (2022, 2023).
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
BTS' J-Hope to perform at Lollapalooza Berlin: Here's how UAE fans can watch live
BTS member J-Hope is back on stage, and this time, he's making history in Berlin. After wrapping up his first-ever solo world tour and dropping the chart-topping single Killin' It Girl, the rapper, dancer, and performer is set to headline Lollapalooza Berlin today, July 13, marking another major milestone in his solo career. The performance is J-Hope's first solo headline appearance at a European music festival, and fans — both online and in Germany — are here for it. Ahead of his set, J-Hope gave ARMY a glimpse into his Lollapalooza experience. Taking to Instagram, he posted a carousel of pictures from day one of the festival, showing him enjoying performances by artists including Gracie Abrams, IVE (the popular South Korean girl group from Starship Entertainment), and Justin Timberlake, who closed the night. 'Beautiful night,' he captioned the post, and fans couldn't agree more. The BTS star was also spotted blending in with the crowd, though, naturally, fans picked him out almost instantly. Sporting a black denim jacket, baggy jeans, and black sunglasses, J-Hope turned heads with his effortless off-duty look. One viral moment had him casually gesturing a sun. From his outfit to his energy, it was peak Hobi. Watch the videos below: #HOBIPALOOZA2025 #jhopeAtLollapaloozaBerlin #LollapaloozaBerlin #jhope — ð��±ð��¸ð��¹ð��® | ð��¦ð��¾ð���ð���ð��¾ð���' ð��¾ð��� ð���ð��¾ð���ð��� ð��¯ (@MapOfTheHoseok) July 12, 2025 There was a part in the IVE's song choreography where they made a sun (â��ï¸�) shape, so j-hope just followed along, but Fans thought he was making a heart and freaked out so he was flustered #jhope #HOBIPALOOZA2025 #jhopeAtLollapaloozaBerlin — ð���-ð���ð��¢ð��£ð��� ð��§ð��¥ð���ð��¡ð���ð��¦ (@jhopetrends__) July 13, 2025 As the hype for his Lollapalooza Berlin performance builds, J-Hope made sure to send a note of love to his fans. On the morning of the show, he posted a photo of water droplets on a window with a simple but heartfelt message: 'Be Safe', a reminder to ARMY attending the concert to take care amidst the excitement. When and where to watch J-Hope's Lollapalooza Berlin set in the UAE Fans who couldn't make it to Berlin need not worry — J-Hope's performance is being live-streamed globally. The set will be available on: Tune in at 10.15pm (local UAE time) to catch the full performance.
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
a day ago
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Blue Sky Thinking: Meet Chanel's J12 Bleu
Chanel's J12 watch has a whole new look – for the first time, the monochrome mainstay has departed from its iconic black and white ceramic design, and is stepping into a new, enigmatic hue In the world of luxury watches, when something seems simple, it rarely is. It's all about the long game. So it was five years of development, countless ceramic trials, and a philosophical colour quest that culminated in Chanel's horological showstopper for 2025: the J12 Bleu. And it's not just blue. It's Chanel blue – an inky, velvety, almost-impossible-to-pin-down hue that's more feeling than formula. Unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2025, the J12 Bleu is both a love letter to Chanel's codes and a rebellion against them. Since its 2000 launch in sleek black ceramic (and its iconic white sibling in 2003), the J12 has been all about monochrome mastery. But now, in its 25th year, it's had a tonal awakening. 'There's black, there's white – and then there's this,' says Arnaud Chastaingt, the creative force behind Chanel's watchmaking studio since 2013. Speaking from the brand's booth in Geneva, Arnaud is, by necessity, both a philosopher and perfectionist. 'Black is not a colour,' he says with a grin. 'It's the absence of light. So I imagined giving colour to black.' The result is a blue that defies easy categorisation. There was no Pantone swatch, and no shortcut. 'People asked if I gave our manufacture a reference. I said, absolutely not. That would've been lazy,' he laughs. Arnaud explains that some early samples leaned too red, others veered too much towards green. But after years of obsessive iteration, Arnaud found his poetic equilibrium – an enigmatic blue that flickers between shadow and shine. This moody, magnetic colour didn't, however, appear from thin air. He references a midnight-blue dress Gabrielle Chanel designed, embroidered with black thread, that he discovered a few years back at a Chanel exhibition in Paris called Manifeste de Mode – proof that Mademoiselle never played by colour rules. 'She already knew that blue and black were magic together,' he says. 'Maybe that stuck with me.' The new J12 Bleu collection spans nine pieces, but the crown jewel – quite literally – is the J12 Bleu X-Ray. It's a feat of haute horlogerie brilliance: 196 baguette-cut sapphires glitter across a case and bracelet crafted entirely from synthetic sapphire crystal, offering a mesmerising window into the Calibre 3.1 movement. Transparent, ultra-modern, and wildly limited (only 12 pieces globally), it's the J12 at its most extravagant. In the rest of the collection, then comes the fun. Fun isn't a word you hear often in haute horlogerie – unless you're talking to Arnaud. 'I refuse the idea that a watch must be worn on the wrist,' he says, with the slight defiance of someone who's clearly had this argument before. 'Gabrielle Chanel never designed a watch, but if she had? She'd have worn it as a pendant. Or on a belt. Or a ring.' This spirit infuses the maison's pendant watches, which are very much having a moment. From a glossy lipstick-shaped locket strung on raspberry-hued rhodolite pearls, to miniature interpretations of Coco Chanel herself – there's a lightness, a whimsy, a wink. At the heart of this joy is the Blush collection: 15 watches inspired by Chanel's legendary beauty codes. Lipstick-reds, compact-shaped dials, powdery pastel palettes – it's watchmaking as seen through a make-up artist's lens. One standout? The Talisman watch 'Give Me Luck', a long necklace in yellow gold, rubellite and tourmaline, designed to mimic the maison's iconic Les Quatres Ombres eyeshadow palettes. Another is the Protect Me amulet, where Coco's kohl-rimmed eye is rendered in grand feu enamel and snow-set diamonds, a sparkling homage to Chanel's smoky-eyed signatures. The crossover continues with the J12 Box Dripping Art set: five black ceramic watches splashed with enamel shades inspired by the maison's most iconic nail lacquers. Think Rouge Noir, Rose Beige, and vibrant pinks that feel more pop art than precision timekeeping. While other brands flex their mechanical muscles, Chanel leans into mood, magic and memory. Yes, the movements are meticulous, but it's the storytelling – the deliberate blend of artistry and attitude – that sets them apart. 'Creation,' says Arnaud, 'is everything.'
