NEW YORK: Blue Ivy is about to become a big sister — twice over.
Beyonce and Jay Z announced Wednesday on Instagram that the superstar singer is pregnant with twins.
“We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two,” said a statement signed “The Carters,” Jay Z’s real last name.
The news accompanied a photo of Beyonce showing a baby bump while wearing just a bra, underwear and a veil, kneeling in front of a backdrop of flowers. The singer’s representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The news triggered half a million tweets in 45 minutes, according to Twitter.
Their daughter, Blue Ivy, was born in 2012. The little girl served as the inspiration for Jay Z’s hit song “Glory,” and she’s appeared in music videos alongside her mother.
Beyonce, who set a record in December for earning Grammy Award nominations in the rock, pop, R&B and rap categories in the same year with her diverse album “Lemonade,” announced her last pregnancy at the 2011 MTV VMAs.
Beyonce in October ended her six-month Formation World Tour at MetLife Stadium in New York City. She has also been named one of the headliners this spring at the Coachella music festival.
Beyonce and Jay Z routinely make listings of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. She is the most nominated woman in Grammy Awards history, with 53 nominations and 20 wins. He co-founded the record company Roc-A-Fella, the clothing line Rocawear, a nightclub chain and the streaming service Tidal.
She and Jay Z were married in April 2008. Beyonce revealed in 2013 that she had suffered a miscarriage before Blue Ivy’s birth.
In 2013, Beyonce told ABC News that she definitely “would like more children.”
“I think my daughter needs some company. I definitely love being a big sister,” she said, referring to little sister, Grammy-nominated singer Solange Knowles.
The news of the pregnancy comes a day after Pharrell Williams and his wife, Helen Lasichanh, confirmed they had welcomed triplets. Those babies join 8-year-old big brother Rocket.
Beyonce announces she’s pregnant with twins on Instagram
Beyonce announces she’s pregnant with twins on Instagram
How science is reshaping early years education
DUBAI: As early years education comes under renewed scrutiny worldwide, one UAE-based provider is making the case that nurseries must align more closely with science.
Blossom Nursery & Preschool, which operates 32 locations across the UAE, is championing a science-backed model designed to close what it sees as a long-standing gap between research and classroom practice.
“For decades, early years education has been undervalued globally — even though science shows the first five years are the most critical for brain development,” said Lama Bechara-Jakins, CEO for the Middle East at Babilou Family and a founding figure behind Blossom’s regional growth, in an interview with Arab News.
She explained that the Sustainable Education Approach was created to address “a fundamental gap between what we know from science and what actually happens in nurseries.”
Developed by Babilou Family, the approach draws on independent analysis of research in neuroscience, epigenetics, and cognitive and social sciences, alongside established educational philosophies and feedback from educators and families across 10 countries. The result is a framework built around six pillars; emotional and physical security, natural curiosity, nature-based learning, inclusion, child rhythms, and partnering with parents.
Two research insights, Bechara-Jakins says, were particularly transformative. “Neuroscience shows that young children cannot learn until they feel safe,” she said, adding that stress and inconsistent caregiving can “literally alter the architecture of the developing brain.”
Equally significant was evidence around child rhythms, which confirmed that “pushing children academically too early is not just unhelpful — it can be counterproductive.”
Feedback from families and educators reinforced these findings. Across regions, common concerns emerged around pressure on young children, limited outdoor time and weak emotional connections in classrooms. What surprised her most was that “parents all sensed that something was missing, even if they couldn’t articulate the science behind it.”
At classroom level, the strongest body of evidence centres on secure relationships. Research shows that “secure attachments drive healthy brain development” and that children learn through trusted adults. At Blossom, this translates into practices such as assigning each child “one primary educator,” prioritising calm environments, and viewing behaviour through “a neuroscience lens — as stress signals, not misbehaviour.”
Bechara-Jakins believes curiosity and nature remain overlooked in many early years settings, despite strong evidence that both accelerate learning and reduce stress. In urban centres such as Dubai, she argues, nature-based learning is “not a luxury. It is a developmental need.”
For Blossom, this means daily outdoor time, natural materials, gardening, and sensory play — intentional choices aimed at giving children what science says they need to thrive.
