Yara Shahidi shines at Time Gala

1 / 2
Yara Shahidi wore a quirky, cute outfit. (AFP)
2 / 2
Ibtihaj Muhammad. (AFP)
Updated 25 April 2018
Follow

Yara Shahidi shines at Time Gala

  • Actress Yara Shahidi attended the Time 100 Gala celebrating its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World this week
  • The Iranian-American star of TV show “Black-ish” paired her quirky outfit with a slick top knot and black heels

DUBAI: Actress Yara Shahidi attended the Time 100 Gala celebrating its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World this week, looking out of this world in a galactic-themed outfit.

The Iranian-American star of TV show “Black-ish” paired her quirky outfit with a slick top knot and black heels.

She is well-known for her stance against the proposed US immigration ban that caused uproar last year and shared a message on her social media accounts at the time saying: “If my baba was stuck in an airport because of a Muslim ban 39 years ago, he would have never fallen in love with my mama. I would not exist and I wouldn’t have two amazing brothers.”

The actress has also been vocal about her Iranian-African-American heritage and even called herself “a proud Black Iranian.”

Also at the event, held at New York’s Lincoln Center on April 24, was hijab-wearing Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad.

Mohammed, the first American to compete at the Olympics while wearing a hijab, won a bronze medal in fencing at the 2016 Rio Games.

In 2017, she made headlines yet again when Mattel Inc. said it would release a doll modeled on the sporting star. The doll is part of the Barbie “Shero” line that honors women who break boundaries. Past dolls have included gymnast Gabby Douglas and “Selma” director Ava DuVernay.

“I had so many moments as an athlete, where I didn’t feel included, where I was often in spaces where there was a lack of representation,” Mohammed said at the time. “So to be in this moment, as a US Olympian, to have Mattel, such a global brand, diversify their toy line to include a Barbie doll that wears a hijab is very moving to me.”

Meanwhile, singer, actress and fashion icon Jennifer Lopez lent the event some glittering star power.

She graced the red carpet in a gold gown by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, mere days after her photoshoot with Time magazine was revealed to the world.

Lopez wears a dress by Murad on the cover of Time magazine’s May issue, in which she is named one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The gown is from the designer’s spring 2018 couture line. Murad’s official Instagram page shared a video of the actress speaking to the magazine, along with a caption that said: “We couldn’t be happier.”
“I never let anyone pigeon-hole me or put me in a box,” Lopez said in the video. “And every step of the way people try to do that to you — especially 


Review: ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is an oddball comedy worthy of Westeros

Updated 19 January 2026
Follow

Review: ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is an oddball comedy worthy of Westeros

DUBAI: At a time when the sprawling saga of “Game of Thrones” and its prequel “House of the Dragon” have come to define modern fantasy television, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” emerges as an unexpected offering.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas, the six-episode HBO series — created and spearheaded by showrunner Ira Parker alongside Martin — gives viewers a story that is not about dragons or imperial politics, but about two unlikely companions navigating a treacherous and unforgiving world from its humbler margins.

From the opening moments of the premiere, where the familiar “Game of Thrones” theme music is undercut in a moment of shocking levity, the show makes clear that we are far away from the grand halls of Casterly Rock, the Red Keep or even Winterfell. Grounded and whimsical, this is Westeros viewed from muddy inns, dusty roads and makeshift jousting camps.

Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall is the beating heart of the series. Claffey imbues Dunk with an endearing earnestness — a towering, awkward figure, constantly walking into doors, whose moral compass is as unwavering as his endless appetite.

His chemistry with Dexter Sol Ansell’s young squire, Egg, who has deep secrets of his own, is warm and organic, creating a duo that is as compelling as any knight and squire of fantasy lore. Their dynamic gives the story a cozy, almost heartfelt buddy-adventure quality.

What makes “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” so captivating isn’t its lack of spectacle. It has plenty of Westerosi trappings and there’s a sizeable helping of Targaryens and Baratheons and who have you. But its choice to focus on everyday courage, loyalty and the messy, funny, sometimes mundane reality of being a hedge knight truly makes this a worthy addition to the “Game of Thrones” screen universe. We hope there’s more where that came from.