ISLAMABAD: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik have been divorced for a “few months,” Mirza’s father said on Sunday, a day after Malik tied the knot with a Pakistan actress.
Mirza and Malik tied the knot in April 2010 with their wedding ceremonies held both in India and Pakistan. They have a five-year-old son named Izhaan Mirza-Malik.
On Saturday, Malik announced his marriage with Sana Javed, a Pakistani television and film actress, months after reports emerged of his divorce with Mirza.
Mirza’s father took to Instagram on Sunday and confirmed that his daughter and the former Pakistani cricket team captain had been divorced for a while, requesting Mirza’s “need for privacy.”
“Sania has always kept her personal life away from the public eye. However, today the need has arisen for her to share that Shoaib and she have been divorced for a few months now. She wishes Shoaib well for his new journey ahead,” Mirza’s father, Imran, wrote in an Instagram post.
“At this sensitive period of her life, we would also like to request all fans and well-wishers to refrain from indulging in any speculation and to respect her need for privacy.”
Earlier this week, Mirza shared a cryptic message on Instagram that hinted she had gotten divorce from Malik.
“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard,” she wrote. “Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard. Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard. Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.”
Malik, a mainstay in Pakistan’s regular playing XI for several years, announced retirement from Test cricket in 2015 and ODIs in 2019. He, however, continues to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has not announced retirement from T20Is.
Javed, who has starred in a string of hit Pakistani drama serials, was previously married to singer Umair Jaswal, with whom she tied the knot in 2020. Though neither of them spoke about their divorce publicly, rumors about Jaswal and Javed calling it quits on their marriage were rife on social media last year.
India’s Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik divorced ‘few months’ ago — family
https://arab.news/wxmfv
India’s Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik divorced ‘few months’ ago — family
- The statement comes a day after Malik tied the knot with Pakistan actress Sana Javed
- Mirza’s father requests her fans to refrain from speculation, respect her ‘need for privacy’
Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo to send trophy back in protest over Israel’s participation
- Nemo, who won in 2024, said Israel’s continued participation went against the contest’s ideals of inclusion and dignity for all people
- Eurovision has seen five countries pull out after it cleared Israel last week to take part in next year’s event in Austria
ZURICH: Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo on Thursday said they were handing back their trophy in the latest protest about Israel’s continued participation in the contest over the war in Gaza.
Nemo, the non-binary singer who won in 2024 with “The Code,” a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock song, said Israel’s continued participation went against the contest’s ideals of inclusion and dignity for all people. The comments are the latest protest against the European Broadcasting Union, the Eurovision Organizer that has seen five countries pull out after it cleared Israel last week to take part in next year’s event in Austria.
“Eurovision says it stands for unity, for inclusion, and dignity for all people. And these are the values that make this contest so meaningful for me,” Nemo said in a post on Instagram.
“But Israel’s continued participation, during what the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry (on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel) has concluded to be a genocide, shows there’s a clear conflict between those ideals and the decisions the EBU is making.”
Israel has repeatedly rejected any accusation of genocide, saying it has respected international law and has a right to defend itself after the cross-border Hamas-led attack from Gaza on October 7, 2023 that precipitated the war. Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country’s public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, joining Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia who have also pulled out, citing Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza.
Nemo said it was clear something was deeply wrong when countries pulled out of the contest, adding they would send their Eurovision trophy back to the EBU’s headquarters in Geneva.
“This is not about individuals or artists. It’s about the fact that the contest was repeatedly used to soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing, all while the EBU insists that this contest is non-political,” Nemo said.
The singer said they had a clear message for the EBU, which organizes the contest that reaches around 160 million viewers.
“Live what you claim. If the values we celebrate on stage aren’t lived off stage, then even the most beautiful songs become meaningless,” Nemo said.
“I’m waiting for the moment those words and actions align. Until then, this trophy is yours.”
