l NEW YORK: Water, water everywhere — just not in plastic bottles, says a town in the US state of Massachusetts. A law passed by the town of Concord went into effect with the New Year, making single-serving bottles of water illegal. The ban is intended to encourage use of tap water and curb the worldwide problem of plastic pollution. It only applies to “non-sparkling, unflavored drinking water.” Coke or other soft drinks are exempt. Jean Hill, an 84-year-old activist, thought up the ban, arguing that bottles fill garbage dumps, while consumers are lured into drinking water they could obtain for a tiny fraction of the cost at their own sink. “The bottled water companies are draining our aquifers and selling it back to us. I’m going to work until I drop on this,” Hill told The New York Times in 2010. First time offenders get a warning. Anyone caught selling the banned bottles a second time will be fined $25, and $50 thereafter.
Lolo Zouai takes to Berlin’s Colors platform
DUBAI: French Algerian singer Lolo Zouai took to the Berlin-based music platform Colors this week, delivering a live performance of her latest single “Desert Rose PT.II.”
The appearance comes as the track climbed to No. 1 on Algeria’s R&B chart within 24 hours of its release. A sequel to “Desert Rose” from her 2019 debut album “High Highs to Low Lows,” the new single features lyrics in Arabic, French and English, reflecting the cross-cultural influences that shape her sound.
Zouai marked the achievement on Instagram, sharing a series of posts including a photo of herself wearing an Algeria football jersey, alongside the single’s cover art and a screenshot showing its chart ranking.
“Grateful for the love on this one. Can’t wait for you to hear the studio version and the rest of ‘Reverie’,” she wrote.
She also reposted a collage of fan reactions, including a TikTok video that read: “It’s 2026 and we still haven’t had another song like ‘Desert Rose’ out.” Others said: “Can’t wait for Desert Rose pt. 2” and “wdym desert rose pt. 2?!?!?!”
The single forms part of her upcoming third studio album, “Reveries,” due for release on April 24. She announced the date last month alongside the music video for “Holding On,” another track from the project.
Blending R&B with dance-pop elements, “Holding On” delves into themes of grief and memory. The video is dedicated to Zouai’s close friend, Hanna Rosa Hotchkiss, who died in 2021.
In a statement on Instagram, Zouai described the album as the product of a transformative period in her life: “This record was made through three years of grief, growth, and reflection. I had to lose myself to find myself again. I couldn’t have done it without my angel, Hanna. Thank you to my collaborators, my friends, and my Lo-riders who held me down through it all. I hope it heals you the way it healed me.”
Known for her blend of R&B, club-pop and hip-hop, Zouai has gained an international fan base for her dynamic stage presence and genre-blending music.
Zouai’s last release was in November, when she dropped a new single titled “3AM in San Francisco.”
