Good morning, it’s Sunday, 17 November and in this edition we’re covering Italy’s upcoming cannabis ban, an algorithm for simulating afro-textured hair in animation and wellness rituals from your fave K-pop stars. We also have a guide to diabetes prevention given the prevalence of diabetes in people of colour.
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Miss Universe 2024: The final show was held in Mexico’s Arena Ciudad de Mexico and some history was made:
Chidimma Adetshina of Nigeria won first runner-up and is the first Miss Nigeria to place in the top five at Miss Universe.
Logina Salah of Egypt was the first woman with vitiligo to compete in the pageant.
Whoopi Goldberg in Sports: Academy Award-winning actress and celebrated comedian, Whoopi Goldberg is bringing her influence to sports as she launches the first All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN).
Italy’s Ban on Cannabis: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is gearing up to tighten controls on cannabis production and cultivation, including a plan to ban products containing hemp derivatives.
Latin Grammys 2024: The 25th annual Latin Grammy Awards has taken place, with winners including Jorge Drexler for Song of The Year, and Luis Fonsi for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Jay-Z Supports HBCUs: Jay-Z’s foundation, The Shawn Carter Foundation, has announced the launch of a new Champions for Financial Legacy program, aimed at empowering students at HBCUs with financial literacy.
An Art Gallery in Ethiopia: Nafkot Gebeyehu and Zion Yaynu talk about their journey from strangers to friends running Studio 11, an art gallery supporting Addis Ababa’s young art community.
Nairobi Comic Con: Ada Ndanu opens about NAICCON, East Africa’s largest comic convention, its start, its influence on culture in youthful spaces, and its 10th anniversary this November.
Makeup for Melanin: Beauty founder Rassia Yame is changing the face of melanin-focused makeup with the eponymous brand’s line of concealer, foundation, and minted matte lipsticks.
Skincare for Melanin: Germaine Bolds-Leftridge has launched her new skincare brand, I KNOW Skincare, which offers an SPF 40 daily moisturiser, a night time retinol cream, and an enzyme powder cleanser for Black skin.
Disney Princesses with 4C Hair: Professors Theodore Kim and A.M. Darke at the University of California at Santa Cruz have unveiled their algorithm for simulating afro-textured hair in animation.
Mouth Taping: the practice of taping your mouth before going to bed is going viral, and Dr. Amber Wheeler has the answers to several questions on this.
K-pop Wellness: We now know what wellness rituals our favourite k-pop idols are into. Hint: Jennie really loves cold plunges.
Heartwarming Chat: Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana talk about the role of motherhood and their new film Emilia Perez, in Vogue’s YouTube series “In Conversation With”.
Children of Blood and Bone: Tomi Adeyemi’s young adult Afro-based fantasy trilogy is getting a film adaptation, and the search for talented Nigerian actors to take the roles of Zelie, Tzain, Amari, and Inan is now on.
The Future Africa Awards (TFAA): This year’s edition of The Future Africa Awards announced winners including singer-songwriter BNXN who won the music category, Zainab Bala who won the journalism category, and Layi Wasabi for content creation.
New BTS Solo: beloved k-pop boy group BTS has had another member step into the solo spotlight, with Jin releasing his first single “Happy”.
Central Cee and GQ: The prolific UK rapper sits down for an interview with GQ and discusses growing up with his mother, his bond with his friends, and where he’s headed next with his music.
Lisa on The White Lotus: season 3 of the award-winning show will be graced by Blackpink member and singer Lisa.
As the year draws to a close, we’re looking forward to savoury dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But until then, we’ll hold onto our favourite sweet dishes: Baklava. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting baklava recipes for you to try:
Go Vegan: These vegan baklava cups are made with oats and ground almonds.
Original recipes: Authentic and original recipes like this walnut and pistachio baklava and cinnamon sugar baklava are always on the menu at festival time.
Breakfast Options: Recharge in the mornings with recipes like this easy cup of baklava overnight oats or a breakfast bowl of baklava oatmeal.
A Twist on Dessert: This baklava ice cream sundae pairs the warmth of layered phyllo with the sweetness of vanilla ice cream – perfect for warm evenings.
Scorpios are what you think Virgos are: passionate, judgy, slightly obsessive, and an emotional handful. So, if you’re married to one, today is Married to a Scorpio Support Day. But other than their intensity, Scorpios are deep lovers and great thinkers too, drawing from their ruling planet, Mars. But still, we’re bringing tips on how to be the best partner a Scorpio needs.
Communicate clearly and honestly: Scorpios are intense, but they do love the facts. Keep being an honest (but emotionally intelligent) partner, and Cosmo says you’re doing a great job already.
Keep the romance alive: It goes without saying but Scorpios are romantics, and if you’re married to one, be prepared to outdo yourself with the dates and romance every time. But we’re pretty sure you already know that.
Do not mess up: As passionate as they are when they are in love, they can be pretty passionate about dislike too. Once you know this and stick with it, you’re good to go.
People of colour have been known to be at higher risk of developing the chronic condition.
In the US, African American, African, Hispanic, and Asian people are statistically more likely to have type 2 diabetes than white Americans. In fact, the National Institutes of Health report that Black people are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes compared to White people. South Asians are also known to be at risk, especially Indians, who have been found to have a higher degree of insulin resistance compared to people of other ethnicities.
For World Diabetes Day, we’re sharing some tips for prevention and POC creators who are focused on diabetes care.
Understand Insulin Resistance: Diabetes is a chronic condition, and it usually starts with insulin resistance, or impaired insulin sensitivity. Insulin helps your muscle, fat, and liver cells take in glucose, but when your cells are no longer as responsive to insulin, your blood sugar increases, leading to pre-diabetes. Symptoms you need to look out for are headaches, increased thirst and blurred vision.
Get Blood Sugar Tests: if pre-diabetes goes unchecked, it can result in type 2 diabetes. It's important to get your blood sugar levels tested, especially if you have a family history of diabetes. It also helps to be in tune with your body and to check for symptoms like suddenly darkened patches of your body, especially around the neck and armpits. These are usually indicative of diabetes.
Eat the right foods: Paying attention to your health and your diet is important, especially if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. Important steps include high fruit intake, less red meat, and less processed foods. Check out the TikTok account, Queen Eatz Nutrition, which shares delicious yet healthy recipes for diabetics.
Intentional Exercise: You need to keep moving. Regular exercise, especially low-impact aerobics, can improve your insulin sensitivity and control blood sugar levels. Try moderate-intensity workouts that fit into your life, like swimming or brisk walking in the mornings.
Resources for Diabetics: If you are already diabetic, you can still live a fulfilling life. Some resources to help along the journey are Know Diabetes, which has a South Asian directory with insights on diet and weight loss in languages like Urdu, Bengali, and Hindi. You can also follow creators on a similar health journey like Black Diabetic Girl and The Divabetic.
