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Is Sami Zayn Unbanned From Saudi Arabia? Visits Mecca Ahead Of Match

Sami Zayn is also competing at Night of Champions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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Sami Zayn has entered the boundaries of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the second time since he joined WWE as a full-time professional wrestler.

Currently, he is in Saudi Arabia as part of WWE’s upcoming professional wrestling pay-per-view Night of Champions, which will take place in Jeddah’s Jeddah Superdome on Saturday, May 27, 2023.

At the PPV, Zayn and his tag team partner Kevin Owens will defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Bloodline’s Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and his tag team partner Solo Sikoa.

But ahead of his much-anticipated match, Zayn took the opportunity to utilize his second-ever visit to Saudi Arabia and visit Mecca, considered the holiest city in Islam and the “fountainhead and cradle of Islam.”

And as Zayn himself is a Muslim, it was one of the greatest moments of his life to cross a name off his bucket list. On Friday, May 26, 2023, he took to his social media handles – Instagram and Twitter – and shared pictures of himself at the location.

The first picture showed him wearing a white outfit as he touched The Kaaba – a stone building at the center of Masjid al-Haram, the important mosque and holiest site of Islam. The Kaaba is also spelled Ka’ba or Kabah, referred to as al-Ka’ba al-Musharrafa.

Similarly, the second picture showed him standing in front of The Kaaba, inside Masjid al-Haram, also called the Great Mosque of Mecca or the Grand Mosque.

In the caption, Zayn wrote, “Being a pro wrestler and being with WWE has taken me to places I never dreamed I’d get to see and do things I never thought I’d get to do. It has provided me a life filled with incredible experiences that I will cherish forever.”

Sami Zayn standing in front of The Kaaba inside Masjid al-Haram

Sami Zayn standing in front of The Kaaba inside Masjid al-Haram (Photo: Instagram)

At the end of his caption, he mentioned that being able to visit Masjid al-Haram and touching The Kaaba was the top thing on his list. He then wrote, “الحمدلله,” which translates to “Thank God.”

Is Sami Zayn unbanned in Saudi Arabia?

As mentioned above, this is Zayn’s second-ever visit to Saudi Arabia, with the first one being in 2014 as a part of WWE’s three-night house show tour in Riyadh. After that, many more shows and PPVs took place in Saudi Arabia, but Zayn wasn’t a part of them.

So, what happened? Was Zayn banned from competing in live shows and PPVs in Saudi Arabia? Well, banned isn’t the exact word that is fit to use in this context, as it’s more of a voluntary choice that Zayn made.

Zayn is a Canadian national, but his parents were Syrian immigrants who left their home country in the 1970s and settled in Canada. And the diplomatic relations between Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia haven’t been on a positive note since 2011, until now.

Sami Zayn donning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships

Sami Zayn donning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships (Photo: Instagram)

Syria and Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties in November 2011 after Saudi Arabia’s backing of non-government forces during the Syrian Civil War. And while both nations are Sunni Muslim-majority countries, they didn’t see eye-to-eye.

As for Zayn’s refraining from Saudi Arabia-based WWE Shows and PPVs, Ryan Satin reported in 2018 that Zayn was pulled out from competing in The Greatest Royal Rumble as WWE didn’t want to disrespect the local culture in Saudi Arabia.

One year later, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the Saudi Arabian government had banned WWE from using Zayn at Super ShowDown due to Zayn’s Syrian ethnicity.

That being said, Zayn will now compete in WWE’s Night of Champions. So, what changed now? The answer is the diplomatic relationship between Syria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which became good, i.e., they resumed diplomatic ties on May 9, 2023.

Due to that, it became clear that Saudi Arabia had no problem letting Zayn compete in Saudi Arabia-based WWE PPVs, and Zayn was also willing to wrestle once again in Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, Zayn’s longtime best friend, Kevin Owens, will also compete for the first time in Saudi Arabia as Owens had also backed out from contesting in Saudi Arabia-based WWE PPVs as a show of support for Zayn.

Dipesh is an experienced writer who has been covering entertainment news and stories for more than two years. Presently, he writes stories for Glamour Buff and GB Issue.

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Fans Appreciated SKZ’s Felix for Apologizing for Showing Coca-Cola on Live

“I want to apologize for bringing out the Coca-Cola bottle.”

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Fans Appreciated SKZ’s Felix for Apologizing for Showing Coca-Cola on Live

Stray Kids’s Felix is one of the big names in the K-pop industry and has a lot of fanbase.

When he goes live on Instagram, thousands of fans and followers of him join him while he does a mukbang. On March 17, 2024, he went live and over 70 thousand fans and followers were watching it.

He talked about his first runway show and his experience while walking for Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week 2024. He also talked about his group members, their new songs, and what Stray Kids had planned for the future.

Stray Kids’s Felix.

Stray Kids’s Felix. (Source: Instagram)

He did all that while eating chicken and having Coca-Cola. He showed off the bottle of the drink to his fans and followers only to be faced with immediate backlash.

They began spamming the comment section on the live, notifying him of Coca-Cola’s alleged support to the Israel Defense Force and Israel who are committing genocide against Palestine.

Similarly, they asked him to apologize and boycott the brand. It soon began trending across various platforms like Twitter as well. 

Felix took note of all the comments that were being sent along his way and apologized for drinking and showing the bottle of Coca-Cola. While on Instagram live, he said, “By the way, I want to apologize for bringing out the Coca-Cola bottle. I do apologize for just showing that on live.”

He claimed that he did not mean to hurt anyone and constantly apologized for hurting the feelings and sentiments of his fans and followers. “I really want to say I’m very sorry for showing that out. I didn’t want to make STAYs upset, so I just want to say I’m really sorry for bringing that up.”

He also promised that he would never repeat his actions. “And I won’t um… Next time on my mukbang live, when I’m eating chicken or anything else, I won’t do it. I’m sorry for making everyone upset. I’m really sorry. I don’t have time but thank you so much for watching this live, and I hope everyone stays safe and happy this year,” he added.

Netizens were impressed with Felix and lauded him for taking a stance. They noted that his group, Stray Kids, was signed with Coca-Cola, yet he chose to support the boycott.

Stray Kids collaborated with Coca-Cola in late February for its new Coca-Cola K-Wave Zero Sugar release, which not only has a new “Fruity Fantasy” taste but also aims to commemorate the international K-pop audience. They joined ITZY, NMIXX, and JYP Entertainment founder J.Y. Park for the Coca-Cola Creations collaborative single ‘Like Magic.’ 

A fan wrote on Twitter, “This is crazy if you think about it. Felix the biggest idol of his generation and has the most brand deals. For him to speak that directly about the Coca-Cola boycott when in fact they have a brand deal with them as a company too… This is an idol who CARES.”

“When I tell you this just made me so [expletive] happy, he made a mistake and owned up to it in the same live, even though his company has an ongoing sponsorship with Coke. THANK YOU FELIX. THANK YOU FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING AND APOLOGIZING,” another fan chimed in.

Many noted that Felix might get in trouble for apologizing for drinking and showing off Coca-Cola, but appreciated that he took a stance for humanity. He is known to be a very charitable person, who has donated a lot.

Felix began making frequent donations and sponsorships to Save the Children, an international children’s rights group, in 2020. His services earned him membership in the honors club. 

He also gave ₩50 million to fund relief efforts following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 6th, 2023. Felix became the youngest member of the UNICEF Honors Club in January 2024 after donating ₩100 million to the Korean Committee for UNICEF to assist Laos children suffering from inadequate sanitation and nutrition.

Similarly, in early 2024, instead of going on a vacation like his fellow team members, he went to Laos to volunteer with UNICEF and help the children in need. So, it did not come as a surprise to Felix’s fans and followers that he took a stand. 

Felix is the only K-pop idol who has apologized for supporting brands that have funded IDF and Israel. Many other companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s have funded the genocide, directly or indirectly.

However, many K-pop idols are constantly seen drinking Starbucks and eating McDonald’s. While their fans and followers have asked them to boycott it, they have turned a blind eye to it.

As a result, whatever Felix did was commendable and was appreciated by netizens. 

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Han So-Hee Faces Backlash After Revealing Her Relationship With Ryu Jun-Yeol

It’s messy!

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Han So-Hee Faces Backlash After Revealing Her Relationship With Ryu Jun-Yeol

Han So-Hee, a South Korean actress, is now receiving widespread criticism for her handling of a relationship with her boyfriend, Ryu Jun-Yeol.

So-Hee, known for her appearances in K-dramas such as Nevertheless and Gyeongseong Monster, is currently dating Reply 1988 star Jun-Yeol. The latter recently ended a seven-year engagement with his drama co-star, Lee Hye-Ri, a fellow South Korean actress. 

On March 15, 2024, So-Hee and Jun-Yeol were seen vacationing together in Hawaii. They were spotting together at a hotel swimming pool, and netizens soon speculated that the duo were dating.

The rumor spread like wildfire, and Jun-Yeol’s agency, C-JeS Studios, responded with a statement saying, “It’s true that Ryu Jun Yeol is staying in Hawaii for photography work. We ask that you respect the fact that it’s the actor’s personal vacation.”  So-Hee’s agency also denied the rumors and said, “[Han So Hee] went on a vacation to Hawaii with close friends.”

This led many to speculate that maybe the duo are together because they are currently in talks to star in Han Jae-Rim’s adaptation of the webtoon Delusion.

Shortly after that, Hye-Ri posted a mysterious message on Instagram Stories, which some suspected was about the news. She tweeted a snapshot of a Hawaii with the caption, “This is funny.”

So-Hee then posted a photo of a dog holding a knife and wrote, “Explain this situation… I don’t like people who have a significant other, I don’t lead them on while saying we’re just friends, I don’t take an interest in them, I don’t develop a relationship with them, and I don’t get in the way of other people’s relationships. I like the program ‘EXchange,’ but there’s nothing like that in my life.” 

She seemed to be responding to Hye-Ri’s post and she added,  “I also find this funny.

Soon, she came under fire for harshly responding to Hye-Ri. Netizens noted that So-Hee should not have responded harshly to Hye-Ri when the latter had not even mentioned So-Hee or Jun-Yeol.

Meanwhile, several pointed out that So-Hee uploaded a photo of herself visiting Jun-Yeol’s photo exhibition in November 2023, around the same time that his separation from Hyeri was publicized.

On March 16, 2024, just one day after her agency refuted reports of their relationship, So-Hee stated in a long blog post that she was dating Jun-Yeol. In her statement, So-Hee said that she and her current boyfriend met after his six-year relationship with Hye-Ri had ended. 

She also said that Hye-Ri and Jun-Yeol broke up in early 2023, months before their split was officially reported in November 2023. However, many questioned this particular assertion concerning the time of Hye-Ri and Jun-Yeol’s separation, citing evidence that suggested the couple may still have been dating in the latter half of 2023.

Although she did not specifically identify her, So-Hee indicated that she would apologize to Hye-Ri for her now-deleted Instagram story, stating that she had created the post after she “temporarily lost all reason and behaved rudely.”

Later in the day, So-Hee personally responded to numerous comments on her blog post, including one that chastised her for publicly claiming the date of her boyfriend’s split.

She responded, “[What I said about] the timing of their breakup wasn’t something I heard personally [from Jun-Yeol]. I wrote that based on an article from June of last year, but if it was out of line, I’ll delete it. I was trying to prove that we didn’t get together while he was still dating [Hye-Ri], but I think this was rude as well.”

However, this claim drew criticism since, according to various news sources, there were no stories published in June concerning reports of a separation between Hye-Ri and Jun-Yeol.

In another response to a different comment, So-Hee wrote, “Rather than getting swept up in [what other people are saying], I am very much at fault in this incident. Starting with my Instagram story, I think I made a small matter snowball into something big.”

At the time of writing, netizens were still mad at So-Hee and how she behaved. Many have asked Jun-Yeol, the common denominator, to speak up about his breakup with Hye-Ri and his relationship with So-Hee, mostly to clarify whether he cheated on Hye-Ri or not.

However, the actor has remained mum on this matter. His agency, on the other hand, admitted that he was dating So-Hee.

They said, “Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee confirmed their positive feelings for one another and have been dating since the beginning of this year. Ryu Jun Yeol got to know Han So Hee after his breakup, and they recently confirmed their feelings [for each other].”

They claimed that because they did not admit the relationship rumor, “unnecessary misunderstandings and groundless speculation” had been created. They claimed that they would protect the rights of their actor and would take legal action against “malicious slander and insulting posts about our actor.”

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James Charles Condemned the USA’s Bill to Ban Tiktok

“And TikTok is our most pressing concern? I don’t think so.”

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James Charles Condemned the USA’s Bill to Ban Tiktok

The USA might be banning TikTok, one of the most used platforms in the country, in the near future.

They took a step closer to banning TikTok on March 13, 2024, when the House of Representatives passed a measure requiring the app’s Chinese creator, ByteDance, to divest from the firm or be removed from US app stores.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, commonly known as the TikTok Ban Bill, passed with strong bipartisan support, with 352 votes in favor and just 65 opposed. The Act was transferred to the Senate, where it must be passed before being delivered to the White House. 

If the White House signs it, the measure becomes law, and TikTok will be unavailable in the United States. Since then, there has been a lot of backlash from the citizens on social media platforms. 

Many have been vocal about condemning the ban, including the controversial social media star, James Charles

Following the passage of the bill banning TikTok in the House of Representatives, Charles has publicly criticized the hypocrisy of the American political system. He claimed that the bill’s quick passage is a stinging illustration of how politicians’ priorities have been flipped upside down. 

After the House approved the measure, he quickly pointed out that legislators had more pressing issues to address than TikTok. He said, “We are starving. People are dying. People are in jail for marijuana [expletive] charges. We are in a war that we should not be in the first place. And TikTok is our most pressing concern? I don’t think so.”

Charles expressed his dissatisfaction with how quickly the TikTok ban is going through Congress, yet other vital measures can become bogged down for years in the gears of the US political engine.

“[It’s] a test to our political system that that bill was introduced like, what, five minutes ago? And it was passed this morning, and now it’s already going to the Senate, whereas there are already all sorts of bills that take weeks, months, years and never get anything done to them,” he pointed out. “It goes to show when someone wants something done it can be done.”

James Charles.

James Charles. (Source: Instagram)

Many agreed with Charles, claiming that even though they did not agree with his actions, they shared the same sentiment regarding the possibility of the TikTok Ban Bill. They praised him for raising an important issue but, at the same time, noted that they would not forgive his past behavior.

Charles’ ability as a makeup artist propelled him to become one of YouTube’s most prominent beauty and fashion experts. However, he lost fan support following a conflict with a former colleague, Tati Westbrook, who publicly accused Charles of attempting to attract a straight mine while being aware of his sexuality in 2019.

In 2021, Charles made news for all the wrong reasons as a 16-year-old boy accused the influencer of mailing him nude photos. The YouTuber also reportedly urged the child to send him explicit texts. 

While Charles denied the accusations and claimed to be unaware of the boy’s age, more underage boys came forward with similar accusations and shared screenshots of their alleged conversations online. Later, he claimed that he only texted two of them because he was desperate to be in a relationship. 

Since then, Charles has lost a majority of his followers, costing him business deals and even demonetizing his channel for a time.

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