Best and Worst: Saudi presenter Mona Ahmad gets candid on life advice, favorites and more

Best and Worst: Saudi presenter Mona Ahmad gets candid on life advice, favorites and more
Saudi presenter Mona Ahmad gets candid about her favorite film, fashion hits and misses, and life advice.  (Supplied)
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Updated 24 April 2025
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Best and Worst: Saudi presenter Mona Ahmad gets candid on life advice, favorites and more

Best and Worst: Saudi presenter Mona Ahmad gets candid on life advice, favorites and more

DUBAI: Saudi presenter Mona Ahmad gets candid about her favorite film, fashion hits and misses, and life advice.  

Best film you’ve ever seen?    

“Interstellar.” It’s one of those timeless films that you need to watch multiple times, and each time you discover something new. The directing is brilliant and so is the soundtrack. It goes beyond traditional cinema and makes you think deeply about space and time, even changing your perspective on life, and on the person you watched it with.  

Worst film you’ve ever seen?   

Hmm, it’s “The Shape of Water.” It was disappointing and weak in terms of story and dialogue. I didn’t understand the point, and it didn’t compel me to watch it again, despite the high ratings and awards. I just found it to be a very weird movie. 

Best accessory for a little black dress?    

Silver or diamond jewelry. It adds elegance and creates a stunning backdrop that lets the dress take center stage. 

Worst accessory for a little black dress?    

A red scarf — or a polka-dotted black-and-white one. It just doesn’t add any elegance whatsoever.  

Best fashion trend of 2025?    

I’m in love with the creamy vanilla-yellow color. I think it’s a beautiful, vibrant shade, and it’s lovely to have it in our wardrobes this year. 

Worst fashion trend of 2025?    

Super-miniskirts. I think they don’t suit most people, and there are better and more flattering cuts out there. 

Best advice you’ve ever been given?   

The advice I always follow came from my therapist: “What you send out comes back to you.” Whatever you give to others, good or bad, eventually returns to you. 

Worst advice you’ve ever been given?  

Any advice I didn’t ask for I consider bad and unwelcome advice. 

Best book you’ve ever read?    

“You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay. It’s not something you read once and forget, it’s a book that truly transforms the way you think about yourself and the world around you. What’s beautiful about it is how it encourages you to reflect on painful memories and your childhood so you can make peace with them and live your present and future with more health and contentment. And the real-life examples make it even more powerful. 

Worst book you’ve ever read?    

There are many I didn’t like, but the worst… I don’t want to name it for personal reasons, but it’s one of the highest-rated books in the world and it’s been translated into every language. I simply didn’t like it.  

Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?    

Exercise! During my saddest moments or when I feel drained and unmotivated, any form of exercise makes me feel better. It lifts my mood for the whole day. 

Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?    

Going back to bad memories and toxic people, talking about them… ruminating on the past with all its pain and difficulties without appreciating the present.  

Best holiday destination?    

The Maldives. It’s just the most beautiful place I always choose a cozy, private and peaceful getaway, far from all the noise and life’s demands. 

Worst holiday destination?    

I think any place that’s extremely hot would probably ruin a vacation, but I can’t say I’ve had that experience myself. 

Best subject at school?    

I was a genius in biology. I loved it so much and enjoyed it to the point where I didn’t even need to study before exams. I always got a perfect score. 

Worst subject at school?    

Definitely math. I hate numbers and have a much better relationship with letters. 

Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?   

Go to sleep early the night before so I can wake up early, go to the gym, have breakfast, and get my tasks done in the morning. That way, I have the rest of the day to handle my appointments and work with ease. 

Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day?    

Wake up late with no plan for the day. And waste time on social media. 


Man badly hurt by falling palm tree at Cannes film festival

Man badly hurt by falling palm tree at Cannes film festival
Updated 17 May 2025
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Man badly hurt by falling palm tree at Cannes film festival

Man badly hurt by falling palm tree at Cannes film festival
  • The Asian man, believed to have been attending the festival, was badly injured
  • A sudden gust of wind brought the tree down

CANNES: A man was seriously hurt after a palm tree fell onto him at the Cannes film festival on Saturday.

The Asian man, believed to have been attending the festival, was badly injured, firemen who treated him at the scene said.

A sudden gust of wind brought the tree down near the Palais des Festivals on the Croisette esplanade overlooking the Mediterranean, an AFP journalist at the scene said.


The accident happened as the American movie “Eddington,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone and Pedro Pascal was being shown.

The Croisette was crowded with festivalgoers when the tree fell, witnesses said.

“There was a terrible gust of wind and I heard a cry,” said Marthy Fink from Luxembourg.


Amal Clooney stuns in black at Cannes Film Festival

Amal Clooney stuns in black at Cannes Film Festival
Updated 17 May 2025
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Amal Clooney stuns in black at Cannes Film Festival

Amal Clooney stuns in black at Cannes Film Festival

DUBAI: Lebanese British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney made a head-turning appearance at the 78th Cannes Film Festival this week, wearing a black gown by British designer John Galliano.

Clooney attended the premiere of “Bono: Stories of Surrender” in a sleek, off-the-shoulder dress featuring a fitted bodice with subtle draping and a floor-length skirt with a gentle train. She completed the look with a black clutch and Cartier statement earrings, styling her hair in soft, voluminous waves.

On the red carpet, Clooney was joined by U2 guitarist the Edge and frontman Bono, the subject of “Bono: Stories of Surrender.”

Amal Clooney made a head-turning appearance at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. (Getty Images)

The black-and-white film, directed by Andrew Dominik, adapts Bono’s 2022 memoir “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story” and his one-man stage show of the same name.

Set to some of U2’s most iconic tracks, Bono opens up about the tragedy that marked his childhood, with his mother Iris collapsing and dying at her own father’s funeral when the singer was 14.

His father, Brendan “Bob” Hewson, already a man of few words, retreated into shock, anger and depression.

Clooney was joined by U2 guitarist the Edge (L) and frontman Bono (R) on the red carpet. (Getty Images)

The film is also a love letter to the singer’s wife, Ali Hewson, who he met when they were both 15, the same fateful day U2 was formed in a Dublin school. The film streams on Apple TV+ from May 30.

Bono, who has spent decades fighting for more aid to Africa and to lift the debt burden from poor countries, told the audience at the premiere that the world is again being threatened by fascism as it was when the festival was set up in 1939.

“Mussolini and the little man with a moustache, and his mate Goebbels had taken over the Venice Film Festival, so this festival was set up to fight fascism,” the singer said.

“It took it until 1946 (for the festival to get going) but it stands for that freedom now.”

He said that Hollywood star Sean Penn — a vocal advocate for Ukraine — had “brought us some friends from the actual trenches, from the front line in Ukraine, and they’re here tonight.

“I just want to thank you because you’re keeping us free,” Bono added to loud cheers.


Guerlain names Mohammed Hindash first Middle East makeup ambassador

Guerlain names Mohammed Hindash first Middle East makeup ambassador
Updated 17 May 2025
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Guerlain names Mohammed Hindash first Middle East makeup ambassador

Guerlain names Mohammed Hindash first Middle East makeup ambassador

DUBAI: French beauty house Guerlain this week appointed Dubai-based celebrity makeup artist and entrepreneur Mohammed Hindash as its first-ever regional makeup ambassador for the Middle East.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by hindash (@hindash)

Hindash, founder of the makeup brand Hindash Cosmetics, has worked with a roster of international and regional celebrities. His clientele includes Naomi Campbell, Lindsay Lohan, Chanel Iman, Natalia Vodianova, Rahma Riadh, Yusra Mardini, Nancy Ajram, Mona Zaki, Dana Hourani and Mona Kattan. He also did Queen Rania of Jordan’s makeup for the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa in 2023.

He took to Instagram to write: “My chapter with @guerlain represents more than just beauty, it embodies timeless innovation rooted in heritage.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be announced as their first makeup ambassador in the Middle East as I showcase Guerlain through my lens and artistry,” he added. “I have immersed myself in the rich history of the Maison, and I can’t wait to narrate the story on my models’ faces.”


Musician charged with Chris Brown in alleged London nightclub assault

Musician charged with Chris Brown in alleged London nightclub assault
Updated 17 May 2025
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Musician charged with Chris Brown in alleged London nightclub assault

Musician charged with Chris Brown in alleged London nightclub assault

LONDON: A fellow musician and friend of Chris Brown has been charged alongside the Grammy-winning singer on allegations they beat and seriously injured a music producer at a London nightclub in 2023, police said Saturday.
Omolulu Akinlolu, 38, who performs under the name “Hoody Baby,” was due to appear in Manchester Magistrates’ Court on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Brown, 36, was jailed without bail on the same charge Friday, throwing his upcoming tour into question. He is scheduled to appear at Southwark Crown Court in London on June 13, which is the third day of his world tour.
Akinlolu is a rapper from Dallas, Texas, who has collaborated with Brown and Lil Wayne. He also goes by the names “Fat Leopard” and “Super Hood.”
Police gave no details on what role Akinlolu played in the alleged assault but said he was charged in connection with the same incident as Brown.
Brown was on tour in the UK in February 2023 when he launched an unprovoked attack on producer Abe Diaw, striking him several times with a bottle at the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in London, prosecutor Hannah Nicholls said in court Friday.
Brown then chased Diaw and punched and kicked him in an attack caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people, she said.
Brown did not enter a plea and only spoke to confirm his name, birth date and gave his address as the Lowry Hotel, where he was arrested in Manchester early Thursday and taken into custody.
Brown’s representative has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Brown, often called by his nickname Breezy, burst onto the music scene as a teen in 2005 and has become a major hitmaker over the years with notable songs such as “Run It,” “Kiss Kiss” and “Without You.”
He won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” and then earned his second gold trophy in the same category for “11:11 (Deluxe)” earlier this year.
He is scheduled to launch an international tour next month with artists Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller, opening with a European leg on June 8 in Amsterdam before starting North America shows in July.


Pakistani animated film ‘The Glassworker’ heads to US theaters with Watermelon Pictures

Pakistani animated film ‘The Glassworker’ heads to US theaters with Watermelon Pictures
Updated 17 May 2025
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Pakistani animated film ‘The Glassworker’ heads to US theaters with Watermelon Pictures

Pakistani animated film ‘The Glassworker’ heads to US theaters with Watermelon Pictures
  • The Pakistani animated film revolves around two people from disparate backgrounds, a glassblower and a violinist
  • The movie, selected as Pakistan’s submission to the 2025 Academy Awards, took the animation world by storm in 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film “The Glassworker” is set to screen in the United States (US) after Watermelon Pictures acquired its distribution rights, the US-based film production and distribution company said this week.

The Glassworker, released in Pakistan in July last year, was storyboarded by young Pakistani animator, Usman Riaz, who also directed the movie that comprised 1,477 cuts and 2,500 individual drawings, bringing to life the coming-of-age tale of two people from disparate backgrounds: young Vincent who is an apprentice at his father’s glass workshop, and the talented violinist Alliz, the daughter of a military colonel.

Around them, a war threatens to upend their lives and the relationships between the children and parents are tested. A total of 250 people worked on the film including national and international cast and crew.

In a post on Instagram, Watermelon Pictures said they were proud to announce that their very first animated feature, The Glassworker, would soon be coming to US theaters.

“After being selected as Pakistan’s submission to the 2025 Academy Awards, #TheGlassworker took the animation world by storm as Pakistan’s first ever hand-drawn animated feature,” the distribution company said.

“An ode to Hayo Miyazaki’s dedication to telling beautiful stories frame by frame, The Glassworker is truly a work of art.”

The deal was closed during Cannes and negotiated by Hamza Ali for Watermelon Pictures and Hélène Espeisse on behalf of Charades, which is representing the film at this year’s Marché Du Film, US entertainment website DEADLINE reported.

“The Glassworker is a breathtaking, emotional story that will resonate deeply with audiences of all ages. We are honored to bring this cinematic gem to US theaters,” Watermelon Pictures co-founder Hamza Ali was quoted as saying.

Ali launched the film production and distribution company in April, 2024 along with his brother, Badie Ali, with Alana Hadid as creative director. The firm aims to amplify the voices of underrepresented filmmakers across the globe.

“We are thrilled that The Glassworker will be released theatrically in the United States by Watermelon Pictures. Their rapid growth and recent string of successful, meaningful films make them the perfect partner to bring our work to American audiences,” Khizer Riaz, the film’s producer, was quoted as saying.

“We couldn’t be more excited.”