Deepika Padukone, one of the biggest stars in India, will be a member of this year's main jury at the Cannes Film Festival, set to run from May 17 to 28.
Padukone joins veteran French actor Vincent Lindon as chairman of the jury, as well as British actress and director Rebecca Hall; Swedish actress Noomi Rapace; Italian actress and director Jasmine Trinca; Iranian director Asghar Farhadi; French director Ladj Ly; American director Jeff Nichols; and Norwegian director Joachim Trier.
The group will help pick the winners of the 21 films in contention this year, including one for the coveted Palme d'Or.
Padukone, 36, who recently appeared in the acclaimed film Gehraiyaan, has been attending the festival since 2010 as a L'Oreal ambassador. Lindon co-starred in last year's Palme d'Or winner Titane, directed by Julia Ducournau.
Lindon said he was "extremely proud to be given, amid the upheaval of the many events we are going through in the world, the splendid and heavy task of presiding the jury".
The jury would "strive to take good care of the films of the future which all harbour the same secret hope of courage, loyalty and freedom", he said.
Canadian horror maestro David Cronenberg, US filmmaker James Gray and France's Claire Denis are among the competitors for the Palme d'Or this year.
They are expected to bring a bevy of stars to the red carpet, with Cronenberg's sci-fi/horror crossover Crimes of the Future starring Kristen Stewart, Lea Seydoux and Viggo Mortensen.
Denis returns with a thriller set in Central America — The Stars at Noon — featuring Taron Egerton and Robert Pattinson.
Gray's entry, Armageddon Time, is a tale based on his New York adolescence, featuring Anne Hathaway, Oscar Isaac, Cate Blanchett and Anthony Hopkins.
Tom Cruise will attend the much-delayed world premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to his 1986 blockbuster, playing out of competition.
And Tom Hanks will be in town for Elvis, in which he co-stars as the rock 'n' roll star's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, in the latest film from Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who previously lit up Cannes with Moulin Rouge! and Gatsby.
When announcing this year's line-up earlier in April, festival director Thierry Fremaux had already given a nod to the difficult global situation, saying the announcement came "after two years of crisis that we won't recover from quickly, and at a time of sadness and war in Europe."
A Ukrainian film will play out of competition — The Natural History of Destruction — from director Sergei Loznitsa about the destruction of German cities by Allied bombers in the Second World War.
The main competition will also mark the third nomination for Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov. He was unable to attend last year when his film Petrov's Flu was in competition due to an embezzlement conviction that his supporters say was revenge for his anti-authoritarian stance.
He relocated to Germany this year after his travel ban was lifted and returns to Cannes with Tchaikovsky's Wife about the private life of the famous composer.
— Additional reporting by AFP
Scroll through the gallery below for pictures of Deepika Padukone at the Cannes Film Festival over the years:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
