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Al-Ahram Weekly
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Acting brilliant - Culture - Al-Ahram Weekly
A month ago, I excitedly started to follow the recent Watch It release Faat Al-Maad (Too Late), with a powerful kick off starring Ahmed Magdi and Asmaa Abul-Yazid. During the last few episodes of Faat Al-Maad, which aired five days a week, I started watching another production, released on Netflix: Catalogue, starring Mohamed Farrag and Reham Abdel-Ghaffour. The latter production is true to form: like almost every Egyptian series on Netflix, it is set in upscale homes with extravagant décor, full of self care, personal growth, and sleek cars. Though it was based on Aayza Atgawez (I Want to Get Married, 2010), director Rami Imam's unpretentious and realistic comedy series based on Ghada Abdel-Aal's bestseller, the Netflix hit Finding Ola (2022) raised questions about the absence of financial considerations for Ola (played by Hind Sabri) as she embarks on her journey of self-discovery after her divorce, a situation that persists in the second, 2024 season. Produced by the Egypt-based Watch It platform, by contrast, Faat Al-Maad (Too Late) features simpler decor and dialogue delivered by characters who are more spontaneous and closer to the hearts of the Egyptian audience and daily life in Egypt. But what makes Faat Al-Maad (Too Late) unique is not so much its topic —a divorce lawsuit — but the extraordinary performance of the characters led by director Saad Hindawi and the exceptional dialogue written in the course of a workshop headed by Mohamed Farid, which includes Nasser Abdel-Hamid, Islam Adham and Atef Nashed. The plot traces an ordinary couple from a modest background, Basma and Mosaad (Asmaa Abul-Yazid and Ahmed Magdi) facing marital problems due to Mosaad's abusive behaviour, striking his wife when angry only to apologise and promise he won't do it again. They live in a family house where Mosaad's mother Abla (Salwa Mohamed Ali) occupies the ground floor, leaving her apartment door open so she can keep an eye on who is coming and going and control Mosaad and his brother Moneim (Mohamed Ali Rizk) and their families. Abla's married daughter Wafaa (Nesma Bahei) provides Abla with money, from her own husband. Abla is filing for divorce after she collects enough money for an apartment outside the family house. With great difficulty Abla succeeds, aided and supported by her father Mahmoud (Mahmoud Al-Bezzawi), but the process is explored in minute detail, including such issues as how Abla retrieves the furniture that she owns by law and how, once she marries the owner of the print press where she works, Motassem (Ahmed Safwat), she loses custody of her daughter Reem, luckily to her mother, meaning that her daughter can stay with her for now. All these legal details regarding the journey of divorce when the man decides to give his ex-wife a hard time are well-known to Egyptians, but the way exceptional acting performances bring them to light is remarkable. Ahmed Magdi, for one, is clearly rediscovering his talent, Ahmed Safwat masters his tone of voice and facial expressions very powerfully too, to mention but two examples. Aziz Al-Shafei's beautiful score adds to the intensity. The series opens at a sturdy pace and gripping action with the complexity of Mosaad's character unfolding over the first ten episodes. But this buildup eventually flattens with an absurd finale showing the transformation of Mosaad from an unstable to a reasonable man after Reem goes missing in Alexandria when he attempts to kidnap her is unconvincing, even though the screenplay is filled with opportunities for making such a transformation plausible. What the screenplay does beautifully is to create powerful subplots that add to the main plot... As for Catalogue, directed by Walid Al-Halafawi and with a screenplay by Ayman Wattar, it is basically an imitation of a British Netflix series named After Life, written and directed by Ricky Gervais, with some slight alterations. In After Life, the protagonist Tony loses his wife after a battle with cancer and lives alone with his dog, watching videos of his wife giving him advice on how to face life after her passing. In Catalogue, the mix of tragedy and comedy focuses on Youssef (Mohamed Farrag) who suddenly loses his wife Amina (Reham Abdel-Ghaffour) and finds himself alone facing the responsibility of his children Karima and Mansour (Rital Abdel-Aziz and Ali Al-Beialy). Youssef's life is turned upside down when he realises that everyone around him like his own brother Hanafi (Khaled Kamal) and his brother-in-law Osama (Ahmed Essam Al-Sayed) knows his children better than he does: what they are allergic to, what they like and what they don't like, and even their agoraphobic neighbour George (Bayoumi Fouad). Youssef himself doesn't know. Youssef also discovers his late wife's YouTube channel which he knows about but has never seen. These are parenting videos that double as a manual for how to manage his kids. Still, paying attention to his children negatively affects his company and accordingly he hires a nanny, Omm Hashem (played by Samah Anwar) to take care of them... The dialogue is inadequate especially when it comes to Omm Hashem, who sometimes makes hollow and forced philosophical statements intended to be convincing while she and Youssef are having coffee together in the morning. Intriguingly — a common feature of Egyptian drama on Netflix — Karima is seen informing her father that she got her period. While something like this could have been addressed in a more innovative way, it feels forced and clichéd. The only saving grace here is the acting. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Indianapolis Star
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Aliyah Boston's peace used to depend on basketball. Now it doesn't, and it's paying off for 3-time All-Star
INDIANAPOLIS – Aliyah Boston sits courtside at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She just finished her pregame warm-up and it's about an hour before the Indiana Fever tip off against the Las Vegas Aces in an early July matchup. Roughly halfway through her five-minute conversation with IndyStar, the Fever forward shifts the topic from basketball to books. Boston recently finished the "Housemate" book series and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley's "Uncommon Favor". Her next book delivery will include "Variety", "Too Late" and the "Silent Patient" all packed with psychological thrill and suspense. "The crazy stuff? Yeah, that's me," Boston says. Reading is Boston's way of getting away. Away from the pressure. Not only from the external pressure basketball brings, but also the internal pressure she places on herself to be perfect. That's the battle for Boston. Perfectionism versus grace. In her first two years in the WNBA, Boston would often condemn herself after missed shots or poor performances. However, in Year 3, the young woman from the U.S. Virgin Islands has learned how to walk in grace. 'You feel like nothing is good enough. You always put that pressure on yourself to a point where you almost take yourself out of the game before you're even out of there,' Boston said about the dangers of perfectionism. 'As a perfectionist, I always have to be great in everything I do, and sometimes that's taken me out of rhythm because I'm like 'Why am I messing up, why am I messing up?' 'When in reality, it's a basketball game and you should not rely on basketball for your happiness. That's something in this third season, I've gotten a lot better at.' Boston airballed a 3 to close the half in the July 3 matchup against the Aces. She responded with a smile and shared a high five with teammate Kelsey Mitchell —a small moment, but a mark of immense progress. Recognizing every day she's able to play basketball as a blessing has helped Boston combat invasive thoughts. She's become more patient with herself and if there's a mishap, there's a simple antidote. 'Go back to work,' she said. "Basketball is a game. Sometimes it goes your way, and sometimes it doesn't.' Fever coach Stephanie White said she talked with Boston at the beginning of the offseason about her being used as a 'hub.' White and the Fever recognized Boston played with her back to the basket in Year 1 and wanted to utilize Boston as a decision-maker this year. White called Boston a 'high IQ' player and admitted at the beginning of the season, her star player deferred 'too much' to facilitating. The two had a conversation in which White reminded Boston although she trusts her to make the right pass, she urged her to take advantage of scoring opportunities. The three-time WNBA All-Star is averaging 15.6 points per game and 3.7 assists, both career-highs. Boston is also averaging a career low in turnovers with 1.4 per game. To White, Boston's patience with herself has contributed to a stellar season. 'She's a Type A perfectionist and wants everything to go right all the time, so she's hard on herself. Your greatest strength can sometimes be your greatest weakness,' White said. 'Giving herself grace, allowing herself to go through that, recognize that, and letting it go has helped her bounce back.' Aces forward A'ja Wilson is familiar with the pressure Boston feels. Wilson and Boston are products of Staley's decorated South Carolina program. In her first six seasons, Wilson won three MVPs and two WNBA championships. While Wilson said Staley prepared all her players to 'be the best pros we can be,' she empathized with Boston's early career experience. 'You've got to know how to carry yourself in different spaces, and that's something I see in Aliyah with how she's handled herself in this franchise and throughout the league,' Wilson told IndyStar. 'And it's not easy every single day waking up and being the star or the big that everyone relies on, but she still shows up and does that every single day.' As Boston navigates her fight with perfection, she has helped her teammates process their mental struggles. Forward Natasha Howard shot 28% from the free-throw line in the first six games this season. In the past 10 games, Howard is shooting 85% from the charity stripe. The three-time WNBA champion credited Boston for her improvement. 'She would tell me, 'Get out of your head. It's that little voice in the back of your head telling you you ain't gon' make it, so block that out and tell yourself you're going to make these free throws.' 'I've been making my free throws ever since she told me that,' Howard said with a laugh. Though learning how to give herself grace took time, extending it toward others was never an issue for Boston. When Mitchell's father died unexpectedly in March 2024, the Fever guard said Boston was there in 'every way' and said having genuine people like Boston during that season 'feels good.' 'Partnerships are always impactful, and when you can have a good bond with your teammates and sisterhood along with that, it's a great thing to have. You don't find it often,' Mitchell told IndyStar. 'So when you find good, genuine people like AB, you grow to accept and love people like her.' Boston's positive reputation stems back to her high school days at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. Worcester girls basketball coach Dan Sullivan coached the boys team during Boston's time at the private school, but was her advisor on her senior project, which focused on media broadcasting. With the likes of Staley and Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma attending her games, all the lights were on Boston. However, Sullivan said Boston tried to deflect conversations about herself while on campus. She cared more about her friends, teammates and school life. 'She was friends with everyone on campus and her lively personality endeared her to the community,' Sullivan said. 'If not for her height, you wouldn't think she was a basketball player because she never talked about the attention and the recruiting.' Wayne Bolden was Boston's assistant coach at Worcester. He echoed Sullivan's remarks. 'She knew she was gifted but didn't necessarily show it,' Bolden said. 'She just went out and was a person on campus.' Boston joined South Carolina in 2019. She led the Gamecocks to a national title in 2022 and was a two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year during her four years under Staley. The Fever drafted Boston with the first overall pick in 2023. Upon entering the WNBA, Boston had to re-learn who she was. 'Coming out of college, your identity is basketball because that's what you do,' Boston said. 'Fresh off a national championship, Aliyah was a college superstar that had to figure out the new world that doesn't involve text books. Coming into this new world was just finding who I am and what I like to do. 'When you get into the real world, outside of college basketball, there's so many opportunities to change who you are to fit in, to be liked by everyone and that's never been a priority for me. Who I am is who I am. Those I attract are meant for me and those that I don't it's okay.' With stardom comes a temptation to change that Boston hasn't succumbed to. But the internal wrestle between perfectionism and grace will undoubtedly continue. After all, Boston is an athlete. More so, she's human. And woven into human nature is a desire to be the best. But day by day, that fight gets a little easier for Boston as she remembers her skill and on-court performance don't determine her greatness. Greatness is already in her. 'Every morning I get up and I listen to my devotionals. A scripture I've been holding to this season is, 'If God is in her, she shall not fail,'' Boston said. 'Whether that's a basketball win or loss, you just think that, 'God is with me no matter what and every trial, every tribulation is to work out for your good.' 'This life I'm living is a blessing, not just to be an athlete but to be a role model to other people and to live out my dream, which is playing professional basketball.'
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump takes on the Fed – but he has little power over central bank, economists say
For months, Donald Trump has ranted on social media and, at one point, threatened to fire the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell. Last week, he took on a new, unusual tactic: a handwritten note. 'You have cost the USA a fortune and continue to do so. You should lower the rate – by a lot!' Trump wrote to Powell, whom he calls 'Too Late' in one of his less compelling nicknames. That Trump has targeted the Fed isn't surprising. In the midst of Trump's trade war, consumers and business owners alike have expressed anxiety about the economy. The stock market tanked in April, when the president announced the highest of his tariffs, and only went on the upswing when he pulled back the bulk of his levies. The Fed has the ability to sway the US economy through its ability to adjust interest rates. When rates are high, as they have been for the last few years, borrowing money becomes more expensive. This means higher rates for mortgages, business loans, credit card debt and more. People are less likely to invest when interest rates are high, which can slow activity in the economy. The Fed lowering interest rates would excite investors and spur economic activity, but the price could be steep in the long run. But how much sway does Trump really have over the Fed? While Trump's aggression toward the Fed, particularly his personal attacks against Powell, are a remarkable departure from the relationship a US president typically has with the Fed, economists say the structure of the central bank limits the amount of power Trump actually has – at least in the short term. Historically, the Fed has been a nonpartisan, independent central bank within the federal government. Economists have found that countries without central banks are prone to high inflation and unemployment. 'A central bank's independence is pretty much the only thing macroeconomists know of that's a free lunch,' said Jason Furman, a former economic adviser to Barack Obama. 'When you look at authoritarian leaders that have effectively taken over the central banks, like in Turkey, you can end up with 70% inflation rates and really, really big economic problems.' In late June, Trump told reporters that he has zeroed in on 'three or four people who I'm going to pick' to replace Powell. When the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, whose name has been floated, was asked if he would take the job, Bessent said: 'I will do what the president wants'. That the White House is already talking about replacing Powell almost a year out from the end of his term has raised concerns that a new appointee would act as Trump's 'shadow chair', or someone who has power over Powell before he leaves office. But those familiar with the Fed's structure say that a powerful 'shadow chair' is unlikely, especially since the Fed's structure encourages consensus among its leaders. When setting interest rates, the Fed chair doesn't act alone. The chair is one of 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which meets eight times a year to vote on any adjustments to the interest rate. The amount of control Trump has over who gets on to the FOMC is limited. The committee has seven Fed governors who serve 14-year terms. Those governors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The other five members are presidents of regional Federal Reserve banks, who are selected within the Federal Reserve system. During the next four years, because of upcoming term limits, Trump will have the ability to appoint two of the 12 members of the FOMC – what would be a small fraction of the committee. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion 'They're going to have a hard time persuading other people on the committee to go along with anything like what Trump wants,' Furman said. Ryan Sweet, chief US economist for Oxford Economics, said that Fed governors on the FOMC already voice dissenting views on the economy in public, but come together to form a consensus during their meetings. 'It's built [into the Fed] that they go into a meeting and they've got to come to a consensus on what the outcome is,' Sweet said. And even though Trump may want to replace Powell before his term is up, the supreme court signaled that the president can't constitutionally fire him. Sweet pointed out that the court's preemptive protection of the Fed chair has likely soothed stock markets, which had gone into a panic when Trump first threatened to oust Powell. Powell, whom Trump first appointed in 2018, has publicly resisted the president's efforts to sway the Fed. He has said he would not step down if Trump asks and has said the Fed will not lower interest rates prematurely, at risk of raising inflation. In his most pointed statement against Trump's economic policies, Powell said that the Fed paused interest rate increases 'when we saw the size of the tariffs'. 'Essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of tariffs,' Powell said. 'We didn't overreact, in fact we didn't react at all.'
The South African
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Duduzile mocks Floyd Shivambu with TikTok after MP snub?
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has thrown more shade at Floyd Shivambu amid news that he has been shunned from a position as an MK Party member of parliament (MP). This comes just days after the former secretary-general hosted a press conference in which he accused her of 'taking drugs'. Floyd also criticised his allegience to former political parties, the EFF – which he labelled a 'cult', and the ANC, which he claimed was run by 'scoundrels'. Earlier this month, Floyd Shivambu was demoted as secretary-general after the MK Party condemned his visit to Prophet Shepard Bushiri, a fugitive. At the time, Floyd stated that he would remain a party member and would now be redeployed as an MP. However, the MK Party seemingly halted his plans after announcing a list of incoming MPs that excluded him. The new members will be sworn into parliament this week. Floyd has not directly responded to the news. However, he has continued to promote news of a new political party he hopes to establish. On his X account, the outspoken politician retweeted a post that compared him to MK Party president, Jacob Zuma. It read: 'When Zuma started his own political party, he faced the same insults and ridicule that Floyd Shivambu is enduring today…We've seen this movie before… and in less than five months, we came out with 14% of the vote.' Meanwhile, Jacob Zuma's daughter Duduzile has seemingly responded to Floyd Shivambu's plans with a shady social media post. On her Instagram Story, the MK Party MP reposted an old TikTok video in which she lip-synced the words to the song 'Too Little, Too Late' by US artist Jojo. @duduzumasambudla 'It's Just Too Little Too Late …' #BathroomConcerts ♬ original sound – jimmy ryan A day after Floyd's press conference, Duduzile also clapped back with a suggestive post. On her IG Story, she posted a clip of her laughing alongside EFF leader, Julius Malema. 'It's politics after all', she captioned the clip. Image via Instagram: @duduzilezuma_sambudla Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The story of Mighty Hoopla 2025, in 12 pictures – from Kesha to JADE to Ciara
Mighty Hoopla, one of the globe's most proudly queer and pop music-focused music festivals, lit up 's Brockwell Park once again last weekend (June 1–2). With 30,000 fans in attendance, the thankfully rain-free weekend featured a joyful mix of LGBTQ performers and supportive allies. There was also the usual balance of A-list names (one of last year's headliner was Nelly Furtado) and throwback cult favourites. (Daphne & Celeste were a coup!) Here's Attitude's round-up of the weekend, starting with Saturday's best moments… We're actually beyond bringing up that previous infamous festival appearance of theirs now. Respect to them! By the way, we highly recommend the following underrated gems from her discography: 'Beware of the Dog' and 'No More'. She later pulled off one of the shocks of the festival by bringing Craig David (of all people!) on-stage to sing 'Too Little, Too Late' with her. The 'Put the Needle On It' singer may not have mentored on Little Mix's series of The X Factor, but as fellow alumni of the show, the introduction felt like a full circle moment. The show is so far behind them now! Here's an excerpt from our review, which you can read in full here: 'Adele-level charisma, a JK Rowling call-out, club-ready visuals Charli XCX would approve of, and best of all, a truly powerhouse voice – Jade Thirlwall's set was an unignorable statement of star power, and possibly the most exciting moment Hoopla has ever seen.' The superstar also performed hits like 'Goodies', 'Oh' and 'Like a Boy'. Just as she did in her Attitude cover shoot last year. We approve! The star announced on stage that she's pregnant with her second child! Last week, the 'Foundations' singer : 'I love Hoopla. It's the best. I've played it twice. I think it's the perfect place to do it. I think it is for this audience. It's needed, that voice. There's a gap in talking about this in pop culture. Yes, it's heavy in subject matter, but it will also feel really joyous to perform it, I think, and be this really fun, empowered, fiery moment.' The pop icon is the latest in a string of high-profile names to headline the festival, following in the footsteps of Jessie Ware, Kelly Rowland, Chaka Khan and Cheryl. As well as old hits 'Tik Tok' and 'Your Love Is My Drug', the star performed recent material like 'BOY CRAZY' and 'JOYRIDE.' The post The story of Mighty Hoopla 2025, in 12 pictures – from Kesha to JADE to Ciara appeared first on Attitude.
