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Joy Awards Honors Stars from Around the World

Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season
Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season
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Joy Awards Honors Stars from Around the World

Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season
Syrian singer Assala. Riyadh Season

It was a dreamy night on which art and artists were honored in Riyadh, the capital of arts and creativity. In the 3rd edition of Joy Awards, the largest event of its kind in the region, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority celebrated stars from the Arab region and the globe, and gathered esteemed figures from the worlds of cinema, TV, and sports under one roof.

Organized by the Entertainment Authority during the Riyadh Season every year, the Joy Awards is one of the most prominent awards in the region, and an opportunity which artists take to meet, connect, talk, and exchange expertise, as well as a destination for esteemed figures to explore the kingdom and discover the young Saudi talents.

The event celebrates artists and creatives in different industries with 15 various awards and many honorary ones that appreciate the journeys of exceptional figures in the world of art.

The honorary awards

As an appreciation of their works over the past years, the Entertainment Authority honored a number of prominent names in different fields. Indian legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, one of Bollywood’s greatest stars. Among those who received the honorary awards was also Mel Gibson, one of the world’s best actors and winner of two Oscars.

Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara was honored as Personality of the Year for all her works, including her famed series ‘Modern Family’, which gained a remarkable audience in the Arab region and the Middle East. The Joy Awards also honored Kuwaiti esteemed actresses Souad Abdullah and Hayat Al Fahad for their decades-long journey as two of the most prominent TV symbols in the Gulf and the Arab region.

The honorary awards also went to Egyptian cinema couple, Ahmed Helmy and Mona Zaki, US director Michael Bay, Saudi singer Rashed Al Majid, Kuwaiti singer Nawal, Spanish actress Esther Acebo, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, chairman of MBC Group for his efforts in media and constant support of art, and Rotana CEO Salem Alhendi.

A night to appreciate local talents

Saudi artists had the biggest share of the awards in all categories. Ibrahim Al Hajjaj won Favorite Actor for his exceptional work on the Saudi drama ‘Minho Waladna?’; Ahmad Al Shugairi won Favorite Influencer; Jori Kattan won her first award, the New Voice Award, which she received with teary eyes. Abdul Majeed Abdullah won the Most Favorite Male Artist for his exceptional 50-year journey and many great albums that pleased the Arabic audience; and the Female Athlete of the Year Award went to Saudi swimmer Mariam bin Laden.

Awards for all Arabs

Many Arab artists were also honored in the Joy Awards evening including stars Ahmed Ezz and Hend Sabri with the Favorite Actor and Actress trophies for their roles in the film “Kira & El Gin”.

Star Nadine Nassib Njeim also picked up the Favorite Actress Award for her role in “Salon Zahra”; Syrian singer Assala won the Favorite Song Award for her song “Shokran”; and Lebanese influencer, Abir el-Saghir won the Favorite Female Influencer.

Salon Zahra, directed by Joe Bou Eid, won the prestigious Favorite TV Series Award; Egyptian singer Angham was honored with the Favorite Singer Award; and Moroccan player Achraf Hakimi was awarded Best Sportsman which he received with his mother.

Tribute to those who left

In a heart-warming gesture, the Entertainment Authority honored many prominent figures who passed away in 2022 including Algerian director and scriptwriter Yamina Bachir; former Kuwaiti media minister Mohammed Al-Sanousi; Egyptian sports commentator Ibrahim Hegazy; Qatari footballer Ahmed al-Malla; esteemed Lebanese actor Pierre Chamoun; and Egyptian actress Aida Abdel Aziz; in addition to Egyptian chef Osama el-Sayed; Saudi TV host Ghaleb Kamel; Saudi actor and director Ali el-Huyerini; Kuwaiti actor Ghanem al-Hamadi; Kuwaiti singer Suleiman al-Malla; Egyptian actress Rajaa Hussein; Saudi actor Khaled Sami; Kuwaiti actor Jassem Abbas; and Lebanese actor Joseph Abboud. The authority also paid tribute to Syrian singer Dhiab Mashhour; Moroccan comedian Noureddine Bikr; Lebanese singer George Rassi; Egyptian cinema producer Mohsen Alamuddin; Egyptian director Ali Abdel-Khalek; Syrian actress Antoinette Najeeb; and Egyptian director Galal el-Sharkawy.

Concluding keynote…Artists from Syria

Turki Al Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Saudi Entertainment Authority, addressed the concluding keynote, in which he thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman for their massive support to the kingdom’s entertainment industry which has witnessed a continuous progress.

Al-Sheikh congratulated the winners, and highlighted the importance of the winning and loosing culture, noting that everyone should be happy for the honoring of their colleagues. He also said he is happy to see Syria’s artists, noting that the Arabic audiences have missed the Syrian drama, the all-time favorite on Arabic TV screens.

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K-pop Stars BTS to Release Album in March Ahead of World Tour

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K-pop Stars BTS to Release Album in March Ahead of World Tour

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K-pop megastars BTS will release a new album in March ahead of a world tour, the group announced on Thursday.

South Korea's biggest musical act has been on self-described hiatus since 2022 as its members undertook national military service required of all men under the age of 30.

All seven members were discharged last year, and the group announced a comeback for the spring of 2026.

They confirmed on Thursday that they would release an album on March 20 before heading on tour, AFP reported.

The exact date was revealed in handwritten letters sent to paid members of the official BTS fan group, and later confirmed by their label Big Hit Music.

"I have been waiting more earnestly than anyone else," group leader RM wrote in the letter.

No further details about the album or tour were given.

The album will be BTS's first since the anthology "Proof" which became South Korea's bestselling record of 2022.

Before their military service, BTS generated more than 5.5 trillion won ($3.8 billion) in South Korea per year, according to the government-backed Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

The figure is equivalent to roughly 0.2 percent of the country's total GDP.

BTS has expanded beyond their home nation to become a global musical phenomenon in recent years.

They hold the record as the most-streamed group on Spotify, and became the first K-pop act to top both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Artist 100 charts in the United States.

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‘Zootopia 2’ Breaks Record to Become Top-grossing Disney Animation Film

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FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo
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‘Zootopia 2’ Breaks Record to Become Top-grossing Disney Animation Film

FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Moviegoers hold character cutouts to pose for a photo at a movie theater on the release day of the movie Zootopia 2, in Shanghai, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo

Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" surpassed 2019's "Frozen 2" to become its highest-grossing film ever, the company said on Wednesday, marking a bright spot in a year when global box office continues to trail pre-pandemic levels.

The animated sequel is the fifth Walt Disney Animation Studios film to cross $1 billion globally, ⁠grossing around $1.46 billion at the box office after its strong US Thanksgiving weekend opening, Reuters reported.

The film's success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" has grossed over $560 million. ⁠The sequel dominated its opening weekend in China, capturing approximately 95% of all movie ticket sales.

"Zootopia 2" launched Hollywood's crucial holiday season with an estimated $556 million in global ticket sales in the opening weekend. The film reunites rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and her fox ⁠partner Nick Wilde in a new adventure through the bustling animal metropolis.

With global box office still falling short of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the sequel's success has been a welcome relief to the studio and theater owners banking on packed shows during the year's second-busiest moviegoing season.

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French Minister Criticizes Clooney’s ‘Double Standard’ Passport

France's junior Minister of the Interior Marie-Pierre Vedrenne reacts as she addresses MPs during a session to discuss France's social security budget (PLFSS) for 2026, at the National Assembly, French Parliament lower house, in Paris on November 5, 2025. (AFP)
France's junior Minister of the Interior Marie-Pierre Vedrenne reacts as she addresses MPs during a session to discuss France's social security budget (PLFSS) for 2026, at the National Assembly, French Parliament lower house, in Paris on November 5, 2025. (AFP)
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French Minister Criticizes Clooney’s ‘Double Standard’ Passport

France's junior Minister of the Interior Marie-Pierre Vedrenne reacts as she addresses MPs during a session to discuss France's social security budget (PLFSS) for 2026, at the National Assembly, French Parliament lower house, in Paris on November 5, 2025. (AFP)
France's junior Minister of the Interior Marie-Pierre Vedrenne reacts as she addresses MPs during a session to discuss France's social security budget (PLFSS) for 2026, at the National Assembly, French Parliament lower house, in Paris on November 5, 2025. (AFP)

A junior member of President Emmanuel Macron's government Wednesday criticized the French passports given to Hollywood superstar George Clooney despite him speaking poor French, saying the move suggested a "double standard".

The news of Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney and their two children becoming French comes ahead of language requirements for citizenship being toughened for everyone else under new immigration rules from January 1.

"Personally, I understand the feeling of some French people of a double standard," Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior interior minister, told the France Info radio station.

"We need to be careful about the message we're sending."

Her boss, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, and the foreign ministry however defended the decision.

The civil code states that "French nationality may be conferred by naturalization, upon the proposal of the minister of foreign affairs, to any French-speaking foreigner who applies for it and who contributes through their distinguished service to France's influence and the prosperity of its international economic relations."

But the 64-year-old Oscar winner has admitted that his French remains poor despite hundreds of lessons.

Under the new immigration rules from Thursday, applicants will need a certificate showing they have a level of French that could get them into a French university. They will also have to pass a civic knowledge test.

Clooney has a property in southern France and said he has hailed French privacy laws that keep his family largely protected from international media intrusion.

"I love the French culture, your language, even if I'm still bad at it after 400 days of courses," the actor told RTL radio -- in English -- in December.

His wife, an international human rights lawyer and dual UK-Lebanese national, speaks fluent French.

- 'Meets the conditions' -

Clooney bought the Domaine du Canadel, a former wine estate, near the Provence town of Brignoles, in 2021. He said it is where his family is "happiest".

Nunez, the interior minister, said he was "very happy" with the actor and his family becoming French, saying the country was lucky to have them.

The French foreign ministry said the passport allocation for the Clooneys "meets the conditions set by law" for naturalization.

The family "followed a rigorous procedure including security investigations, regulatory naturalization interviews at the prefecture, and the payment of tax stamps," the ministry added.

It highlighted the Clooneys had a French home and they "contribute through their distinguished service to France's international influence and cultural prestige" through the actor's role in the film industry.

This "can only contribute to maintaining and promoting France's position in this essential economic sector", it said.

Amal Clooney is "a renowned lawyer" who "regularly collaborates with academic institutions and international organizations based in France," the ministry added.

Some 48,800 people acquired French nationality by decree in 2024, according to interior ministry figures.

Clooney is not alone in wanting a French passport.

Hollywood director Jim Jarmusch announced on Friday that he was also applying, telling French radio that he wanted "a place to where I can escape the United States".