Filipino contestant Maureen Wroblewitz has won the fifth season of the reality television series Asia's Next Top Model. During the show's final episode, which aired internationally on Star World on June 28, 18-year-old Wroblewitz beat Malaysia's Shikin Gomez and Vietnam's Minh Tu Nguyen to bag the title.
The competition’s final challenges involved a runway show held in Singapore and a fashion shoot where each contestant wore traditional attire from their home countries.
“You’re not only the youngest, you’re also the smallest of the competition,” presenter and judge Cindy Bishop told Wroblewitz. “But you have stood tall, and silenced anyone who ever doubted you.”
Wroblewitz has won a modelling contract with Storm Model Management in London and a cover feature in Nylon Singapore, among other prizes.
On social media, Wroblewitz reflected on her victory: “I still can’t believe I’m saying this … but I’m Asia’s Next Top Model! It feels like a dream and I don’t know when I’ll ever realise that all this has happened to me.”
Addressing her supporters, she wrote, “I was the last Filipina standing and a Filipina has never won before. I wanted to win this for my country – the Philippines and I’m so happy to say that I did. This is all for you guys.”
Anjelica Santillan and Jennica Sanchez, the two other Filipino contestants on the competition, were eliminated in earlier episodes. Wroblewitz is indeed the first Filipino to win the Asia's Next Top Model title, outshining the second-place finishes of Filipino models Monika Sta Maria in 2015, Jodilly Pendre in 2014 and Stephanie Retuya in 2013.
The fifth edition of the show featured 14 contenders from all over Asia. The judging panel was comprised of Bishop, Yu Tsai and Cara McIlroy. Filipino beauty queen Pia Wurtzbach was the final episode’s guest judge.
Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach to star in superhero flick
Speaking of the former Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach has signed on to star in her first feature film after winning the pageant in 2015.
Wurtzbach will appear with popular Filipino actors Vice Ganda and Daniel Padilla in a yet-to-be-titled superhero flick to be produced by Star Cinema, one of the country’s biggest production studios. Veteran filmmaker Joyce Bernal will be directing the project.
“I’m quite nervous because it’s my first movie, but Vice Ganda reassured me: ‘This is going to be fun.’ I don’t want to be anxious about it — I just want to really enjoy the experience,” Wurtzbach said in a press conference.
Since passing on the Miss Universe crown to France’s Iris Mittenaere last January, Wurtzbach has made multiple appearances on local and international television programmes. Back in March, she appeared in the music video for Lebanese-Canadian singer Massari’s R&B single So Long.
Wurtzbach also recently signed a three-year contract with the international talent agency IMG. She explained that through the agency, she will continue to work with the Miss Universe Foundation on select projects.
“It’s like still being Miss Universe, but just not the reigning Miss Universe,” she said. “So it’s the same — the endorsements are still there, the advocacies are very much still there. I still have to go back to New York to report to Miss Universe. From there, we’ll see how it goes.”
Filipino movie Pedicab wins top prize in Shanghai Film Festival
Filipino filmmaker Paolo Villaluna's latest movie Pauwi Na (International Title: Pedicab) won the Golden Goblet top prize at this week's Shanghai International Film Festival.
The film was inspired by a real-life story of an impoverished family that travelled 433 kilometres from Manila to the province of Bicol in a pedicab, a type of cycle rickshaw. It bested 13 other entries in the festival's main competition, including Iranian director Mostafa Taghizadeh's Yellow, which was given the Grand Jury Prize.
During his acceptance speech, a flustered Villaluna dedicated the award to his countrymen.
“The film has always been about the Filipino family and our national story of struggle and hope. It is thankless, painful and difficult, but we are resilient. I’m happy it resonated well with the audience and the jury,” he said.
Villaluna attended the festival alongside the film’s lead stars Cherry Pie Picache and Bembol Roco.
“I feel happy and proud for our country. We need this good news — especially for Filipino filmmakers,” Picache told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The festival's jury was led by the acclaimed Romanian filmmaker Christian Mungiu, who told the Hollywood Reporter: "I have tremendous respect for Asian films … [but] what's more valuable than awards is that the film festival provides a fantastic opportunity for exchange and exploration concerning films and life in general."
artslife@thenational.ae
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
