Margaret Atwood's The Testaments is this year's most anticipated novel, its contents kept strictly under lock and key – that is, until Amazon mistakenly sent out hundreds of copies of the novel days in advance of the official publication date.
The long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale is due to be published on September 10, but it is understood that about 800 copies were shipped out to customers by Amazon.
A statement by publishers Penguin Random House confirmed that situation, but explained “it has now been rectified”.
"We appreciate that readers have been waiting patiently, in some cases for more than 30 years, for the much-anticipated sequel to the bestselling The Handmaid's Tale," the statement reads. "In order to ensure our readers around the world receive their copies on the same day, our global publication date remains Tuesday, September 10."
A number of independent booksellers have expressed frustration that the embargo that they signed has been broken by Amazon.
Australian bookseller Jon Page tweeted: “When the big retailer gets so big they no longer give a [expletive]. Interested to see what PRH [Penguin Random House] does now.”
Rachel Cass of Harvard Bookstore in Massachusetts told Publishers Weekly that the leak by Amazon “makes us look bad”.
“This is bigger than just this book,” she said. “Customers will see that people who ordered online got their books. They will come into our store and see that we don’t have it yet.
"They won’t know or care about embargoes; they will just see that Amazon can supply them a book and we can’t. They might not come in next time.”
Atwood's sequel, which has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, arrives more than three decades after the original was published in 1985. News that The Testaments, which is set 15 years after the final scenes in The Handmaid's Tale, is out in the public domain has lead a number of newspapers to publish early reviews and extracts of the novel.
The New York Times described it as "fleet-footed", while The Guardian called it "a success that more than justifies [its] Booker prize shortlisting".
'The Testaments': a review round up
The Telegraph
“True to her mandate, Atwood has given us a blockbuster of propulsive, almost breathless narrative, stacked with twists and turns worthy of a Gothic novel. Its characters are as lurid and schematic as its clever front-cover image (a woman in a bonnet in neon green), but, like the jacket picture too, impressive in their gestural efficiency.”
Read the full review
The Guardian
"In the almost 35 years since Margaret Atwood published The Handmaid's Tale, its vision of a totalitarian theocracy underpinned by the rigid control of women and their reproductive systems has not receded; in many places – including the far-right consciousness – it may be said to have flourished.
"What can the novelist make of this? In the case of both Edna O'Brien, whose novel Girl depicts the lives of those girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, and Margaret Atwood, who has returned to Gilead to convey what happened after she had apparently finished Offred's story, the answer seems to have been clear: confront the new realities head on, and don't look back."
Read the full review
The New York Times
"In both The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments, Atwood wisely focuses less on the viciousness of the Gilead regime (though there is one harrowing and effective sequence about its use of emotional manipulation to win over early converts to its cause), and more on how temperament and past experiences shape individual characters' very different responses to these dire circumstances."
Read the full review
USA Today
"The Testaments builds in tension, morphing into a fraught tale of subterfuge and spycraft as it toggles between the three narratives, teasing how they might eventually intersect and why."
Read the full review
Los Angeles Times
"In The Testaments, Margaret Atwood's powers are on full display.
"Fierce battles over abortion rights, Planned Parenthood and women’s bodies are juxtaposed with a recent Kardashian family birthday party, Handmaid-themed.
"Everyone should read The Testaments, and consider the true desires of human nature."
Read the full review
Vox
"The Testaments also takes place in Gilead, Atwood's famous dystopia, 17 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale — but it's not at all nightmarish. It contains very little of that claustrophobic dread that Atwood is so good at conjuring up.
"Instead, The Testaments is a hopeful book. It's escapist. It's a thriller. It's a bit of a joyride."
Read the full review
Oprah Mag
"Is a post-Gilead society possible? If there is, the book seems to be saying, maybe there’s hope for us too, now."
Read the full review
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
'Nope'
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Dhadak 2
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
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8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
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