The producers of the sitcom Anger Management are bringing aboard Martin Sheen as a cast member. He will play the father of an anger-management therapist played by his real-life son Charlie Sheen. The elder Sheen filmed a guest-starring role last month and was well-received by the producers. "I think that was the best episode we did," said Charlie. "Adding Martin to the series will give an extra dimension and make it a multi-generational family show," said the producer John Landgraf. * AP
Knightley to focus on independent cinema
Keira Knightley has announced she wants to turn her back on blockbuster movies and will instead focus on independent films, saying she wants to step away from the spotlight. "It comes to a point where you think, 'What kind of film can I make that will allow me to live a proper life?' and those big-budget movies make it difficult," said the British star, whose latest film Anna Karenina is scheduled for a September release. "I became aware of how much I was complaining about fame and you can't complain about the attention you're getting while still doing the films that invite the most attention." * IANS
Playing Amy Winehouse comes at a price
The late singer Amy Winehouse's father Mitch says he would consider letting Lady Gaga play his daughter on film if she pays him £10 million (Dh58m). Gaga previously expressed interest in portraying the late vocalist in a biopic. "If Gaga gives me £10m, I will consider it. I think it might be advisable to get an English actress, although Gaga has got the look about her. It is something which we might think about," Winehouse told the Daily Star. * IANS
Tom Jones cancels Olympic gig
Tom Jones has apologised to fans for pulling out of an Olympic celebration concert after contracting bronchitis. The 72-year-old Welsh crooner had been due to perform at an outdoor concert in Hyde Park on Saturday. Jones posted on Twitter: "Sorry to all. Thanks for all the lovely messages, I don't know if everyone's understanding and support is making me feel better or worse!" * AP
Olympics album tops download charts
Enjoyed the music-packed Olympics opening ceremony? Now you can buy the album - and thousands have. The soundtrack album, which went on sale as a download minutes after Friday's ceremony ended, has topped the iTunes album chart in the UK, France, Belgium and Spain. The ceremony was a rollicking celebration of British music and the album includes tracks from David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, The Chemical Brothers, Dizzee Rascal, Emeli Sandé, Arctic Monkeys and Underworld. * AP
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
