Ariana Granda as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked. Photo: Universal Studios
Ariana Granda as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked. Photo: Universal Studios
Ariana Granda as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked. Photo: Universal Studios
Ariana Granda as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked. Photo: Universal Studios

New shows, movies and music to stream, from Dune prequel to Wicked soundtrack


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Depending on which side of the pop culture fence you stand, you either know Travis Kelce as a great sports star or as Taylor Swift's boyfriend. But a TV star? The NFL player is the host of a new game show that tests adult contestants' knowledge of school subjects. Meanwhile, fans Dune can look forward to a new series, which serves as a prequel to the critically acclaimed blockbusters.

Here are some of the latest films, shows and games to stream.

New movies to stream

Blitz (Apple TV+)

Elliott Heffernan as George and Saoirse Ronan as Rita in Blitz. Photo: Apple TV+
Elliott Heffernan as George and Saoirse Ronan as Rita in Blitz. Photo: Apple TV+

Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen returns with another historical drama, this time about a family separated during the Second World War. Saoirse Ronan plays a mother who sends her son George, nine, played by debutant Elliott Heffernan, to the countryside for safety as German bombs pound London. But an adamant George plots his return to the city, putting himself in danger as his mother desperately looks for him.

McQueen reunites with many of the team members he worked with in his Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave.

Bread & Roses (Apple TV+)

Bread & Roses looks at life for women in Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control in 2021. Photo: Apple TV+
Bread & Roses looks at life for women in Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control in 2021. Photo: Apple TV+

Malala Yousafzai and Jennifer Lawrence produced this powerful documentary about Afghan women as they fight to recover their autonomy after the Taliban took back control in 2021.

Directed by Sahra Mani, the film follows three women fighting for their basic rights and showcases the spirit and resilience of many Afghan women as they face systemic oppression.

The Piano Lesson (Netflix)

Denzel Washington's son, Malcolm Washington, makes his directorial debut with this period film, based on a recently revived Broadway play of the same name.

It is set in Pittsburgh in 1936, during the aftermath of the Great Depression, where a family heirloom, a piano, becomes a bone of contention between a brother and sister. The brother wants to sell the piano to buy land where their ancestors toiled as slaves, while the sister wants to keep it as it has the carved faces of their ancestors, who were still slaves.

Samuel L Jackson and John David Washington, Malcolm's brother, both starred in the Broadway show and reprise their roles in the film.

Joy (Netflix)

From left, Bill Nighy as Patrick Steptoe, Thomasin McKenzie as Jean Purdy and James Norton as Robert Edwards in Joy. Photo: Netflix
From left, Bill Nighy as Patrick Steptoe, Thomasin McKenzie as Jean Purdy and James Norton as Robert Edwards in Joy. Photo: Netflix

Louise Joy Brown, the world's first "test-tube baby", was born in the UK in 1978. Netflix's latest film, Joy, tells her remarkable story and the 10-year journey it took to make her birth possible. It's told through the perspective of nurse and embryologist Jean Purdy, played by Thomasin McKenzie, who joins forces with scientist Robert Edwards (James Norton) and surgeon Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy) to make this scientific breakthrough by pioneering IVF.

New shows to stream

Dune: Prophecy (OSN+)

Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez Corrino in Dune: Prophecy. Photo: HBO
Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez Corrino in Dune: Prophecy. Photo: HBO

A treat for fans of Frank Herbert's expansive Dune universe, this series serves as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film and is set 10,000 years prior, focusing on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, the powerful religious and political force whose members possess superhuman powers.

With a predominantly British cast including Emily Watson, Olivia Williams and Mark Strong, the series also features acclaimed Bollywood actress Tabu, as well as English actor Charithra Chandran, best known for playing Edwina Sharma on Netflix hit Bridgerton.

The Day of the Jackal (OSN+)

Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal in a scene from The Day of the Jackal. Photo: Peacock
Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal in a scene from The Day of the Jackal. Photo: Peacock

Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne has more than proven his versatility through a variety of roles. Now, he gets into action hero mode in this new series, in which he plays a lone assassin who threatens global security.

Based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 classic novel of the same name, the show resets the story in contemporary times with Redmayne playing a ruthless British assassin and Lashana Lynch as an MI6 agent hot on his case.

Say Nothing (Disney+)

A still from the series Say Nothing, which is set in Northern Ireland. Photo: FX
A still from the series Say Nothing, which is set in Northern Ireland. Photo: FX

Set during the Troubles, the nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for 30 years between the 1960s to 1990s, this new series is based on Patrick Radden Keefe's book of the same name.

Based on true events, the show begins with the disappearance of Jean McConville, a single mother of 10 who was abducted from her home in 1972 and never seen alive again. Telling the story of various Irish Republican Army members, it explores the extremes some people will go to in the name of their beliefs, the way a deeply divided society can suddenly tip over into armed conflict and the long shadow of radical violence for all affected.

Are You Smarter than a Celebrity? (Prime Video)

Travis Kelce in Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? Photo: Amazon Prime
Travis Kelce in Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? Photo: Amazon Prime

Being a sports star is one thing, but being a quick-witted TV host is quite another. But Travis Kelce, aka the NFL player who's dating Taylor Swift, is proving he can do both as he hosts this hilarious game show. A spin-off of the long-running US show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, this one features adult contestants who, along with a classroom full of celebrities, answer questions pulled from the grade six curriculum and aim to win $100,000 in cash.

The contestants don’t actually compete against the stars. Instead, they enlist their help to figure out the answers. Celebrity participants include comedian Nikki Glaser, Real Housewife of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais and actress Lilly Singh.

New music to stream

Wicked: The Soundtrack

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo power this album ahead. Photo: Republic Records / Verve Records
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo power this album ahead. Photo: Republic Records / Verve Records

It's a treat of year for fans of Ariana Grande. After a year dominated by the blockbuster Eternal Sunshine album, the pop star features heavily in the soundtrack of Wicked, the film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name. Grande plays Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, while Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba Thropp, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Both vocal powerhouses, Grande and Erivo drive this album, which includes the famous tracks, Popular and Defying Gravity. Also watch out for songs by Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage.

Bouquet by Gwen Stefani

The album cover of Gwen Stefani's Bouquet. Photo: Interscope Records
The album cover of Gwen Stefani's Bouquet. Photo: Interscope Records

For her first album in six years, the former No Doubt vocalist is zooming in on love, mostly her relationship with husband and country star Blake Shelton. After dropping a teaser in February with Purple Irises, a duet with Sheldon, the 10-track album is Stefani's fifth. Other singles released ahead of the album include the songs Somebody Else's and Swallow My Tears.

"Meeting my husband felt like a second chance at life because when my family fell apart it was a catastrophe," she told The Guardian about the inspiration for the album.

Stefani, who was married to Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale for 12 years, added: "How do you pick yourself up from that? But God put this other person there to love me."

The biog

Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.

His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.

“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.

"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”

Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.

He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking. 

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Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')

Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)

The specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: nine-speed

Power: 542bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh848,000

On sale: now

ELECTION%20RESULTS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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Top tips

Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
 

Avatar%20(2009)
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Results

4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.

5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass

5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar

6.20pm: Handicap;​​​​​​​ Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley;​​​​​​​ Musabah Al Muhairi

6.55pm: Handicap;​​​​​​​ Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea;​​​​​​​ Satish Seemar

7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea;​​​​​​​ Satish Seemar.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

BIG SPENDERS

Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.

About Takalam

Date started: early 2020

Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech and wellness

Number of staff: 4

Funding to date: Bootstrapped

'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

Torque: 340Nm

Price: Dh155,800

On sale: now

The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5

Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km

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 

Company%20profile
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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.”

Full list of brands available for Instagram Checkout

Adidas @adidaswomen

Anastasia Beverly Hills @anastasiabeverlyhills

Balmain @balmain

Burberry @burberry

ColourPop @colourpopcosmetics

Dior @dior

H&M @hm

Huda Beauty @hudabeautyshop

KKW @kkwbeauty

Kylie Cosmetics @kyliecosmetics

MAC Cosmetics @maccosmetics

Michael Kors @michaelkors

NARS @narsissist

Nike @niketraining & @nikewomen

NYX Cosmetics @nyxcosmetics

Oscar de la Renta @oscardelarenta

Ouai Hair @theouai

Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices

Prada @prada

Revolve @revolve

Uniqlo @uniqlo

Warby Parker @warbyparker

Zara @zara

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

TEST SQUADS

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.

Europa League group stage draw

Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar

MATCH INFO

Europa League final

Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports

Updated: November 22, 2024, 6:01 PM