‘The Rock’ talks a future in politics, including potential White House run
The Rock may have been voted Sexiest Man Alve by People, but the 44-year-old is interested in topping a more serious poll. After parleying a professional wrestling career as The Rock into leading roles in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson is entertaining the idea of jumping into the political ring, including perhaps even a run for the White House someday. Johnson, 44, who stars in the upcoming Disney animated film Moana as the voice of demigod Maui said the excitement surrounding last week's presidential election had renewed public interest in him running for office. Johnson said he saw the need for leadership and felt he would be an effective one. It is not the first time Johnson's name has been mentioned in political circles. Earlier this year, Johnson took to Instagram to thank a Washington Post journalist who said he had a "weirdly plausible path to a political career" as a mixed-race registered Republican from Florida, a swing state in the presidential election.
Reuters
Salman Khan to produce sea drama
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's production company, Salman Khan Films, has joined hands with First Take Entertainment Ltd to jointly produce Lions Of The Sea, a true story about the 1914 voyage of 376 Indian passengers to Canada aboard the Komagata Maru ship. Speaking of the collaboration, Khan said the incident is important in light of the current global refugee crisis. "Lions Of The Sea will allow us to embrace multiculturalism, diversity and bring humanity closer together," he said. Lions Of The Sea is the first film under Indo-Canadian co-production treaty. It will be filmed in India, UK, Hong Kong and Canada and will feature an international ensemble cast, headlined by Irrfan Khan. - Sonali Kokra
Lady Gaga pens essay on womanhood
In a powerful new essay in Harper's Bazaar, the pop star weighs in on what it means to be a woman in the modern world, and how her female forebears influenced her. "Being a lady today means being a fighter," writes Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. "It means being a survivor. It means letting yourself be vulnerable and acknowledging your shame or that you're sad or you're angry. It takes great strength to do that." One woman whose legacy Gaga has long carried is the paternal aunt she is named after, Joanne Stefani Germanotta. A survivor of sexual assault, Germanotta died of lupus in 1974, 12 years before Gaga was born. Gaga's essay echoes themes explored on her new album, which is titled Joanne in honour of her late aunt.
The National Staff
Pakistani actor Ali Zafar not replaced in Bollywood film ‘Dear Zindegi’
Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has confirmed she is not replacing Pakistani actor Ali Zafar in Dear Zindegi. The actress made the comments in light of the Indian government recently banning Pakistani actors from working in Indian films. Bhatt added that the character she plays in the upcoming film is very close to her own personality and will also be relatable to the audience. Dear Zindegi is out on November 24
IANS
Aerosmith to begin farewell tour next year
US rockers Aerosmith, together for some 45 years, will embark on a “farewell” European tour next year, the group said on Monday.
One of the biggest rock bands in the United States, the award-winning group, often called The Bad Boys from Boston in reference to the city where they formed in 1970, is known for songs like Back in the Saddle and Walk This Way. The group consists of lead singer Steven Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, drummer Joey Kramer and bassist Tom Hamilton. In a spoof news sketch video posted on the band's Twitter feed, Tyler and Perry announced the European tour, with Tyler asking "Any truth to the rumours that this could be the last hurrah?" to which Perry replies: "Who the hell knows". The tour will kick off in Tel Aviv in May, with the band then heading to Georgia, Russia, Germany and performing across Europe until early July.
Reuters
Kanye West and Will Ferrell working on Kanye biopic
Singer Kanye West and comedian Will Ferrell have started working on plans to turn the former’s life story into a film.
The 39-year-old hip-hop artist, who is married to reality TV personality Kim Kardashian West, has been in contact with Ferrell to discuss plot ideas for a biopic about his rise to fame, reports femalefirst.co.uk. They have exchanged multiple emails about the film, which West wants to be a comedy rather than A a rags-to-riches tale. West has also been discussing his ideas with Ferrell's long-time collaborator Adam McKay. Both Ferrell and McKay worked on the hit comedies Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Step Brothers.
The National Staff
Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor’s ‘24’ bags several awards
Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor's second season of the TV drama series 24 bagged five awards at the 16th Indian Television Academy Awards (ITA) Awards. The show won Best Editing- Jury, Best Videography- Jury, Best Mini Series- Jury, Best Teleplay Jury, and Kapoor clinched the Best Actor-Drama Award. This year, there were 1000 nominations competing across 48 categories. These included eight popular awards and 40 jury awards, and 16 technical categories. Mouni Roy won the Best Actress award for TV show Naagin and Shabbir Ahluwalia won the Best Actor Award for Kumkum Bhagya. Filmmaker Anurag Basu won the best director award for a drama series and also co-won the best mini series for TV series Stories by Rabindranath Tagore. The awards will be telecast on Colors TV on December 4.
IANS
More coverage from the Future Forum
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
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South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds