The plan in Fast & Furious 7 is to keep Paul Walker’s character as part of the story but "retire" him in a manner that will appease fans. Giles Keyte
The plan in Fast & Furious 7 is to keep Paul Walker’s character as part of the story but "retire" him in a manner that will appease fans. Giles Keyte

Paul Walker’s Fast & Furious character to be retired



Paul Walker’s Fast & Furious character to be retired

Fast & Furious 7 is moving on despite the death of Paul Walker in a November 30 car crash and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, will not be killed off in the film, which is now scheduled to be released on April 10 next year. Instead, the plan is to "retire" the character in a way that the studio hopes will satisfy fans of the franchise and make use of the existing footage of Walker, who died halfway through the shoot. In the weeks after the accident, the director James Wan, the writer Chris Morgan and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Universal's lead executive on the franchise, decided to edit the existing script so that Walker would remain a part of the story but could be written out, allowing the franchise to continue without him. The changes will require some additional scenes to be written and shot, but the eight-month delay of the release gives the crew plenty of time. – The National staff

Telugu actor Uday Kiran found dead in his home

The Telugu actor Uday Kiran, one the youngest winners of India's Filmfare Best Actor award, com­mitted suicide at his residence in Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday night. Kiran was found hanging from the ceiling of his bedroom. Police said the actor took his life because he was "depressed over not getting films for nearly one year". Kiran shot to fame with films such as Chitram (2000), and the 2001 movies Manasantha Nuvve and Nuvvu Nenu. The actor was last seen in the action entertainer Jai Sriram (2013). Film personalities across the country took to Twitter early on Monday to express their shock at the news. – The National staff

Pitbull and Ke$ha top British music charts

The American musicians Ke$ha and Pitbull claimed the first British No 1 single of 2014 on Sunday, after their collaboration Timber racked up above-average sales for early January. The newly released single sold 139,000 copies to knock Happy by Pharrell Williams off the top spot and into second place. Ke$ha and Pitbull have each held the No 1 title twice before with solo singles or collaborations, but neither had hit the No 1 spot for more than two years until Sunday. – Reuters

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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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Starfield
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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 specs

Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm

Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)

On sale: Now

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

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UAE Premiership

Results

Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes

Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.