Stanley Kubrick, Fleetwood Mac and Hans Christian Andersen: 5 things that happened on April 2


Katy Gillett
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An epic film premiered, a legendary album reached number one and a master of fairy tales was born – here are some interesting things that happened on this day in history.

Stanley Kubrick released a masterpiece

Year: 1968

When 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered on April 2, 1968 in Washington DC, it divided critics. For instance, The Boston Globe's review said it was "the world's most extraordinary film … [It] is as exciting as the discovery of a new dimension in life". And yet in The New York Times, Renata Adler said it was "somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring".

Despite the naysayers, Stanley Kubrick’s ambitious science-fiction film was the highest-grossing North American film for that year, it won an Academy Award and is today regarded as one of the great films of the 20th century. Its special effects, narrative techniques and storyline are remembered as pioneering. And in 1991, the US Library of Congress deemed it “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” enough to preserve in the National Film Registry.

It was Kubrick's 11th film. The director, writer and producer made 16 in total, including The Shining and A Clockwork Orange.

Fleetwood Mac reached the number one spot

Year: 1977

The album Rumours came out in February 1977 and by April 2 it hit number one in the Billboard charts, where it stayed for a whopping 31 weeks. It was the 11th album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, but it was a masterpiece, arguably their finest work – and still beloved to this day. It includes some of their biggest hits, including Dreams, the band's only number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The group includes Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and was formed in 1967. They took a break in 1995, but re-formed in 1996 and are still performing today.

Their discography includes 18 studio albums and 23 compilations, as well as a number of live records and 62 singles. Having sold more than 120 million records over their lengthy career, the band is one of the best-selling groups of all time.

This all might be down to the fact that they're such perfectionists. In fact, on one of the Rumours songs, Never Going Back Again, Buckingham's guitar was reportedly restrung every 20 minutes to retain the quality of its sound.

A market opened up for an invention that stuck

Year: 1978

Just as a vacuum cleaner is not called a “Hoover”, the scratchy fastening material we all know and use often is not actually called Velcro. That’s the name of the company founded by Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral, who invented the first touch fastener.

The story goes that, in 1941, he was walking through the woods when a thought occurred to him: he wondered if the burrs of the burdock plant that kept clinging to his trousers could be used for something more.

It took eight years of research, but de Mestral soon reproduced this using two strips of fabric, one with thousands of tiny hooks and the other with corresponding loops. It was used by Nasa, for divers and the military before it entered the mainstream fashion world.

The word Velcro is a portmanteau of the French words velour (“velvet”) and crochet (“hook”).

Dr Mestral formally patented the invention in 1955, but that patent ran out 23 years later on April 2 and the market for hook-and-loop innovation was blown wide open.

An author of fairy tales was born

Year: 1805

Classic stories such as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and The Princess and the Pea have been read to children for centuries. These are the works of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who is best remembered for his fairy tales, but was also a prolific writer of plays, novels, poems and even travelogues.

His stories, while aimed at children, stick in the minds of people of all ages and nationalities. That’s because their poignant themes transcend all boundaries.

A statue inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story 'The Little Mermaid' is visited by tourists in Copenhagen to this day. Christoph Bangert for The National
A statue inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story 'The Little Mermaid' is visited by tourists in Copenhagen to this day. Christoph Bangert for The National

Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark on April 2, 1805, an only child who never married. The first of his works to gain recognition was a short story called A Journey on Foot from Holmen's Canal to the East Point of Amager, which was published in 1829. He then went on to win a grant from the king, which allowed him to travel through the continent, while continuing to write.

Andersen died on August 4, 1875 in Copenhagen, where, to this day, people can visit his grave at Assistens Cemetery. A statue of a mermaid, inspired by the writer’s tale, was erected in the Danish capital in 1913 and remains a popular tourist attraction.

A noted activist died

Year: 2018

Her husband may have been better known, but Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was also an accomplished – and divisive –lady. The South African anti-apartheid activist and politician was the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She achieved much in her career: she served as a member of parliament and was a deputy minister of arts, culture, science and technology.

Winnie married Nelson in 1958, although he was imprisoned for much of their four-decade relationship. The jail time irrevocably damaged the Mandela marriage, and they split in 1992, eventually getting divorced in 1996 after Nelson ousted Winnie from her cabinet post the year before.

Winnie was undoubtedly a successful woman, but her triumphs were tarnished somewhat by convictions for kidnapping and fraud.

She died on April 2, 2018 in Johannesburg aged 81.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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
How to register as a donor

1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention

2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants

3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register. 

4) The campaign uses the hashtag  #donate_hope

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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

'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.

Profile of Tarabut Gateway

Founder: Abdulla Almoayed

Based: UAE

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 35

Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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The biog

Name: Sarah Al Senaani

Age: 35

Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2

Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism

Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding

Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier

Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish

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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
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

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba

Results

2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili

3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar

4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

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Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Winners: Dubai Hurricanes

Runners up: Bahrain

 

West Asia Premiership

Winners: Bahrain

Runners up: UAE Premiership

 

UAE Premiership

Winners: Dubai Exiles

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

 

UAE Division One

Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

 

UAE Division Two

Winners: Barrelhouse

Runners up: RAK Rugby

Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain

West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership

UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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