Last week's presumed Star Wars set photos certainly caused a stir.
For those who have been on Mars for the past few days (I would use the popular "in the desert" analogy, but it's not such a useful one in this case,) on the evening of April 15 we published on The National's website what appeared to be the first images of the set for Star Wars: Episode 7, which has long been rumoured to be shooting in the Abu Dhabi desert. The story also appeared in the following morning's paper.
The film has so far been shrouded in strict secrecy, something of a given with a J J Abrams movie. No cast details have been confirmed, though we know the original trio of stars from 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope – Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher – are "expected" to appear, while Adam Driver's rumoured appearance as a new villain seemed to be confirmed by a swiftly rescinded, congratulatory tweet from his Girls co-star Lena Dunham. Plot details are equally slim. We know the film will be set 35 years after the last film, chronologically, of the previous six, Return of the Jedi, and that's about it.
Taking all of this into account, and adding in the obsessive nature of Star Wars’s huge fan base, it’s hardly surprising this tiny pictorial nugget went interstellar. By the weekend, the story had been picked up by national newspapers in the UK, Russia and France and online news sources all over the world. Unsurprisingly, though, it was the fan sites and forums that picked up the story first and ran with it in the way that only the online sci-fi community can. We’ve been following the online response to the story closely, so let’s take a recap of some of the key developments.
Compare and contrast
First of all, I'm going to hold my hands up here. In the original story in The National, I posited that the prop looked like a part of the escape pod that brought C3P0 and R2D2 to the desert planet Tatooine in the original movie, possibly the exit hatch. I still think that was a reasonable guess, but with the combined knowledge of millions of Star Wars geeks now behind me, I'm taking that back.
Rumblings of alternative theories started almost as soon as the pictures went live – it was the main hatch of Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon; it was a security door from Jabba the Hutt’s hideout – but then the AT-AT’s foot theories started.
AT-ATs, or All Terrain Armoured Transports, are huge, heavily armed, mechanical walkers, much loved by fans since their first appearance in the second film in cinemas, and fifth in the series, The Empire Strikes Back. Keep up!
Next, of course, Star Wars geeks being Star Wars geeks, the blown-up shots comparing the new pictures to shots from the old movies started coming in and I have to say they, are very convincing indeed.
Abrams (allegedly) intervenes
Next up, someone leaked an alleged letter sent to every new employee of Abrams’s Bad Robot Productions. Everything starts off nicely enough: “Hello, and welcome to Bad Robot. We’re proud to have you on our team. I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to what will inevitably be a lot of fun, but also provide a cautionary.”
Then things start getting a bit dark. “We take secrecy very important [sic] at BR. If you consciously elicits [sic] information ... Not only will you cease to be employed here, but I will personally see to it that your reputation is destroyed, and that you never work in this industry again.” Blimey.
Personally, I’m dubious that a perfectionist such as Abrams would ever put a letter with such appalling grammar to his name, but it’s all part of the fun.
British connection
Then came the doubters – the shots were leaked by Abrams himself, perhaps. Or, even better, the poster who noted that he’d “been Googling” and concluded that since both Byrne Construction (a Byrne logo appears on the cabins in the shots) and the journalist who wrote the story are British, it’s probably a Byrne publicity stunt on a beach in the UK.
He’s partly right. I am British and there is a construction company called Byrne Group in the UK. Byrne Rentals LLC, however, whose actual logo appears on the buildings, is very much a Gulf company, headquartered in Dubai’s Greens. Still, full marks for trying.
Mystery continues
Intriguingly, over the weekend the official Star Wars Twitter feed posted a photo of an AT-AT in what looks like a desert, surrounded by monitors and movie paraphernalia, along with the caption: "Here we see our subject in its natural habit AT-AT" – perhaps as some kind of response to our story?
I must admit, when we broke this story last week, I thought we were finally bringing a little clarity to the fog of rumour and subterfuge surrounding the movie. As the days go by, and in a shocking example of mixed movie metaphor, it looks like the rabbit hole might just get deeper.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Company%20profile
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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