The Emirati producers DJ Bliss and Prince Q are collaborating with the three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Wyclef Jean. The Haitian-American rapper announced on Twitter that the local beat-makers will appear on his forthcoming mix-tape titled April Showers. As well as working with Jean on five tracks, the Emirati duo are currently working on an album featuring both local and international artists. - The National staff
Mindy McCready dies in apparent suicide
Mindy McCready, who hit the top of the country charts before personal problems sidetracked her career, died on Sunday in Arkansas in an apparent suicide. She was 37. McCready was found dead from what appears to be a single, self-inflicted gunshot to the head. McCready entered court-ordered rehab earlier this month after her father told a judge she was no longer taking care of herself or her children and was abusing drugs and alcohol. McCready's longtime boyfriend David Wilson, the father of her younger son, died last month also in an apparent suicide. McCready's biggest hits include Guys Do It All the Time and Ten Thousand Angels. - AP
Ragini Khanna joins Kumar's production
The actress Ragini Khanna says she's thrilled to have signed on to the actor-producer Akshay Kumar's first regional project, a Punjabi film. "It is one of the most prestigious projects which has come to me. I am happy to be a part of it," said the 25-year-old actress, who has made her mark in Indian television with shows such as Bhaskar Bharti and Sasural Genda Phool. Khanna says Kumar will make a cameo in the film, which begins production on Sunday. The film is directed by Sumeep Kang, who previously helmed last year's comedy Carry on Jatta. - IANS
Argo and Zero Dark Thirty win at Writers Guild
The CIA thrillers Argo and Zero Dark Thirty won top screenplay honours from the Writers Guild of America on Sunday. The guild's adapted screenplay award went to Chris Terrio for Argo, directed by Ben Affleck. Mark Boal won the prize for original screenplay for Zero Dark Thirty by the director Kathryn Bigelow. Among the guild's TV winners are Breaking Bad (drama series), Louie (comedy series) and Girls (new series). The guild was the last of Hollywood's major trade unions to weigh in on the year's top films before this Sunday's Academy Awards. - AP
Vicky Donor and Barfi! top Renault awards
Vicky Donor and Barfi! were the big winners of the 8th Renault Star Guild Awards on Saturday. Both films walked away with seven gongs each, with Barfi! picking up the coveted Best Film award and Best Actor for Ranbir Kapoor. The Vicky Donor actor Ayushmann Khuranna took home the award for Most Promising Debut. The actress Vidya Balan snapped up the Best Actress award for Kahaani, while Priyanka Chopra won the Shining Star title for her performances in Barfi! and Agneepath. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the veteran actor Manoj Kumar for his contribution to Indian cinema. The star-studded event, held at the Yash Raj Studios, had Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Karan Johar in attendance. - IANS
Rajesh Pratap Singh knits Woolmark deal
The designer Rajesh Pratap Singh has signed with Woolmark as the global company's wool ambassador. "It is an honour to be associated with The Woolmark Company on a national level," said the designer, who will be responsible for promoting its merino wool line. The designer's merino wool collection will be showcased at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week later in the year. "This is the first time we have associated with an Indian designer to come on board as the wool ambassador for India and it is a huge responsibility for Rajesh to promote the fibre in the country," said Amir Sheikh, Woolmark's country manager in India. The line will be sold in various Rajesh Pratap Singh stores in India as well as international outlets. - IANS
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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-of-age
- 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/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
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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
Getting%20there%20
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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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
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million