Fancy making your own piece of history? In a special project inspired by its forthcoming exhibition, Quilts 1700-2010, the Victoria & Albert museum in London has opened up its archives to produce a stunning range of quilting fabrics. The quarters, which can be shipped internationally and are available for pre-order now, have been designed in a collaboration between Liberty Art Fabrics and the V&A shop, and consist of 18 vintage patterns, each given a contemporary update. Prices start at £3.50 (Dh21) per section (plus post and packaging), or you can buy 36 pieces for £30 (Dh170). Since the project is aimed at quilting novices, the museum's fabric curator, Sue Pritchard, has also written a book, Patchwork For Beginners (£6.99, Dh41), a practical guide to the techniques and tools to help you tackle five simple projects. Order online at www.vandashop.com.
The Abu Dhabi Quilt Guild meets at 9.30am on the first Thursday of each month at the UAE University Building (10th floor) on Baihuna Street. All are welcome, from beginners to practised quilters. The guild currently has 70 members and offers a large selection of quilting books, as well as the chance to swap your fabrics. Membership costs Dh100 annually, plus Dh20 per meeting. For more information, contact Theresa Bushnell on 050 329 3678.
The Address Dubai Mall now has a team of personal fashion advisers for its guests, to help with styling or shopping queries. We posed one of them, Amanda Harper, with a few of our own.
1. I'm going to an Emirati wedding. What should I wear and where should I go to get it?
If you are a non-Emirati it is generally acceptable to wear a cocktail dress that sits below knee-length when you are seated and has three-quarter sleeves or at least an arm covering below the elbow. The neckline is generally kept to display as much of your real jewellery and precious stones as possible. However, some weddings are more conservative and require a full length skirt/evening dress. There is no need to cover your head. In both cases I would direct you to stores that have colourful dresses and separates - so choose a clutch, sky-high heels (if your feet will allow) and your favourite scent. If you want to splash out, go to the Dubai Mall's Fashion Avenue, where all the famous designer brands are.
2. My husband wants a tailor-made suit: where should he go and what should he look for?
For a truly tailor-made suit that is designed, stitched and fitted according to his own specific measurement and shape, Ascot & Chapels in the Souk Al Bahar offers Savile Row quality tailoring. They have 1,000 cloths and more than 100 linings to choose from, taking anything from two to four fittings to finish the process. With so much choice, you may need our fashion advisory service to advise on the correct weight, style and cut alongside the master tailor's trained eye. For something semi-bespoke that has an equally high attention to detail, try Tom Ford's private collection, where you are guided through a range of cuts, fabrics and styles in their exclusive client room.
3. I'm in town just for the weekend and want to buy a pair of quality diamond earrings, but I don't want to break the bank. Where should I go?
Diamond earrings are a girl's best investment. Try the Gold Souk in the Dubai Mall, with a vast selection of diamond jewellery in white gold, yellow gold, as well as platinum - just make sure the setting you choose suits your skin tone. One final tip is to look for stud diamond earrings, as this makes them look their brightest. Aim to buy the brightest at a cost that is within your budget; avoid worrying too much about clarity and colour. What you should focus on is the carat weight and cut, making the diamonds in your stud earrings look bigger and sparkle more.
4. The strap just broke off my Manolos: is there a place to get shoes repaired?
For designer items (including your Manolos) always remember to try the original store as the first port of call. Manolo Blahnik will repair heels here. However, they may need to send away for a strap repair depending on how bad the damage is. For a speedy repair, you might zip down to Minutes located near the supermarket in the Dubai Mall. For a small sum, they will fix most things in a few minutes. Always remember to maintain your shoes with a good polish as they absorb the moisturising oils better and to fix scratches and worn soles as soon as you can to enjoy the full life of your investment.
The hotel's Fashion Dilemma session includes a meeting with an adviser, create a "wish list" and come up with a shopping plan at key stores. The two-hour session costs Dh960 for guests of the hotel. The Address Dubai Mall, 04 438 8888.
Plan your routine visits to the doctor and the dentist within the same week, and try to do the same for everyone in your family. That way, you only have to file your paperwork with the insurance company once, and you'll have time to file for any follow-up visits as well. And if you also have to pick up your reimbursement, you'll only have one trip to make.
The years Ramadan fell in May
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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.
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
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
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
