Disclaimer: I didn't exactly sit down and bond over a sharing platter with Kim Kardashian.
Instead, I was a guest of Italian designer duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who hosted a sumptuous dinner in Milan, where the guest of honour was a certain Ms K.
Held amid the crumbling beauty of the Palazzo Reale, an old palace next to the Duomo, the venue featured large-scale rotating billboards displaying the latest Dolce & Gabbana campaign starring Kardashian. The dinner was a celebration of the campaign and also served as a knees-up for the Italian brand's autumn/winter 2023 fashion show that had taken place hours before during Milan Fashion Week, and where Kardashian was sitting in the front row.
Photographer duo Mert and Marcus shot the glitzy images of Kardashian wearing pieces from the spring/summer collection that she worked on with the fashion house that dominated the elegant old interior. Surrounding the posters were white and gold circular tables with centrepieces of tall branches scattered with white flowers, an elegant set-up for the meal that was about to follow.
Outside in the cold, a sizeable crowd waited to welcome the reality TV star. Such is the lure of her celebrity that when she did arrive (we were alerted to the fact by the shouting outside), she swept in flanked by bodyguards and immediately halted to have her hair and make-up checked by her team — and, remarkably, we all waited, placid as sheep.
In any other scenario, doing this would be considered unspeakably rude to one's hosts and fellow guests. However, such is the strange universe Kardashian inhabits and such is her supernova power, no one questioned it, not even her one of her biggest (before now) detractors. Imagine my surprise, as a knee-jerk loather of all things Kardashian and someone who has never watched a single episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians , when I felt as star-struck as a child by this diminutive woman (and she really is tiny: 5'2" on a good day) and stood rooted to the spot. I probably had my mouth open.
As she was introduced to the waiting guests, she was unfailingly polite and engaged, and stopped for every request for a selfie. Chatty and smiling, she was described to me by those who have spent real time with her as being very sweet, a true professional and someone who takes time to learn everybody's name.
She is also gorgeous in reality. I did expect the familiar taut sheen of Botox, and Kardashian is suspiciously smooth-faced for a woman over 40, but she is also extremely pretty. Not classically beautiful in the way of Monica Bellucci, Audrey Hepburn or Christy Turlington, but — wearing a floor-length, lace-up, snakeskin Dolce & Gabbana dress, her hair dyed a dark chestnut brown with freshly cut curtain bangs — she is still show-stoppingly good-looking.
As she chatted easily with people, the very epitome of charm and grace, I was too shy to go and say hello. Suffering a crisis of confidence, I couldn't think of anything to say after realising “Hello, I hated you, but actually you are fabulous” probably wouldn't do. So I just stood by and breathed in her stardom.
As I watched her float from guest to guest, introduced by an ebullient Dolce — who clearly adores her — it was a unique taste of what life must be like as one of the most famous people on the planet. Case in point: much later that evening, when I began descending the long flight of steps to go home, the crowd waiting at the bottom had not thinned. Not even one bit.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
The years Ramadan fell in May
FIGHT%20CARD
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Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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Wayne Rooney's career
Everton (2002-2004)
- Appearances: 48
- Goals: 17
Manchester United (2004-2017)
- Appearances: 496
- Goals: 253
England (2003-)
- Appearances: 119
- Goals: 53
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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