Childhood holidays in Italy spurred Jacob Kenedy to embark on a career as a chef. Now, the world is beating a path to his London restaurant. Lydia Slater is taken on a tour of the family home in Lazio and learns of his love of Italian food.
'A good mozzarella," declares the chef Jacob Kenedy, "is the essence of milkiness. It's comforting and refreshing and rich and sumptuous, with a soft acidity that keeps it refreshing.
"It's a very simple food - just milk and salt - but the taste is incredibly subtle and complex. And the great thing about it is that the less you do to it, the better it is."
Kenedy, for the uninitiated, is currently London's hottest young chef.
In November, aged just 28, he opened his own Italian restaurant, Bocca di Lupo, on an unpromising street in the seediest part of Soho, which had been a haunt of drug addicts and a favourite location for thieves to dump stolen handbags.
Now, the click of Jimmy Choo heels echoes down Archer Street. Cate Blanchett, James McAvoy and Bryan Ferry are regulars; Naomi Campbell was turned away when she arrived without a reservation. The critics rave about Kenedy's menu, which roams across the whole of Italy, from Umbrian radish, celeriac and pecorino salad with pomegranate seeds to Sicilian spaghettini with lobster, mussels and ginger. Across town, the owners of London's myriad Italian restaurants are grinding their teeth as they gaze at the unsold spag bol and wonder where they got it wrong.
Kenedy has invited me to Sperlonga, to stay in his family's holiday apartment, a pre-medieval cliff-top apartment with a Maltese cross carved in the vaulted kitchen ceiling and a dizzying view down 60 metres to the blue bay beneath. Midway between Rome and Naples, Sperlonga is famed as the prettiest resort on the Lazio coast. It's a favourite haunt of Rome's jeunesse dorée, who come to flirt on the golden sand and gossip in the cafes. More importantly, for our purposes, it's also popular with water buffalo. (Indeed, the area used to be a vast malaria-ridden swamp before it was drained, at the cost of numerous lives, by Mussolini.) The regional mozzarella and ricotta are famed throughout Italy.
Kenedy learnt to cook here on the family's ancient enamel stove, so it's not surprising that for him, mozzarella forms the cornerstone of many of his favourite summer dishes. "To me, almost nothing beats a simple ball of mozzarella, with a handful of rocket and a splash of a good, grassy olive oil," he says lyrically. "Cut it open and the milk that oozes out mixed with the oil is the most delicious thing in the world."
Early in the blue and gold morning, we set off down the cobbled streets in search of a good mozzarella. This is no easy task. For the first four months, says Kenedy, he refused to put it on the menu at Bocca di Lupo because he couldn't find a mozzarella that lived up to his standards. "It's all too easy for a mozzarella to taste boring," he says. The shopkeepers in Sperlonga suffer from no self-doubt, however. "Now, this," says the first grocer reverentially, "is the best mozzarella in the whole of Italy." He ladles out a glistening white ball, the size of a small cantaloupe. We take four.
A little further up the street, Kenedy heads into another shop, lured in by a box of golden courgette flowers. "You must try the mozzarella," urges the man behind the counter. "Fresh in this morning, made by the family. It's the most delicious you'll find anywhere." It's the same story everywhere we go. When we finally make it back up the hill to Kenedy's ancient stone apartment, our arms are groaning under the weight of mozzarella, as well as a vast and oozing burrata, a speciality from Piedmont, a delectable concoction of mozzarella mixed with double cream, wrapped in leaves. I'm put to work podding broad beans and pulling the stamens out of the courgette flowers, which will be stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy for lunch, while Kenedy lines up the glistening globes and samples each in turn. One is rubbery, almost squeaky beneath the teeth - a sign, according to Kenedy, that it's very fresh indeed. "You used to be able to buy them still warm," he goes on. The melon-sized sized ones are a couple of days older and hence slightly softer, shredding to creamy rags between our teeth. With loving efficiency, Jacob starts tearing it up to scatter over a broad bean and lemon salad. "When I'm peckish in the restaurant, I just pick up a ball of mozzarella and eat it like an apple," he says. "Which is probably why I'm going a bit pear-shaped myself."
Kenedy's family is both foodie and creative. His American mother, Haidee Becker, is a well-known artist. Several of her vast canvases adorn her son's restaurant walls. His father, David Kenedy, is a cellist, and his sister Rachel has just embarked on a career as a singer. The apartment where we are staying was bought by his maternal grandmother, Ginny Campbell, a Southern belle of 95, who has come with us on the trip. A Broadway actress and a star in the very earliest days of television (she and Jessica Tandy used to share a single smart suit to cut down on costs), she later became an artist, and her canvases are dotted all over the sunny building. Her income is augmented, she tells me, by regular payments every time someone shoots an alligator on the family bayou in Baton Rouge.
Kenedy's grandfather, John Becker, was a writer, civil rights campaigner and art dealer, the first person to bring Picassos to the United States. The obsession with Italy also seems to be inherited: Ginny lived in Rome for years and bought the Sperlonga house in the 1950s, when the town had no running water or electricity, and the only person who ever ventured down to the beach was a nun in full regalia.
Kenedy's earliest memories are mostly of his own culinary disasters. Once, he mixed up the contents of his grandfather's wine cellar in a bucket to make a potion. Another time, he was making toffee from a tin of condensed milk on the stove, then got distracted by a James Bond film on television, and didn't even notice the bang of the exploding tin amid the televised gunfire. But years of Italian holidays honed his tastebuds and his techniques and by the time he was old enough to bring his own friends to stay in Sperlonga, he was always the designated cook. Even so, the idea of becoming a professional chef never occurred to him. He attended Westminster School in London and won a place at Cambridge to study natural sciences, but had little idea about what he wanted to do as a career. Then he was taken to eat at Moro, the iconic Spanish restaurant run by Sam and Samantha Clark, which had just opened, and was so impressed by the food that he underwent what seems to have been a Damascene conversion.
"I asked them if I could work for free for a couple of months," he says, "and I came back every two weeks to remind them."
Eventually, he was taken on, enjoying himself so much that he stayed for six months, and demonstrating his innate flair for cooking. By the time he arrived at Cambridge, he was determined that his future was as a chef, rather to the bemusement of his tutors and fellow scientists. "I think having a scientific background does actually help," he says, "because I can be very analytical about my recipes and what works or doesn't." After he graduated, he worked at Moro, interspersed with periods of cheffing at the highly popular Boulevard in San Francisco.
Four years ago, he decided to take a year off. With a friend, Victor Hugo (no relation to the famous French author), he set off to tour Italy for a year. "It was initially just an incredibly wonderful break," he says, "but I really got to know the regionality of Italian food. Now, I don't think there is such a thing as Italian cuisine at all. Italy is a very young country, made up of some very isolated principalities, which means that the food that you eat in one place is completely different from what you might get anywhere else. And everybody always thinks their way of making a dish is the only right one."
By the time they came back, they were so enthused by the variety and deliciousness of everything they had sampled that they decided that Victor would give up his profession as an accountant and they would open a restaurant together. "It's sheer luck that he's turned out to be a genius at managing the floor," says Kenedy.
The site on Archer Street that eventually became Bocca di Lupo was the first one they saw - they walked past it having taken a wrong turning. But the negotiations dragged on for months, and Kenedy was only able to afford the lease by mortgaging one of the de Koonings initially bought by his grandfather. When it opened, at the height of the downturn, it was an oasis of good cheer in a wilderness of deserted restaurants, and it's been packed to the rafters ever since. Frustrated diners desperate for a table have been begging Kenedy to open a second Bocca di Lupo, or at least expand the first one, but he is resistant. "I'd much rather be small and full," he says, "and I'm not sure if it is something I could ever do again. It probably takes a lot of naivety to get it right."
Bocca di Lipo, 12 Archer St, London W1 (00 44 207 734 2223); www.boccadilupo.com
Directions: Bresaola is air-dried, salted beef which is sliced paper-thin. The combinations of bresaola and figs, and bresaola and mozzarella, are sharply contrasting in flavour yet similar in texture (both the mozzarella and the figs are, above all, squishy). Make this only when figs are in peak season. Lay out thin slices of bresaola on a plate or platter - about three per person - a couple of figs, and a ball of mozzarella each. Pour plenty of oil and lots of pepper - especially on the figs.
I love these Roman rice and mozzarella croquettes - not least for their name, which refers to the molten mozzarella's tendency to form unmanageable strands as you eat, not unlike telephone wires trailing from your mouth. The combination of tomato, basil and mozzarella is classic, and this dish is a staple appetiser at Roman pizzerias.
Ingredients:
1 smallish onion (150-200g), diced
1/2 clove garlic, sliced
20g salt
50ml extra virgin olive oil
330g vialone nano rice (Arborio or Carnaroli will do)
200ml white wine
650g fresh tomato, blended (seeds and all)
125ml water (approximately)
30g grated Parmesan
10 leaves of basil
Black pepper
1 whole egg
150g mozzarella, cut into 20 even pieces
Fine breadcrumbs (around 200g)
Oil for frying
Sweat the onion and garlic with the salt in the olive oil until tender, around five minutes, then add the rice and gently fry for another couple. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed - then add the tomato and continue until the mixture is again thick and dryish. Add the water and continue cooking (adding enough to make a fairly thick, and very al dente risotto). Remove from the heat and beat in the Parmesan, and finally the chopped basil, with pepper to taste. Spread the rice out on to a tray to cool.
When you are ready to make the suppli, stir the egg into the rice. Take a portion of the rice mixture (a very heaped dessertspoon), shape into a ball and use your thumb to make a hole. Stuff a piece of mozzarella in, and close the rice around it. Press the ball together firmly, and form a fat, elongated croquette (this quantity will make 20 suppli). Coat in breadcrumbs, and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
To cook, heat at least 5cm depth of oil until hot, but not smoking (180°C). Fry the suppli in batches, then drain on absorbent paper for a minute or so and serve immediately. It is vital they are hot through, for the cheese to melt - about four minutes in the oil should do. The long strands of cheese that inevitably form as you eat encourage charming Lady And The Tramp moments?
Servings: Makes 20 suppli (enough for five as a starter)
This dish is my mum's favourite, and one of mine too. It's a classic dish from Naples which is delicious eaten hot or cold the following day. Don't cut the aubergines too thick or you'll end up with a watery mess.
Ingredients:
4 large aubergines, about 1.5kg
1kg tomatoes, fresh or tinned
1 small onion, peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 a dried chilli (optional)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for the sauce)
200g grated Parmesan
A 200-250g ball of mozzarella, chopped and gently squeezed and blotted dry
A small bunch (15-20 leaves) basil, coarsely shredded
Plain flour (for dusting the aubergines)
Sunflower oil, or non-virgin olive oil, for frying
Directions: Slice the aubergines 1/2 cm thick. I cut them lengthways, which makes everything easier later on, but you can cut them across into rounds if you prefer a softer texture in the finished product. I have engaged in much pointless debate about salting aubergines to get rid of the bitterness - I don't think it's really necessary. For this dish, however, be sure to salt the sliced aubergines for an hour or two, then rinse and squeeze dry, and layer between dry cloths to blot before you cook. This is to get rid of as much water as possible, the nemesis of this dish.
While the aubergines are salting, make the sauce. This is the simplest way I know, as I was shown a few years ago by the wonderful Leontina, who was my nanny in the weeks after I was born, and my mum's before that. She now lives in a nunnery, doing good for all around her. Just put the tomatoes (halved), onion (halved), garlic (whole) and chilli in a pan with salt and pepper and simmer for 45 minutes or until good and thick. Blend, then stir in the olive oil.
Heat 1/2 cm oil in your widest frying pan until smoking hot. Dust the sliced aubergines in flour, and fry, turning once to colour both sides golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Take a baking dish, about 15x25cm, and spread a spoonful of the sauce on the bottom, then a single layer of aubergines. Spread a little more sauce over, then Parmesan, mozzarella and basil. If the sauce and aubergines were well seasoned, you won't need any more salt.
Repeat until all is used up - 5 or 6 layers. On top of the final layer, spread both cheeses and the sauce, but no basil, which would burn.
Bake at 220˚C (fan oven, 200˚C conventional) for about 20 minutes. The dish is done when golden brown on top, and starting to bubble in the middle - a sure indicator it's hot through. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving - this dish also keeps well once cooked.
Servings: 6
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%205%2C%201994%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jeff%20Bezos%20founds%20Cadabra%20Inc%2C%20which%20would%20later%20be%20renamed%20to%20Amazon.com%2C%20because%20his%20lawyer%20misheard%20the%20name%20as%20'cadaver'.%20In%20its%20earliest%20days%2C%20the%20bookstore%20operated%20out%20of%20a%20rented%20garage%20in%20Bellevue%2C%20Washington%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%2016%2C%201995%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20formally%20opens%20as%20an%20online%20bookseller.%20%3Cem%3EFluid%20Concepts%20and%20Creative%20Analogies%3A%20Computer%20Models%20of%20the%20Fundamental%20Mechanisms%20of%20Thought%3C%2Fem%3E%20becomes%20the%20first%20item%20sold%20on%20Amazon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1997%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20goes%20public%20at%20%2418%20a%20share%2C%20which%20has%20grown%20about%201%2C000%20per%20cent%20at%20present.%20Its%20highest%20closing%20price%20was%20%24197.85%20on%20June%2027%2C%202024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1998%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20IMDb%2C%20its%20first%20major%20acquisition.%20It%20also%20starts%20selling%20CDs%20and%20DVDs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2000%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Marketplace%20opens%2C%20allowing%20people%20to%20sell%20items%20on%20the%20website%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2002%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20forms%20what%20would%20become%20Amazon%20Web%20Services%2C%20opening%20the%20Amazon.com%20platform%20to%20all%20developers.%20The%20cloud%20unit%20would%20follow%20in%202006%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2003%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20turns%20in%20an%20annual%20profit%20of%20%2475%20million%2C%20the%20first%20time%20it%20ended%20a%20year%20in%20the%20black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2005%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Prime%20is%20introduced%2C%20its%20first-ever%20subscription%20service%20that%20offered%20US%20customers%20free%20two-day%20shipping%20for%20%2479%20a%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2006%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Unbox%20is%20unveiled%2C%20the%20company's%20video%20service%20that%20would%20later%20morph%20into%20Amazon%20Instant%20Video%20and%2C%20ultimately%2C%20Amazon%20Video%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2007%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20first%20hardware%20product%2C%20the%20Kindle%20e-reader%2C%20is%20introduced%3B%20the%20Fire%20TV%20and%20Fire%20Phone%20would%20come%20in%202014.%20Grocery%20service%20Amazon%20Fresh%20is%20also%20started%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2009%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20introduces%20Amazon%20Basics%2C%20its%20in-house%20label%20for%20a%20variety%20of%20products%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2010%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20foundations%20for%20Amazon%20Studios%20were%20laid.%20Its%20first%20original%20streaming%20content%20debuted%20in%202013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2011%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Appstore%20for%20Google's%20Android%20is%20launched.%20It%20is%20still%20unavailable%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2014%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Echo%20is%20launched%2C%20a%20speaker%20that%20acts%20as%20a%20personal%20digital%20assistant%20powered%20by%20Alexa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2017%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20Whole%20Foods%20for%20%2413.7%20billion%2C%20its%20biggest%20acquisition%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2018%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20market%20cap%20briefly%20crosses%20the%20%241%20trillion%20mark%2C%20making%20it%2C%20at%20the%20time%2C%20only%20the%20third%20company%20to%20achieve%20that%20milestone%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
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.
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett
British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
The view from The National
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Score
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0
Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Upcoming games
SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
