I'm convinced that I've located the best pizza in the world – outside of a pie from Napoli, of course. I'm not exaggerating: this is not just the best pizza in town, we're talking a light dough full of flavour, married to a marinara sauce made from veritable San Marzano tomatoes and topped with the gooiest mozzarella in the world. Italianissimo is located in the Boutik Mall on Reem Island, down the hall from Waitrose, and combines authentic Italian cuisine with both a fashion store and a gourmet grocery store. That place knows how to produce an authentic Italian pizza that can recreate the Neapolitan experience like no other. Best part? It delivers. Visit www.italianissimollc.com, search for Italianissimo Abu Dhabi on Facebook or call 056 782 7454.
* Hala Khalaf
Time to detox right
With an overindulgent holiday season behind us, the prospect of fitting into anything preceded by the words "figure-hugging" is a daunting one. Luckily, Dubai's SensAsia Urban Spa has a quick-fix detox plan and body treatment to get you into the most curve-enhancing couture. After hearing from staff about one woman's amazing 16-inch loss from the Skinni-Mini treatment, I decided to see if its water-retention busting claims were true. When the "before" and "after" body measurements were compared, the proof was most definitely in the prodding. Costing Dh515, the combination of massage, electrical currents and algae-rich, antioxidant ivy had indeed worked their magic in 90 minutes. I can't deny that the addition of a juice menu from Detox Delight for Dh630 may have helped the cause a tad. It's entirely stress-free with the home delivery of a day's worth of juices comprising umpteen fruits, vegetables and healthy ingredients from spirulina and lucuma to beetroot and ginger. Visit www.sensasiaspas.com and www.detox-delight.ae.
* Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane
Dr Oz’s Two-Day Wonder Cleanse
I'd clipped this cleanse out of an old O magazine months ago and finally decided to give it a try. The thing I like about this cleanse is that I didn't feel starved, I didn't just drink liquids all day and it didn't feel too terribly out of character from my normal diet. I also love that Dr Oz breaks down the reason for each and everything that you'll digest. I was able to find every ingredient that I needed at Lulu (except for the Dandelion tea that I later found at Nutrition Zone, Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi) which was a relief. I found most of the food to be pretty tasty: the lunch smoothie being my favourite and the soup for dinner being my least favourite. While it is possible that it was the power of suggestion, I have to say that I really did feel much more energised, which was my main goal, even after the first full day. Dr Oz doesn't really make any promises of weight loss (though I did lose 1.3kg) but he does promise that your body will feel happy, and I can vow for that. I've adopted a few habits that I will carry into the new year (sauerkraut for my digestion being a huge one) and am certain to do the cleanse again before too long. Check it out at www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Oz-on-Cleansing-Do-You-Need-a-Cleanse.
* Kerri Abrams
Let’s hear some noise
I always wondered, why in the world does Apple make such weak speakers? My ears strain when I'm listening to anything on my MacBook unless I'm using headphones, of course, and my iPad? Forget about it. So this little product I stumbled across sounds like it might be the solution to all my Apple listening woes. The Amplifiear projects your iPad's sound towards you, so you can actually hear a movie or song. My reaction? Yes! It costs US$24.99 (Dh92) from www.theamplifiear.com.
* Hala Khalaf
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Schedule:
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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 old
- 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 or 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
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
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
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
