French chefs are accused of poaching English snails so that they can cook them in butter.
Conservationists say there is strong evidence that a population of rare Roman snails living in woodland is being decimated by unscrupulous restaurateurs.
The snails, which can grow to up to 10cm in length, are worth up to Dh6 each on the black market and used as escargot in cuisine.
They have proven easy to catch because they live only in a 30-metre-square patch and because, well, they are snails.
Andy Keay, a conservation volunteer, said he recently caught a poacher with two bulging carrier bags: "I told him he was breaking the law, and I grabbed the bags, and the snails stayed."
Unique uni unibrow
A rising basketball star has trademarked his "unibrow".
Anthony Davies, who currently plays for the University of Kentucky, is one of the top prospects of the National Basketball Association draft.
Davies, 19, has filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office his catchphrases "Fear the Brow" and "Raise the Brow."
As a student, rules prevented him from exploiting his eyebrows, but his family say they are now hoping to cash in after his schooling.
His father, Anthony senior, said: "The brow brand is his so we wanted to go ahead and trademark it."
Purr-fect mob arrest
A mafia "godmother" known as the "big female kitten" has been arrested by police in Naples.
Raffaellia D'Alterio, 46, is said to have taken over the Planese-D'Alterio family after her husband was murdered by rivals six years ago.
D'Aterio was among 65 suspects rounded up by Italian police and accused of extortion, possessing illegal arms, robbery and drug dealing.
The authorities also seized a red Ferrari with a solid gold number plate that was said to have been a gift from her daughter's boyfriend.
Agents aren't packing
Secret service agents protecting François Hollande, the new president of France, are reported to have forgotten to pack their guns on an official visit overseas.
The crack team from the GSPR unit are said to have arrived at the climate conference in Brazil this month, and then realised they had left the firearms at home.
After searching the president's official aircraft from top to bottom, the guns were later found in the president's official residence, the Élysée Palace.
A spokesman admitted the error and said a commander had been fired as a result.
1900 not best of times
To mark its 200th birthday, the New England Journal of Medicine has released a comparison between causes of death in 1900 and today.
According to data, the biggest killers were pneumonia, tuberculosis and gastrointestinal infections.
Heart disease and high blood pressure also claimed many lives, as did accidents.
Today, heart disease and cancer cause more than half of all deaths and there are nearly half as many suicides as accidents.
The good news is that the death rate in 1900 was 1,100 per 100,000 of the population. Today it is only 600 per 100,000.
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
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.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGuillermo%20del%20Toro%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tim%20Blake%20Nelson%2C%20Sebastian%20Roche%2C%20Elpidia%20Carrillo%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
