Head in the clouds
There have been three standout cars in the higher echelon for me this year: the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Lamborghini Aventador and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The 458 is easily the best handling of the three and it's quite a looker, but I'm not a fan of that Ferrari exhaust drone. The SLS is a favourite of mine anyway, with its timeless design, its gullwing doors and the best V8 roar I have ever heard. But it's been around for a while.
But the Aventador is all new this year, and it has charged into the ring like the raging bull adorning its bonnet. I don't ever remember driving something as radical, as raw, as agonizingly brutal as this latest Lamborghini. And to let it loose on the Vallelunga track in Italy was one of the most exciting and exhilarating experiences I've ever had behind the wheel of a car.
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My first introduction to it was seeing it parked outside of a hotel in Rome, and any other car would have to be on fire to attract the same attention as the Aventador received from passers-by.
But as exciting as it looks, it delivers on the road and the track in spades. At Vallelunga, the engine roared like it was exploding, and in corsa mode, shifting gears was akin to getting kicked in the back by a mule - the whole car shuddered for a split second before regaining traction. It just didn't want to stop pushing you into your seat, and I was only to happy to let it - or perhaps too frightened to stop it.
Lamborghini is proud to say it is the bad boy of the automotive world, and the Aventador is the baddest of the bad. In a very good way.
Feet on the ground
Even I'm shaking my head at this decision; am I really writing this? But for a reasonably priced vehicle, I was most impressed with the Honda Odyssey minivan. That's right, a minivan. Why? Because, if you have a family and don't pretend that you need an off-road vehicle, I found nothing better that does it all for moving people. Of course, there are the usual luxuries, such as sat/nav, cruise, power everything, blah blah. But as I spent more time with it, I began to appreciate all the other unique additions it includes: power sliding doors on both sides of the car, seats that can be removed entirely, a split-screen DVD for the rear passengers, a deep cool box between the front seats, even a pop-down convex mirror at the front to watch the kids don't get into any mischief.
Add to that an incredible amount of room for seven people easily accessed by low floors, a cavernous cargo space and a top-notch safety rating, all at a reasonable price, and I'd gladly take this minivan over any garishly towering SUV any day - if I had a family, of course. Sadly, it was the best Honda I've driven all year.
Honourable mentions
Audi's design department has been creeping to the forefront lately and the company has released one of my favourite cars this year: the A7 Sportback. Wow, if this is what the new four-door coupé segment is bringing, then I'm all for it. It's a classy car without being ostentatious, but the real treat is just sitting inside of it - one of the most stylish and luxurious cabins I've had the pleasure to drop my rump in.
Peugeot managed to surprise everyone with its RCZ coupé. Sure, it may look like an Audi TT, but it's a lot cheaper while still delivering a fantastic drive. Its turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine has enough oomph to please all but the most aggressive of drivers, but the chassis could easily take more power as it handles the curves better than many more expensive cars and is an absolute hoot to toss around.
Speaking of a good chassis, even the little Chevrolet Sonic impressed me with its on-road abilities and the amount of kit you get for its low price, one of the lowest in its segment. Add to that its sharp looks and it's nice to see General Motors is finally getting a few things right for a change. Maybe the Sonic is a harbinger of what's coming down the pipe for the rest of the GM line? I hope so.
One of my favourite cars to drive this year won't be available to the general public, at least for the foreseeable future, and that's a shame. Oh, and by "general public", I mean multimillionaire CEOs and footballers, because those are the only ones who would be looking at a Rolls-Royce Phantom. But this is the 102EX, the one-off electric version of the ultra-luxe barge. But the normal V12 petrol engine and seven-speed gearbox of the Phantom just can't match the smooth power delivery of the two electric motors and single-speed transmission of the 102. It is a perfect fit for all the luxury and opulence the Phantom is supposed to embody. I declare, if they build it, buyers will come.
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
