Dean Martin's unique Ghia car goes on sale
Few men were cooler than Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin and, when you're as cool as him, you inevitably need to drive around in a cool car. So Martin chose the classic 1962 Ghia L6.4 - of which only 26 were built - as his wheels of choice. But even that wasn't individual enough for him and he got famous custom car builder George Barris to add some personalised touches. The good news for car enthusiasts today is that Martin's car still exists and is on sale for US$199,550 (Dh733,000) from Hyman Cars Ltd (hymanltd.com), according to Jalopnik.com. The car has a 335hp Chrysler V8 engine and looks in great condition, so it's a bit of a bargain for a car once owned by an icon.
Boy racer parking up wrong tree with locals
Residents of a sleepy village were so fed up with a boy racer driving them around the bend that they took his car and lodged it up a big willow tree, The Sun reports. The Ford Escort belonging to Zbigniew Filo, 24, who doesn't have a driving licence, was hoisted up the tree overnight in Lubczyna, Poland, by the anonymous resident using a mobile crane. Villagers are keeping tight-lipped about the prank but one said: "It's probably a good thing as he was a dangerous driver and could have killed someone." Police told Filo to remove the car himself and the tearaway has promised to change his ways when behind the wheel.
Car testing is nothing but monkey business
We at Motoring know that not everyone will always agree with our opinions on cars but Hyundai has opted to get the lowdown on its i30 from a wholly different bunch of reviewers - a group of 40 baboons. The Koreans wanted to test the durability of the saloon, which was launched in the UAE last week, so it was parked in a field of monkeys at Knowsley Safari Park in England for 10 hours. The car was left with a few scrapes, bite marks on the steering wheel and a dislodged rubber door seal but it still passed the test, according to the Daily Mail.
Ancient Chinese wall feels wrath of Ferrari
Ferrari has had to apologise after one of its cars damaged a Chinese monument ahead of a publicity event. A 458 Italia was filmed wheel-spinning on top of the 600-year-old Ming dynasty era wall in the city of Nanjing, BBC News reports. The incident has provoked anger online, with one Chinese web user calling it a "rude insult". However, most fury has been directed at city officials, who reportedly agreed to rent use of the wall for about Dh50,000 to Ferrari for a celebration to mark the company's 20 years in China. Ferrari said a dealership employee, who's not Ferrari staff, caused the tyre mark damage to the wall.
Learn to race with help of F1 and Nascar stars
Now here's an opportunity that doesn't arise every day - the chance to learn from Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and Nascar's Tony Stewart. But not only can you pick up the stars' best tips, you don't need to leave the house as the tutoring all takes place in a new free online game, Mobil 1 Racing Academy. In the game you can follow Hamilton's career, racing in karting, F3 and then F1 as the Brit lends advice for each series, while you will follow Stewart from Midget Car to IndyCar and then Nascar, with him also mentoring throughout. Play the game at grid1.tv/game.
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
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