Speculation of a time traveller caught on tape at a 1928 Hollywood movie premiere talking on her mobile phone has been making the rounds on the internet. But there is probably a more prosaic explanation: she had difficulty hearing.
Interest emerged among those most willing to theorise on the bizarre side of reality when a clip was uploaded onto YouTube of the 1928 premiere of Charlie Chaplin's The Circus. A woman can be seen walking, holding something to her ear in the manner people today might use a mobile phone. However, experts have since pointed out that she could have been - and probably was - using an early precursor to today's hearing aid. What's that again?
LA refugees seek asylum
The actor Randy Quaid has fled to Canada with his wife, seeking asylum after he claimed the couple were targets of a gang called the "Hollywood Star Wackers".
Quaid, who has roles in such films as Midnight Express and Independence Day, was arrested by immigration officials with his wife, Evi, and immediately applied for refugee status.
The couple say shadowy forces in Hollywood are killing movie stars to protect advertising revenues, and claim that his costar in Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger, who died from a drug overdose two years ago, was another victim.
Canadian border officials say that the couple are just fugitives from justice, after being charged with fraud and burglary this year.
'Bless you, mey nwoah'
A monkey that sneezes when it rains had been discovered in the rainforests of northern Myanmar.
Described as a snub-nosed monkey, Rhinopithecus strykeri has upturned nostrils that fill with water when it rains.
Locals say the monkeys can been seen sitting with their heads between their knees to avoid sneezing fits in wet weather.
They call the creature "mey nwoah", meaning "monkey with an upturned face".
Reason No 1 not to elope
A couple who were married in the Maldives have discovered that what they thought was a wedding ceremony was really workers at the hotel insulting them in the local tongue.
When footage of the ceremony was posted on YouTube, it emerged that the man they believed was a local minister was actually swearing at them.
Speaking in Dhivehi, the "minister" said: "Your marriage is not a valid one. You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage."
Parts of the printed "wedding vows" visible on the video appear to be a hotel document relating to employee relations, while other workers stand around taking photographs and making derogatory comments about the bride's appearance.
The hotel has now issued an apology to the couple, who are believed to be Swiss, and says all the staff involved have been sacked.
What, no combat pay?
The entire police force of a small Mexican town has resigned after their station was hit by grenades and at least 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
An assault by suspected members of a drug cartel in Los Ramones, in the north of the country, caused no injuries but destroyed six police vehicles and left the station riddled with bullet holes. It had been opened three days earlier.
The town's 14 officers, who earn an average of Dh1,200 a month, have now handed in their resignations. Mexico's brutal drug war is estimated to have cost 30,000 lives in the past four years.
jlangton@thenational.ae
The%20specs
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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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: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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