A look at five talking points for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai this weekend:
Are Ferrari really back?
Sebastian Vettel injected a bit of chaos into the F1 season with his stunning victory in Malaysia, his first for Ferrari and first since topping the podium for Red Bull Racing at the end of 2013. But after ending a run of eight straight victories for Mercedes stretching back to last season, Shanghai should prove the acid test for Ferrari's hopes of launching any sort of genuine challenge. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff insists there's no need to panic, but the way Lewis Hamilton's circuitry fried under pressure from Vettel suggested the German had struck a significant psychological blow.
Rosberg needs form, fast
It hasn't been a happy 2015 so far for Nico Rosberg, who was comprehensively beaten by Mercedes teammate Hamilton in Australia and left red-faced in Malaysia. Rosberg's cheeky invitation for Vettel to attend a Mercedes debrief, to help Ferrari catch up, backfired spectacularly when he was bested by his fellow German in both qualifying and on race-day. Rosberg was also accused of deliberately slowing Hamilton during qualifying, a suggestion both drivers dismissed. Whatever the goings-on in the paddock, Rosberg needs to make it happen on the track or risk seeing his season slip away.
Alonso and the case of what might have been
Fernando Alonso insisted he was one of the happiest people in the world before the Malaysian race, but he would have been forgiven for some wistful glances at the Ferrari garage as his former team ended a 34-race drought. In his first race back at McLaren, it was a sobering reality check for the Spaniard, 33, who has been searching for a third world title since 2006. While Ferrari celebrated, neither McLaren finished the race and they look unlikely to figure this season. Alonso also had to deal with the fall-out of his crash and memory loss during testing in what has so far been a troubled second coming so far.
No limits for Max
Toro Rosso’s record-breaker Max Verstappen has taken up the flag for the next generation of Formula One drivers with aplomb and arrives in Shanghai looking to rewrite history again. He became the sport’s youngest points scorer in Malaysia at 17 years and 180 days, embarrassing senior Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat in the process. The sky looks to be the limit for the baby-faced Dutch teen.
Weekend at Bernie’s
Race weekends rarely pass without Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone stirring the pot. Before the Malaysian Grand Prix, Ecclestone declared Hamilton the best ever while taking a swipe at Vettel. But Ecclestone’s recent ideas to introduce points for qualifying, more double-point races, mixed-up grids and a women’s world championship could at least provoke some fascinating debate. Just for good measure, he even took a pop at petrol-head TV commentators.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Company%20Profile
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more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
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
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
