The end of Saddam is the start of an auction



Saddam Hussein's bronze buttock is to be sold at auction.

The fragment of a statue of the former Iraqi dictator was taken as a souvenir by a former member of Britain's SAS regiment who was working with a TV crew during the fall of Baghdad.

At the invitation of US soldiers, he removed the buttock after the statue was pulled down.

The piece will be offered at a sale in England this month and is expected to fetch at least £10,000 (Dh57,000).

Police in sting operation

Police in southern Turkey were forced to flee from a gang of suspected tobacco smugglers when the gang unleashed a swarm of bees.

According to the state news agency in Anatolia, the cigarettes were hidden among beehives on a lorry that was stopped by officers.

Police dressed in beekeeping gear were later able to find the lorry and arrested the driver and two beekeepers.

Runner was really a rider

After taking third place in a marathon race, the runner Rob Sloan was stripped of his award when it was revealed that he had taken a bus to the finish line.

Organisers said that Mr Sloan had run the first 20 miles, then hidden behind a tree until the last of the competitors in the Kielder Marathon, held in northern England, had gone by.

He then flagged down a passing bus that took him to the final stage of the race, when he resumed running.

His deceit was discovered after several passengers noticed a runner on their bus and by the competitor who was in third place for the entire race only to be told he had finished fourth at the end.

EU bursts children's balloon

Children in Europe are to be banned from blowing up balloons unsupervised because of the safety risk.

New regulations issued by the European Union also regulate whistles and magnetic fishing games.

The toy safety directive will order manufacturers to attach labels to packets of balloons, warning that children under eight must be supervised when blowing them up.

The EU says its regulations are to prevent children accidentally swallowing the balloons and choking.

One official told the UK's Daily Telegraph: "You might say that small children have been blowing up balloons for generations, but not anymore and they will be safer for it."

Game reaches next level

A computer virus that has infected the US air force's fleet of armed drones might have been picked up by the operators playing a video game.

Reports from America say the drones, which are used for aerial reconnaissance and to attack targets, have been hit by a virus that has required their hard drives to be erased and rebuilt.

The United States Air Force says the virus has not affected operations and denies reports that attempts were made to cover up the infection.

It has emerged that the virus is routinely used to steal passwords from video games like Mafia Wars, raising speculation that the ground crew were using their computers for more than defending the nation.

Zombies safe in Canada

A group of actors dressed as zombies were injured when part of the film set they were standing on suddenly collapsed.

Their living dead make-up also made it difficult for Toronto emergency services to assess what injuries were real.

However, a spokesman for the Resident Evil series of films assured local news reporters that "none of the injuries were life-threatening".

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic

John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers

SHAITTAN
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The bio:

Favourite film:

Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Favourite holiday destination:

Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.

Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.

Favourite pastime:

Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.

Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.

Personal motto:

Declan: Take chances.

Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.

 

Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books

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'Midnights'
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DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Director: Jon Watts

Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon 

Rating:*****

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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