The setting is spectacular but the subject is strange. Inside a magnificent Victorian building, amid the natural splendour of Adelaide Botanic Gardens, is a tourist attraction that was once common around the world, but is now one of the last of its kind.
Surrounding visitors is fake fruit, plastic fungi, petrified bread, endless plant samples and, most notably, jars full of unusual herbs.
This is the quirky Santos Museum of Economic Botany, which opened in 1881 to teach visitors the many ingenious ways humans use plants.
Back then, there were similar museums in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and major cities around the globe.
In the late 1900s, the study of economic botany waned and these museums disappeared. What makes this Adelaide attraction so remarkable is that its delightfully old-fashioned interior is mirrored by its exhibits.
Many of its displays have not been changed since nearly a century ago, when the museum’s collection of herbs inspired the career of one of Adelaide’s most unique historical characters, Mahomet Allum.
By harnessing the medicinal powers of plants, this Afghan healer became an Australian celebrity known as the “wonder man”, treating thousands of patients while working until he was nearly 100 years old.
His fame, success and unusual methods also made him a controversial figure.
Allum’s extraordinary tale echoes through two other Adelaide attractions: its impressive Migration Museum, which has an exhibit on his life, and the place where he prayed, the historic Adelaide Mosque.
His story also helps to explain the rich Islamic history of Adelaide.
Now a modern city of 1.3 million people on Australia’s southern coast, South Australia's capital city was only a small town when its first influx of Muslim immigrants arrived in the 1880s, mostly from Afghanistan and India.
Allum was among the hundreds of men who came to Australia to work as cameleers, using the animals to move goods, chart new trade routes and locate fresh agricultural land.
They also built Australia’s first mosques. Along the fringe of Adelaide’s shady Whitman Square Park is a quartet of whitewashed minarets, contrasting against a deep blue sky and the dark brown stones embedded in the facade of Adelaide Mosque.
Australia’s oldest functioning mosque, it was built in 1888. Soon after, it became known in Adelaide for its music-filled Eid festivals and for its many Muslim herbalists, called hakims.
These men created herbal remedies by mixing ingredients imported from Afghanistan and India — wormwood, turmeric, senna leaves and dried figs — with Australian products such as honey, butter, rose petals and beetroot leaves.
The cures they sold were new and unique to the people of Adelaide. The herbal remedies also arrived at a time when Australians were increasingly distrustful of traditional medicine.
This information is presented in the Migration Museum alongside an exhibit dedicated to Allum, the most renowned herbalist in the city’s history.
The fascinating museum traces the history of Adelaide’s many different ethnic groups and the effect of its most influential migrants.
Allum was born in Kandahar in 1858. In his late twenties he moved to Western Australia, where he worked as a cameleer, a job that took him all over the country and eventually to South Australia.
In the early 1920s, Allum lived in a house 200 metres from Adelaide Mosque, where he prayed daily. It was from that home that he made a major change late in life, opening a herbalist practice at the age of about 70.
As the Migration Museum explains, people travelled from all over Adelaide to try his cures for pain, inflammation and insomnia. Many were astounded by their efficacy, leading to Allum’s “wonder man” nickname.
On display in the museum are two original bottles of Allum’s most popular product, which he called blackjack. A blend of honey and senna pods, it was claimed to rid its consumer of indigestion.
Soon Allum was reportedly treating hundreds of people a week.
To build on this success, he paid for eye-catching advertisements in Adelaide newspapers. He became so well known and appreciated that, after he made a trip to his native Afghanistan in 1934, about 10,000 Adelaide residents signed a petition urging him to come back to their city.
When Allum returned, he received a warm welcome from his customers and a harsh blow from Australian authorities.
In 1935, he was charged with falsely claiming to be a medical professional. His trial was big news in Adelaide. Critics described him as a conman who sold useless placebos.
But Allum had many more fans than detractors. A huge number of witnesses came forward to defend him and, after paying a fine for misleading advertising, he was permitted to continue his herbalist practice. Allum continued to treat patients well into his nineties
Remarkably, he lived to the age of 106. He was laid to rest in Centennial Park cemetery in southern Adelaide, where a small obelisk marks his grave.
Meanwhile, his colourful tale lives on in the Migration Museum, Adelaide Mosque and the Museum of Economic Botany, three of the city’s most intriguing tourist attractions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
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FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
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
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
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
Read more about the coronavirus
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Brief scoreline:
Wolves 3
Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Zayed Sustainability Prize
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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