Paul McCartney
New
(Virgin EMI)
⋆⋆⋆⋆
It’s remarkable, given his contributions to the canon, that Paul McCartney has rarely fretted about his music. Whether trifling as The Frog Chorus-accompanied We All Stand Together or towering as Yesterday, his compositions have always been presented with a relaxed impartiality. His 16th solo album also sounds as though it was birthed painlessly. Macca’s easy melodicism is rebooted by a raft of youngish producers including the Adele collaborator Paul Epworth and George Martin’s son, Giles. Though Looking at Her is an overly saccharine love song that Martin’s inventive production can’t quite redeem, New soon proves to be McCartney’s most satisfying album in yonks. Queenie Eye is a fine, free-flowing nonsense song with shades of I Am the Walrus. Alligator evokes Band on the Run-era Wings in style, and the odd, brooding Appreciate shows that Macca can still innovate. Elsewhere, on Early Days, our host reclaims The Beatles backstory. “They can’t take it from me,” sings McCartney. “I lived through those early days.”
[ artslife@thenational.ae ]
COMPANY PROFILE
Date started: 2020
Founders: Khaldoon Bushnaq and Tariq Seksek
Based: Abu Dhabi Global Market
Sector: HealthTech
Number of staff: 100
Funding to date: $15 million
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: SmartCrowd
Started: 2018
Founder: Siddiq Farid and Musfique Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech / PropTech
Initial investment: $650,000
Current number of staff: 35
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Various institutional investors and notable angel investors (500 MENA, Shurooq, Mada, Seedstar, Tricap)
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
