One of the most notorious cold cases in modern US history is thought to have been solved, as an independent group of investigators say they have decoded the mystery of the Zodiac Killer.
The Zodiac Killer is a serial killer who terrorised San Francisco and Northern California from 1968 until the early 1970s. He was known for his regular communication with the police and newspapers during his killing spree, and the cryptograms he sent, which he said would reveal his identity when decoded.
He was known for a crosshair-like symbol, which he used when signing off his letters.
The group of investigators, known as the Case Breakers, have named a man who they believe is the Zodiac Killer, saying he died in 2018.
Before now, he's frequently been referenced in popular culture, and there have been several documentaries and podcasts dedicated to trying to solve the infamous cold case.
Here, we round-up podcasts, documentaries and films about the Zodiac Killer:
'The Most Dangerous Animal of All'
FX's The Most Dangerous Animal of All is a four-part TV mini-series about Gary L Stewart, who suspects his biological father is the Zodiac Killer after years spent trying to find him.
The documentary series is based on The New York Times best-selling book of the same name.
'Zodiac: A to Z'
Michael Butterfield's podcast Zodiac: A to Z reports on facts and debunks myths surrounding the murderer.
The podcast debuted in September 2019, with new episodes released as recently as last month. Episodes are long, ranging from about 45 minutes to more than an hour and a half, with shorter bonus content peppered in.
'Monster: The Zodiac Killer'
The second season of iHeartRadio's Monster podcast focuses on the killings of the Zodiac Killer. Released in 2019, with the narrative starting at Christmas 1968, the 15-episode series explores the notorious unsolved serial killing and tries to answer the question: who is the murderer?
The episodes range from 35 to 49 minutes long, and explore copycat killers, the Zodiac Killer's relationship with police and the press, and his legacy 50 years on.
'True Crime Garage'
Crime podcast True Crime Garage is presented by duo Nic and the Captain, and started in 2015. The pair tackle a different crime each week, but released a five-part series on the Zodiac Killer in March.
The podcast goes through Zodiac's confirmed kill timeline, with speculation on who they think it could have been.
'The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer'
In 2017, the History Channel released a five-part series titled, The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer.
The mini-series focuses on expert code breakers who are trying to crack the riddles left behind by the Zodiac Killer with a team of investigators. During the series, the team managed to break one major code.
It can be watched on YouTube.
'Zodiac Speaking'
Presented by Christopher J Garcia, podcast Zodiac Speaking does a deep dive into the case, but not with the intention of solving it, as many others endeavour to do.
The podcast instead focuses on the cultural impact of the Zodiac Killer. The facts that the killings started five years before Garcia was born and that the man killed members of his parents' generation heavily influence the series. The podcast focuses on the victims more than the killer and the suspects, and the families left behind.
The Zodiac Killer in film
It is not only documentary retellings of the Zodiac Killer that are prevalent in popular culture, as he has been referenced a number of times in film, music and TV.
In 1971, when the killer was still active, The Zodiac Killer was released and starred Hal Reed and Bob Jones. In the same year, Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry was loosely based on the killer. The film is about a murderer who has named himself Scorpio, a Zodiac sign, and is tracked down by Eastwood's character, San Francisco Police Inspector 'Dirty' Harry Callahan.
Later on, the 2007 film Zodiac stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Jr and Mark Ruffalo. Directed by David Fincher, the film is based on Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America's Most Elusive Serial Killer, two non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith. The film is set in San Francisco between 1968 and 1983. It is available to watch on Netflix in the UAE.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
