Egyptian puppet superstar Abla Fahita is no stranger to falling out with authority. In 2013, she was variously accused of being a British spy and a Muslim Brotherhood supporter following her appearance in a Vodafone advert which resulted in the Egyptian public prosecutor's office investigating her.
Today (Saturday, December 12) she appears at Dubai International Film Festival, for an ‘in conversation with’ session. But this time it is the hotel management rather than a government that she has been upsetting.
Fahita was due to film a segment for Entertainment Tonight in her hotel room prior to her appearance at Diff's forum, but it seemed that her hotel was not quite ready for the publicity that accompanies being featured on one of the world's biggest celebrity TV platforms. The hotel management banned the shoot due to a strict 'one guest per room' rule and refused to allow the camera crew, puppeteers, associated crew and staff access.
Fahita told The National exclusively: "Maybe it's because I'm so beautiful that they won't let people in my room. I don't know what they think I can do with two people that I can't do with one. They should remember it's not the numbers that matter, but the intention."
Fahita said she hoped to find an alternative shooting location before she returns to Cairo tomorrow, and that Diff would try to assist her.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
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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
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
