J K Rowling has posted new details about a minor character from her Harry Potter books on the fan website Pottermore.com. The author has written a short biography of Celestina Warbeck, a glamorous singing sorceress resembling Shirley Bassey, and a favourite of Mrs Weasley's. The new backstory for the character, who was only mentioned briefly in the books, was posted online on Monday along with one of her songs, recorded by a singer at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. Rowling calls her one of her favourite "off-stage" characters in the whole series. She writes that Warbeck's special abilities include tap-dancing and an extraordinary voice that can "drown out a chorus of banshees". – AP
Don Pardo, the distinctive voice of Jeopardy and SNL dies
The announcer Don Pardo, whose booming baritone was known to fans of Saturday Night Live, The Price Is Right and other programmes, has died. He was 96. For decades, Pardo's majestic voice, with its swoops in pitch and pregnant pauses, graced game shows and TV programmes. During shows such as the original version of Jeopardy!, his answers to the question: "Tell 'em what they've won, Don Pardo," became a memorable part of the programme. Though rarely seen, he was an integral part of Saturday Night Live for more than three decades, introducing the cast to kick off each show. – AP
Taylor Swift pops up to announce new album
Taylor Swift is saying goodbye to country music, for now. The singer says she's releasing her first full-length pop album on October 27. The 24-year-old revealed during a livestream via Yahoo! on Monday that 1989, named for her birth year, is her "first documented official pop album". The first single is the upbeat jam Shake It Off, which she debuted during the livestream and was released on Monday. She danced happily in a cropped white top and skirt with the audience as the song played. Swift called her forthcoming fifth album a "rebirth". "We made the most sonically cohesive album I've ever made," she said of 1989, which was available for pre-order on Monday. "I woke up every day not wanting, but needing to make a new style of music than I made before," she told the audience. The singer also premiered the music video for Shake It Off. – AP
Veteran singers to perform at oil-pipeline protest gig
Willie Nelson and Neil Young will headline a concert next month in a Nebraska cornfield organised by opponents of a proposed pipeline that would carry oil from south Canada to the Gulf Coast. Bold Nebraska said the concert would be held on September 27 on a farm near Neligh in north-east Nebraska. Tickets go on sale today. Earlier this year, protesters carved an anti-pipeline message into the cornfield, which is in the path of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Campaigners hope the project will be rejected because they fear it could contaminate groundwater and contribute to pollution. – AP
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England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
MANDOOB
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
SPECS
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Napoleon
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
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