Colombian singer Shakira with son Milan. Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA
Colombian singer Shakira with son Milan. Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA
Colombian singer Shakira with son Milan. Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA
Colombian singer Shakira with son Milan. Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA

Shakira wants press to leave son alone


  • English
  • Arabic

Colombian pop star Shakira wants the press to leave her nearly 2-year-old son with Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué alone, she said in an interview published on Sunday. She shared the first public photograph of her first son Milan sleeping in Piqué's arms on the Unicef website just days after he was born on January 22 last year, along with a request that people donate to the UN children's agency. The multi-­Grammy-winning singer, who is expecting her second child with Piqué, has shared other pictures of Milan on social media sites but in recent weeks, she has declined to be photographed with her son. "I liked being able to share with fans and the people who have always supported us the experience of being parents and the first months of my son's life," she told daily Spanish newspaper ABC. "But now that Milan is growing and has stopped being a baby, I would prefer it if the press did not focus so much on him. I would like him to enjoy a normal childhood, as much as that is possible." – AFP

Hunger Games survives at top of US box office

The latest Hunger Games movie beat back competitors to survive the Thanksgiving weekend in the top spot of the North American box office, according to industry estimates published on Sunday. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, starring ­Jennifer Lawrence (pictured) as rebellious Katniss Everdeen, grossed nearly US $57 million (Dh2.08 billion) this weekend after its debut a week ago that pulled in $123m, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. Fox's animated-animal film Penguins of ­Madagascar pulled in about $26m in its first weekend in cinemas, earning the second box office spot. That debut knocked animated robot flick Big Hero 6 from second to third on the charts, after the Disney feature took in nearly $19m in its fourth weekend in theatres. Space exploration film Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan, grossed almost $16m to take the fourth spot. Horrible Bosses 2, the sequel to the 2011 workplace comedy ­starring Jennifer Aniston, hauled in $15.7m in its weekend debut. – AFP

Gauhar Khan slapped for wearing a short dress

The Indian model and actress Gauhar Khan was slapped by an audience member while hosting India's Raw Star, a reality show, at Film City in ­Mumbai, police said. Khan was attacked and threatened by an audience member who said that "being a Muslim woman, she should not have worn such a short dress". The accused, identified as Mohammed Akil Mallick, 24, also touched her inappropriately during a break in the filming, but was immediately overpowered by security guards. – The National staff

Snooki ties the knot in New Jersey

Snooki has officially tied the knot. Former Jersey Shore reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi married boyfriend Jionni LaValle in a church ceremony on Saturday in East Hanover, west of New York City. The Record newspaper reports that among the guests were Jersey Shore castmates Sammi Giancola, Deena Cortese and Jenni Farley. Polizzi currently stars with Farley in MTV's Snooki and JWOWW.

A few dozen onlookers waited outside the church. Seventeen groomsmen and 15 bridesmaids attended the ceremony, which had a Great Gatsby theme. Polizzi and LaValle have two children, ages 2 and 2 months. – AP

Shraddha Kapoor wants dad Shakti in the Guinness World Records

Shraddha Kapoor, daughter of the ­veteran actor Shakti Kapoor, says her father deserves a place in the ­Guinness World ­Records because he’s acted in more than 700 films. “My father has done more than 700 films so actually he should get a place in Guinness World Records. I will speak to their officials about it,” the actress said at an event in Mumbai on Sunday. Shakti Kapoor, 56, is known for playing villains as well as comical roles in Bollywood over his 30-year career. – IANS

KJo amasses 5 million followers on Twitter

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar now has five million followers on the popular micro-blogging site Twitter. He has thanked his fans for “listening” to him. “A huge heartfelt thank you!!! Just realized I have touched 5 million followers!! Thank you for listening... lots of love... always!,” he tweeted on Sunday. Apart from his huge fan base, his followers include Bollywood A-listers Amitabh ­Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla. – IANS

Scoreline

Germany 2

Werner 9', Sane 19'

Netherlands 2

Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
AGL AWARDS

Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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
Scoreline

Bournemouth 2

Wilson 70', Ibe 74'

Arsenal 1

Bellerin 52'

GULF MEN'S LEAGUE

Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2

Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers

 

Opening fixtures

Thursday, December 5

6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles

7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers

7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles

7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2

 

Recent winners

2018 Dubai Hurricanes

2017 Dubai Exiles

2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km

Price: from Dh362,500

On sale: now

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)
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.

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

U19 World Cup in South Africa

Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka

Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies

Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE

UAE fixtures

Saturday, January 18, v Canada

Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan

Saturday, January 25, v South Africa

UAE squad

Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5