Jon Hamm revealed on a podcast last week that the premiere of the fifth season of the AMC network drama is on March 25. AP Photo
Jon Hamm revealed on a podcast last week that the premiere of the fifth season of the AMC network drama is on March 25. AP Photo
Jon Hamm revealed on a podcast last week that the premiere of the fifth season of the AMC network drama is on March 25. AP Photo
Jon Hamm revealed on a podcast last week that the premiere of the fifth season of the AMC network drama is on March 25. AP Photo

Today in entertainment: Jay-Z raps about his baby daughter

Plus, Ryan Seacrest may leave American Idol; Jon Hamm confirms Mad Men return; Scorsese and Allen earn Directors Guild honours; Black Sabbath guitarist has cancer; and global series coming to Philippine TV.

The National staff

January 11, 2012

  • English
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Through a rap verse, Jay-Z has confirmed the birth of "the most beautiful" girl in the world - his newborn daughter.

The song Glory made its debut on his social website Life and Times on Monday - two days after his wife Beyoncé gave birth to their daughter Blue Ivy.

Jay-Z's song, in which he says "you're my child with a child from Destiny's Child," talks about where the baby was conceived (in Paris) and even reveals that Beyoncé had a miscarriage at one point.

"Last time the miscarriage was so tragic / We was afraid you'd disappear / But nah baby you magic."

The song's refrain is: "The most amazing feeling I feel / Words can't describe what I'm feeling for real / Maybe I paint the sky blue / My greatest creation was you. You. Glory."

The sound of a baby's cries - perhaps Blue's - ends the song. The song says it features "B.I.C." - Blue's initials. It's the first child for the couple, who married in 2008 in a private ceremony.

Associated Press

Will Ryan Seacrest leave Idol?

Ryan Seacrest's future on American Idol is uncertain, as his three-year contract with the reality talent programme comes to a close.

The Hollywood Reporter speculated last week that the show's producers are letting go of Seacrest, no longer willing to pay his fee of US$15 million (Dh55m) per season. But on Sunday night, Fox's entertainment president Kevin Reilly issued a statement to the same publication, saying that the network will do its best to keep him as the host. "It's very hard to imagine the show without Ryan," Reilly said. He admitted sealing a new contract with the 37-year-old host will be "a tough negotiation", as Fox will reportedly attempt to get Seacrest to take a pay cut.

Could the reports be the typical by-product of high-stakes contract negotiations, or gossip to stir controversy in time for the premiere of Idol's latest season which starts on January 18? Stay tuned.

Jon Hamm: Mad Men returning on March 25

The last new episode of Mad Men was broadcast in October 2010. But relief is in sight, according to its lead star Jon Hamm, who revealed on a podcast last week that the premiere of the fifth season of the AMC network drama is on March 25. The actor also says he will direct that episode. He appeared on Friday's edition of the podcast "Doug Loves Movies" hosted by the comedian Doug Benson.

AMC declined to confirm the date. The return of the show follows protracted negotiations between the production studio Lionsgate and the creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner. The series is expected to run to a seventh season.

Associated Press

Black Sabbath guitarist has cancer

The band Black Sabbath released a statement on Monday saying Tony Iommi, 63, has been diagnosed with lymphoma and is being treated by doctors.

The news comes two months after the pioneering heavy metal quartet's original line-up announced they were working on their first album in 33 years. The album remains set for an autumn release and the rest of the group - the vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, the bassist Geezer Butler and the drummer Bill Ward - will go to the UK to continue working with Iommi.

Associated Press

Scorsese and Allen earn Directors Guild honours

The filmmaker Martin Scorsese and the Midnight in Paris creator Woody Allen are among the nominees for top filmmaking honours from the Directors Guild of America. Also nominated are David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist; and Alexander Payne for The Descendants.

The Directors Guild field is one of Hollywood's most accurate forecasts for who will be in the running at the Academy Awards, the nominations for which are announced on January 24. The winner at the Directors Guild almost always goes on to win the directing prize at the Oscars. The guild will announce its winners at a January 28 dinner, with Kelsey Grammer as the host.

Associated Press

Global series coming to Philippine TV

This week the Philippine network TV5 released its line-up of programmes for the year, including notable franchises of global shows such as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Philippines, The Amazing Race Philippines, The Biggest Game Show in Asia (known as It's a Knockout in the UK and Australia), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Philippines and Temptation Island: Dare to Win (patterned after on defunct Fox series).

In 2010, the businessman Manuel Pangilinan, the Philippines' Donald Trump, launched the network, pirating stars from the country's two biggest stations, ABS-CBN 2 and GMA-7. More than a year after its initial broadcast, TV5 has proven to be a success: buying these franchises indicates the network is in formidable form.

Filipinos in the UAE can watch these programmes by subscribing to the international cable channel Kapatid TV5.

Qosty Byogaani

Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny

Four stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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.”

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.

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