SanDisk Sansa Clip+
How it looks Not long ago, the phrase "low-end MP3 players" would have been an oxymoron, as anyone listening to music off a flash drive was considered nothing less than avant-garde. Now, however, players such as the five-centimetre-wide SanDisk Sansa Clip+ are basically high-tech, affordable miracles hiding in plain sight.
What it does The Sansa Clip+ comes with 4GB of storage and can hold about 1,000 songs, more if you make use of its expandable microSD slot. Its tiny OLED screen helps you navigate through the tunes - it even manages to cram in a digital FM radio tuner and voice recorder.
Who it's for Joggers and gym devotees will appreciate its ability to snugly clip onto their clothes as they run or gyrate - however, some may find the microSD feature more trouble than it's worth.
Dh145
Creative ZEN M300
How it looks Only a bit larger than a matchbox, the Creative ZEN M300 is an unassuming black MP3 player that you'll barely feel in your pocket. Its small touch screen makes it look like a tiny digital photo frame.
What it does The M300 boasts 4GB of internal memory, a microSD slot, an FM radio tuner and a voice recorder. But it can also connect wirelessly to any Bluetooth-enabled device, including computers, speakers and headphones.
Who it's for Music lovers who want to spend more time listening to music and less time untangling headphone wires.
Dh200
Apple iPod Shuffle
How it looks The almost perfectly square 2.75cm-wide iPod Shuffle comes in a rainbow of colours.
What it does It doesn't make phone calls, or play YouTube videos or keep you connected on Facebook. It also has no radio, voice recorder or touch screen, though its simple, round wheel of buttons allows you to control up to 2GB of iTunes music on the go without looking down. It's VoiceOver feature will also announce the title, artist name and battery status between songs, if you wish.
Who it's for Apple fans who secretly yearn for a cheap, simple device that does one thing well, but want to keep their reputation as brand loyalists above reproach.
Dh200
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.
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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
