As the pampered pet of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, Choupette’s glam-filled days have been spent hanging out with models and sitting in handbags (Chanel, obviously), all documented via Instagram to her 117K followers.
Born in 2011, Choupette began modelling in 2012, starring in V Magazine with Laetitia Casta, while her book Choupette: The Private Life of a High Flying Fashion Cat was published in 2014, the same year that Shu Uemura brought out a make-up collection in her honour, entitled Shupette.
The distinctively coloured Choupette is a Birman, also known as the Sacred Cat of Burma thanks to a legend about a cat that came to the aid of its slain master at the Lao-Tsun temple in Myanmar. As the man lay dying, the cat helped him to meet the gaze of the Goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse, which turned the cat’s fur the golden colour of the deity’s robes, and its eyes sapphire blue.
Ancient Egypt also considered cats sacred (but did not worship them), with the first known depiction appearing circa 1950BC. Egyptian cats were immortalised in paintings (one work dating from 1500BC shows a cat eating a fish under a table) and as sculptures, and were mummified as temple offerings.
In 2004, cat bones were found in a Neolithic grave in Cyprus, suggesting that felines have been domesticated for some 9,500 years. Today, a cat can easily outrun most dogs, with the Egyptian Mau clocking an impressive 30 mph. An ability to see in near total darkness, coupled with keen hunting skills, mean cats kill up to 20.7 billion birds and animals a year, prompting New Zealand to consider an outright ban.
Cats owe their slinky walk to direct register, that is, placing each hind paw almost perfectly in the print of the forepaw, hence the fashion term, catwalk.
The world of fashion explained...
Deconstructing: The crew cut
Deconstructing: Denim
Deconstructing: Gloves
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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
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
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
