Chalet chic
The international design press is busy cooing over the Australian designer Marc Newson's spectacular new London pad. He and his wife, the stylist Charlotte Stockdale, wanted a larger space, the kind more often found inside an industrial building; however, both dislike "cold" lofts. So they looked to chalets for their interiors inspiration instead. "The thing about chalets," Newson told Vogue, "is that they're naturally cosy, no matter how big they are."
Using the Swiss chalet owned by the film director Roman Polanski and featured in the Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest as their reference point - the couple's new living room has a river rock wall and a Tyrolean-style antler chandelier, picked up at an auction in Austria. The overall result has been to preserve a sense of volume, while creating an atmosphere and warmth that is often difficult to achieve in a large space.
I see a new trend coming on - you read it here first. In the meantime, check out Dubai's Kempinski Hotel for chalet chic inspiration.
Sharjah student scoops design prize
The organisers of the recent Interiors UAE show in Abu Dhabi launched an interior design competition in conjunction with the internationally renowned Inchbald School of Design and the UK-based interior design firm, RPW, which offered a six-month internship as the prize. In the current climate design competitions are few and far between, not to mention the chance to work and experience the day-to-day operations at a professional design studio.
That makes this a wonderful opportunity for budding local talent. So, congratulations to Neha Lalwani, a student at the American University of Sharjah, who won the inaugural competition, which asked students to explore the concept of "high fashion" to produce a scheme that satisfies the four key elements of residential design: "sleep, eat, play and bathe". A name to watch for in the future.
Yvonne Courtney is the co-founder of design/publishing consultancy and ezine designtastic.net
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The specs
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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