The specs: 2019 Audi A8
Price From Dh390,000
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km
I am developing a slight inferiority complex. This car is smarter than I am. It can park itself in a garage (while you stand outside and watch it all unfold), magically flatten out road-surface imperfections and even drive itself – completely – in traffic jams.
It is head-scratching stuff, so much so that legislation around the world has yet to catch up to the world-first (in a volume production car) "Level 3" autonomous driving capability of the all-new Audi A8. The piece de resistance is the whizz-bang Traffic Jam Pilot system that enables the 5.2-metre-long limo to accelerate, brake and steer itself at speeds of up to 60kph, provided that you are on a freeway with lane markings and a barrier in the centre of the road that separates you from oncoming traffic.
While all this is happening, you can have a snooze, read a book or catch up on some YouTube videos. It would be a blessing for those making the Dubai-to-Sharjah schlep during peak hours, but unfortunately that won't be the case – at least for the time being – because self-driving cars are yet to be approved by the RTA (or traffic-governing bodies in most other countries, for that matter).
Traffic Jam Pilot is just one of the new A8's 40 driver-assist systems that rely on an industry-first laser scanner, long-range radar, front camera, four mid-range radars, 360-degree cameras and as many as 12 ultrasound sensors – seemingly a sufficient quota of data-gathering kit to land a Space Shuttle. This avalanche of information is made sense of by a mighty electronic brain catchily dubbed zFAS, which then tells the car what to do.
The A8's battery of sensors can also detect an impending collision, so if you are about to be T-boned, the suspension automatically raises the vehicle's body on the exposed side by 80 millimetres in less than a second, which brings stronger areas such as the side sills and floor structure into play. Audi claims this reduces impacts on the driver and the passengers by 50 per cent. Clever stuff.
Directly behind the windscreen sits a camera that scans the road ahead 18 times per second to create a 3-D map of the surface ahead. This information is then used to preset the suspension accordingly – a task that is carried out with ultra-precision by four electromechanical actuators that individually control the vertical movement of each wheel. The result? Silken ride quality, but not at the expense of dynamism, because the big Audi can still lift its skirts and hustle when you ask it to.
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The cabin is a pleasant place to be, especially the rear of the long-wheelbase A8 L, which is offered with an optional "relaxation seat" that adjusts four ways and has a footrest that incorporates warming and massaging functions for aching soles. There are funky elements up front, too, especially the 10.1-inch touchscreen display which, when off, blends almost invisibly into the high-gloss black surround. The user interface comes to life as soon as the car is opened, so you almost feel as though you are entering a living organism.
I don't blame you if you are underwhelmed by the latest A8's looks. There is no denying it is a tad anonymous-looking – I didn't get a single second glance in it. Yet the latest Audi flagship is still a technological game-changer and a darn fine limo.
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Zodi%20%26%20Tehu%3A%20Princes%20Of%20The%20Desert
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
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
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
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.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
The specs: 2019 Audi A8
Price From Dh390,000
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km