DUBAI // Bollywood superstars and leading Indian singers are expected to attract tens of thousands of fans to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium next week.
The film idol Salman Khan, the latest Bollywood pin-up Katrina Kaif, the South Indian dancing sensation Prabhu Deva and many others will be part of the two-day event starting on Tuesday at Dubai Sports City.
Day one, entitled "Southern Dreamz 2009", will feature a concert by top musicians including Yuvan Shankar Raja, Ilayaraja, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Vijay Yesudas and 15 other singers from south India.
The concert will celebrate National Day, and singers will also perform popular numbers from south Indian films.
It will be the first time that the stadium, which opened in April, has hosted such a cultural event.
Day two, "Dreamz 2009", will feature special performances by Khan, Deva and Kaif.
Organisers expect a sell-out audience of 30,000 Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and other Asians, as well as many Emirati fans.
Khan, often known as the "Bollywood bad boy", has a massive following among Asians in this country as well as his homeland. His latest films, Wanted and London Dreams, went down especially well with audiences in the UAE.
Kaif also has strong fanbase here after a string of recent hits including Singh is King and Namaste London.
Other stars, such as Celina Jaitley, Neha Dhupia, Tanusree Dutta, Nitu Chandra, Reema Sen, Negar Khan and Mumait Khan will also perform.
The veteran actress Sridevi will be the special guest for the evening, and Boman Irani and Mona Singh will anchor the show.
The event will also feature music by the Pakistani Sufi band Roxen with the singers Falak Shabbir and Annie.
Roxen's song Toh Phir Aao was included in the 2007 hit Bollywood movie Awarapan.
The stadium is a multi-purpose venue which can host a range of sports and cultural events.
It usually seats 25,000 people for sports matches but this can be increased to 30,000 for performances.
"The bowl design of the stadium allows all seats to have a great view of the centre stage action along with remarkable acoustics," said Maqbul Dudhia, the general manager of sport business at Dubai Sports City.
@Email:pmenon@thenational.ae
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Kandahar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ric%20Roman%20Waugh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EGerard%20Butler%2C%20Navid%20Negahban%2C%20Ali%20Fazal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chad%20Stahelski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Keanu%20Reeves%2C%20Laurence%20Fishburne%2C%20George%20Georgiou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
