Master of surrealism Salvador Dali's trademark moustache is in perfect shape in its "ten past ten" position, officials said on Friday, a day after his remains were exhumed to settle a paternity claim.
"I was very anxious about what I would see," said Narcis Bardalet, the forensic expert who embalmed Dali back in 1989 and who was at his grave the moment he was exhumed on Thursday night so that DNA samples could be taken.
"I was absolutely stunned. It was like a miracle...his moustache appeared at 10 past 10 and his hair was intact," Mr Bardalet said, referring to the positions of the hands on a clock.
The arduous task of exhumation involved removing a slab weighing more than a tonne that covered his tomb at the Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueras in northeastern Spain where the eccentric artist was born.
Mr Bardalet was one of only a handful of people including a judge allowed to watch the removal of samples from Dali's remains.
"It was a moving moment for him and for us," said Lluis Penuelas Reixach, the secretary general of the Salvador Dali Foundation.
DNA samples were taken from Dali's hair, nail and two long bones. A court in Madrid last month granted Pilar Abel a DNA test to determine whether she is Dali's child, as she claims.
Ms Abel, 61, who worked as a psychic in Catalonia, says her mother had a relationship with the artist when she worked in Cadaques, a picturesque Spanish port where the painter lived for years. If Ms Abel is confirmed as Dali's only child, she could be entitled to 25 per cent of the huge fortune and heritage of one of the most celebrated and prolific painters of the 20th century, according to her lawyer Enrique Blanquez.
But the lawyer for the Dali Foundation's lawyer has indicated Ms Abel could end up with a big bill if her claims are proven false.
"If Pilar Abel is not Dali's daughter then we must ask this woman to reimburse the costs of the exhumation," said Albert Segura.
Before work in the crypt began on Thursday, mobile phones were put in a deposit box and a marquee installed under the museum's glass dome to prevent any photography or video from drones.
A crowd of onlookers gathered outside the elaborate museum of Dali's work to watch as police escorted the experts into the building, which is topped by a huge metallic dome decorated with egg shapes. Dali designed the building himself.
The Dali Foundation had tried to appeal against the exhumation, but there was not enough time for all parties to present their case, a court spokesman said. The foundation blasted the court's decision to order the exhumation, saying it was based solely on Ms Abel's claim that her mother once had a relationship with Dali.
Ms Abel has already provided a saliva sample for comparison and the results are expected within a matter of weeks. But the foundation maintains her DNA should have been compared to her brother's first, before carrying out an "invasive" exhumation of Dali's remains. If ms Abel's DNA matched her brother's, it would mean that they both had the same father - who was not Dali.
Dali's estate, which includes properties and hundreds of paintings, is entirely in the hands of the Spanish state.
The foundation says it was worth nearly 400 million euros ($460 million) at the end of 2016.
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
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Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
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Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, John Cena
Rating: 3/5
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
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Started: 2017
Founders: Iman and Luchie Suguitan
Based: Dubai, UAE
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Investors: Fahad bin Juma, self-funding, family and friends
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
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Rating: 3.5/5
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
Top 10 most competitive economies
1. Singapore
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4. Ireland
5. Hong Kong
6. Sweden
7. UAE
8. Taiwan
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Tips for holiday homeowners
There are several factors for landlords to consider when preparing to establish a holiday home:
- Revenue potential of the unit: location, view and size
- Design: furnished or unfurnished. Is the design up to standard, while being catchy at the same time?
- Business model: will it be managed by a professional operator or directly by the owner, how often does the owner wants to use it for personal reasons?
- Quality of the operator: guest reviews, customer experience management, application of technology, average utilisation, scope of services rendered
Source: Adam Nowak, managing director of Ultimate Stay Vacation Homes Rental
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The Beekeeper
Director: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Minnie Driver, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5