When police swooped on a high-security warehouse near London's Heathrow airport, officers took away nearly two dozen works of art belonging to alleged Hezbollah financier Nazem Ahmad.
At the same time, at an auction house in central London, they seized art that Mr Ahmad, a Beirut art gallery owner who the US wants to put on trial, had hoped to sell.
The seized works included Picasso's 1962 linocut Nature morte a la pasteque (Still Life with a Watermelon) and several by Andy Warhol, including Details of Renaissance Paintings (Leonardo da Vinci, The Annunciation, 1472).
A Stanley Whitney painting, Sing All Day, worth £225,000 ($315,000) and Iranian artist Ali Banisadr's painting Divine Wind, valued at £175,000, were the two most valuable taken by officers.
Police believe the sale of all the work seized – valued at almost £1 million – was probably to have funded crime or terrorism.
The investigation narrowed in on the world of art storage, which legitimate business authorities believe may be exploited by terrorists, sanctions evaders and criminals trying to hide their assets.
With the price of art soaring and the ease with which it can be taken across borders and hidden from view, it is increasingly becoming the commodity criminals want, often stashed for years away from prying eyes.
Alarm bells have been ringing for years for some global experts who spoke to The National about their concerns.
Now, law enforcement is sending an “unprecedented shot across the bows” for the industry to be proactive in identifying culprits.
The UK's National Crime Agency has issued an "Amber Alert" to art storage centres to raise red flags over their use for money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing, bribery and corruption.
It refers to an investigation into a "sanctioned Hezbollah financier which identified approximately a million pounds sterling in fine artwork belonging to this individual in art storage facilities in the UK".
Adrian Searle, director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, has said the sector must "increase its vigilance and embrace their role as the gatekeeper of the legitimate art market".
Who is Nazem Ahmad?
The US has offered a $10 million reward for information on Mr Ahmad, 59, who is understood to be living in Beirut.
The Lebanese art dealer and diamond smuggler who has been accused of financing Hezbollah, was first accused by the US Department of the Treasury in 2019 of laundering “substantial” amounts of money and being involved in the smuggling of “blood diamonds” for Hezbollah, which the Americans have designated a terrorist organisation and hit with sanctions.
Mr Ahmad was sanctioned and then in April last year, he was charged by the US along with eight associates, including his UK-based right-hand man Sundar Nagarajan, with offences relating to breaching sanctions regulations.
Mr Nagarajan was extradited to the US in December.
The UK government also sanctioned Mr Ahmad, saying he had an extensive art collection in Britain and conducted business with several UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses.
I am particularly concerned about how terrorist networks and organised crime might use a warehouse to hide goods
Rick St Hillaire,
lawyer
A month later came the Metropolitan Police action in which, under a warrant, 23 paintings he owned were seized at a warehouse of art storage company Williams & Hill in Feltham, near Heathrow.
A further nine works were seized at Phillips auction house in London, where Mr Ahmad had sent them to be sold. A forfeiture order was issued in October.
Phillips told The National it has co-operated fully with the authorities in the US and the UK. In a statement, it said: "On becoming aware of the allegations and the action taken by the US authorities, Phillips immediately ensured that Mr Ahmad was banned from transacting with us and froze all artworks belonging to Mr Ahmad in our possession globally at that time.
"In February 2020, Phillips provided a full list to the US Department of Justice of all properties held by us belonging to Mr Ahmad.
"When the UK police subsequently requested to take possession of the property belonging to Mr Ahmad, Phillips fully and promptly complied.”
Williams & Hill has three large centres holding artwork for shipping, or long-term storage.
The company offers a 32,000-square-foot "custom-designed facility" with the "latest in high-security storage" that is "fully climate-controlled".
There is no suggestion Williams & Hill has committed any criminal offence. The company declined to comment when approached by The National.
Art is movable and hideable as an asset compared to property or a yacht. So when a painting is stored, nobody really knows that it’s there
Angelika Hellweger,
lawyer
London's Met Police told The National that officers from the UK's National Terrorist Financing Investigation Unit (NTFIU) are investigating "suspected terrorist financing and money laundering which is believed to be connected to wealthy art collector and diamond dealer, Nazem Ahmad".
"Ahmad is suspected of being a funding source for Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation," said the force.
"Terrorist groups rely on financial support and funding for their activities, and the NTFIU works closely with agencies in the UK and around the world to identify and take action against those who provide and facilitate this funding."
Although storage owners “had ceased dealing with the subject” and the artwork had been left for more than a year, the “companies involved had not notified the authorities of what they were holding, or for whom”, said the NCA.
The case "highlights the risk of art storage facilities as a mechanism for long-term storage and concealment of high-value assets by sanctioned persons", it said.
Tactics of terrorists
The activity of money launderers and sanctions evaders mirrors the tactics used by terrorists.
The NCA’s alert comes after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental organisation aimed at combatting money laundering, including terrorist financing, issued a similar warning last year.
Rick St Hilaire, a New Hampshire-based cultural heritage lawyer and former chief prosecutor, said: “It’s a growing concern to law enforcement, and for those of us practising in this sector, we’ve known about this for a long time."
Mr St Hilaire said the organised structure that ISIS had in place for the export and sale of looted antiquities indicates that the group had a governing department to supervise, tax, and get these cultural heritage objects to market.
“I am particularly concerned about how terrorist networks and organised crime might use a warehouse to hide goods," he told The National.
"It’s been on my mind now for many years, though much of the evidence we have in private industry is anecdotal. Law enforcement likely has more.
“You know their transactions have to run through normal shipping routes. They have to get goods from point A to point B and it’s got to go through some place and that’s what raises, in my mind, the use of warehouses and freeports.”
The FATF report says while ISIS has lost all the territory it once controlled, the group has affiliates across the world, meaning they may still have access to cultural heritage sites or possess artefacts that could generate funds.
Other terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda and its affiliates, have used similar schemes in the Middle East, North Africa and certain parts of Asia.
In some cases, transnational organised crime groups have co-operated with terrorist groups to acquire such items and smuggle them out of conflict areas.
Businesses working in these markets, such as art dealers and advisers, auction houses and storage facilities, face a variety of risks, the organisation warns.
Mr St Hilaire cited the uncovering of the activities of Italian antiquities smuggler Giacomo Medici as a clue that others could be using storage facilities for trading in antiquities and artwork.
Medici used storage in the Geneva freeport to conceal his illicit trade, for which he was given a 10-year jail sentence and €10 million ($10.7 million) fine in 2004.
“That’s a textbook illustration of warehouses used in this way, so why wouldn’t I think they’re being used by terrorists and organised crime in the same fashion?”
While the UK is finally moving to deal with the threat posed by criminals using art storage, the Swiss authorities have been taking action since the country’s police first raided Medici’s warehouse in the Geneva freeport in 1995.
It introduced a six-month time limit on the storage of goods intended for export and the identity of the buyer of the goods that are to be exported to the country's freeports must be declared.
The country's commitment to dealing with the problems is something Mr St Hilaire welcomes.
"If you look back at the situation in 1995, now is a very different time when Swiss authorities have finally said, ‘We’re tired of this, we don’t want criminals to come to Switzerland’."
Breaking the rules
Rena Neville, an expert on money laundering and the art market, described the NCA’s notice as unprecedented and “a shot across the bow of the art market, and in particular shippers and storage facilities”.
The NCA warning covers warehouses, auction houses, art dealerships, galleries, museums and freeports, which also offer services including insurance, inventory management, customs bonding, private viewing rooms and office or boardroom facilities.
Ms Neville, the head of the art division at the FCS Compliance consultancy and a lawyer who previously had a 30-year career at auction house Sotheby’s, said the notice was “unusually targeted and specific".
From 2020, anyone dealing in works worth €10,000 ($10,700) or more has been subjected to a number of obligations, including reporting suspicious transactions to the authorities and carrying out due diligence on customers before they conclude a transaction.
“The feedback I’ve been getting from government is that since the art market sector became regulated in January 2020, we are submitting many fewer suspicious activity reports than other regulated sectors and many fewer than they would expect from us,” Ms Neville said.
So far Mr Ahmad’s case is unique in linking terrorism, money laundering and art storage, she said, but “everybody that I know everywhere in the world in law enforcement really believes this is happening and says they see it”.
Rather than masterpieces, the work traded is more likely to be in the "middle and lower end of the market" to avoid attracting attention, and "most artwork" sells for "under £100,000", she said.
While two of the works seized from Mr Ahmad are valued in six figures, most are under £10,000, according to the full list provided to The National.
Another Andy Warhol work seized, Flowers, is valued at £15,000, and Edouard Vuillard ‐ Deux Ourvrieres Dans L'atelier De Couture by Julio Anaya Cabanding is valued at £1,200.
Running art warehouses is made difficult, explains lawyer Angelika Hellweger, because of the opaque nature of many deals.
Artwork is rarely bought using the new owner's real name. Cash deals sealed by handshakes are not uncommon, nor are sales through a shell company or trust.
Dr Hellweger, an art crime, sanctions and money laundering specialist, as well as legal director at London firm Rahman Ravelli, has prepared a briefing note for her clients on the NCA alert.
“This is obviously a warning shot to everyone having some type of storage facility that when they are holding suspicious things that they actively reach out to authorities,” she told The National.
“Art is movable and hideable as an asset compared to say property or a yacht. So when a painting is stored, nobody really knows that it’s there."
Dr Hellweger explained that due to crackdowns on concealing the beneficial owners of properties, high-worth individuals turned to artworks to conceal their assets, using the same opaque ownership structures.
“It’s now much easier to find out the owner of a huge property or a very expensive home, even if it’s held by intermediaries,” she said. But that is not the case with art.
“First and foremost, they will not openly buy one in their own name," she said. "They buy through a chain of people who don’t really know each other.
"Also, if I am the buyer, I do discreet research via other people because if they find out who I am, that can push the price up.”
Criminals test warehouses' due diligence processes by conducting legitimate business activity, before switching to illicit items, says the NCA.
They may request sudden service changes to conceal and move assets that may be proceeds of crime or subject to sanction.
“They might say they want the temperature at a certain level, which is a sign they are moving artwork in to be stored,” said Dr Hellweger.
Storage centres should be alert to attempts to transfer ownership to a family member, close contact, business associate or other intermediary, as well as to sell artwork or move it quickly, warns the NCA.
Daily updated lists of sanctioned people should also be checked, it says.
“Often when it comes to corruption or to money laundering, you have the problem that these people are doing normal business as well,” said Dr Hellweger.
“But often the art has been stored for many years and there’s not even a register of what is in the storage rooms. They will often not really know what’s there.”
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.”
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
MATCH INFO
UAE Division 1
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 12-24 Abu Dhabi Saracens
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Read more from Johann Chacko
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
The%20specs
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Australia World Cup squad
Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
SPEC%20SHEET
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Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Pathaan
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Company%20profile
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Company%20profile
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
RACECARD%20
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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Star%20Wars%3A%20Ahsoka%20
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