Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway and her husband, producer Adam Shulman, are expecting their first child, celebrity news website E! reports. "Anne is in her second trimester and feeling great," said a source close to the 33-year-old. Hathaway, who received an Oscar in 2013 for her performance as Fantine in Les Miserables, married Shulman, 34, in 2012. - AFP
The Force Awakens “not suitable for kids”
The Motion Picture Association of America says Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens may not be entirely suitable for younger kids. The organisation has given the JJ Abrams-directed film a PG-13 rating because of sci-fi action violence. The designation tells parents that some scenes might be inappropriate for those younger than 13 but doesn't prevent them from attending. The movie, which was partly filmed in Abu Dhabi, is due out in the UAE on December 17. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith also got a PG-13 rating in 2005. The other five films in the series were rated PG, although the first three were released before PG-13 rating was created in 1984. – AP
Adele announces first tour in five years
Adele is set to embark on her first tour since 2011, with a string of dates planned in support of her record-breaking new album, 25. The British singer announced on Thursday that she will play venues across Europe, starting February 29th in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Adele has previously said she finds touring lonely but in a video posted on Facebook, the 27-year-old said she was “relieved to finally tell you I am of course coming on tour and I can’t wait to see all of you there.” Her album sold a record 2.4 million copies in its first four days on sale in the US, according to Nielsen Music. In Britain, it sold 737,000 copies in its first week. – AP
Harry Potter author talks about Snape
Readers of the Harry Potter series have long wanted to know: Why did the boy wizard choose to honour Severus Snape – a teacher who had been so mean to him? Author JK Rowling took to Twitter to answer the enduring question on Friday, in an exchange with a fan who asked why one of Harry’s children received the middle name of Severus. The author explained that Harry paid tribute to Snape because of “forgiveness and gratitude”. Though Snape bullied Harry, he also saved him. “Harry hoped in his heart that he too would be forgiven. The deaths at the Battle of Hogwarts would haunt Harry forever.” Rowling said that while a whole essay could be written on why Harry gave his son Snape’s name, it goes to the “heart of who Harry was, post-war.” Rowling’s seven Harry Potter novels have sold more than 450 million copies and were made into a hugely successful series of eight films. - AP
Roman Polanski will not be extradited to US
Poland will not extradite Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski to the US after prosecutors declined to challenge a court ruling against the request. Prosecutors in Krakow, who had sought the extradition on behalf of the US over an almost 40-year-old case in which he admitted having sex with a 13-year-old girl, said on Friday they found the court’s refusal of extradition to be “right” and said they found no grounds to appeal it. A lawyer for Polanski, Jan Olszewski, said that Polanski’s reaction was of “great relief” and “satisfaction” that the irregularities in the US procedure have been exposed. Polanski lives in Paris with his family. The decision by the prosecutors closes the case in Poland and means Polanski, 82, is free to reside and work in Poland, where he grew up and studied filmmaking, and where he is preparing to make a new movie. Preparations for the movie were stalled by the arrest and extradition requests that the US made last year. In 2011, Switzerland rejected a US request to extradite Polanski. - AP
HOW TO ACTIVATE THE GEMINI SHORTCUT ON CHROME CANARY
1. Go to chrome://flags
2. Find and enable Expansion pack for the Site Search starter pack
3. Restart Chrome Canary
4. Go to chrome://settings/searchEngines in the address bar and find the Chat with Gemini shortcut under Site Search
5. Open a new tab and type @ to see the Chat with Gemini shortcut along with other Omnibox shortcuts to search tabs, history and bookmarks
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
Company Profile
Company name: Cargoz
Date started: January 2022
Founders: Premlal Pullisserry and Lijo Antony
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 30
Investment stage: Seed
New schools in Dubai
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)
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qureos
Based: UAE
Launch year: 2021
Number of employees: 33
Sector: Software and technology
Funding: $3 million
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
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.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)