The Bollywood star Bipasha Basu has signed on to headline the new horror film Alone, a remake of the 2007 Thai blockbuster of the same name. Directed by Bhushan Patel, the film will also feature the actor Karan Singh Grover. "A love story with chills, my new film is tentatively called Alone," the 35-year-old Basu posted on Twitter on Monday. Shooting begins this month, according to a production statement. – IANS
Ed Sheeran scoops first British No 1
The English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran hit the top of this week's British singles chart with Sing, the 23-year-old's first No 1 track. Sing was co-written and produced by Pharrell Williams and is taken from Sheeran's forthcoming second album, x, which is due for release on June 23. Sam Smith's Stay With Me placed second, while last week's chart topper, I Wanna Feel by Secondcity, dropped to third. – Reuters
Arduous recovery ahead for Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is facing an “arduous” recovery after a car crash, his agent said on Monday. Morgan was critically injured on Saturday in a six-car accident in New Jersey that killed one of his friends. His agent said the actor was still in critical but stable condition: “His fiancée Megan [Wollover] is by his side. Rumours about amputating his leg are completely fabricated. As we shared yesterday, Tracy had surgery on his broken leg. This recovery will be arduous and we hope that you can be patient during this difficult time.” – AFP
Paul McCartney postpones his US tour
Paul McCartney is rescheduling his tour dates in the United States as he continues to recover from a virus he received treatment for last month. The former Beatle announced on Monday that tour stops scheduled for mid-June will be postponed to October. He was supposed to kick off the US leg of his tour on Saturday. Instead, his first show will be on July 5 in Albany, New York. McCartney says he’s taking his doctor’s advice and will take more time to rest. Last month he cancelled his Out There Japan Tour 2014 because of his illness. McCartney turns 72 on June 18. – AP
Psy releases new single
Even Psy is over Gangnam Style. The ubiquitous 2012 hit is one he knows he probably will never top, and that makes creating new music quite a challenge. "I have a severe, heavy pressure on my shoulder. In that way I don't like the song," Psy said in an interview. The 36-year-old South Korean pop star decided switching genres would be his best bet for another hit, so he teamed with Snoop Dogg on the hip-hop track Hangover. The song's video debuted on Sunday on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Psy's YouTube channel. Psy says he will return to his EDM roots on a new EP, due out later this year. But this time he plans to include more English lyrics. "All the people you know, except Korea, they don't have any idea what I'm saying, right? They're just waiting for 'Hey, sexy lady'," he said of an English lyric from Gangnam Style. "Maybe from now on I should communicate more." – AP
D’Souza and Deshmukh expecting
The Bollywood couple Genelia D'Souza and Riteish Deshmukh are expecting their first child. D'Souza, 26, and Deshmukh, 35, confirmed the news in a press conference held on Monday for Deshmukh's forthcoming film Lai Bhari, the actor's debut in Marathi cinema. He also promoted his other new projects, Humshakals and Ek Villain. The actors wed in 2012 after dating for close to 10 years. – IANS
Lil’ Kim gives birth to girl
The American rapper Lil' Kim has a little one of her own: the 38-year-old gave birth to her daughter Royal Reign on Monday. It is her first child. No more details were given by her spokesperson. Lil' Kim, whose real name is Kim Jones, released a song called Haterz in April. She won a Grammy in 2002 for her work on the No 1 hit Lady Marmalade alongside Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya. – AP
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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65
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
Company%20Profile
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Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
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.
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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.”