Sir Tom Jones proved he is still a class act in a concert at Dubai's Burj Al Arab.
The celebrated Welsh crooner was the star of a lavish gala dinner on Friday featuring a red carpet, pre-show reception and a decadent meal including plates of lobster salad and Wagyu beef, mushrooms and truffle sauce. The dishes were prepared by the hotel's acclaimed chefs, including from Al Muntaha, which earned a Michelin star last year for its exquisite French-Mediterranean cuisine.
Backed by a tight band adept at playing pop, folk, jazz and blues arrangements, Sir Tom launched into a set of originals and covers spanning his near six-decade career.
His latest album, his 41st, is 2021's Surrounded by Time. It received a decent reception, with his interpretation of The Windmills of Your Mind, co-written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, a stand-out.
It was Sir Tom's enduring signature hits that elicited the biggest reactions, however, including Sex Bomb and the Les Reed cover Delilah.
The concert, organised by M Premiere, also confirmed that at 82 years of age, Sir Tom, a British national treasure, remains current.
While his career hit a lean period in the 1980s, that was revitalised thanks to his 1999 duet album Reload, featuring guest turns from contemporary artists such as Stereophonics, Robbie Williams and Portishead.
Ever since, Sir Tom has been recording and touring regularly with his Burj Al Arab gig coming off the back of an active tour last year, which had him head across Europe and the US.
Sir Tom's latest show marks his return to the UAE after he headlined the opening night of the 2017 Dubai Jazz Festival.
He took to the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre stage with a nine-piece band and performed his hits, as well as covers of blues staples such as Burning Hell by John Lee Hooker.
Sir Tom also used the occasion to pay a heartfelt tribute to his late wife Melinda Trenchard, who died in 2016.
He performed a touching rendition of Tomorrow Night, her "favourite" song from his 2015 album, Long Lost Suitcase.
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
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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
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
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Japan 30-10 Russia
Tries: Matsushima (3), Labuschange | Golosnitsky
Conversions: Tamura, Matsuda | Kushnarev
Penalties: Tamura (2) | Kushnarev
Roger Federer's 2018 record
Australian Open Champion
Rotterdam Champion
Indian Wells Runner-up
Miami Second round
Stuttgart Champion
Halle Runner-up
Wimbledon Quarter-finals
Cincinnati Runner-up
US Open Fourth round
Shanghai Semi-finals
Basel Champion
Paris Masters Semi-finals
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
