If, as the proverb goes, clothes make the man, then Nabil Najjar – in blue and white Winchester shirt, navy suit, tweed shooting jacket and two-tone brogues – is your quintessential English country gentleman.
Home is an old-world cottage, all exposed timber beams and original 1860s fittings, in Wiltshire where the international development consultant lives and serves as a county councillor.
Scratch a bit deeper, however, and a more cosmopolitan past emerges.
Raised in London as the grandson of Christian refugees from Palestine, with a half-Swiss grandmother and a Jordanian father born in Libya, his assimilation into the bucolic Bourne Valley has been anything but straightforward.
“It took a while to settle,” Najjar tells The National. “For a long time, I didn’t know where home was. Now, I love it here.’’
A vivid reminder of how the family came to be in the UK is usually kept folded away but is currently out in a frame having been shown to a guest a couple of days ago.
It is an original poster recording the British Army's proclamation of martial law delivered in Jerusalem by Gen Sir Edmund Allenby in December 1917 after entering through Jaffa Gate on foot with Col TE Lawrence.
Written mainly in English and Arabic, the document assures inhabitants they need not be alarmed because the British recognised that the Holy City was regarded with “affection by three of the great religions of mankind”.
Given the family’s connection to the land, Najjar regards the yellowing rectangle of paper as an important bit of history to own.
“My father collects stamps and coins – Jordanian, trans-Jordanian, Palestinian – and it just came into his possession a number of years ago.
“That’s people who speak three languages functioning and living coherently together. It has been very different since,” he laments.
Najjar’s birth in England came as a direct result of the end of the British Mandate in 1948, and he traces much of the continuing military conflict back to western influence in the region.
His are not perhaps views expected of a young man whose political beliefs are aligned with the UK’s ruling Conservative Party, which he represents at a local level in Fovant and Chalke Valley.
He chooses his words carefully but denounces as unjustifiable "the scale of indiscriminate death and destruction" being wrought on civilians in Gaza.
“This is part of an 80-year cycle of violence and response," he says. "I think a lot of people form opinions on the subject without taking the time to really understand the history and the facts.
"There is a great amount of misinformation, not least this idea that there was nothing there before 1948.”
Source of inspiration
Three days after the creation of the state of Israel, his mother’s parents fled to the UK through Jordan. His father’s side eventually moved to the same destination via Jordan and Libya.
His maternal grandfather, Dr Albert Jamil Butros, was awarded a British Council Scholarship to England by the Jordanian Ministry of Education, and would go on to be an enduring source of inspiration to Najjar.
Dr Butros, a founder of the University of Jordan, acted as special adviser to the then Crown Prince Hassan bin Talal, served as Jordanian ambassador to the UK, Ireland and Iceland during the first Gulf War, and was a member of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre.
Childhood obsession
Perhaps as a result of such a distinguished career, the young Nabil was obsessed as a child with the idea of becoming a British Member of Parliament in later life, eschewing medicine, much to the chagrin of his parents, in favour of history and politics at Queen Mary University of London.
“I’ve met a lot of smart people but my grandfather was the smartest one out of all of them,” Najjar says.
“I learnt more from him than I realised at the time. Sometimes even now if I have a problem, I think to myself, ‘Well, what would he have said to me?'’’
Ever mindful of his family’s displacement and their typical Arab appreciation of academic success, Najjar grew up with a strong desire to prove himself.
The grades achieved were strong at various fee-paying schools in London, where he was surrounded by people from around the globe, and the West Country, despite being the only child of ethnic minority.
“When I was younger, I was a lot less willing to embrace that side of who I am, and maybe that’s a subconscious part of trying to adapt or to integrate,” he says of his diverse ancestral roots.
“But as you get older, you think differently.”
It is telling that his first friend made during those early weeks of relocation was the son of a farmer who had fled Zimbabwe under the rule of Robert Mugabe. They understood each other.
“He’s 6ft 2in and white but the narrative of losing what you had and ending up having to start again is as true for him as it is for me.
"Millions of people around the world in their own way have found themselves having to rethink who and where they are.”
Najjar wasn’t quite of such physical stature. A Chelsea FC fan who had formerly played football in the bustling metropolis, he made the transition to loose-head prop on muddy rugby pitches for Salisbury but, under-height and with little sign of pace, was resigned to never getting far.
His mother, Maysun, was not displeased when he switched from running out on winter afternoons in the pouring rain for stints of clay shooting and judo.
Summer holidays were often spent in his father’s office at a publishing house in London and Najjar soon began to feel the pull of the cottage not far outside Porton village on the return journey, reciting the names of the roads as they flashed by the car’s windows.
Sense of belonging
He might forgive the observation that he seems to have taken to his new habitat as effectively as the handful of Chinese water deer that escaped from Woburn Abbey, the Duke of Bedford’s seat, many decades ago.
“There are now thousands of them living in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, those sorts of areas, totally wild," he says, by way of explaining the presence of a furry specimen hanging, stuffed and mounted, next to the antler trophies behind his desk.
"It’s the best meat you’re going to get: it’s healthy, it’s organic, it’s an animal that’s lived life the way it should and died without the stress of being driven off to slaughter.”
Najjar says the influence on his life from his father, Abed, particularly on his various hobbies and running his own business, was considerable.
But the nascent leanings towards politics and a desire to be of public service first led to work experience in the office of the local MP, John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury until Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his cabinet last week.
A year was then spent on Boris Johnson’s 2012 mayoral campaign, with Najjar also taking up the chairmanship of the Young Conservatives in London, and standing for election at the age of 21 in Fulham and Hammersmith where he had lived as a boy.
On moving back to Wiltshire, he co-founded Conservative Progress as a bridge between the parliamentary party and the grassroots, but turned his sights to also working outside the political bubble.
Beyond the politics
“If all you’ve ever seen is Westminster, you’re always going to be inward looking,” Najjar says.
“I think you have to go out – whether it’s serving in the Armed Forces or running a business or whatever it might be – and look at things from different perspectives.”
After a tricky period that he surmises might be penance for the arrogance of youth, Najjar undertook some work in Jordan for Prince Hassan and for a UN project.
“And that's when I started to clarify that there was a gap in the market there,” he says of setting up Delta Strategies.
“The delta is kind of the mouth of the river. It is where ideas meet, it's where things happen, it's where civilisations develop.”
The company became an international development consultancy that now works across seven countries in the Mena region with governments, UN agencies and some of the biggest NGOs.
Lessons in humility
He regularly encounters people from both ends of the spectrum – “prime ministers and presidents to people living in tents with nothing, and it makes you humble, but also adaptable”.
A visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, seeing people living on old mattresses juxtaposed with a smiley face spray-painted on a wall with the words “Don’t cry, be happy", was particularly affecting.
“I do a lot of work with refugee camps, and I think: ‘Well, had it not been for a little bit of fortune and my grandparents being pretty clever people, we could in theory be living there.’
“You realise that people have to make the best of whatever scenario they have, and that’s as relevant for somebody living in that environment as it is for somebody who's been born with everything.
"You have a duty to yourself and the people around you to try and make a success out of it.
“It's hard. I was in Egypt recently in a village about 40 miles north of Cairo with abject poverty: stray dogs and litter blocking up the sewerage system.
"But the people are friendly and they're happy and they can't do enough for you. You can't not be inspired … and want to try and do something to help because somebody has to.”
World to ward
After winning the ward of Fovant and Chalke Valley in May 2021, Najjar was given the arts, heritage and tourism portfolio, allowing him to bring experiences from consultancy projects around the world to what is happening in Wiltshire.
He has ambitions of creating a cultural offering that attracts people to spend time in the area as opposed to just stopping off for a look at Stonehenge or Salisbury Cathedral on their way to Dorset or Devon.
Six months after his election, he was shocked and angered by the death of Sir David Amess, the MP for Southend West, who was murdered by Ali Harbi Ali at his constituency meeting in a church hall.
The assassination, Najjar believes, should serve as a wake-up call that everything must be done to protect those who dedicate their lives to public service.
“The idea that somebody will, in cold blood, stab you for no apparent reason other than that you are an elected representative …” he says, trailing off as though at a loss for an explanation.
In harm's way
Thoughtful for a moment, he mentions the fate of his great uncle, Munir, a retiree visiting family in Toronto who was killed by Alek Minassian along with 10 other people in 2018 in Canada’s deadliest vehicle-ramming attack.
“I lost a family member to an act of indiscriminate terrorism. I know that it can happen to anybody when you're not expecting it. These things can find you anywhere.”
Those who know Najjar well would say that such a threat could not dissuade him from his yearning to represent a constituency in the House of Commons as a chance to make the country where he grew up a better place to live, work and raise a family.
“I don't think it can,” he says. “There's the speech that politicians give after every terrorist attack, every school shooting, every disaster, which is that these things will not deter us, they will not break us.
"It's the idea that if you let the fear of the hypothetical stop you doing something, you're never going to do anything.”
Peace and quiet
When not at work, Najjar admits he needs to always be busy to fend off boredom. He is comfortable in his own company, especially while out in nature, running or walking with his German shepherd Troy, or mindfully stalking the next set of antlers for his walls.
“When you’re shooting, it’s just you and whatever you’re chasing, and silence. That’s a beautiful way of finding clarity sometimes.”
Even so, he can’t help pushing boundaries and satisfying his curious mind by reading in his spare time for a master's in public administration with a focus on international development.
One day, the Foreign Office is his dream job. “When you work internationally, you see there is much more to the world than a lot of people think, and there's also external pressures that many don't realise. But every element of government is critical.
“None of us knows what the future has in store but I have hopes.
"If I can make a meaningful impact on communities and people’s lives, and I can go to bed thinking I’ve achieved something worthwhile, then I’m happy.”
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
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.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.
2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.
3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.
4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.
5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
Company%20Profile
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Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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UAE squad v Australia
Rohan Mustafa (C), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Fahad Nawaz, Amjed Gul, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Muhammad Naveed, Amir Hayat, Ghulam Shabir (WK), Qadeer Ahmed, Tahir Latif, Zahoor Khan
Company%20Profile
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20edge%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%20Infinity-O%2C%203088%20x%201440%2C%20500ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%202%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%2F1TB%20(only%20128GB%20has%20an%208GB%20RAM%20option)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%20%2B%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%20f%2F4.9%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%3B%203x%2F10x%20optical%20zoom%2C%20Space%20Zoom%20up%20to%20100x%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4060fps%2C%20full-HD%4060fps%2C%20HD%4030fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.2%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20single%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20cream%2C%20green%2C%20lavender%2C%20phantom%20black%3B%20online%20exclusives%3A%20graphite%2C%20lime%2C%20red%2C%20sky%20blue%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh4%2C949%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C449%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C449%20for%201TB%3B%20128GB%20unavailable%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
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
