“Did you know that the California sushi roll originates from Vancouver?”
The question catches me off guard and, given the surprised look on my face, it’s obvious I did not. Although there has been some debate over where the popular dish originated (as California often misleadingly gets the credit), Vancouverites proudly claim it as their own.
It is believed that a sushi chef named Hidekazu Tojo emigrated from Osaka to Vancouver in the 1970s and introduced the dish, originally calling it Tojo-maki, as Canadians at the time were not used to traditional sushi. The introduction added to the city’s already renowned reputation for its fresh seafood, thanks to its prime location on the Pacific coast.
After a five-hour flight from Toronto to Vancouver with Air Canada, my first stop is lunch at Minami in the trendy district of Yaletown. Known for its old warehouse buildings that are home to some of Vancouver's top restaurants, Minami serves contemporary Japanese fare, from sashimi and sushi platters to bento bowls and nigiri. And although it does not have California rolls, it is known for its innovative Aburi or flame-seared cuisine, another sign of the city's diverse culinary offerings.
Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia, takes pride in its multicultural society, catering to its diverse population while also proudly paying tribute to its indigenous roots. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and coastal mountains, the city offers a vibrant scene where towering skyscrapers and historic architecture mix with impressive waterfront views and plenty of green spaces.
One of the city’s most famous is Stanley Park, Vancouver’s first and one of the largest urban parks in Canada. Originally home to indigenous tribes, it dates back to 1888 and spans 405 hectares, making it slightly bigger than New York City’s Central Park. Located on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish First Nations, including the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish, the park honours its proud history, with second and third-generation trees standing tall among colourful totem poles representing indigenous nations.
I head out on the park's popular Talking Trees tour which is about 90 minutes long and is led by Seraphine Lewis, an indigenous tour guide who is half-Squamish and half-Haida. She is incredibly knowledgeable about our surroundings, discussing how to identify various trees as well as sharing tips on which plants can be used for things such as food, medicine or shelter. Lewis also stresses the importance of caring for our habitat. “Our land is the first teacher, our animals are our first teachers,” she reminds us.
A 10-minute drive away is the Capilano Suspension Bridge, an attraction that blends adventure with stunning scenery. Stretching 140 metres across the Capilano river, the bridge hangs 70 metres above and is safely suspended by thick steel cables. However, my walk across the wobbly bridge is still slow and cautious and I'm amazed when I reach the other side given my personal apprehension when it comes to heights.
But the view is worth it. As I reach the middle, the sun sneakily peaks through the dark green old-growth Douglas firs with the rushing river below. For those seeking more of an adrenalin rush, there is also the Cliffwalk experience, which has even narrower walkways and stairs for visitors to descend the granite cliff. There are even sections that include open grated walkways to see the canyon below.
Another stunning viewpoint comes from the mountains that make up the city’s backdrop. Grouse Mountain, only 15 minutes from downtown, is an alpine playground for skiers and snowboarders. But there is so much more to do as there are activities throughout the year, including guided eco-walks, biking and hiking trails, as well as a zip line course and even a lumberjack show.
The skyride takes about eight minutes as it ascends 1,250 metres, with impressive scenic views, especially on a clear day. While most of the people in the gondola lift had their skis or snowboards with them, I simply went up to explore what the mountain had to offer. And although it wasn’t a particularly cold day, it was refreshing being around crisp snow, a much-welcome change from the sunny days of the UAE.
Beyond nature and its surroundings, Vancouver's Granville Island Market is another must-visit stop. It's a bustling hub that is popular with tourists and residents alike and is a treasure trove of sights, smells and tastes. The market has a vibrant mix of food, drink and boutique shops that make it an ideal place for finding unique gifts and souvenirs. There’s also plenty of outdoor spaces to eat or simply people-watch when the weather agrees.
A Vancouver Foodie Tour is also highly recommended. Lasting about two hours, it caters to gastronomes but is also a fun way for any visitors to get to know the stories behind some of the culinary shops inside the market. Stops include A Bread Affair, the first artisan and organic bread shop in Vancouver; Granville Island Tea Company, owned by a husband and wife, where there are more than 200 teas to choose from; and Lee’s Donuts, a brand that’s been around since 1979 and was featured on Netflix's Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner with chef David Chang.
It would be easy to spend an entire day wandering about Granville Island Market. In addition to being a haven for food lovers, the area is bustling with activity thanks to live music, street performers and friendly vendors. There's lots of shopping to be done, with a variety of stores that sell items such as jewellery and locally made clothing to books and children’s toys.
Serious shoppers can also head to the popular Robson Street, a 2.5-km stretch in the heart of downtown, filled with shops and restaurants. There’s everything from luxury brands to fashion chains and boutiques to independent and family-run shops, and the central location puts it in good company with other attractions, including Stanley Park and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Vancouver’s charm lies in its diverse offerings that cater to everyone, for those seeking adrenalin-pumping adventures or a more tranquil venture. With Air Canada now offering direct flights to the city from Dubai, a visit is well worth it for a journey filled with natural beauty, vibrant shopping districts and a plethora of year-round activities.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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.
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Arim W’Rsan, Dane O’Neill, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Al Basrah – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Kalifano De Ghazal, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Pharitz Oubai, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Sieh bin Amaar – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Oxord, Richard Mullen, Abdalla Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
READ MORE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
