The wife of the England footballer John Terry has come to Dubai seeking solace from a growing storm over her husband's affair with the girlfriend of a former teammate.
Toni Terry, 29, arrived on Saturday night accompanied by the couple's three-year-old twins and her mother shortly after asking the England captain and Chelsea player for a divorce, the UK newspaper The Sun reported.
"Toni has simply had enough," the newspaper quoted a source close to the family as saying. "She has told John in no uncertain terms she wants a divorce.
"They had a brief conversation and she said she was flying away.
"Toni feels the best thing for both of them was for her to get some space and for him to concentrate on football and his career."
News of Terry's four-month affair with Vanessa Perroncel, a lingerie model and the girlfriend of his fellow England footballer Wayne Bridge, broke on Friday when a high court judge lifted an injunction that had barred reporting of the matter.
Terry and Bridge, besides playing together for the national team, spent almost six years as teammates at Chelsea. Bridge is currently with Manchester City.
Mrs Terry and Ms Perroncel, with whom Bridge has a four-year-old son, were also close friends.
More controversy followed as allegations emerged that Terry, 29, arranged for Ms Perroncel to have an abortion after getting her pregnant.
Mrs Terry is reportedly considering hiring Fiona Shackleton, a divorce lawyer famous for defending members of the British royal family and celebrities including Paul McCartney and Madonna.
The trip to Dubai may bring back troubling memories for Mrs Terry; her husband proposed to her in the city in 2003 and the couple returned for their honeymoon four years later. Terry has said he and his wife have "a special connection" to the city and visited in July last year, staying at Jumeirah Beach Beit Al Bahar.
Terry's captaincy of the England team is at stake over the incident. It is understood that if Bridge decides he wants to continue to play for England, but not under Terry, then Terry will be stripped of his rank.
Several players for the Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City wore jerseys emblazoned with the slogan "Team Bridge" for their match against Portsmouth on Sunday, in support of their teammate.
@Email:lmorris@thenational.ae
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Afcon 2019
SEMI-FINALS
Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm
Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm
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