LONDON // Concert organisers pulled the plug on rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney, silencing their microphones at the tail end of the show, after the pair defied the noise curfew at London's Hyde Park.
Springsteen had already exceeded the 10.30pm curfew by half an hour on Saturday when he welcomed McCartney on stage and the pair sang the Beatles hits I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout. The microphones were then turned off before they could thank the crowd, forcing them to leave the stage in silence.
A statement from Live Nation, the concert organiser, said it was unfortunate that the three-hour-plus performance had been stopped "right at the very end".
It added that the curfew had been ordered by the authorities "in the interest of the public's health and safety".
Huge concerts in Hyde Park, a 140-hectare expanse that borders some of London's wealthiest neighbourhoods, have increasingly caused friction between fans and the area's well-heeled residents, many of whom gripe about the late-night noise and nuisance.
With complaints on the rise, officials have decided that as of next year, the number of concerts will be slashed from 13 to nine and crowd limits will be reduced from 80,000 to 65,000.
Steven Van Zandt, who plays guitar in Springsteen's E-Street Band, criticised Saturday's decision as heavy-handed.
"English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!" he wrote on Twitter. "On a Saturday night! Who were we disturbing?
"Seriously, when did England become a police state? It didn't ruin the great night. But when I'm jamming with McCartney don't bug me!" He added: "There's no grudges to be held. Just feel bad for our great fans. It's some city council stupid rule."
London's mayor, Boris Johnson, said yesterday that the singers should have been allowed to keep going.
"It sounds to me like an excessively officious decision," he told London radio. "You won't get that during the Olympics. If they'd have called me, my answer would have been for them to jam in the name of the Lord!"
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Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
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
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3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
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1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
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Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
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If you go
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Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
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Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
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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.
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4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
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5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
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6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
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Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
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Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
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How to apply for a drone permit
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- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
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- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
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- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Sole survivors
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PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
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Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
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Our take: 3/5
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Key facilities
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- 600-seat auditorium
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First Person
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Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
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Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
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9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
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