Author: Gulf News Week
Courtesy of The Flatiron BuildingThe Flatiron Building – with its unique triangular shape, narrow prow, ornamental columns and intricate decorative details – has been one of the most recognisable structures in New York City for more than a century.But for the last seven years, the Flatiron has been shrouded in scaffolding, its Beaux-Arts exterior hidden from throngs of tourists who came to view it.It has been undergoing a large-scale renovation, both internal and external, from an awkwardly laid-out office building into ultra-luxury apartments – with new units going for up to $58.5m (£43.9m). Only 21 residences currently on the public…
Getty ImagesOfficials inspect the wreckage of Pan Am flight 103 on 21 December 1988I was only a year old when the UK’s deadliest terror attack shocked the world.In December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board as well as 11 on the ground.I was a teenager by the time Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted of the bombing in 2001 and, when he later died, I thought that was largely the end of the story.It wasn’t.As part of a Radio 4 Intrigue podcast series, I had an opportunity…
Getty ImagesDaily life is not easy for Salvatore. At 17, he weighs 170kg (26st 10lb) and struggles to walk.He can’t tie his own shoelaces and his Vespa scooter strains to bear his weight – in one week, its wheels broke seven times. “He eats constantly,” says his mother Anna. Salvatore is among a growing number of Italian children and teenagers living with obesity. The problem is particularly acute in the south: in parts of the Campania region, more than 40% of eight and nine-year-olds are overweight. The town of Ponticelli, on the outskirts of Naples, has earned the unenviable reputation…
PA MediaAlex Eala is the Philippines’ newest sports starChasing her dream of becoming a world tennis champion, teen athlete Maristella Torrecampo and her father took a gruelling 13-hour bus from her sleepy hillside hometown for her latest match in Manila.The 14-year-old’s mum and four siblings could not join to watch her play; her crowdfunded budget was only enough for two round-trip bus tickets and a few days’ worth of meals.Barely rested from the long journey, and with only her father cheering her on, Torrecampo crushed her Omani opponent in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 on that sweltering Tuesday afternoon at the…
EPAFirefighters battle flames in Lège-Cap-Ferret, south-western FranceFirefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in south-west France as strong winds push flames towards the city of Bordeaux, with one official saying they “are far from having the fire under control.”More than 250,000 people in France and Spain have fled fires which have been raging for days, as winds and high temperatures hamper efforts to contain them. Overnight, seven towns west of Bordeaux were told to evacuate residents. In Spain, where a state of emergency has been declared, a change in weather conditions has helped firefighters outside Madrid.Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there…
Could Mount be final piece in Man Utd midfield jigsaw?Mason Mount has been outstanding alongside new arrival Andrey Santos for Manchester United in their first two pre-season games.10 hrs agoMan Utd
‘He’ll go right through this guy’ – Joshua v Prenga predictionsFigures from the boxing world give their predictions for Saturday’s heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga.14 hrs agoBoxing
Pogacar set to equal Tour record as Carapaz wins stageTadej Pogacar is set to win a record-equalling fifth Tour de France after Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz takes a dramatic stage 20 to Alpe d’Huez.3 hrs agoCycling
Watch: Protesters celebrate India’s education minister resignationIndia’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called off its five-week-long protest, hours after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.The CJP has called it a win for democracy and thousands of jubilant supporters continue to celebrate at Jantar Mantar, the main protest venue in Delhi.An online satirical campaign with an AI-generated cockroach as its mascot, the CJP is not a real party but has evolved into a powerful platform for young people’s anxieties and dissent.The protest has been the most visible expression of public anger against PM Narendra Modi’s government in recent years and gained momentum…
Getty ImagesArkady Dvorkovich has overseen the chess federation during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the gameThe world of chess has been thrown into turmoil after the president of the International Chess Federation (Fide), Arkady Dvorkovich, said he was stepping aside because he was included on the European Union’s latest sanctions list.Dvorkovich, 54, a former deputy prime minister of Russia and adviser to the Kremlin, now faces an EU travel ban and asset freeze.The EU said his inclusion was due to “publicly supporting the annexation of Crimea and calling occupied Ukrainian cities ‘new territories’ of the…