MIND-bending plans have been revealed for a 1,800-tall floating ring city that could house thousands of people around Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
Known as the Downtown Circle project, the incredible horizontal structure would sit right above the downtown area- and change the city’s skyline forever.
The circular structure would float atop five structural pillars and would be built right around the world’s tallest building.
Hundreds of Private residences and commercial spaces like shopping malls and restaurants would be built across the five floors inside the ring.
Designers have claimed the inside would be so huge that it will essentially become a “city within a city”, stealing the limelight of downtown Dubai.
The design for Downtown Circle was originally an entry in an architecture competition launched by the Dubai Future Foundation.
Najmus Chowdry, one of the chief architects of the experiential design firm ZNera Space created the concept structure, said: “We submitted the design two years ago and were told that our design has been shortlisted.
“However, since it’s been a while since we heard back from them, we decided to release the illustrations.”
Chowdry said he and his team envisioned the structure as a “horizontal stroke against Dubai’s vertiginous, futuristic skyline of seemingly endless skyscrapers”.
“It was meant to be a conversation starter,” he added.
“Something that could trigger people to rethink urban development, to rethink city congestion … We are promising the sustainable city.”
The ring would also feature a greenbelt called the Skypark that would run along the structure’s entire length.
It will feature various habitats, from waterfalls to sand dunes, effectively working as a natural ecosystem that would help to reduce air pollution.
Meanwhile, the roof of the structure would be entirely made up of solar panels to generate 100 per cent renewable energy.
Znera Space said in a statement: “Different natural scenarios and climates are recreated inside the continuous Skypark.
“Visitors can experience the canyons, sandy dunes and plants from various floras.
“Swamps, waterfalls and tropical vegetation or the digital caves, cascades, fruit trees and flowers of various hues and species together enrich the green ecosystem.
The concept also includes a futuristic transportation system from one end to the other – including an electric subway system that could reach speeds of 62mph and sky taxis.
Remess, co-architect of the design added: “We were working on very important aspects that raise the discussion about how we are planning cities.
“The reason we picked the Burj Khalifa was because it is in a very dense urban area, and we want to address the issues that accompany dense city populations.”
While the project is still in its concept stage, it could potently change Dubai’s popular skyline forever if it ever receives a green light from development authorities.
QUALITY Street has confirmed it has discontinued an iconic chocolate just weeks before Christmas – leaving shoppers devastated.
The news came after a confused shopper asked where the beloved flavour had gone.
In response to a post on Quality Street’s X page asking “which flavour matchmakers are the favourite in your household?”, he noted that one flavour had gone missing recently.
He wrote: “What happened to the honeycomb?”
A spokesperson for the beloved Christmas brand then replied to his comment, confirming: “Hi Owen. Unfortunately Matchmakers Honeycomb has already been discontinued.”
Matchmakers are crunchy chocolate snacks in the shape of matchsticks that come in a variety of flavours – from mint to orange to hazelnut.
The honeycomb version featured dark chocolate, covered in crispy honeycomb pieces.
It retailed at stores for about £1.50.
Although it can no longer be found at supermarkets, some stores are still selling it online, including eBay and Amazon – with prices hiked to as much as £15.
The product was a hit with chocolate lovers, with many rushing to Amazon to share their glowing reviews.
One wrote: “I opened these to share with the family and secretly could have easily eaten the whole pack in one sitting!
“They are soooo nice, the flavour comes through both in smell and taste.
“Love love this Honeycomb flavour of Quality Street Matchmakers and would definitely recommend.”
Another echoed: “Good flavour and plenty in the box to share unless you’re like me and want them all!”
And a third typed: “If you like Crunchies you’ll love these!”
The news comes just a few days after Quality Street, which is best known for its iconic selection box, axed another of its products.
The controversial Collisions Bar combined the flavours of two beloved Quality Street choccies – The Purple One and the Green Triangle.
It featured gooey caramel, creamy hazelnut and crunchy hazelnut pieces in three delicious layers.
At the time of its debut, shoppers went wild, with one writing: “My two favourite ones in the same bar.”
But shoppers noticed this month that the beloved bar had disappeared from the shelves, with one asking on X: “Has the Collisions Bar been discontinued?
“I can’t find it anymore it was my favourite chocolate bar of all time.”
In response, Quality Street stated: “Unfortunately, it wasn’t as popular as others in the range, so it has been discontinued.”
Quality Street is a brand by chocolate giant Nestle, which is also responsible for KitKat and Smarties.
ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders.
Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether.
They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers.
There are several reasons why this could be done.
For example, government regulation, like the “sugar tax,” forces firms to change their recipes.
Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs.
They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable.
For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018.
It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version.
Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year.
Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.
While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.
Customers discovered they can no longer visit their local John Lewis store to create personalised Quality Street tins this week.
The service allowed shoppers to purchase a £17 tin with a personalised gift card and lid.
They could then fill these tins with their favourite Quality Street chocolates from dedicated pick-and-mix counters at John Lewis.
However, while the pick-and-mix counters still exist, shoppers can’t get a personalised Quality Street tin this winter.
Instead, they must opt for the £12 non-customised version.
However, Nestle launched a new version of its 813g Quality Street tin in September.
The £12 tub features all the usual classic flavours and plays on Quality Street’s Halifax heritage – where it was first manufactured in 1936 and still is.
It can also be purchased empty and filled at any of John Lewis’ Quality Street pick and mix stations.
If you’re not fussed about the nostalgic tin or picking your chocolates, you’ll pay less for a different tub or packet.
This week, shoppers can pick up a plastic 600g tub from Lidl for £4.
You can also pick up a 300g sharing bag of Quality Street from Home Bargains for just £2.99 – £1 per 100g.
Nestle has also brought back a Quality Street fan-favourite for the second Christmas in a row.
The coffee creme flavour chocolate was last seen in Quality Street tubs over 20 years ago until the chocolatier reintroduced it last year.
Instead, the coffee-flavour fondant wrapped in dark chocolate has joined the 11 other Quality Street sweets at pick-and-mix stations across selected John Lewis stores in the UK.
They are also available in a limited-edition cracker at Waitrose and John Lewis stores for £5.50.
For the first time ever, Nestle is launching paper Quality Street tubs.
The tubs are available at 60 Tesco supermarkets.
Their introduction is part of a trial, and Nestle will gauge the product’s popularity among shoppers.
It claims the paper tub, adorned in the signature Quality Street purple, boasts a luxurious design and feel.
They feature a “re-close” mechanism that ensures the lid can be securely sealed even after opening.
This isn’t the first time Quality Street has introduced new packaging to make the festive favourites easier to recycle.
Nestle left shoppers outraged when it changed the Quality Street chocolate wrappers for the same reason in October 2022.
The iconic brightly coloured plastic and foil wrappers that had encased its famous chocolates for 86 years were replaced with a more understated form of waxed paper.
However, the introduction of new paper tubs does not signal the immediate discontinuation of plastic and metal Quality Street tins.
Shoppers can still buy 600g plastic tubs of Quality Street chocolates at most major supermarkets.
Tins containing over 800g of the festive chocolates continue to be available too.
We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…
Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.
Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
MCDONALD’S is set to shake up its menu in the New Year – and details of the items have been leaked online early.
Posts on Facebook and Instagram have revealed the fast food chain is adding six items to its offering from January 8.
McDonald’s regularly updates its menu and had planned on updating customers over Christmas on its latest change.
The fast food giant confirmed the menu items to The Sun, which will be available to customers from January 8.
The new items are:
The prices and calories for the items haven’t been revealed yet, but we do know that the katsu wrap will cost £1.99 on Wednesdays as part of its wrap deal.
The Katsu wraps include a choice of crispy or grilled chicken, coated in katsu sauce, alongside crispy onions, crunchy cucumber and fresh lettuce, all wrapped in a warm, toasted tortilla.
Meanwhile, the BBQ Ranch Stack burger comes with two 100% beef patties topped with cheese made with Emmental, lettuce, bacon, crispy onions, creamy ranch and sweet BBQ sauce, in a glazed sesame seed bun.
The Milkyway McFlurry combines soft serve dairy ice cream swirled with milk chocolate stars and malt flavoured pieces topped with chocolate sauce.
The BBQ Smokehouse McCrispy is also back, after last being on menus in September, when it was £5.59 or £7.49 as part of a meal.
The burger is made up of chicken breast fillet in a crispy, crunchy coating with a smoky BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, red onion, lettuce, all in a sourdough style sesame topped bun.
Meanwhile, the Mozzarella Dippers are also back on menus from next month after last being available in October.
The dippers consist of mozzarella and emmental cheese with a smoky caramelised onion-flavoured breadcrumb coating.
McDonald’s also brought back its Grimace milkshake last week, after it last hit restaurants in August.
The blueberry-flavoured drink is inspired by the purple Maccie’s mascot Grimace.
But, it’s only around for either two weeks or until stocks run out so, again, you’ll have to be fast.
It comes after the fast food chain shook up its menu for Christmas, including a new burger and dessert.
Customers have been able to get the Terry’s Chocolate Orange Pie for £1.99 and Cheesy McCrispy from £5.99 since November 20.
The pie combines crispy chocolate pastry with Terry’s Chocolate Orange-flavoured ganache filling – a blend of chocolate and cream.
The new burger is a twist on the classic McCrispy, with additional condiments like crispy onions, cheese slices and a pink pickled onion chutney.
Some classic menu items made a return too including the Big Tasty, with customers left buzzing at the return of the iconic burger.
One said: “Finally the Big Tasty is back!”
These items will be coming off when the menu changes on January 8.
If you’re planning on taking a trip to McDonald’s, you’ll want to know where your nearest branch is.
The chain has a restaurant locator tool on its website you can use to find your nearest one – and check what time it opens.
Bear in mind that McDonald’s serves breakfast every day until 11am.
After that, the menu switches to the normal menu serving meals such as burgers, chicken nuggets and more.
In other news, McDonald’s launched its Christmas ad last month, which some viewers have branded better than John Lewis‘.
You could end up being charged more for a McDonald's meal based solely on the McDonald's restaurant you choose.
Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30% cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other.
You can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 at any time by filling in a feedback survey found on McDonald’s receipts.
The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey.
You’ll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer.
There are some deals and offers you can only get if you have the My McDonald’s app, so it’s worth signing up to get money off your meals.
The MyMcDonald’s app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android phones and is quick to set up.
You can also bag freebies and discounts on your birthday if you’re a My McDonald’s app user.
The chain has recently sent out reminders to app users to fill out their birthday details – otherwise they could miss out on birthday treats.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
A VINTAGE muscle car that once belonged to racing legend Carroll Shelby could be yours for £75,000.
The stunning 1969 Shelby GT500, one of just 18 ever made, boasts a seven-litre engine and has clocked fewer than £5,000 miles in its lifetime.
Finished in eye-catching Grabber Yellow with a sleek black stripe, the GT500 is an automotive icon.
Images of the vehicle reveal black leather seats, a wooden steering wheel, an an intricate dashboard.
The wood trimmed interior, coupled with its roll bar and inertia reel harnesses, makes it clear this car was built for high performance.
Under the bonnet sits a 7.0 litre Cobra Jet V-8 engine capable of producing 335 hp and a massive 400-ft-lbs torque.
It features five spoke wheels wrapped in Goodyear Polyglas tyres, while the signature Cobra logo adorns its hoop grille.
Additional exterior details include five NACA-style air inlets, giving the car a menacing look on the road.
This rare GT500 will go under the hammer at Mecum Auctions‘ Kissimmee sale on Saturday, January 11, with no reserve price.
“This car’s exterior may be bold and brash but its interior is a bit more understated,” reads the auction list.
“The cabin’s Clarion front seat and back bench are covered in black leather.
“This is offset by the liberal use of wood on the steering wheel, dashboard, and door panels.”
Carrol Shelby, who passed away in 2012, is best known as a pioneering automotive designer, entrepreneur, and racing driver.
He was instrumental in creating the legendary AC Cobra and Ford Mustang Shelby editions.
His work on the Ford GT40, alongside racing legend Ken Miles, led to four consecutive Le Mans victories between 1966 and 1969.
Shelby’s racing legacy, as well as his life as an innovator, was immortalised in the Oscar-winning film Ford v Ferrari (2019).
MOLLY-MAE Hague can be seen getting tearful and hanging up on her ex-fiancé Tommy Fury in a dramatic trailer for her new documentary series.
In tense scenes, the 25-year-old star can be seen crying while during a conversation with the professional boxer.
Later, she is driving in her car when she and Tommy come to blows during another hands-free call.
While behind the wheel of her fancy 4×4, Molly furiously tells her boxer ex: “I actually am not having this conversation with you.”
Beeping can then be heard as the line goes dead, with a frustrated Molly shaking her head and muttering: “Honestly.”
Molly-Mae: Behind It All is a six-part series that will premiere on Prime Video on January 17.
Fans will be treated to the first three episodes on one fell swoop. The final three episodes will air in Spring 2025.
The first trailer for Behind It All dropped earlier this month and Molly was seen getting emotional as she opened up about solo parenting.
Molly shares her daughter Bambi, who turns two next month, with her ex fiancé Tommy, 25.
The couple, who met on the 2019 series of Love Island, confirmed their shock split in August this year.
In her latest ad for Behind It All, Molly can be seen jumping joyfully onto Tommy’s back at their family home in Manchester.
In a voiceover, she can be heard saying: “We were utterly obsessed with one another. All I ever wanted was to get married. Suddenly overnight, ever part of my life changed.
“The last couple of months have been the worst couple of months of my life.
“I am angry at him and I am very hurt. Sometimes it really hits you that I’m in this alone now.”
Molly and Tommy’s split was plagued by rumours of infidelity on Tommy’s part, but they are allegations he has always strongly denied.
Molly’s new Prime series has been described as “raw, real, and redefining”.
It promises to take viewers beyond her curated social media presence and “behind the headlines”, while also looking at her life as a successful businesswoman.
Meanwhile, this will be the former couple’s first Christmas apart since their split and they will have to navigate it for the sake of Bambi.
Tommy has been embracing his own Christmas decorations at his bachelor pad and has also put on a united front with Molly during a family trip.
Together with Bambi, fans got the first glimpse of Molly and Tommy together in months.
The exes took Bambi for a wintery walk and both dressed down for the occasion.
Molly – who recently launched her own fashion brand called Maebe -wrapped up in a snug brown bomber jacket, grey joggers and boots, while Tommy wore all-black except a bright white trainers.
Molly’s documentary will also follow her as she works to get Maebe – which launched in September – off the ground.
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