A new official Fifa World Cup single was released on Friday, featuring Lebanese artist Myriam Fares alongside rapper Nicki Minaj and Colombian singer Maluma. With a catchy, upbeat tempo and cross-cultural influences, the single, titled Tukoh Taka, is now available on music streaming platforms.
The single features a combination of styles from the trio, but each brings their own style as they sing and rap about welcoming fans to the Fifa World Cup, uniting the world and celebrating together.
All three artists posted teasers on their Instagram accounts for the music video, which is scheduled for release at 7pm UAE time. The teaser shows clips of football games and cheering fans in between shots of Minaj, Maluma and Fares performing against distinct backgrounds that represent their style and culture, while still collectively sharing the same look and feel.
Minaj raps in a bus being driven across the desert to a game, while women clad in gold outfits inspired by belly dancers perform behind her. Maluma appears in a desert at sunset with a giant football sculpture behind him, while Fares, dressed in a blue belly dancing-inspired outfit, plays with gold cymbals between her fingers as she performs in the desert flanked by male dancers playing Arabic drums.
This isn’t the first time the Fifa World Cup has released a single featuring cross-cultural and cross-continental international artists.
Hayya Hayya (Better Together) was the first 2022 World Cup soundtrack single, released in April. The single featured RnB artist Trinidad Cardona, Nigerian-American singer Davido and Qatari singer Aisha. The song calls for global unity and bringing the world together through football.
In August, Arhbo, featuring Puerto Rican reggae star Ozuna and French hip-hop artist Gims was released. Sung in Spanish, French and English with Arabian-influenced instrumentals, the song is about building bridges and setting aside differences through the game of football. The song was followed by another release in September, The World Is Yours To Take, by rapper Lil Baby.
Then in October, Fifa released Light the Sky featuring Emirati-Yemeni artist Balqees, Moroccan-Canadian singer Nora Fatehi, Iraqi singer and actress Rahma Riad, and Moroccan singer Manal. The song celebrates the inclusion of female referees at the first World Cup in the region.
The World Cup kicks off in Qatar on November 21 and will run until December 18, featuring 32 of the world's best national teams.
See football fans arriving in Qatar for the World Cup - in pictures
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
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Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
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Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
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Sunday
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The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
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Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:
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Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
