The UK government has thrown its support behind the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.
In a speech on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out its determination to drive growth in the economy, with expanded airports at the heart of the plan. Ms Reeves said the government “cannot duck the decision any longer” and that a third runway at Heathrow would “unlock further growth”.
“Now, the case is stronger than ever, because our reforms to the economy, like speeding up the planning system and our plans to modernise UK airspace, mean the delivery of this project is now set up for success,” she said.
She said a third runway at the airport was “badly needed”, that the previous government had taken no action on it and claimed no full-length runway has been built in Britain since the 1940s.
“By backing a third runway at Heathrow, we can make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business,” she said. She pointed out that the funding will have to come from private sources, not taxpayers' pockets.
The plan
- Ms Reeves said the government has “invited proposals for the third runway to come forward by the summer”.
- They will “ensure that the project is value for money” and also that “any associated service transport costs will be financed through private funding”.
- A third runway would be delivered in line with “legal, environmental and climate objectives”.
- Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said the airport would work with the government on planning reform
- Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he remains “opposed” to Heathrow expansion because of its “severe impact”.
- The airport needs to approval for a development consent order to go ahead with the project.
Mr Woldbye enthusiastically greeted the government's support for the third runaway, saying that it would “create jobs and drive trade, tourism and inward investment to every part of the country” and would also give airlines and passengers the “competitive, resilient hub airport they expect while putting the UK back on the map at the heart of the global economy”.
Likewise, Kenton Jarvis, the chief executive of the low-cost carrier easyJet, welcomed Ms Reeves’s announcement on the third runway, adding that “expansion at Heathrow will provide consumer and economic benefits and represents a unique opportunity for easyJet to operate from the airport at scale for the first time and bring with it lower fares for consumers”.
But others were less enthusiastic. Doug Parr, UK policy director at Greenpeace, said Ms Reeves is “dead right that tackling climate change is the biggest industrial opportunity of the 21st century, but dead wrong to think airport expansion is the way to seize it”.
"A third runway at Heathrow is unlikely to boost the UK economy but will certainly boost noise, air pollution and climate emissions,” he said.
“It’s airlines and airport bosses who will reap the lion’s share of economic benefits, leaving taxpayers and holidaymakers to pay billions for new infrastructure and transport links.”
Nonetheless, Surinder Arora, the founder and executive chairman of Arora, a hotel and property conglomerate that includes the Hilton, Sofitel, Radisson Blu and Renaissance hotels at Heathrow, was “delighted” by Ms Reeves’s comments, but warned that the whole process of building a third runway at Heathrow will need significant supervision.
“They get our tick in the box, absolutely, as long as we make sure the regulatory side is brought up to date, so [Heathrow’s] shareholders cannot milk the system,” Mr Arora told The National.
Jobs surge
As the UK economy struggles with low economic growth and numbers that seem to constantly flirt with recession, expanding capacity at London’s airports must seem an easy win for the government.
By some measures, a third runway at Heathrow will create tens of thousands of jobs, bring in many tens of billions into the UK economy and even lower the price of airfares by 20 per cent.
In her speech, Ms Reeves said 100,000 jobs would be created. Giving Heathrow such a serious upgrade would put it back in a competitive position with its European rivals. After all, Paris's Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport both have four runways and Amsterdam's Schiphol has six.
The airport with the most runways in the world is Chicago's O'Hare, which has eight.
Heathrow is owned by Heathrow Airport Holdings, which is itself owned by FGP Topco, a consortium owned and led by a mixture of sovereign wealth funds and pension companies based in several countries. The largest shareholders are the French private equity company Ardian (22.61 per cent), the Qatar Investment Authority (20 per cent), Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (15 per cent), the Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC (11.2 per cent), the Australian Retirement Trust (11.18 per cent) and China Investment Corporation (10 per cent).
The controversy over the third runway has, at least until now, meant politicians have mostly preferred to shelve the idea rather than support it. In fact, along with the Prime Minister himself, several members of Keir Starmer’s current cabinet voted against the third runway project six years ago, when they were opposition MPs.
They included current Environment Minister Steve Reed, Energy and Climate Change Minister Ed Miliband, Culture Minister Lisa Nandy and Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn. In total, 94 Labour MPs opposed expanding Heathrow in that showdown vote regarding the National Policy Statement on Airports. However, the motion passed by 415 votes to 119.
In 2018, Mr Khan said expansion at Heathrow was not the right answer and that he was “committed to opposing such a short-sighted decision”. In response to the Labour government’s enthusiasm now, Mr Khan − who is still Mayor of London − reiterated his opposition to the third runway. He cited “the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030”.
Villages demolished
Heathrow’s proposed third runway is by far the largest and most controversial of all the expansion plans for London’s airports. A new terminal is planned for Luton, while Gatwick’s £2.2 billion plan would bring its second “standby” runway into full operational use.
By comparison, Heathrow’s third runway is a much bigger proposition. It could cost in excess of £60 billion − by many estimates − require the demolition of homes in the areas of Harmondsworth, Sipson and Harlington and the building of a new tunnel for the part of the London orbital M25 motorway that would run beneath the new runway.
Given all that and previous governments' reluctance to give the project anything more than lip service, Heathrow has until now not even applied for the required planning permission. But all that seems to have changed with Ms Reeves's invitation for proposals to be sent to the government by the summer.
Building capacity
Ten years ago, the Airports Commission looked into the economic case for expanding airport capacity in the UK. It was “crucial for the UK's long-term prosperity”, the commission, led by former NatWest chairman Howard Davies, said. It forecast an expansion of Heathrow − the cornerstone of which is the construction of a third runway − would allow for 40 new global destinations to link to the hub, create 70,000 jobs by 2050 and add around £147 billion to Britain’s economy.
Nonetheless, some are determined that a third runway would cost far too much, increase carbon emissions to the point where net-zero targets are dumped and in the long run actually threaten jobs and be a conduit for money out of the country.
A record 83.9 million passengers passed through last year, three million more than the previous record set in 2019. Heathrow operates at 98 per cent capacity − much higher than other airports in the UK.
The airport and its supporters argue that it needs a third runway to meet the demand in air travel that is expected to increase in the coming years. At the moment, flights to and from Heathrow are capped at 480,000 a year. With a third runway, that is predicted to rise to more than 720,000.
“With the industry developing and now operating single-aisle aircraft capable of flying up to eight hours, the opportunities for connecting Heathrow − and Gatwick − to new emergent markets is something that UK plc can’t continue to ignore,” John Grant, chief analyst for flight data company OAG, told The National.
“There is a constant queue of airlines seeking to gain access to Heathrow, and increasingly Gatwick, and as a country we have to service that demand.”
The cost of building the third runway at Heathrow, however, is more a matter of debate. When the Airports Commission decided 10 years ago that it was the best option for Heathrow, it gave an estimate of £14 billion.
By the time the Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that the project could legally proceed, the estimated cost had risen to more than £15 billion. Some say following another five years of rising inflation, the figure is now closer to £20 billion ($24.9 billion). But there's also speculation from various sources that the cost of the third runway is between £42 billion and £63 billion.
Aside from the cost, there are vastly differing views on how much the third runway would bring into the British economy.
Alex Chapman, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF) think tank, said the third runway at Heathrow and the proposals for airport expansion at Gatwick and Luton would not deliver the boon Ms Reeves believes they will. It will simply make it easier for more Britons to take holidays aboard, taking their spending with them, he claimed.
“The government’s plan suggests they haven’t done their homework, or they would know that more airport capacity will not bring us benefits either from more business travel or money from international tourists,” said Mr Chapman. “Business use of air travel has collapsed, and the UK is sending three times as many tourists out of the country as it is bringing in.”
The NEF, which promotes social, economic and environmental justice, claims that in 2023, £41 billion left the UK in the pockets of British holidaymakers heading abroad, which was more than the sum foreign tourists to the UK spent while visiting.
Nonetheless, business lobby groups insist the third runway will be a boost to the UK economy. Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said expanding airport capacity is a “top priority for business”.
“At a time of increased costs for many businesses, speeding up infrastructure investment is crucial to boosting economic activity and unlocking growth,” she added.
One theory holds that with more capacity at Heathrow, the price of airline tickets will come down, simply because supply will rise to meet demand, once the third runway is completed.
But that could take 15 years, and some industry figures believe the very nature of aviation will have changed substantially by then.
Finlay Asher, an aerospace engineer with Safe Landings, a group that supports aviation workers, said projections for growing demand for air travel are incorrect.
The “cost of flying will be a lot higher”, owing to the expensive technology that will be necessary for aviation to hit carbon emission targets, and the “amount of flying that we’re going to be doing in ten to 15 years’ time isn’t what we’re predicting,” he told The National.
Several airlines are doubtful about the costs and funding of the third runway. It is thought Heathrow will seek to raise the money needed to build the third runway by increasing the landing fees it charges airlines, which then pass the cost on to customers.
'Front-loading' the cost of the third runway on to landing charges would exacerbate the already tension relationship between Heathrow and its airline clients.
Being the biggest airline at Heathrow by far, British Airways and its customers would shoulder a great deal of the cost of building the third runway, if the funding was to come through the landing fees system.
Willie Walsh, current director general of the International Air Transport Association, was very vocal with his opposition to the third runway when he was the boss of British Airways parent group IAG.
He accused the airport’s management of “being on a gravy train” and misleading the industry over costs.
“Advance costs are spiralling out of control and total expansion costs are being covered up,” he said back in 2019. At the time, Heathrow said Mr Walsh was using “misleading rhetoric”.
Cutting carbon
Aside from the arguments over the economic costs and benefits, Heathrow’s third runway has raised concerns about increased carbon emissions. It is calculated that up to nine million tonnes of extra carbon would be emitted as a result of building a third runway.
But Ed Miliband, the Energy Minister, has insisted any airport expansions − including a third Heathrow runway − that are inconsistent with meeting legally binding limits on UK emissions “won't go ahead”. But some observers have suggested the government is now more focused on economic growth and less so on hitting climate change targets.
“It’s not a ‘growth at all costs’ approach that will get us to a better economic future,” Greenpeace's Dr Parr said.
However, business groups support the notion that the planning and construction of the third runway would have to be consistent with the government’s net-zero policies and targets. “Any developments must be aligned to the government’s commitments on the environment,” said Ms Haviland. “That will require the airports, the aviation sector and ministers to work together.”
But Alethea Warrington of Possible climate charity, which campaigns for a zero-carbon society, says trying to balance the economic growth numbers with carbon emission figures within the third runway framework doesn’t work.
“The idea that you can bulldoze through climate commitments and invest in high-carbon infrastructure projects without there being any consequences, adverse impacts or knock-on harm caused to the economy is completely detached from any realistic assessment of where we are in economic and environmental terms in 2025, and where we’re going to be in 2040 if this ever actually gets built,” she told The National.
A noisy affair
Living under the flight paths serving Heathrow can be a noisy business, despite the airport's attempts to reduce the effect of planes taking off and landing so close to major population areas. But Heathrow argues a third runway would actually reduce the number of people within the “noise footprint” by around 300,000.
Based on CAA analysis, Heathrow said this would be down to advances in noise reducing technology on aircraft, steeper landing approaches and the location of the runway itself.
But Robert Barnstone, from the No 3rd Runway Coalition pressure group, said that more than two million people would be exposed to increases in noise pollution if a third runway was built. The added problem, he told The National, is that “it's difficult to highlight the precise impacts, given Heathrow has made no planning application”.
If the plans change from what was voted on by MPs in 2018, many people who thought they would not be part of the West London “noise envelope” may end up living under a flight path, said Mr Barnstone.
Even though Ms Reeves has announced the government support for the third runway at Heathrow, the likelihood of aircraft landing on it before the mid-2030s is slim.
It will probably just at least three years to acquire the necessary permissions and there are many groups who will fight the construction every step of the way. The project could become the UK's biggest focus of environmental protest.
But the government's support for Heathrow's third runway does act as a signal to international investors that Britain is open for business and serious about kick-starting economic growth. However, as Mr Grant from flight data company OAG told The National, there's plenty of “turbulence ahead on this one”.
Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Alnawar, Connor Beasley (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Raniah, Noel Garbutt, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 2,200m
Winner: Saarookh, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Rated Conditions Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: RB Torch, Tadhg O’Shea, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: MH Wari, Antonio Fresu, Elise Jeane
7.30pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m
Winner: Mailshot, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
MATCH INFO
League Cup, last 16
Manchester City v Southampton, Tuesday, 11.45pm (UAE)
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
2007 Roger Federer
2008 Rafael Nadal
2009 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
2011 Novak Djokovic
2012 Novak Djokovic
2013 Rafael Nadal
2014 Novak Djokovic
2015 Novak Djokovic
2016 Andy Murray
2017 Rafael Nadal
2018 Novak Djokovic
2019 Rafael Nadal
Results
International 4, United States 1
Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.
Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.
Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.
Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.
Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Bella Fever, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Mike de Kock (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Woven, Harry Bentley, David Simcock.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner Fore Left, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Rusumaat, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Beyond Reason, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
Results
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mezmar, Adam McLean (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: AF Ajwad, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Gold Silver, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
4pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m; Winner: Atrash, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez.
4.30pm: Gulf Cup Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Momtaz, Saif Al Balushi, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Al Mushtashar, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
On racial profiling at airports
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
India cancels school-leaving examinations
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Summer special
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)
Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Marseille 0
Atletico Madrid 3
Greizmann (21', 49'), Gabi (89')
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
More coverage from the Future Forum
FOOTBALL TEST
Team X 1 Team Y 0
Scorers
Red card
Man of the Match
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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