Steve Luckings highlights five games to watch this weekend. Spoilt for choice really, only the FA Cup, German Cup, French Cup and Copa del Rey finals to indulge in.
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FA CUP FINAL: Crystal Palace v Manchester United, beIN Sports, Saturday, 8.30pm
It has been 12 years since Manchester United last won England’s most famous cup competition and Louis van Gaal’s side face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium 26 years after defeating the same opponents thanks to Lee Martin’s winner in the replay. Van Gaal’s future at Old Trafford has been the subject of much debate over the course of the 2015/16 season, and given that they missed out on a top-four finish in the Premier League, securing a trophy could go some way to paving the way for the Dutchman to see out the final year of his contract at the club. This is only Palace’s second appearance in the final of the FA Cup.
GERMAN CUP FINAL: Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund, beIN Sports, Saturday, 10pm
Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge of Bayern Munich before taking over at Manchester City in the summer could see the Spaniard depart with yet more silverware. Although the Bundesliga champions missed out in the Uefa Champions League – eliminated at the semi-final stage by Atletico Madrid – a league-and-German-Cup double would still represent success and send their manager off on a positive note. Standing in their way is Borussia Dortmund, who finished 10 points adrift of their bitter rivals in the final standings in the league. With Dortmund defender Mats Hummels announcing he will join Bayern in the summer, expect a hostile atmosphere.
FRENCH CUP FINAL: Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain, beIN Sports, Saturday, 11pm
Another looking to bow out from his club on a high note is a man who humbly refers to himself as “king” and “legend”. After four trophy-laden years, Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays his final game for Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup final. The Swede has already helped PSG secure the French League Cup, as well as the Ligue 1 title, this season, and standing in his way of lifting a 12th trophy in PSG colours is Marseille, the Pairsiens’ bitter rivals. A massive 48 points separated the champions and 13th-placed Marseille in the final Ligue 1 standings and the latter have endured a season to forget. Nothing would bring them greater pleasure than spoiling PSG’s party.
COPA DEL REY FINAL: Barcelona v Sevilla, beIN Sports, Sunday, 11.30pm
Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey an astonishing 27 times and are the defending champions when they face Sevilla at Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon on Sunday. Barcelona overcame their April jitters where they lost four games in five, which allowed both Madrid clubs back into the league title race, clinching it with a 3-0 win at Granada. The buccaneering way in which they finished the campaign will be enough to make Sevilla believe they face an almight task. Sevilla will enter the match on a high after their thrilling come-from-behind victory over Liverpool in Wednesday night’s Europa League final, but much will will depend on how Unai Emery’s side recover from that encounter, and how they blunt Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
PRESIDENT’S CUP SEMI-FINALS: Al Ahli v Al Jazira, AD Sports, Friday, 7.45pm
Newly crowned Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli will look to edge closer to a domestic double when they face Al Jazira in the semi-final of the President’s Cup on Friday. The match, to take place at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, precedes the second semi-final taking place 24 hours later at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, where Ahli’s bitter rivlas Al Ain, runners-up to the Dubai club in the league, take on Baniyas. Al Ain played out a 1-1 draw against Zobahan of Iran in the first leg of their last-16 Asian Champions League encounter on Wednesday but do not expect coach Zlatko Dalic to rest any of his star players as the Garden City cub seek to end the season with some silverware. Meeting Ahli in the final would add extra spice.
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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South Korea
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
