Chelsea set to miss out on playmaker Javier Pastore



Chelsea

Chelsea's efforts to sign Javier Pastore have ended in failure after the Italian club Palermo agreed to sell the Argentina playmaker to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a French record fee.

PSG will pay an initial ?42 million (Dh222m) for the 22 year old, rising to ?45m depending on achievements.

Roman Abramovich proved unwilling to match the resources of PSG's new Qatari owners and is now expected to refocus his attentions on Luka Modric, despite Tottenham Hotspur's stated refusal to sell the Croatian playmaker.

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn are expected to let Keith Andrews move to the Championship club Leeds United on a season-long loan.

The midfielder, 30, was often the subject of criticism from some sections of the Ewood Park support last season and it is thought Steve Kean, the manager, is happy for him to join the Elland Road club in order to regain some confidence.

Leeds are also interested in recruiting Jonathan Spector, whose contract with West Ham United expired following their relegation from the Premier League in the summer.

Liverpool

Diego Caniggia has been appointed as the club's new South American scout. Caniggia, the brother of the former Argentina and Glasgow Rangers striker Claudio, also worked for Damien Comolli when Liverpool's director of football strategy ran Tottenham's scouting operation. He is currently representing his new employers at the Fifa Under 20 World Cup in Colombia.

Arsenal

The Gunners stand to earn up to 25 per cent of any future transfer fee for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas after selling the forward to Ipswich Town for an initial £1.5million (Dh9m). The England youth international spent the second half of last season on loan at Cardiff City and is expected by Arsenal to ultimately develop into a £10m player.

West Bromwich Albion

Dan Ashworth, the West Brom sporting and technical director, did his homework before securing the services of the goalkeeper Ben Foster on loan for the season from local rivals Birmingham City: "I have contacted several managers and coaches who have previously worked with Ben and they all spoke very highly of him, both as a professional and as a person."

Bolton Wanderers

Nigel Reo-Coker is aiming to put himself back in the frame for England after joining Bolton last week. The midfielder, a former England Under 21 captain, has been on the verge of a call-up to the senior squad in the past and last year rejected an invitation to play for Sierra Leone.

Asked if he had his sights set on reviving his England prospects having signed for Bolton, Reo-Coker said: "Yes, definitely. Playing consistently makes a difference and I hope having come here to get consistent games, and then we will go from there."

Aston Villa

Charles N'Zogbia expressed his delight after finalising his move to Aston Villa from Wigan Athletic on a five-year contract.

The Midlands club confirmed on their website that the 25 year old had passed a medical and would be available for pre-season fixtures. "I am really happy and extremely excited to sign for Aston Villa," N'Zogbia said.

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now

Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.

The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.

1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):

a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33

b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.

2. For those who have worked more than five years

c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.

Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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

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%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Jawan
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Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially