As the Formula One circus heads to Budapest this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the roles the key protagonists are going to play in the drivers' world championship denouement are a lot clearer.
The main act is Lewis Hamilton v Sebastian Vettel: Mercedes-GP's lead driver up against Ferrari's No 1 in a tussle that has arguably been the best title duel in years and promises to have even more twists and turns before we reach the decider, the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, on November 25.
Behind them will be their respective teammates Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen, who will both have a crucial role in the months ahead in trying to help the man they share a garage with come out on top.
Last Sunday's German Grand Prix saw both Bottas and Raikkonen become victims of team orders as Mercedes and Ferrari prioritised their teammates.
Raikkonen in particular had his race run around the needs of Vettel. He was third early in the race but not on the pace of Vettel as he sat six to seven seconds behind him, with Bottas in between.
The race was expected to be a one-stop strategy for both teams, but Ferrari pitted Raikkonen on Lap 15 - 11 laps before Vettel would make his own stop.
Ferrari looked to use Raikkonen to bait Mercedes into making Bottas pit early to get him on to a two-stop strategy, something that would take the pressure off Vettel.
It did not work as Mercedes kept Bottas out and on the quicker strategy, even if it meant losing track position for a short while to Raikkonen, who was doing fast laps on his new tyres in clean air.
The move actually backfired on Ferrari as Raikkonen's pace on his fresh rubber actually got him ahead of Vettel after the German had stopped.
Vettel became increasingly frustrated stuck behind Raikkonen, who by then had slowed as his tyres began to wear - a consequence of that early stop. That ensured an almost certain need for a second stop became and Ferrari had to order him out of the way.
Ironically, Raikkonen ended up being Ferrari's sole hope in the final laps after Vettel crashed out, but he had to be content with third behind the Mercedes pair.
Bottas actually led Hamilton for most of the afternoon after the Briton had started back in 14th place after his car had suffered a mechanical failure during qualifying.
Hamilton looked set to finish fifth, with Bottas duelling with Raikkonen for second spot, until the late rain shower blew things wide open.
After Raikkonen and Bottas had pitted during the safety car period - brought out by Vettel's crash - Hamilton ended up in front, with his teammate behind him.
Bottas, on the fresher tyres, had a real good go at passing Hamilton when the race restarted, but was told by Mercedes to back off and stay second.
The Finn took it with good grace and no histrionics, simply saying "copy" to the order and he came home second.
The situations for Raikkonen and Bottas are now similar, but the context is different.
Raikkonen is slower then Vettel and has been throughout the season. He out-qualified the German at the opening race in Australia, but has not done so since, and he has rarely been a match for him on race pace either.
The four times he has finished a grand prix ahead of Vettel (China, Azerbaijan, France and Austria) all involved his teammate either being hit by another car, making a mistake or having to deal with a penalty from the stewards.
Bottas, however, has been much closer to Hamilton and has out-performed him on a number of weekends this year.
Certainly in Bahrain, China, Azerbaijan and Canada he did a better job then his world champion teammate.
Misfortune and unreliability are why he has not won a race yet this season, and he was unfortunate in Germany where he had the quicker package in the closing stages but could not act on it because of team intervention.
Hamilton holds a 17-point lead over Vettel, with Raikkonen 57 back and Bottas 66 adrift. Statistically all four men still are in the title hunt, but Germany underlined that Mercedes and Ferrari are respectively putting their backing behind Hamilton and Vettel.
That does not mean, however, that their teammates are not going to play an integral part in the coming months.
Mercedes and Ferrari will both look to their No 2 driver to beat the other team's title contender, and take points away from them.
Bottas has beaten Vettel twice this season, while Hamilton has only finished behind Raikkonen once in races where they both finished.
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Read more:
Hamilton not Mercedes' No 1 driver despite German GP team orders, insists Wolff
Graham Caygill: Positives in Germany for Vettel and Ferrari despite costly crash
Michael Coetzee: Diversion tactics from Valtteri Bottas cannot hide pressure
Graham Caygill: Season's success hinges on Bottas' ability to beat Hamilton
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The Ferrari SF71H has looked the quicker package in recent races, with Mercedes claiming in Germany that the Italian team's power unit gave them a 0.5 seconds advantage on the straights.
That was highlighted by Raikkonen's improved qualifying form in Britain and Germany were he was third quickest, and Ferrari will want him to keep that up.
What you will likely see in the remaining 10 races of the year is more instances of Ferrari and Mercedes using their second drivers for aggressive strategies in a bid to try and unsettle their rivals.
It might not always work, but it should keep things unpredictable.
The goal for both teams will be as many one-two finishes as possible. Mercedes have two this year in Spain and Germany, while Ferrari have none.
If Hamilton and Vettel can win a race with their teammate behind them then it will be at least a 10 point gain,assuming their rival is third.
If all four drivers are close to each other on the grid on Sunday expect more strategic tactics to be the fore.
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
