Brazilian former world player of the year Ronaldinho has returned home to sign for Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense. AFP PHOTO/RONALDO SCHEMIDT
Brazilian former world player of the year Ronaldinho has returned home to sign for Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense. AFP PHOTO/RONALDO SCHEMIDT

Football notebook: Ronaldinho goes back home to Brazil and Leicester City name new coach



Brazilian former world player of the year Ronaldinho has returned home to sign for Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense.

A picture of the 35-year-old playmaker wearing the distinctive maroon and green striped shirt of “Flu” was posted on the club’s Twitter account over the weekend as he agreed to team up with fellow former Brazil international Fred.

“Warriors! I feel at home! Thanks for the support! An honour to become a tricolour. We are together,” Ronaldinho tweeted.

He had been a free agent since leaving Mexican side Queretaro in June after a disappointing year at the club.

Best remembered for his five-year spell at Barcelona, between 2003 and 2008, Ronaldinho was part of the Brazil side that won the World Cup in 2002 and won the Ballon d’Or in 2005.

Leicester City

Leicester have named Italian Claudio Ranieri as their new manager.

Ranieri, who has previously coached in England with Chelsea from 2000 to 2004, succeeds Nigel Pearson at the Premier League club.

Pearson was relieved of his duties last month despite keeping the club in the Premier League last season, with the club making a statement at the time which said “fundamental differences in perspective exist between us”.

Ranieri has been out of work since leaving the Greek national side last year. The 63-year-old Italian has agreed a three-year contract at the King Power Stadium.

Chelsea

The Premier League champions have signed Stoke City’s Bosnia international goalkeeper Asmir Begovic on a four-year contract.

Begovic, 28, has signed for a fee reported in British media to be worth £8 million (Dh45.6m).

Begovic will compete with first-choice Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge after Petr Cech ended his trophy-laden 11-year spell by joining rivals Arsenal last month.

Begovic becomes Chelsea’s second signing of the summer after Colombian striker Radamel Falcao joined from Monaco on a season-long loan.

Juventus

Juventus have bid farewell to Carlos Tevez by announcing the Argentina international striker has joined Boca Juniors for €6.5m.

Tevez, who began his career at Boca as a teenager, had one year left on his contract with the Turin giants.

Tevez was Juve’s top scorer in the past two seasons and was twice voted player of the season by the fans.

He struck 20 league goals during the 2014/15 campaign and also set up seven more to help Juve clinch their fourth straight Scudetto.

Tevez, 31, also won the Coppa Italia this past season and played a prominent role in helping Juve reach the Uefa Champions League final for the first time since 2003, losing 3-1 to Barcelona in the final.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has suffered a fractured wrist during and could miss the start of the campaign.

France international captain Lloris is the club’s No 1 goalkeeper but has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer.

A statement on Tottenham’s website read: “The France goalkeeper will continue to work alongside the first-team squad to build up his fitness in a bid to be ready for the start of the season.

Our medical team will continue to monitor his rehabilitation and progress during pre-season.”

Melbourne City

Northern Ireland defender Aaron Hughes has joined Australian A-League club Melbourne City on a one-year deal, the club said Monday.

Hughes, 35, began his career at English Premier League club Newcastle United, making 279 appearances, before spells with Aston Villa, Queens Park Rangers and Brighton & Hove Albion.

He also had six-and-a-half years with Fulham. Hughes has 96 caps for Northern Ireland – second most in the nation’s history – and captained the side between 2003 and 2011.

Monaco

Italy international Stephan El Shaarawy is close to completing a transfer from AC Milan to Monaco.

The 22-year-old forward was undergoing a medical with the French league club on Monday. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Monaco will pay Milan a €16 million (Dh64.7m) transfer fee and that El Shaarawy will sign a five-year deal worth €3m per season.

In 2012/13, El Shaarawy was Serie A’s top scorer at the season’s midpoint with 14 goals but then struggled the second half of the campaign after Mario Balotelli’s arrival. He was slowed by injuries the past two seasons.

Kuban Krasnodar

Former Russia captain Andrei Arshavin has signed a one-year deal with Kuban Krasnodar as a free agent, the Russian Premier League club said on their website.

The 34-year-old midfielder, whose Zenit St Petersburg contract ended last month, scored 17 goals in 74 internationals.

He played most of his career at Zenit before moving to English side Arsenal in 2009, where he netted 23 times in 105 games.

He rejoined Zenit in June 2013, after a short loan spell back at the club the previous season. Kuban, who are based in the south and finished 10th last term, appointed a new coach in June when Dmitri Khokhlov, who once played with Arshavin for Russia, took over.

Swansea City

Swansea City have signed teenage striker Ollie McBurnie from Bradford City for an undisclosed fee. McBurnie, 19, who made only four senior starts for Bradford, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal and will join the club’s development squad.

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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press 

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

RESULT

Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo:
Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

 


 

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Bio

Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.

Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.

Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.

Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.

Hamilton profile

Age 32

Country United Kingdom

Grands Prix entered 198

Pole positions 67

Wins 57

Podiums 110

Points 2,423

World Championships 3

Match info

UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai

If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.

As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.

Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.

Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.

Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
The biog

Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.

Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.

Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.

Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

Favourite food: Dim sum

Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.

In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff

The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

 

 

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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young