On the first day of Mohamed Salah’s sixth new year as a Liverpool player, he marched past another milestone. His 150th Premier League goal for the club had been briefly postponed by a penalty being saved. He made full amends in the second half of Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over Newcastle United with two goals of his own and two superb passes in the immediate lead-in to two more.
Quite a souvenir for a fan base anticipating what might be 30 days of Salah’s absence, should Egypt, spearheaded by their superstar make it to their third Africa Cup of Nations final in four attempts.
Salah certainly intends to be in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on February 12 for the final.
“I want to win this competition, would love to win it,” he said on departing a rapturous Anfield, bound for Africa. “It’s a great feeling every time I step on the field with the national team jersey, something I cannot take for granted.”
Nor can Salah take it for granted that Liverpool will still be on their elevated perch by the time he returns, as many as eight club games later, including four in the league. Thanks to an exhilarating performance against Newcastle, there is a cushion of three points between their top place and Aston Villa in second, but the cluster of teams around the top is still tight.
Salah was generous towards his colleagues: “We have fantastic players, who can play in my position, and who can do what I am doing,” he said.
But while Diogo Jota, on a Salah-like counter-attack, won one penalty on Monday, and Luis Diaz, with some nimble, Salah-style footwork another and Trent Alexander-Arnold produced a glorious moment of daring and enterprise from Salah’s favoured right flank, nobody departed Anfield imagining Jurgen Klopp’s team are as reliably potent without their main man.
Cody Gakpo was among those thanking him – for the sheer quality of the Salah cross that allowed Gakpo to convert Liverpool’s third even with a miscued connection. As was Curtis Jones, sweeping in a Jota centre after Salah’s superb angled pass had played him behind the Newcastle defence.
“Mo can change a game,” Klopp noted, before adding a key observation. The fluffed penalty, struck well within Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka’s reach, had left a dominant Liverpool without reward at half time, an anxious situation in such a knife-edge title race, one where Liverpool’s current advantage owes as much to two successive wins as to Arsenal losing twice within three days.
“Mo can improve in a game, because he’s done it hundreds of times,” said Klopp of Salah’s reaction to the saved spot-kick. “The more goals you have the more you are used to missing chances and to understanding what you have to do to keep going, and improving. That was what Mo did.”
There’s a subtext of advice in that remark for Darwin Nunez, the young forward whose barren spell in front of goal has been broken just once in his last 14 games. While Klopp emphasised Darwin’s coolness in supplying the pass for Salah’s first goal, the Uruguayan will now assume a share of the responsibility of compensating for Salah’s goals. He does so without a dynamic run of scoring form to embolden him.
The weight of Salah’s contribution is spelt out by statistics. More than half of Liverpool’s Premier League goals so far this season have involved the Egyptian as finisher or assister.
Across competitions, his 18 goals from 27 appearances are twice as many as the next best, Jota’s nine. Ominously for Liverpool, there’s a historic tendency, during the tenure of Klopp, to be less effective in their Januarys than during their Decembers, although they have been relatively blessed in how far Salah’s Afcon absences have previously hurt them.
The 2019 Cup of Nations was a summer tournament, played outside the domestic programme; in 2022, when Egypt suffered heartbreak, losing to Senegal on penalties in the final, Salah was away for just two Premier League matches.
The impact on this season looks potentially greater. Salah’s absence is coupled with that of Wataru Endo, increasingly influential in Liverpool’s midfield, who will be on duty with Japan at the Asian Cup in Qatar, which runs simultaneously with Afcon.
Tottenham Hotspur, in fifth place in the table, are also counting up departures, the most prominent Son Heung-min, on his way to Qatar with South Korea. Like Salah at Liverpool, Son is Spurs’s leading scorer this season by a distance. He likened his imminent absence to Harry Kane’s periods out injured in the years Son and Kane used to share senior responsibility in Tottenham’s attack.
“When Harry was missing with injuries, I felt like I needed to step up in previous years,” said Son. “I hope our players feel they need to step up for this kind of situation. I hope everybody who is playing attacking positions can score as many goals as possible and bring us to a better position.”
Tottenham’s winter burden goes beyond just missing their best striker, only six months after their former spearhead Kane joined Bayern Munich. Call-ups by Senegal and Mali for Afcon of Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma would mean significant adjustments to Spurs’ midfield.
Around 40 players from England’s top division are earmarked to participate in either Afcon or Asian Cup. Manchester United wave off goalkeeper Andre Onana with Cameroon and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat with Morocco. Wolverhampton Wanderers will learn how reliant they are on Korea’s Hwang Hee-chan, whose energy and goals have buttressed their excellent last month of league form.
To measure the heavy potential impact of African and Asian football’s bi-annual showpieces on the Premier League over the next four to six weeks, glance only at the leader board of scorers. Salah, Son and Hwang are three of the six men to have reached double figures so far in the global playground that is elite English football.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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
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
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
Company profile
Name: One Good Thing
Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke
Based in: Dubai
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 5 employees
Stage: Looking for seed funding
Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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)
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWafeq%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadim%20Alameddine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Esoftware%20as%20a%20service%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERaed%20Ventures%20and%20Wamda%2C%20among%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
