Euro 2024: Arnautovic, Musiala and Mamardashvili in team of the group stage

The Euro 2024 group phase came to an end on Wednesday with a number of eye-catching results, none more so than Georgia who made it through to the last 16 after a 2-0 win over Portugal.

Turkey also made it to the knockout stage of the European Championship with a 2-1 win over 10-man Czech Republic on Wednesday.

As teams gear up for the next phase, we take a look at the best performers according to positions in the tournament so far.

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia)

In between conceding three Turkey goals on Georgia’s tournament debut match and reaching out a firm right hand to stop Nelson Semedo pulling back a late goal for beaten Portugal, Mamardashvili made a catalogue of superb saves. They have earned the underdogs a place in the last 16.

RB: Andrei Ratiu (Romania)

Key to the intensity Romania brought to their opening 3-0 win over Ukraine, Ratiu has hit some high speeds with his surges up the flank. Fully deserves his place in the knockouts, Romania’s first such progress in a Euros since 2000.

CB: Pepe (Portugal)

At 41, Pepe maintains the authority that once made him a Real Madrid mainstay and some of the same aggression, though a little better controlled than it was, perhaps, in his 20s. Portugal missed him when he was rested for their third game.

CB: Jaka Bijol (Slovenia)

Slovenia have also made history by reaching the next round. Their solid defence has been a principal reason. They have a legend in goal, in Jan Oblak, but Bijol has kept Oblak well protected – even if he took a risk or two with his grappling with England’s Harry Kane.

LB: Marc Cucurella (Spain)

The long-haired full-back has had a mixed time since he joined Chelsea, for a vast fee, from Brighton, but he has been a star for Spain these past few weeks, proactive in initiating attacks, rigorous in containing opposition forwards.

RM: Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium)

Where would the Belgians be without their captain and creative lodestar? Bemoaning their luck, certainly. But in an anxious, patchy Belgium side, De Bruyne has consistently and necessarily raised indifferent standards to push the recovery from their defeat on matchday one.

CM: N’Golo Kante (France)

It was as if he had never been away. Kante, largely because of injury, had not played for France for almost two years when he was recalled last month. He went straight into the Euros starting XI to apply his phenomenal industry and uncanny anticipation of exactly where to be on the pitch.

LM: Ilkay Gundogan (Germany)

Set up a goal and scored another in the 2-0 win over Hungary that confirmed Germany’s place in the last 16, Gundogan has been a galvanising captain for the host nation, a guide to the younger starlets around him. He’s thriving in advanced midfield.

RW: Jamal Musiala (Germany)

Masterly in his one-on-one duels, and sharp with his finishing, the Bayern Munich prodigy dazzled poor Scotland on the tournament’s opening night and put Hungary to the sword in his next outing. He’s still only 21 and a fixture in his country’s XI.

CF: Marko Arnautovic (Austria)

Now very firmly installed as the strongest ‘outsider’ candidate to march all the way to the final, Austria’s high-octane football has a number of heroes, but the veteran target man up front has epitomised their vigour. No defender will relish marking Arnautovic in the knockouts.

LW: Nico Williams (Spain)

Poor Gio Di Lorenzo, Italy’s right-back, endured one of the most uncomfortable nights of his long career up against the twisting, turning, whiplash-fast Williams as Spain overwhelmed the reigning champions. The winger has supplied fine passes, too, after bewildering his opponents.

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Education reform in Abu Dhabi

The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.

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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.