French striker Kylian Mbappe was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday in front of more than 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Mbappe has signed a five-year contract with the reigning Spanish and European champions after seven years with French side Paris Saint-Germain that saw him score 287 goals in 380 games across all competitions.
The 25-year-old completed his medical early on Tuesday morning and will wear the No 9 shirt for Los Blancos, who won the European Cup for a record-extending 15th time last season after beating Borussia Dortmund in the final. They also secured a 36th La Liga crown – also record-extending – after finishing 10 points clear of rivals Barcelona.
Mbappe's countryman – and former Real player and coach – Zinedine Zidane was on stage to welcome their new superstar signing, who vowed to fans that was “going to give my all for this club”. His parents, Wilfried Mbappe and Fayza Lamari, were also present.
Real had made a concerted effort to sign Mbappe last summer, as he entered the final year of his PSG contract but he instead stayed on for one more season in the French capital that saw him win a sixth Ligue 1 title.
PSG were reported to have accepted a world-record bid of €300 million ($333 million) from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in 2023, but Mbappe refused to even meet officials of the Saudi Pro League club with his focus still on achieving his long-term goal of joining Madrid.
Mbappe also won four French Cups at PSG but never managed to get his hands on the Champions League trophy – something he will be aiming to rectify as quickly as possible at Real Madrid.
“It's incredible to be here,” said Mbappe on stage. “I dreamt of playing for Real Madrid for years. This dream has come true today, I am a particularly happy young man. I would like to thank Mr President Florentino Perez who welcomed me warmly from the first day.
“There have been many twists and turns but here I am. I would also like to thank all the people who worked to get me here. We succeeded: I am a Real Madrid player. I see my family happy, my mother crying.
“It's an incredible day for me. Since I was a child, I had only one dream, and that was to be here. It means a lot to me to be here. Thanks to the Real fans who have been showering me with love for years.
“I have another dream now, and that is to live up to the history of this club, the best in the world. I'm going to give my all for this club. To all the children here, know that I was like you, I had a dream and I made it come true. With determination, you can achieve anything you want. This is so huge for me. I am proud to be here. I am not going to continue talking because otherwise I will shed tears. Uno, dos, tres: Hala Madrid!”
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez described Mbappe's arrival as a “historic” moment for the club. The player visited Real’s training facilities at the age of 14 but ended up joining Monaco’s youth academy.
“Today we welcome an exceptional player who today is fulfilling his childhood dream,” Perez said. “Today you are here because it's something that you wanted. Thank you for making a great effort to be able to wear this white jersey.”
Mbappe captained the France side at this summer's Euro 2024 finals when his team were beaten by eventual winners Spain 2-1 in the semi-finals after a disappointing tournament when he suffered a badly broken nose and scored just one goal – a penalty against Poland in the group stage.
At Real, he will join an array of attacking talent that already includes the likes of Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior under the management of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. Although his new teammates began training on Monday, Mbappe will have a few more days off before returning to action.
Los Blancos play in the Uefa Super Cup final against Europa League winners Atalanta in Poland on August 14 before beginning their La Liga title defence away to Real Mallorca four days later. His home bow could come on August 25 when Real take on Real Valladolid at the Bernabeu.
It is reported Mbappe will be paid a salary of around €15 million ($16.3 million) net per season in the Spanish capital, making him the club's biggest earner, and was handed a signing-on bonus of more than €100 million.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Racecard
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
The five pillars of Islam
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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
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
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Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
