For the first 18 months, it had all looked so simple for the Saudi Arabian-led consortium who had taken over as owners of Premier League club Newcastle United in a deal worth £305 million.
The club's trajectory was quickly heading upward after the appointment of Eddie Howe as manager in November 2021. Newcastle rose out of the relegation zone up to mid-table security, followed by a fourth-place finish the following campaign, booking a return to Uefa Champions League football.
Backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Howe's squad had been improved every transfer window with the likes of Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak arriving at St James' Park as statement signings that significantly lifted the quality of the team's starting XI.
The following season was a reality check as the club suffered regular body blows on and off the pitch; from key summer signing Sandro Tonali's ban for breaking betting rules, a nightmare injury list, a group-stage Champions League exit, and highly respected sporting director Dan Ashworth being lured away by Manchester United.
They even missed out on European football despite finishing seventh when Manchester City fell to a surprise FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United, who claimed a Europa League spot, knocking Chelsea down to the Europa Conference League, in turn costing Newcastle their spot.
“When I look back on this season I'll only have good memories,” said Howe after the final game of the season. “Some really challenging moments when we had to dig deep but the players never let me down. I think it's been a season of progression … but that has to continue.”
Those final words have proven to be key as maintaining the club's progression might well be the biggest challenge Howe has faced since taking over as manager following a summer of discontent on Tyneside.
In July, the surprise exits of minority shareholders Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi – who had been instrumental in sealing the deal to buy out previous owner Mike Ashley and were the consortium's public faces – were announced as PIF increased its stake in the club to 85 per cent.
“I am devastated,” said Staveley in an interview with The Athletic. "[My] preference would have been to stay, but life doesn’t always work out exactly how you want it to … it’s got to be about what’s best for Newcastle.”
But it has been the shadow of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) that has rocked the Magpies, who have spent around £400m since the takeover was completed but have now made no major signings for two transfer windows.
The alarm bells were ringing back in January when chief executive Darren Eales admitted that player sales would be considered in the next phase of the club project: “If we're going to get to where we want to get to, at times it is necessary to trade your players.”
That month, the likes of captain Trippier, winger Miguel Almiron and striker Callum Wilson were all linked with moves away. “Every Premier League club will sell players now because of the rules placed upon them,” Howe conceded. “Selling players is vital to being able to bring players in the other way.”
While January sales were avoided, there would be no escape over the summer when Newcastle were forced to offload two talented young players to Premier League rivals: 21-year-old Elliot Anderson went to Nottingham Forest (£35m) and Yankuba Minteh, 20, to Brighton (£30m) ahead of the PSR accounting deadline.
“I would’ve loved to have kept them – they are two outstanding young players and really disappointed to lose them both,” said Howe. “But, we were backed into a corner … it was as good an outcome as we could have hoped for.”
The sales meant Newcastle had kept hold of their crown jewels in midfielder Guimaraes, striker Isak and winger Anthony Gordon, although the latter is reported to have been unsettled when he was offered to Liverpool as the club scrambled to meet PSR targets.
Only free transfer Lloyd Kelly and £15m forward Will Osula have been brought in, although full-back Lewis Hall made his loan move from Chelsea permanent in a £28m deal. The long-running chase to bring in England defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace ended in failure as did a late bid to sign Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga.
And fans' frustration has grown over the summer, particularly towards Eales and Paul Mitchell, Ashworth's replacement as sporting director, who have been in charge of transfer negotiations with Howe taking a step back.
But Mitchell insisted in a media conference on Wednesday that Newcastle avoided punishment for overspending and not recouping anything back in sales “by the skin of our teeth”, adding that the club would not be held to ransom over potential transfers.
“It's about setting precedents to the market that we will pay fair value for the right profile,” he said. “It shouldn't be misconceived as a lack of ambition. If we just spend, spend, spend once again, we become accountable to that by fines and points deductions, and that isn't good leadership, you're being negligent.”
As it is, Newcastle have made a decent start to the new season results-wise by going undefeated from their opening four games – two wins and draw in the league, beating Nottingham Forest on penalties in the League Cup – but would have had few complaints if they had lost them all.
“It's been a turbulent time for the club off the pitch throughout this last transfer window,” said Howe after their fortunate 2-1 over Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday. “But that's shut now, so hopefully we can just concentrate on the football and get the players playing as well as they can.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
From Conquest to Deportation
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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.
Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
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
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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What is a rare disease?
A rare disease is classified as one that affects a small percentage of the population. More than 7,000 diseases are identified as rare and most are genetic in origin. More than 75 per cent of rare genetic diseases affect children.
Collectively rare diseases affect 1 in 17 people, or more than 400 million people worldwide. Very few have any available treatment and most patients struggle with numerous health challenges and life-long ailments that can go undiagnosed for years due to lack of awareness or testing.
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Brown/Black belt finals
3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
