Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
How they qualified: 2021 AFC Champions League winners.
Manager: Simone Inzaghi. Appointed Al Hilal coach - succeeding Jorge Jesus - one day after leaving Inter Milan, where his team had finished runners-up in Serie A and were humiliated 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Uefa Champions League final. Had led Inter to the 2023.24 title and won the Italian Cup twice.
Star player: Salem Al Dawsari. Hilal legend and club captain is now 33 but still producing the goods, registering 26 goals and 18 assists across competitions last season. Saudi winger also topped the AFC Champions League Elite scoring charts with 10 goals. Has made 445 appearances for the club, scoring 130 goals and providing another 17 assists.
One to watch: Aleksandar Mitrovic. Prolific Serbian striker missed a chunk of the campaign with a hamstring injury but still registered 28 goals in 36 games, taking his Hilal total to 68 goals in 79 games since moving from Fulham. The 30-year-old is also Serbia's all-time top scorer with 59 goals in 99 games.
Domestic season record: Second in Saudi Pro League, eight points behind champions Al Ittihad.
Fixtures:
- June 18 (11pm kick-off UAE): Real Madrid at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens.
- June 23 (2am KO) Red Bull Salzburg at Audi Field, Washington, DC.
- June 27 (5am KO) Pachua at Geodis Park, Nashville.
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
How they qualified: Ninth-best team in the Uefa four-year coefficient rankings.
Manager: Thomas Letsch. German coach was appointed in December having previously been a youth-team coach, assistant manager and interim manager (for two games) at the club. Previous jobs include managing Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem and Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum.
Star player: Dorgeles Nene. Silky-skilled 22-year-old Mali winger is enjoying the best season of his career, sitting second in the Austrian scoring charts with 13 goals while also providing eight assists. Heads to US in great form, having scored eight in his past nine matches.
One to watch: Oscar Gloukh. Former Maccabi Tel Aviv attacking midfielder is also hitting new heights for Salzburg, reaching double figures in goals for the first time in his career. Already has 19 caps and three goals for Israel despite only turning 21 in April.
Domestic season record: Currently second in the Austrian Bundesliga, two points behind leaders Sturm Graz.
Fixtures:
- June 18 (8pm kick-off UAE): Pachua at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati.
- June 23 (2am KO): Al Hilal at Audi Field, Washington, DC.
- June 27 (5am): Real Madrid at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia.
Pachuca (Mexico)
How they qualified: 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup winners.
Manager: Jaime Lozano. Former Mexico national team manager was appointed weeks before the start of the tournament after Guillermo Almada's sudden resignation. The fiery Uruguayan had led Pachuca to the Champions Cup title last year.
Star player: Solomon Rondon. Experienced Venezuelan striker's career has seen him score goals in Spain, Russia, England, China, Argentina, and now Mexico. The 35-year-old has been impressive for Pachuca, scoring 36 times in 67 games, including 16 this season. Won best player and top-scorer awards in Pachuca's title-winning Champions Cup campaign.
One to watch: Oussama Idrissi. Dutch-born Moroccan international is a key player for Pachuca with the winger registering 25 assists in 74 appearances, including 10 this season. A star performer in the Champions Cup title-run and a huge fan favourite.
Domestic season record: Currently eighth in Liga MX, nine points behind leaders Toluca.
Fixtures:
- June 18 (8pm kick-off UAE): Red Bull Salzburg at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati.
- June 22 (11pm KO): Real Madrid at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte.
- June 27 (5am KO) Al Hilal at Geodis Park, Nashville.
Real Madrid (Spain)
How they qualified: 2021/22 & 2023/24 Uefa Champions League winners.
Manager: Xabi Alonso. Former Madrid midfielder's first gig as Los Blancos coach will be the tournament in the US. Alonso takes over from club legend Carlo Ancelotti after enjoying a hugely successful spell as Bayer Leverkusen coach.
Star player: Kylian Mbappe. After a stalled start following his dream move from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe found his groove to finish as La Liga top-scorer with 31 goals in 34 games (and 42 in 54 across all competitions). Will be hungry for a trophy after watching old club PSG finally securing a Champions League crown.
One to watch: Trent Alexander-Arnold. Would have joined Real for free from Liverpool on June 30, but the Spanish club wanted him on board for the Club World Cup, so they forked out €10 million to get the defender released from his contract early. An attacking right-back who provided 92 assists in 354 Liverpool games, while also scoring 23 goals.
Domestic season record: Finished second in La Liga, four points behind champions Barcelona.
Fixtures:
- June 18 (11pm kick-off UAE): Real Madrid at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens.
- June 22 (11pm KO): Real Madrid at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte.
- June 27 (5am): Red Bull Salzburg at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia.
Read more:
Group A guide: Al Ahly, Porto, Palmerias, Inter Miami
Group B guide: Atletico Madrid, Seattle Sounders, Botafogo, PSG
Group C guide: Benfica, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Bayern Munich
Group D guide: Flamengo, Esperance, Chelsea, Los Angeles FC
Group E guide: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F guide: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G guide: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H guide: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, RB Salzburg
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206-cylinder%203-litre%2C%20with%20petrol%20and%20diesel%20variants%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20286hp%20(petrol)%2C%20249hp%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E450Nm%20(petrol)%2C%20550Nm%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EStarting%20at%20%2469%2C800%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
More from Neighbourhood Watch
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20ASI%20(formerly%20DigestAI)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Quddus%20Pativada%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Artificial%20intelligence%2C%20education%20technology%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243%20million-plus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GSV%20Ventures%2C%20Character%2C%20Mark%20Cuban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
