Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recovering from malaria: 'I will be back stronger than ever'

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has revealed he contracted malaria while on international duty with Gabon last month and spent time in hospital this week.

Aubameyang, 31, played one match for Gabon as they booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations finals and started one Arsenal game after returning to England.

"Unfortunately, I contracted malaria whilst being on national team duty in Gabon a few weeks ago," Aubameyang wrote on Instagram.

"I've spent a few days in hospital this week but I'm already feeling much better every day ... I wasn't really feeling myself the last couple of weeks but will be back stronger than ever soon."

Aubameyang was not in the squad for Arsenal's 3-0 win over Sheffield United last weekend and did not travel for Thursday's 4-0 win at Slavia Prague in the Europa League.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said Aubameyang was back home from the hospital but did not provide a timescale on the striker's return to the team.

"He's at home, he's completely fine at the moment," Arteta said after the game in Prague. "He had two days in hospital to get the right treatment but he's feeling good now.

"I think he'll need a few days to recover. He feels really good and really wants to get back, but I don't know. It shouldn't take too long."

Arsenal, who are ninth in the Premier League, host Fulham on Sunday.

Why BLM has turned so many people off (and why that matters)

Just what exactly is an 'Australia-style' deal with the EU?

South-East Asian countries must tackle extremism more vigorously

While you're here

Damien McElroy: It's too early to say who will win the vaccine hurdle race

Mustafa Alrawi: To get the 'jab' done, governments must show patience and empathy

Editorial: The fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

The figures behind the event

1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew

2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show

3) 1,000 social distancing stickers

4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue

The specs

Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 640hp

Torque: 760nm

On sale: 2026

Price: Not announced yet

Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.