Some mouthwatering ties in the Europa League and across Europe.
EUROPA LEAGUE: Manchester United v Liverpool, Thursday, beIN Sports, 12.05am
With the exception of Borussia Dortmund, who travel to North London to defend a 3-0 advantage against Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of their last-16 fixture, the rest of the ties are well poised for teams to stake their claim for a quarter-final berth. If Manchester United want their name in the hat for the last eight, they are going to have to overturn a 2-0 deficit to Liverpool. The experience of the fit-again Bastian Schweinsteiger could be vital if United are to claw their way back into the tie. Playing in front of their own fans against their bitter domestic rivals should make for a cracking atmosphere. Will we witness another memorable European night at Old Trafford?
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Everton v Arsenal, beIN Sports, Saturday, 4.45pm
One is in the FA Cup semi-final, one isn’t. Arsenal’s predictable seasonal slump is going against the grain this season – Arsene Wenger’s squad usually rally and finish with a flourish, but instead are in danger of bowing out with a whimper. Elimination from the Uefa Champions League against Barcelona looks inevitable, but that could be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal, with only the Premier League title to gun for. They sit third in the table, behind Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, but have a run of winnable home games. It’s on the road where they could come unstuck. First up is Everton at Goodison Park, who boast an in-form Romelu Lukaku fresh off a match-winning performance that knocked Chelsea out of the cup.
LIGUE 1: Paris Saint-Germain v Monaco, beIN Sports, Saturday, midnight
First v second in any league at any level would normally be an enticing encounter. Not so in France’s top tier though, where Paris Saint-Germain wrapped up the championship in emphatic fashion last week with a 9-0 trouncing of bottom club Troyes – a Ligue 1 record score – with eight rounds still remaining, also a league record. So what’s at stake here? Not much on the face of it, but assuming PSG win and Nice, currently third, beat relegation-threatened Ajaccio the same day, the gap to Monaco is cut to two points. Given France only has two Uefa Champions League places on offer, Monaco will not want to give Nice any encouragement.
PRIMERA LIGA: Real Madrid v Sevilla, beIN Sports, Sunday, 11.30pm
Both Real Madrid and Sevilla have formidable home records, but Sevilla are truly horrible on the road. For a team that sits fifth in La Liga and on the brink of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, it is a major blot on their record that Sevilla are yet to win away from home this season. That record is likely to extend this weekend when they travel to the Spanish capital to take on a Real Madrid side that is still yet to fully convince under new coach Zinedine Zidane, but whose form at the Bernabeu has been imperious: Madrid have scored a whopping 27 goals in five league games under the Frenchman at their home ground.
PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester City v Manchester United, beIN Sports, Sunday, 8pm
A match that would usually be decisive in deciding the destination of the title is diluted a little by both teams’ league positions. Manchester City currently occupy fourth spot in the league table, with United two places and four points farther back in sixth. Nonetheless, this game carries with it major bragging rights, and a win for City at Etihad Stadium could effectively kill off any lingering hopes United have of a top-four finish. Manuel Pellegrini’s side progress to the quarter finals of the Champions League but at a price. Vincent Kompany, the City captain and without doubt their best centre-back was withdrawn from the 0-0 draw against Dynamo Kiev injured and faces a month on the sidelines. The game at Old Trafford in October finished goalless, let’s hope for none of the same on Sunday.
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
Ferrari
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THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
