Only three weeks into the NFL season and one Super Bowl contender is on edge, another is trying to figure out how to use Michael Vick and two teams on the run are ready to engage in an early showdown.
At the Meadowlands, the upstart New York Jets (2-0), who beat up the New England Patriots last Sunday by blitzing quarterback Tom Brady into submission, will try to knock out the play-off hopes of the winless Tennessee Titans.
A year ago Tennessee led the American Conference with 13 victories and came into the 2009 season with high hopes of unseating the defending Super Bowl champion, Pittsburgh, but lost their season-opener in overtime to the Steelers and were beaten again last weekend by a field goal after blowing a 14-point lead to the Houston Texans.
Only one team since the NFL went to a 12-team play-off format in 1990 has survived a 0-3 start to win their division and only two others reached the play-offs so the pressure is on.
Tennessee will attack a Jets defence that has yet to allow a touchdown with an offence averaging 393 yards a game. The running-back Chris Johnson can score from anywhere and last week did, racking up three touchdowns all over 50 yards. New York have allowed a league low 482 yards.
The surprising San Francisco 49ers' (2-0) travel to take on the Minnesota Vikings (2-0) in the only match-up of undefeated teams and both figure there is only one way to win - run over the opposition.
Minnesota boasts the league's leading rusher, Adrian Peterson, who is averaging 6.8 yards a carry. His production has left 39-year-old quarterback Brett Favre happily handing off while his team are last in the NFL in passing yards.
The 49ers will use an eight-man defensive front to stop him while hoping their own back, Frank Gore, controls the ball. That assumes Gore's sprained ankle is mended after he rushed for 237 yards last Sunday. Expect the Vikings to run away with it.
The defending National Conference champions Arizona host the Indianapolis Colts in a game where footballs are bound to fly. Indianapolis (2-0) will have a hard time winning in the desert because you cannot play better than Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, who set an NFL record for passing accuracy by completing 24 of 26 for 243 yards last Sunday. He has more weapons and he will use them.
The Atlanta Falcons (2-0) face a serious challenge on the road against a Patriots team doubting themselves. New England failed to score a touchdown against the Jets and will take it out on Atlanta's weak secondary.
In Philadelphia, newly-acquired Michael Vick comes off league suspension for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring that led to 20 months in jail and 33 months away from professional football. Donovan McNabb is out with a cracked rib but the Eagles will start Kevin Kolb ahead of Vick at quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Vick hopes to get his chance in the Wildcat formation, a style of play that allows him to take a direct snap from centre and then use his running skills while remaining a passing threat. The Chiefs face a budding quarterback controversy after Matt Cassel threw two interceptions in a dismal loss to the Oakland Raiders and left the Chiefs wondering why they paid him US$28 million (Dh103m).
Elsewhere, the Miami Dolphins hope to avoid a 0-3 start against the high-scoring San Diego Chargers on the road. The Dolphins have been playing tremendous run defence. The problem is they have no pass rush and San Diego's quarterback Philip Rivers could make them pay.
The undefeated Denver Broncos could come back to earth against the Raiders if Oakland can get their quarterback JaMarcus Russell to complete a pass. There is no reason to think the New York Giants' defence will not over-run the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the same is true for the bruising Baltimore Ravens, who host the hapless (0-2) Cleveland Browns.
The Chicago Bears travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, who may be without quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The Bears look stronger but need their quarterback Jay Cutler to fire.
In a game nobody cares about, the Texans figure to hold off Jacksonville Jaguars at home while the New Orleans Saints will show why they have the league's most explosive offence (46 points per game) at the expense of the Bills unless there is a snowstorm in Buffalo.
The Steelers are coming off an odd loss to Chicago and should bounce back against the Bengals in Cincinnati but it will not be as easy as some think.
rborges@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAri%20Katcher%2C%20Ryan%20Welch%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERamy%20Youssef%2C%20Amr%20Waked%2C%20Mohammed%20Amer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
