Manchester City have taken Al Ain's midfielder Omar Abdulrahman on trial. Read the full story here.
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Liverpool defender Daniel Agger says he "can't imagine" playing for any other club in England - but admits his future is out of his hands.
Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, confirmed last week that the Reds would likely allow the Denmark international to leave were a "massive bid" to be tabled.
Agger has two years left on his Anfield contract and is a reported target for Premier League champions Manchester City, but he says he is in no hurry to end his time at Liverpool.
"I'd rather stay," Agger told Danish website politiken.dk. "I can't imagine playing for any other club in England but you never know if the club think it's better to sell.
"I'd rather stay but that decision is not up to me at the moment. Sometimes you can end up in a position where it's not your decision.
"I don't want to be somewhere I am not wanted but I would prefer if they want me to stay. That is my priority."
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Saint Etienne have signed Brazilian striker Brandao following his release by Marseille.
The 32-year-old forward, who won the Ligue 1 title with Marseille in 2010, has joined les Verts on a two-year deal.
"Everyone knows the qualities of Brandao," said the club's chief executive Roland Romeyer.
"Throughout his carer he has socred important goals. His record speaks for itself, he's a competitor."
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Greek side PAOK Saolinka have signed Ireland international Liam Lawrence and Brazilian defender Matheus Caradini Vivian.
Lawrence, who did not make Ireland's Euro 2012 squad, left crisis-ridden Portsmouth earlier this week on a free transfer in a bid to help with their financial problems.
He joins the Super League side on a two-year deal, as does 30-year-old Vivian, who was signed on a free after leaving French side Nantes.
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Arsenal could strengthen their already emboldened strike force further before the new season starts with a move for Belgian forward Kevin Mirallas.
The 24-year-old has been tipped for a move to the English Premier League this summer, with both Arsenal and Liverpool having been linked with a move.
The striker has scored 34 goals in just 52 appearances with Olympiacos since joining them two season ago, and admitted to Sky Sports News that his agent has been in talks with Arsenal.
"It's good for me, it's good for my family and it's a good opportunity, but I don't know ... it's possible," he said.
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Al Jazira have dropped plans to sign Korea defender Lee Yong-Rae after he failed a medical, while Ivory Coast forward Amara Diane has joined Al Dhafra. Read the full story here.
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Spanish Euro 2012 squad member Fernando Llorente has opened the door to a move to Juventus after refusing to sign a contract extension with Athletic Bilbao.
The forward, who has also been linked with a move to Tottenham, has just a year left on his current contract.
"He told us that after the European Championships he would let us know," said Bilbao club president Josu Urrutia last night.
"Ten days ago I received a call and his agents told me that there was no financial reason for him to continue, but what was even more important for him was to have the guarantee of challenging for championships and success.
"I let him know how disappointed I was but he told me the decision was final."
Juventus claimed at the weekend to have opened talks over a EU16m (Dh72.6m) deal, but the club insists it wants the full amount in Llorente's release clause of EU36m (Dh163.3m).
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Wigan Athletic have signed Japan winger Ryo Miyaichi on a season-long loan from Arsenal.
The 19-year-old made just two senior appearances for Arsenal last season, both during the League Cup, but he has also featured regularly for the reserves.
Miyaichi enjoyed a successful loan spell at Bolton towards the end of last season.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
NINE WINLESS GAMES
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
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 banned).
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.
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
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
