Atletico Madrid
Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic is on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid from Bayern Munich, the German club have announced.
Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer revealed during a news conference held Wednesday that a deal had been reached between the two clubs and the player, with an official announcement believed to be imminent.
“There is a verbal agreement between Bayern, Atletico Madrid and Mario Mandzukic,” said Sammer.
“We wish to thank Mario for his performances at Bayern and wish him all the best in the future.”
Reports emerged in the German press yesterday that the Bundesliga and La Liga champions had reached a deal for the 28-year-old, which is believed to be worth €22 million (Dh110m).
Mandzukic scored 33 league goals for Bayern in the two seasons that followed his transfer to the Bavarian giants from Wolfsburg in 2012.
Although his goals helped the club win an unprecedented European and domestic treble in 2013 and a double last season, the Croatian has been deemed surplus to requirements at Bayern.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, the Bundesliga’s top scorer last term, is set to lead the attack next season after joining from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Mandzukic would be Atletico’s most expensive signing since Radamel Falcao moved to the club from Porto in 2011 and his task will be filling the void left by Diego Costa – Atletico’s top scorer last season – who is joining English Premier League side Chelsea.
Atletico are expected to make another move for a striker in the summer to replace New York City FC-bound David Villa, and are believed to be interested in taking Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku on loan.
Manchester City
Manchester City’s new signing Willy Caballero has revealed how word of the club’s interest motivated him last season.
The Argentinian goalkeeper this week joined the English Premier League champions in a £4.4m (Dh27.7m) move from Spanish outfit Malaga.
The 32-year-old will provide competition for first-choice Joe Hart, the England No 1, at the Etihad Stadium.
Caballero, who will replace released Romanian Costel Pantilimon in the squad, said: “I knew that Manchester City were interested in me so I tried to do my best for my previous club to make the move to a very big club possible and finally it’s a reality and I will try to prove myself.”
Even though he has principally been signed as backup to Hart, Caballero hopes he can push on at City and earn full international recognition.
Caballero won the Under-20 World Cup with Argentina in 2001 and was also a member of the 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning squad.
He said: “The first goal is to do things well and show why City were interested in me.
“Obviously it would be good to get back with the national team and hopefully I can achieve that.”
Olympiakos
Swiss international midfielder Pajtim Kasami on Wednesday signed for Greek champions Olympiakos from relegated English Premier League side Fulham.
Kasami, 22, made 56 appearances for Fulham over the last three seasons, scoring three goals, having previously played at Lucerne and Palermo.
He also has two caps for the Swiss national team.
Leicester
Leicester striker David Nugent signed a two-year contract extension with the newly-promoted Premier League club on Wednesday.
Former England international Nugent has been rewarded with the new deal after scoring 20 goals to help Leicester win promotion as Championship winners last season.
The 29-year-old becomes the latest key player from that promotion campaign to put pen to paper on a new Leicester contract, following the likes of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, defender and captain Wes Morgan and midfielder Danny Drinkwater.
“I’m delighted to have signed for two years and I’m really looking forward to testing myself with the rest of the squad in the best league in the world,” Nugent told Leicester’s website.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa striker Nicklas Helenius returned to Aalborg on a season-long loan on Monday after a disappointing spell with the Premier League club.
Helenius struggled to make an impact at Villa following his £1.2m transfer from the Danish outfit last year, making just six substitute appearances in all competitions.
The 23-year-old Danish international scored once during those games, netting in the 2-1 home FA Cup loss to Sheffield United in January.
“The club can confirm Nicklas Helenius is to return to Aalborg on a season-long loan,” a statement on Villa’s website confirmed.
Bosnia
Bosnia-Herzegovina coach Safet Susic on Wednesday extended his contract for two years, taking him into the campaign to reach Euro 2016 after guiding the first Bosnian team to reach the World Cup finals.
“I said that to leave the team would be painful for me. And that moment has not yet come,” Susic told reporters after a meeting with the Bosnian federation that extended his deal.
“I am really happy to be continuing,” added Susic, 59, a 1980s star with Paris Saint-Germain and the former Yugoslavia who has been in charge of Bosnia since 2009.
“Safet Susic will manage our team in the qualifying for Euro 2016 in France, which will start for Bosnia with a match against Cyprus on September 9,” the federation said in a statement.
Bastia
Belgian international right back Guillaume Gillet has been loaned for a season with an option to buy to French Ligue 1 side Bastia, the Corsican outfit confirmed on Wednesday.
Anderlecht captain Gillet, who has 20 caps for the national side, has spent the past seven seasons with the Belgian club, winning four Belgian Pro League titles and one Belgian Cup title.
The 30-year-old joins compatriot Logan Bailly, who arrives in the mediterranean island side on trial following two seasons in goal at Belgian top flight side Louvain.
Bastia finished tenth in Ligue 1 last season.
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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: 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)
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
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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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.
