Andre Ayew had three goals for Marseille on Friday. Jean-Paul Pelissier / Reuters / April 4, 2014
Andre Ayew had three goals for Marseille on Friday. Jean-Paul Pelissier / Reuters / April 4, 2014
Andre Ayew had three goals for Marseille on Friday. Jean-Paul Pelissier / Reuters / April 4, 2014
Andre Ayew had three goals for Marseille on Friday. Jean-Paul Pelissier / Reuters / April 4, 2014

Andre Ayew hat-trick lifts Marseille European hopes amid rain of boos


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Fans jeered Marseille throughout their 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over rock-bottom Ajaccio despite a hat-trick from Andre Ayew.

It was the 1993 European champions’ first win since the end of February but wasn’t enough to lift them above sixth place as they remain six points off a European qualification spot ahead of the weekend matches.

Despite Ayew giving the hosts a third-minute lead with a delectable lob, fans vented their anger throughout following a month of March in which Marseille picked up just two points out of a possible 15 – the worst record in the league.

Fans unfurled banners telling the players and officials to “take responsibility” and accusing them all of “destroying in one season a club built over many years”.

This result, though, at least ended a run of successive 1-0 home defeats against strugglers Nice and Rennes.

Despite the lack of home support, Marseille were dominant and Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa at times kept his side in the match with saves from Ayew and Saber Khelifa.

Fans chanted for coach Jose Anigo to quit and became increasingly hostile and restless when forward Andre-Pierre Gignac headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Ayew doubled Marseille’s advantage with a powerful header from Dimitri Payet’s cross on the hour mark but within a minute Ivory Coast forward Junior Tallo had pulled a goal back, although from a position that appeared at least two yards offside.

But with 15 minutes to play Ayew settled the nerves with his hat-trick goal from Brice Dja Djedje’s cross.

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Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

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
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Tips for entertaining with ease

·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

·         As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.

·         Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.

·         Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.

·         The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.

·         You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.

 

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets