UAE cricket faces a pivotal 10 days as the national team compete at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off in Windhoek.
The six-team competition carries with it two places for the final phase of World Cup qualifying - global Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which will take place in June and July.
For UAE, their one-day international status is also on the line. They must finish in the top two out of a group of four teams, which also includes Papua New Guinea, Canada and Jersey to retain that.
The national team begin their campaign in Namibia when they face familiar rivals PNG on Monday.
Teams
Namibia
ODI ranking: 17
Seemed set for third place in Cricket World Cup League 2 – which would have guaranteed progress straight to the Qualifier – but they flopped over the finishing line when they were deprived half their side due to injury and unavailability. Nepal nipped in to advance to the Qualifier ahead of them with an incredible run of 11 wins in 12 games.
They have home advantage, but mainstays like David Wiese, JJ Smit, Stephan Baard and Jan Frylinck are still conspicuous by their absence.
One to watch: Gerhard Erasmus. The leading run-scorer in League 2, and one of the finest captains in international cricket.
United States
ODI ranking: 18
Clung on to ODI status after UAE’s implosion at the end of the League 2 cycle meant USA finished fifth. The American side will argue they merited that, though, having won 4-1 in head-to-head battles with UAE over the course of the competition.
One to watch: Ali Khan. One of the fastest bowlers on the Associate circuit, but rarely spotted in the League 2 campaign. Showed his class in one of his few appearances, though, when he took five wickets against Oman.
UAE
ODI ranking: 19
Will be playing for their ODI privileges in Windhoek, after they lost 10 of their last 14 matches in League 2.
Their mood might not be quite as low as a run like that might suggest, though. Since that league ended, in Kathmandu earlier this month, UAE have parted ways with their coach, Robin Singh. Expect an interim-coach bounce on Mudassar Nazar’s watch.
One to watch: Rameez Shahzad. Nearly five years since he last played ODI cricket, the player with the highest average among UAE batters is back.
PNG
ODI ranking: 20
A long way adrift over the full course of League 2, but looked a far happier side – and consequently more competitive – under their new coaching team towards the end of that event.
Won just five times in League 2, but four of those were against UAE, who they face first in Namibia.
One to watch: Norman Vanua. A bustling medium-pacer whose late-overs batting can be game changing for PNG.
Canada
ODI ranking: N/A
It is over seven years now since Canada last played full ODI cricket. They could not have got any closer to securing it than when they played at World Cricket League Division 2 in 2018, but their prospects were lanced by a scarcely believable last-wicket stand by Nepal’s Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane.
In Namibia having dominated the A division of the ICC Challenge League.
One to watch: Saad Bin Safar. Canada’s captain leaked less than three runs per over as his side dominated Challenge League B, and he took two five-wicket hauls, too.
Jersey
ODI ranking: N/A
A country whose entire population would fit into the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad – and with plenty of legroom besides. They have been punching well above their weight in cricket for some time now, as shown by them beating Uganda, Hong Kong, Kenya and Bermuda to a place in the Play-off.
One to watch: Nick Greenwood. The top run-getter in Challenge League B, as he amassed 809 runs in 15 games, with three hundreds and a strike-rate of 96.5.
Fixtures
Sunday, March 26 – Namibia v United States
Monday, March 27 – UAE v PNG, Jersey v Canada
Wednesday, March 29 – Canada v United States, PNG v Namibia
Thursday, March 30 – Namibia v Jersey, United States v UAE
Saturday, April 1 – UAE v Canada, PNG v Jersey
Sunday, April 2 – PNG v United States, Namibia v UAE
Tuesday, April 4 – Canada v Namibia, USA v Jersey
Wednesday, April 5 – Jersey v UAE, Canada v PNG
UAE squad
Muhammad Waseem (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Aayan Afzal Khan, Asif Khan, Matiullah Khan, Zahoor Khan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Rohan Mustafa, Rameez Shahzad, Aryansh Sharma, Sanchit Sharma, Junaid Siddique, Ansh Tandon
Broadcast
Matches will be streamed live and for free on icc.tv.
Pathaan
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
Schedule
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Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
