MENDOZA, ARGENTINA // After Argentina slipped up in their opening match against Bolivia, Uruguay will scent a chance to get one over on their neighbours as they meet unfancied Peru in today's Group C opener.
The Uruguayans, led by strikers Diego Forlan, whose goals helped them reach last summer's World Cup semi-finals, and Luis Suarez, who joined English Premier League club Liverpool for £22.8 million (Dh134.6m) in January, have won 14 continental titles, a record they share with Argentina.
While they have not won the Latin American championship since 1995, that is still two years more recently than Argentina themselves.
But their World Cup showing came on the back of runs to the semi-finals of the last two Copa tournaments.
Confidence is therefore running high before the match at the Estadio del Bicentenario in San Juan, with even Mano Menezes, the Brazil coach, making the sky blues his dark horse prediction.
Forlan said the players are mentally ready to go.
"We know we have plenty in our locker to win this event," said the Atletico Madrid frontman, whose goals in South Africa were instrumental in taking the Uruguayans so close to a first World Cup final since 1950 and also earned him the player of the tournament accolade.
"We think we can take on anyone. We just know we have a strong team and that if we perform to the best of our capabilities we can win games."
Mauricio Victorino, a defender with Brazil's Cruzeiro, insists that Uruguay have come to Argentina "to win the tournament, and we are on a par with those teams who are capable of doing so. We have a very competitive team".
Although Peru have slumped in recent years from the days when the likes of Teofilo Cubillas pulled the strings at the 1978 World Cup, Forlan said they are still dangerous because "they always play good football".
Paolo Guerrero, the Peru striker, has promised a close-fought affair and said: "Confidence is good and our attitude is also, so we will be well up for it against Uruguay."
Guerrero will be a key man for Peru, especially in the absences through injury of both Claudio Pizarro of Werder Bremen and Schalke's Jefferson Farfan.
Peru won the event in 1939 and 1975, but will start as outsiders in a group also containing Chile and Mexico, who face off, also at San Juan, this evening.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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