Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel speaks with team principal Maurizio Arrivabene during the second practice session at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa on August 25, 2017 ahead of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel speaks with team principal Maurizio Arrivabene during the second practice session at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa on August 25, 2017 ahead of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel speaks with team principal Maurizio Arrivabene during the second practice session at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa on August 25, 2017 ahead of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel speaks with team principal Maurizio Arrivabene during the second practice session at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa on August 25, 2017 ahead of the Belgi

Belgian Grand Prix: Kimi Raikkonen leads a Ferrari one-two in final practice as Sebastian Vettel extends contract till 2020


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Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari one-two in final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday with Formula One title rivals Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton separated by only a thousandth of a second.

The top three were in a league of their own, with Red Bull Racing's Dutch teenager Max Verstappen - who had a huge orange army of fans in attendance - fourth fastest but more than a second off the pace.

Raikkonen, a four-time winner in Belgium and with a contract for 2018 freshly signed, has been consistently quick this weekend and also set the fastest time in Friday's opening practice.

He was second to Hamilton overall on Friday and his time of one minute 43.916 seconds was comfortably the fastest of the weekend and more than three seconds inside Vettel's 2009 race lap record.

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Vettel, 14 points ahead of Mercedes rival Hamilton after 11 of 20 races, was 0.197 slower than the Finn with a time of 1:44.113. Ferrari announced the German's new three-year deal after the session.

"Scuderia Ferrari has extended its technical and racing agreement with driver Sebastian Vettel for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 racing seasons of the Formula One World Championship," Ferrari said in a statement.

Hamilton, who can equal Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 68 pole positions in later qualifying, clocked a best of 1:44.114.

"Ferrari's competitive but let's wait and see for qualifying. It's going to be very close today," said Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda.

"Normally we're a little bit ahead, and now Ferrari's ahead. Everyone can find a little bit of engine speed but, unfortunately, I think Ferrari can find the same engine speed as Mercedes can."

Brazilian Felipe Massa returned for Williams, after doing only one lap on Friday before crashing. He was 16th on the timesheets.

Toro Rosso's Russian Daniil Kvyat stopped on track with a loss of power.

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Dubai Rugby Sevens

November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures

Thursday, November 30:

10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders

Friday, December 1:

9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

WHEN TO GO:

September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.

WHERE TO STAY:

Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.

While you're here
French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

MATCH INFO

Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega

Director: Tim Burton

Rating: 3/5

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Profile of Hala Insurance

Date Started: September 2018

Founders: Walid and Karim Dib

Based: Abu Dhabi

Employees: Nine

Amount raised: $1.2 million

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers

 

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Fixtures

Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11

August 9

Liverpool v Norwich 11pm

August 10

West Ham v Man City 3.30pm

Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm

Burnley v Southampton 6pm

C Palace v Everton 6pm

Leicester v Wolves 6pm

Watford v Brighton 6pm

Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm

August 11

Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm

Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm

 

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching