• PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK (4-4-2) GK: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa): The World Cup winner has been in superb form since returning from his prolonged celebrations and made a couple of important saves, particularly on Moussa Djenepo, to help Villa to a 1-0 win at Southampton. AP
    PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK (4-4-2) GK: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa): The World Cup winner has been in superb form since returning from his prolonged celebrations and made a couple of important saves, particularly on Moussa Djenepo, to help Villa to a 1-0 win at Southampton. AP
  • RB: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United): A regular fixture in this team, the England full-back was again excellent for Newcastle in the goalless draw at Crystal Palace as Eddie Howe’s side secured a sixth successive clean sheet. PA
    RB: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United): A regular fixture in this team, the England full-back was again excellent for Newcastle in the goalless draw at Crystal Palace as Eddie Howe’s side secured a sixth successive clean sheet. PA
  • CB: Chris Richards (Crystal Palace): Signed from Bayern Munich last summer, the American defender has been impressive in recent weeks and marshalled his defence well in the face of Newcastle pressure to earn Palace a point. AFP
    CB: Chris Richards (Crystal Palace): Signed from Bayern Munich last summer, the American defender has been impressive in recent weeks and marshalled his defence well in the face of Newcastle pressure to earn Palace a point. AFP
  • CB: Thiago Silva (Chelsea): Chelsea have spent around £400m on new signings since last summer and still their best player is a 38-year-old signed on a free transfer. That is both a slight on Silva’s underperforming teammates and recognition for just how good the Brazilian is, and he was top class again in the draw at Liverpool. Getty
    CB: Thiago Silva (Chelsea): Chelsea have spent around £400m on new signings since last summer and still their best player is a 38-year-old signed on a free transfer. That is both a slight on Silva’s underperforming teammates and recognition for just how good the Brazilian is, and he was top class again in the draw at Liverpool. Getty
  • LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal): Sometimes signings just make perfect sense, and that is exactly what Zincehnko is proving since joining Arsenal from Manchester City. The Ukrainian is deployed at left-back but plays like a midfielder and that flexibility is ideally suited to Mikel Arteta’s approach. Zinchenko played a role in both of Eddie Nketiah’s goals on Sunday as Arsenal beat Manchester United to maintain their push for the title. PA
    LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal): Sometimes signings just make perfect sense, and that is exactly what Zincehnko is proving since joining Arsenal from Manchester City. The Ukrainian is deployed at left-back but plays like a midfielder and that flexibility is ideally suited to Mikel Arteta’s approach. Zinchenko played a role in both of Eddie Nketiah’s goals on Sunday as Arsenal beat Manchester United to maintain their push for the title. PA
  • CM: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City): The Belgian is so good that he was comfortably the best player in City’s 3-0 win over Wolves and it still felt he was playing in second gear. Set up Haaland’s opener with a perfect cross and pulled the strings throughout. AFP
    CM: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City): The Belgian is so good that he was comfortably the best player in City’s 3-0 win over Wolves and it still felt he was playing in second gear. Set up Haaland’s opener with a perfect cross and pulled the strings throughout. AFP
  • CM: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal): The Arsenal captain is surely a frontrunner, at this stage, for Player of the Year accolades. Everything went through the Norwegian as Arsenal dominated United, and alongside Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, forms the best midfield in the league at present. A top midfielder. Getty
    CM: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal): The Arsenal captain is surely a frontrunner, at this stage, for Player of the Year accolades. Everything went through the Norwegian as Arsenal dominated United, and alongside Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, forms the best midfield in the league at present. A top midfielder. Getty
  • RW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): Scored an absolute stunner to hand Arsenal a 2-1 lead against United and posed a threat down the right wing all match. The England international is an incredible talent, and ominously for the rest of the league, will only get better. EPA
    RW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): Scored an absolute stunner to hand Arsenal a 2-1 lead against United and posed a threat down the right wing all match. The England international is an incredible talent, and ominously for the rest of the league, will only get better. EPA
  • LW: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham): Two struggling teams faced off at London Stadium, with pressure growing on both managers, and it was David Moyes who lived to fight another day thanks to Bowen’s double against Everton. Frank Lampard was subsequently sacked. AP
    LW: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham): Two struggling teams faced off at London Stadium, with pressure growing on both managers, and it was David Moyes who lived to fight another day thanks to Bowen’s double against Everton. Frank Lampard was subsequently sacked. AP
  • CF: Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal): Concerns over how Arsenal would compensate for the injured Garbiel Jesus have been swiftly allayed, with Nketiah immediately seizing his chance. The English forward scored twice, including a dramatic late winner, to earn the Gunners a deserved win over United. AFP
    CF: Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal): Concerns over how Arsenal would compensate for the injured Garbiel Jesus have been swiftly allayed, with Nketiah immediately seizing his chance. The English forward scored twice, including a dramatic late winner, to earn the Gunners a deserved win over United. AFP
  • CF: Erling Haaland (Manchester City): It’s all getting a bit ridiculous now. The Norwegian striker scored his fourth hat-trick of the league season to take his goals tally to 25. He would have already won the last four Golden Boots – and he still has 18 games to go. AFP
    CF: Erling Haaland (Manchester City): It’s all getting a bit ridiculous now. The Norwegian striker scored his fourth hat-trick of the league season to take his goals tally to 25. He would have already won the last four Golden Boots – and he still has 18 games to go. AFP

Arsenal dominate XI after win over Man United: Premier League team of the week


  • English
  • Arabic

The Premier League season reached its halfway stage this past weekend and there was another statement of intent from leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners are in pole position to win their first league title in 19 years, and after outclassing rivals Tottenham, followed that up with a deserved 3-2 win over in-form Manchester United on Sunday.

It was a victory which maintained their five-point lead over champions Manchester City, who had earlier cruised past Wolves 3-0 at Etihad Stadium, thanks to a fourth hat-trick from Erling Haaland. Arsenal can stretch their advantage to eight points as Mikel Arteta's side have played a game fewer than City.

If Sunday's thriller at Emirates Stadium was a reflection of two teams on the rise, then the drab goalless draw between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield offered an accurate representation of two struggling sides. A pair of clubs more accustomed to battling for trophies, this meeting was every bit as mediocre as their respective campaigns.

Also on Saturday, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest played out a 1-1 draw, Leicester City and Brighton shared four goals at the King Power Stadium, Aston Villa piled the misery on Southampton with a 1-0 win at St Mary's, and West Ham's 2-0 win over Everton proved the last straw for Toffees manager Frank Lampard.

In the day's late game, Newcastle were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park for their sixth successive clean sheet.

There was another goalless draw on Sunday between Leeds and Brentford at Elland Road, before the round concluded on Monday night as Harry Kane equalled Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer with the only goal of the game at Fulham.

Check out the photo gallery above to view our Premier League team of the week. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.

Profile of VoucherSkout

Date of launch: November 2016

Founder: David Tobias

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers

Sector: Technology

Size: 18 employees

Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake

Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars” 

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

Company Profile

Name: JustClean

Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries

Launch year: 2016

Number of employees: 130

Sector: online laundry service

Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding

Company%20profile
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Kill%20Bill%20Volume%201
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MATCH INFO

Aston Villa 1 (Konsa 63')

Sheffield United 0

Red card: Jon Egan (Sheffield United)

 

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Rub%20Al%20Khali%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Marmoom%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELiwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Khatim%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Quadra%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Scoreline:

Everton 4

Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', ​​​​​​​Digne 56', Walcott 64'

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey

Directed by: Pete Doctor

Rating: 4 stars

The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net

MEFCC information

Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.

Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows

Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.

Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.

The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.

After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.

The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.

The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.

But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.

It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)

What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was first created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

Spec%20sheet
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7%22%20Retina%20HD%2C%201334%20x%20750%2C%20625%20nits%2C%201400%3A1%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EChip%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A15%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%204-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%2C%20f%2F1.8%2C%205x%20digital%20zoom%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%2B%40%2024%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full%20HD%2B%40%2030%2F60fps%2C%20HD%2B%40%2030%20fps%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFront%20camera%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7MP%2C%20f%2F2.2%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3B%20HD%20video%2B%40%2030fps%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%2015%20hours%20video%2C%2050%20hours%20audio%3B%2050%25%20fast%20charge%20in%2030%20minutes%20with%2020W%20charger%3B%20wireless%20charging%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Touch%20ID%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP67%2C%20dust%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%201m%20for%2030%20minutes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C849%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

FINAL SCORES

Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs

(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)

Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs

(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

'Shakuntala Devi'

Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra

Director: Anu Menon

Rating: Three out of five stars

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.

Updated: January 24, 2023, 11:09 AM