England manager Gareth Southgate has called-up Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
The Chelsea and Manchester City players will join up with the squad as the Three Lions face Malta at Wembley Stadium on Friday before taking on North Macedonia three days later in Skopje.
Both attacking midfielder Palmer and the versatile Lewis – who can operate at right-back or defensive midfield – had been named in the Under-21 squad but with injuries to the likes of James Maddison and Callum Wilson, they have been called-up for senior duty.
With Brighton defender Lewis Dunk also ruled out due to injury, Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, 26, has also earned his first call-up, while Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham is also a doubt but stays with the squad.
Palmer and Lewis were teammates at City last season before the former moved to Chelsea in a surprise £40 million transfer in the summer.
The 21-year-old scored Chelsea's late leveller from the penalty spot when the two teams clashed in Sunday's manic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.
That was Palmer's fourth goal for the Blues – all penalties – adding to the two he scored for City in the Community Shield and Uefa Super Cup in 14 appearances this season.
“He is a player that understands the game and used the half positions,” said Pochettino after the City match. “He always gives the option to play and find the free man. He is a playmaker that links other things and makes the team look good.”
Lewis, also 21, was an unused substitute against Chelsea but has become an important member of Pep Guardiola's side.
After the treble winners' Champions League victory over RB Leipzig last month, the Spanish manager described Lewis as one of the best players he has ever coached.
“What a player! What a player!” Guardiola said. “I’ve been a manager for 14, 15, years and lucky to train one of the best players in the world in Barcelona.
“To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move as a holding midfielder, moving in the spaces, he is one of the best I’ve ever trained by far.
“He’s a humble guy, doesn’t talk much. He didn’t play much this season but he is going to play a lot.”
Southgate's side currently sit top of Group C and have already secured their spot for next year's finals in Germany after winning five out of six games and drawing the other.
Qualification was sealed after their 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley last month which meant England completed a double over the team that defeated them in the delayed Euro 2020 finals.
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.
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Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
