European champions Paris Saint-Germain have completed a €66 million deal to sign Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi on the eve of their Uefa Super Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
PSG, who face Europa League winners Spurs in Italy on Wednesday, announced the arrival of Zabarnyi in a move reported to be worth an initial €63 million which could rise a further €3m with performance related add-ons.
The Ukrainian international has agreed a five-year contract with the Ligue 1 side having joined Bournemouth in January 2023 from Dynamo Kyiv.
He was voted the Cherries supporters' player of the season for the 2023-24 campaign which saw Andoni Iraola's team surpass the club's highest Premier League points total for the second campaign running.
“I'm very happy to join Paris Saint-Germain, the best club in the world, with the best project,” the 22-year-old told the Ligue 1 club's website.
The Kiev-born centre-back, who has 49 international caps, becomes PSG's second signing of the summer transfer window after goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier who joined from Lille for €40m.
“I am a kid that is living his dream. Ever since I was small I wanted to play at the very highest level,” Chevalier said after signing. “I’m really delighted to be here. I will wear this shirt with passion and ambition.”
His arrival suggests that Gianluigi Donnarumma's days at PSG are over after the Italian keeper was left out of the squad to take on Premier League side Spurs.
Donnarumma was arguably the best goalkeeper in Europe last season, playing a key role in PSG's Uefa Champions League run that ended with a spectacular 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the final.
But with one year left on his contract, he has so far refused to sign a new deal and PSG appear determined not to let him leave for free at the end of the season, as Kylian Mbappe did when he joined Real Madrid last summer.
PSG will be returning to competitive action for the first time since losing in the Fifa Club World Cup final to Chelsea.
Tottenham, meanwhile, head into the match having earned their spot by beating Premier League rivals Manchester United in the Europa League final.
Victory in Bilbao – which meant Spurs had ended a 17-year wait for silverware – was not enough to save manager Ange Postecoglou from the sack after a disastrous domestic campaign that saw them finish one spot above the relegation zone in 17th place.
The Australian was replaced by Thomas Frank who left London rivals Brentford after seven years in charge to become Tottenham's fourth permanent manager since June 2021.
And ahead of the Premier League opener at home to Burnley on Saturday, Frank's first competitive match sees them take on Luis Enrique's impressive young side.
The German coach insists he is ready to take on “the best team in Europe” at the Stadio Friuli in Udine.
“We're playing in a final; it's fantastic,” Frank told Uefa.com. “Hopefully we can use some of the experience we have from the last final that the team played against Manchester United.
“[Paris] are the best team in Europe. They won the treble and it looks like they are extremely strong in all 11 starting positions.
“It's a fantastic challenge to have in the first game but, of course, we believe in ourselves. We're going to a final and there will be one objective – try to win it. We don't see it as a test; we see it as two good teams against each other, and we want to win.”
With the likes of defender Kevin Dann (€25m from Lens), winger Mohammed Kudus (€63.8m from West Ham United) and striker Mathys Tel (€35m from Bayern Munich) already on board, Spurs are keen for further signings.
Reports on Tuesday suggest Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze is on their wishlist with Frank keen to strengthen his attacking options after James Maddison was ruled out for a majority of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
England international Eze, 27, scored 14 goals across all competitions for Palace last season, including the FA Cup final winner against Manchester City that sealed a first major trophy for the Eagles.
Brazilian winger Savinho, who started for City in their Wembley defeat to Palace, has also been linked with a move to the South London club.
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
GRAN%20TURISMO
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
SPECS
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
The%20Killer
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Company%20profile
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Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5