New Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic intends to repay manager Jose Mourinho's faith in him as he targets Premier League and Champions League success.
The 28-year-old Serbia international has been signed by the Portuguese for a second time, having been brought back to Chelsea by him in 2014 after initially being sold by Carlo Ancelotti in 2011.
Matic leaped at the chance to be reunited with Mourinho, whom he believes will continue to improve him.
"Manchester is one of the biggest clubs in the world [but] also my wish was to train with Jose," the defensive midfielder told MUTV.
"Of course when you have a coach like him and a club like Manchester is you don't need to think a lot so my decision was very easy.
"I am very happy because we will work again together. He is a great coach and, when I worked with him before, he always took the best from me and I improve if I work with him.
"When the coach wants you to come to the club, it gives you more motivation, more possibility and I will try to...not try, I will, for sure, give my best to show that I deserve to be in this club and part of this group."
Matic has signed a three-year deal after completing a reported £40 million (Dh194.3m) move.
He has already set his sights on replicating the success he had at Stamford Bridge, where he won the league twice - once with Mourinho.
"I think that this squad is ready because it is more mature," Matic added. "They already work with Jose for one year so they know what they have to do and I am sure that this season we can do many things.
"As a member of the team, I think we can do many things. I'm sure that we will try to win the Premier League. Also, the Champions League, you never know what can happen.
"In the Champions League, everything is possible. (There are) many good teams, the best teams in Europe, so Manchester is one of the best for sure and it's very difficult to make a plan before the season starts but we will try to win every game, if it is possible."
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Matic is United's third major signing of the summer after former Benfica team-mate Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku.
"With Victor we have been together at Benfica. Lukaku, I didn't play with him because when I left Chelsea (first time) he just signed there and I didn't have an opportunity to train and to play with him," he said.
"But I know him because we have played many times against each other. Both of them are great players and I think they are going to help Manchester to reach the targets."
Mourinho underlined how important he believes Matic is for his vision.
"Nemanja is a Manchester United player and a Jose Mourinho player. He represents everything we want in a footballer - loyalty, consistency, ambition, team player," said the Red Devils boss.
"I would like to thank him for his desire to join us because without that, it would be impossible to have him here. I am sure our players and supporters will love him. A big welcome to our new number 31."
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Matic is neither the first Serb nor the first Nemanja to play for United, following in the footsteps of former captain Nemanja Vidic.
A fearsome competitor on the pitch, Matic does not want to disappoint his compatriot when he meets him off it.
"Vidic was a great player and one of the players where I look to be similar because he had a great career," he added.
"It's great to be at the same club like him and I will try to do my best to repeat what he does because I don't want that, one day, he tells me, 'what are you doing there?'.
"So I will try to do my best for him to be happy."
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
