• City players celebrate after Jesus levels the scores against Real Madrid in February. City won the match 2-1. EPA
    City players celebrate after Jesus levels the scores against Real Madrid in February. City won the match 2-1. EPA
  • Referee Daniele Orsato shows Sergio Ramos the red card dafter his foul on Jesus. Getty
    Referee Daniele Orsato shows Sergio Ramos the red card dafter his foul on Jesus. Getty
  • Real Madrid's Isco celebrates scoring their goal with Vinicius Junior and Sergio Ramos. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Isco celebrates scoring their goal with Vinicius Junior and Sergio Ramos. Reuters
  • Manchester City's Raheem Sterling is fouled by Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal resulting in a penalty. Reuters
    Manchester City's Raheem Sterling is fouled by Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal resulting in a penalty. Reuters
  • Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne scores from the penalty spot. Reuters
    Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne scores from the penalty spot. Reuters
  • City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring their first goal with Riyad Mahrez and teammates. Reuters
    City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring their first goal with Riyad Mahrez and teammates. Reuters
  • Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (second left) and other officials applaud after the final whistle. PA
    Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (second left) and other officials applaud after the final whistle. PA
  • City players celebrate at the end of the first leg and a famous win. EPA
    City players celebrate at the end of the first leg and a famous win. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Carlos Casemiro, Gareth Bale and Dani Carvajal at the end of the first leg. EPA
    Real Madrid's Carlos Casemiro, Gareth Bale and Dani Carvajal at the end of the first leg. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale looks downcast after Manchester City's second goal. AFP
    Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale looks downcast after Manchester City's second goal. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos brings down Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus and is sent off for a professional foul. PA
    Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos brings down Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus and is sent off for a professional foul. PA

Pep Guardiola tells his Manchester City stars they are auditioning for a Champions League place


  • English
  • Arabic

Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players Sunday's visit of Norwich is a trial for next month's crunch clash against Real Madrid.

City host the Canaries in a relatively-meaningless contest in the final round of Premier League games.

Guardiola's side are already assured of second place, while bottom side Norwich have long accepted relegation as their fate.

But while there may be bigger drama elsewhere on Sunday, Guardiola is determined to sharpen up for the delayed Champions League last-16 second leg against the Spanish giants at the Etihad Stadium on August 7.

City will defend a 2-1 lead after their stunning victory at the Bernabeu in February and his players, after last week's disappointing FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal, will be playing for their places this weekend.

Guardiola said: "I know them quite well but this game against Norwich and the way they are going to train this week – I am going to be paying attention for who is more able to play against Madrid.

"Every day will be an exam for me to see who is ready to play this game. I would say against Arsenal we were not ready, against Watford a little bit better, but still we need to improve."

City were outstanding in winning the title for the past two seasons but their bid for a third in succession began to unravel early this term.

Norwich may ultimately have found the leap too big after last season's promotion but their stunning victory over City at Carrow Road in September created shockwaves.

It was the first of nine losses suffered by City in an unexpectedly weak title defence.

"We lost there, that game showed our inconsistency this season," said Guardiola, whose side have still notched 97 goals en route to a comfortable runners-up finish.

"The last game was the first time we won four games in a row. Last season we did 14 [in a row] and before that 18. We've not been consistent.

"It's the last game at home. We want to win, maybe score 100 goals again and then prepare for the game against Madrid."

THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Ballon d’Or shortlists

Men

Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)

Women

Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)

 

 

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Everything Now

Arcade Fire

(Columbia Records)

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

SPEC SHEET

Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support

Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR

Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps

Audio: Stereo speakers

Biometrics: Touch ID

I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)

Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular

Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue

Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)

The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5