Mauricio Pochettino has given Tottenham Hotspur fans hope Harry Kane may feature in the Uefa Champions League final as he described "a very positive situation" for the England striker.
Kane has not played since injuring his ankle in the quarter-finals against Manchester City in April but Pochettino said his fitness was improving with an eye to featuring in Saturday's clash in Madrid with fellow Premier League side Liverpool.
The England captain has returned to full training with the rest of the players, and Pochettino said: "Harry Kane, in the last week, Friday and Saturday, started to be involved in the group.
"It's a very positive situation for him. We will wait and see how he is progressing in his problem."
Pochettino was also positive that Harry Winks, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez would be fit for the game.
He added: "The four players started (training) on Friday and Saturday to be involved in the group, which is very positive to be available at the weekend and that is very good news for us.
"Tottenham deserve that we are all 100 per cent focused on the game.
"We can make history, we can provide our fans the best happiness in football."
Pochettino is currently enjoying his best spell in charge since taking up the position in May 2014.
Since then, the club's new stadium has been completed, they finished in the top four in the Premier League and then reached the Champions League success with dramatic wins over Manchester City and Ajax.
He said: "I think this is my best period after five years. Today is five years of working here, I was signing a contract here, it is an amazing period.
"We have worked so hard the last three weeks, but we are excited."
Pochettino is looking forward to "one of the biggest games in the world" ahead of the final in Madrid but he knows Spurs need to remain focused on themselves.
He added: "Along with the World Cup final, the final of the Champions League is one of the biggest games in the world.
"It is going to be a different game, we cannot prepare for a final of the Champions League on what happened a few months ago. The circumstances are completely different, the circumstances are the circumstances.
"It is going to be different, that is why our focus is on ourselves."
Midfielder Moussa Sissoko echoed his manager's view and believed the squad would be up to the challenge of trying to win the European Cup for the first time.
The France international says the spirit in the squad has helped them fight back numerous times this season, including their semi-final second-leg comeback from three goals down to beat Ajax.
"The spirit is fantastic," he said. "Every time we were close to be out but we showed a lot of character to win the game. We know we can challenge against every team."
Spurs lost 2-1 against Liverpool in their home Premier League clash back in September, and by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture two months ago.
But Sissoko remains confident ahead of the showpiece final, adding: "I am not scared of Liverpool or any team.
"We all need to challenge and we have to give our best and if we do it we can beat any team. In the past we have showed it."
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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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
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)
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
