ARSENAL
The busiest of the big clubs over the summer, with Unai Emery's appointment and the end of Arsene Wenger's reign heralding change. Laurent Koscielny has been named captain, although a deputy will be needed as he is injured. Of four major signings, Stephan Lichtsteiner may seem a back-up but Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira and Bernd Leno will surely start, with the £22 million (Dh105m) German bearing the look of the first-choice goalkeeper, even though Petr Cech has been given the No 1 shirt. Implementing different tactics, with the Uruguayan Torreira feeling the defensive midfielder Arsenal have long lacked, will be a priority for Emery. So will be persuading Aaron Ramsey to sign a new deal.
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Read more:
Steve Luckings: Anderson and Yarmolenko signings offer West Ham fans cause for optimism
New signing Felipe Anderson aims to become West Ham hero 'like Moore, Tevez and Di Canio'
Premier League transfer targets: Five players on club radars after starring at the World Cup
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CHELSEA
After months in limbo, Chelsea belatedly sacked Antonio Conte and appointed Maurizio Sarri. The former Napoli manager now has to make up for lost time; replacing one Italian's 3-4-3 formation with another's 4-3-3 seems a priority. One of Sarri's former Napoli charges, midfielder Jorginho, has arrived and another, striker Gonzalo Higuain could be targeted. Chelsea have to determine the futures of Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Willian, who could all end up in Spain, with Aleksandr Golovin a possible replacement for the No 10 role, as well as players who were out of favour under Conte, such as David Luiz and Ross Barkley, and the returning loanees, such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
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Read more:
Maurizio Sarri 'wants to keep strongest players' at Chelsea amid Hazard and Courtois exit talk
Steve Luckings: Hazard to replace Ronaldo at Real Madrid? What a welcome for Chelsea's Sarri
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LIVERPOOL
The midfield makeover began soon, with Naby Keita's arrival already agreed and Fabinho soon tied up. Yet the breakdown of the move for Nabil Fekir prompts questions if it can be resurrected and, if not, Liverpool will look for another replacement for Philippe Coutinho. The most pressing concern is whether Loris Karius can recover from his traumatic Uefa Champions League final, and pre-season errors, to remain the first-choice goalkeeper. A deal for Brazil's Alisson looks imminent. With Xherdan Shaqiri joining, Jurgen Klopp has got a back-up winger. He now has to dispose of some of the surplus strikers, such as Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge, while Danny Ings also wants to go.
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Read more:
Liverpool close to world record deal for Brazil goalkeeper Alisson
Daniel Sturridge aims to be part of Liverpool team 'week in, week out'
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MANCHESTER CITY
Pep Guardiola's biggest issue may be that, with 16 players going to the World Cup and many of them involved in the latter stages, City could be struggling to find a side to put out at the start of the season. Riyad Mahrez's club-record move from Leicester City has brought another option in the forward line and the extra winger Guardiola wanted. Yet with Jorginho opting to go to Chelsea, Fred going to Manchester United and Jean-Michel Seri joining Fulham, Guardiola may struggle to find the holding midfielder he had wanted, unless Real Madrid will accept an offer for Mateo Kovacic.
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Read more:
Richard Jolly: Signing of Riyad Mahrez fits the Manchester City blueprint
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MANCHESTER UNITED
Jose Mourinho made a swift start to the summer with the recruitment of Fred, as Michael Carrick’s successor in the midfield, and Diogo Dalot, earmarked as Antonio Valencia’s long-term replacement at right-back. Yet, besides the arrival of third-choice goalkeeper Lee Grant, things have gone quiet since then. United’s normal policy has been to look for a flagship signing. Ivan Perisic, wanted by Mourinho last year and so impressive in the World Cup, may tick some boxes. The impasse, meanwhile, also means a seemingly disenchanted Anthony Martial remains on the books. His sale could free up funds.
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Read more:
Manchester United in America: Mourinho missing star names and 'worried' by shortage of players
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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
It is not the first time Spurs have entered the final weeks of the window without making a signing. At least there is some optimism this time after Mauricio Pochettino and Harry Kane signed new contracts. Yet other things remain uncertain: Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose had seemed likely to leave, not least because this could be the last summer to bring in a huge fee for the Belgian, and so far both remain. The World Cup may have put their plans on hold, but also Spurs'.
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Read more:
John McAuley: Hugo Lloris predicts 'special season' for Tottenham after successful World Cup
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Hamilton profile
Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
I Feel Pretty
Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
