Apolo Anton Ohno, second from right, talks to Nyjer Morgan (1), Adam Dunn (44), Josh Willingham (16) and Ryan Zimmerman (11) and let their chemistry felt.
Apolo Anton Ohno, second from right, talks to Nyjer Morgan (1), Adam Dunn (44), Josh Willingham (16) and Ryan Zimmerman (11) and let their chemistry felt.

Nationals find the magic potion



Hours before each of their actual games, about a dozen members of the Washington Nationals form a circle in front of their dugout, like kids playing Hacky Sack at recess, to play a different kind of game. Most are players, a few are coaches. Some speak Spanish, some speak English. All of them, by the end, are laughing. The game, imported from Latin American winter ball leagues, is called "Flip". Using their gloves, players throw a baseball at one another. When the ball hits the ground, the responsible party is eliminated. The knockouts continue until one player remains, a process filled with playful taunting and capped with jocular boasting.

The popularity of Flip is notable for one reason in particular: "We didn't do anything like that last year," Justin Maxwell, the out-fielder, said. The Nationals got together in late February, an infusion of veterans mixing with young players who rose together through the Nationals' farm system. They soon learned an elemental aspect of their team: they liked one another. By the end of spring training, the Nationals had developed a clubhouse-wide closeness lacking in recent seasons.

"We're a unit," Nyjer Morgan, the centre fielder said. "We all believe in each other. You can see the difference." As the 13-12 Nationals produced one of baseball's most surprising starts, their closeness manifested in several ways. After victories, they pass around a goofy, silver Elvis wig, a left over from Morgan's Halloween costume, which he turned into a team-building totem. Large groups of teammates eat dinners out together after day games.

"The whole clubhouse atmosphere is way better than it was last year," Maxwell said. "It's just the personalities that we have. It's a lot more fun coming to the ballpark every day. Winning makes everybody happy, but it's probably more the quality of individuals that we have on the team." Without question, their success so far has helped facilitate their chemistry. At this point in the 2009 season, the Nationals had already lost any hope of contention. Injuries and ineffectiveness had blown up the roster.

"Last year, there was a lot of guys moving in and out," Tyler Clippard, the reliever, said. "There was a lot of guys struggling, not performing, and people second-guessing everybody because of that. Right now, there's none of that going on. It's contagious." The change began in spring training. New additions such as Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy and Livan Hernandez provided an aura of legitimacy and an example to be followed. First, they had to feel one another out. "Guys like Pudge, who you've played against for a while and you're not sure what they're like, really," Kennedy said. "They open up early, and it helps."

One crucial moment occurred late in March, when Jim Riggleman, the manager, named Ian Desmond, a rookie, the starting shortstop over Cristian Guzman. A starter his whole career, Guzman could have sulked and perhaps created a rift. Instead, Guzman that day took groundballs at second base without complaint. Guzman had known Desmond since Desmond's first spring training in 2005, when he arrived as a touted 19-year-old. Guzman looked out for Desmond then and through his minor league career.

At first, Desmond wondered how Guzman would react to him; he had, after all, taken his job. Without saying a word, Guzman made clear his demotion left their relationship unchanged. They went through double plays together and high-fived at the end of the drill. "We're friends," Desmond explained at the time. "He's my buddy." During the season, Desmond, Guzman and Kennedy have formed a three-man rotation in the middle in-field. They have spoken about the situation but only briefly, never contentious.

Before each game, the player chosen for the bench that day assists the others with pregame defensive drills. "I think other people see that," Kennedy said. "Things like that bring us all together." Baseball's marathon season stretches and grinds every facet of a team, constantly threatening to turn bonds into fissures. The middle in-field harmony, surely, will be tested. Guzman has 88 plate appearances, fourth most for the Nationals, but many of those came because of the prolonged absencewith hamstring injuires of Ryan Zimmerman, the third baseman.

Riggleman wants to play Desmond more than twice every three games, and so Guzman may find fewer available at-bats as the season wears on. "Whenever we hit our little rough spell, if we hit one, that'll tell what we have character-wise," Willie Harris, the utility man, said. The notion of team chemistry can be nebulous, its advantages debated. "It's not going to help you get pitching or score any runs," Josh Willingham, the left fielder, said. Maybe, though, it can help. If discord besieges a team, Riggleman said, "it's probably going to show up in the standings eventually."

"When you have fun, you're more relaxed." Maxwell said. "When you're more relaxed, you play a little bit better. * The Washington Post

Book%20Details
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The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Directed by: Craig Gillespie

Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry

4/5

Company Profile 

Founder: Omar Onsi

Launched: 2018

Employees: 35

Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)

Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners

'Laal Kaptaan'

Director: Navdeep Singh

Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain

Rating: 2/5

The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800


Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder


Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm


Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm


Transmission: Eight-speed CVT


Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

Torque: 340Nm

Price: Dh155,800

On sale: now

Janet Yellen's Firsts

  • In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve 
  • In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers 
The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
​​​​​​​Bloomsbury Academic

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli

Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km