A celebration of Japanese culture, history and innovation, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was launched with a spectacular opening ceremony on Friday.
Many of the events are now underway, and below are the pick of the athletes in action from the Mena region on Saturday.
Archery - mixed team
Yumenoshima Ranking Field
The archers are at it today, in the mixed team event, of which the full competition will be concluded with bronze medal and gold medal matches. The Egyptian and Tunisian teams are in the mix.
Artistic Gymnastics (men)
Ariake Gymnastics Centre
Among those to watch are 2021 African Championships gold medallist, Egypt’s Omar Mohamed, and three-time Olympian Alexander Shatilov from Israel.
Badminton
Musashino Forest Plaza
Badminton gets underway with representatives from Egypt and Israel among the many teams looking prize medals away from the Chinese.
Look out for Syrian-born Aram Mahmoud, who will be competing on the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT), as he takes on world No 7 Jonatan Christie from Indonesia. In a recent interview Aram said he would be “playing not only for my country, but for refugees all around the world - there are a lot of people who need that motivation to achieve the unexpected.”
Boxing - Various preliminaries
Kokugican Arena
The preliminary boxing rounds in all women’s and four of the eight men’s weight classes.
A big fight to watch will be Algeria’s Abdelhafid Benchabla, who was just shy of a medal in Beijing, London and Rio, finishing in fifth in the light heavyweight classes in all three games. He will be fighting 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Sanjar Tursunov from Uzbekistan.
The first inter-regional contest of the Games comes in the evening session between Iran’s Daniyal Shahbakhsh and Morocco’s Mohamed Hamout in the men’s featherweight (52kg-57kg).
Road Cycling - men’s race
Fuji International Speedway
On the back of his second Tour de France victory, UAE Team Emirates cyclist Tadej Pogacar is hot favourite, riding for Slovenia. There will be cyclists from Iran, Morocco, Eritrea and Algeria to keep an eye on.
Fencing - women's epee and men’s sabre
Makuharri Messe
World No 11 in women’s epee is Tunisia’s Sarra Besbes, who will be taking on Italy’s Federica Isola in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
There will be representatives in action from Algeria, Egypt and Iran.
Handball - men
Yoyogi National Stadium
The men’s Bahraini handball team will be making their Olympic debut when they take on four-time and 2012 silver medallists Sweden.
As world ranked No 15, Egypt are hoping to get off to a strong start. The Pharoahs will be playing their opening game against Portugal.
Shooting - women’s 10m air rifle and men’s air pistol
Asaka Shooting Range
Iran will be the nation to watch in the 10m events. World ranked No 4, Javad Foroughi, will be hoping to continue the momentum from his ISSF World Cup win last month.
Worth also keeping tabs on is Iran’s women’s 10m air rifle team that picked up gold in the ISSF World Cup. Armina Sadeghian and Fatemeh Karamzadeh will both be aiming for the podium.
Swimming
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
It’s a busy evening session to open up the swimming at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Look out for 20-year old Jordanian Amro Al-Wir in the men’s 100m breaststroke.
Expect to see athletes from Egypt and Israel in this session.
Table Tennis - women’s and wen’s singles, doubles and mixed
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
The Chinese have had a firm grip on table-tennis throughout ping-pong’s Olympic history, winning 28 of all 32 gold medals awarded.
In action is 12-year-old Syrian Hend Zaza, the youngest Olympian at the 2020 Games, and the only Syrian to have ever made the Olympics by qualification.
From this region, the heavyweights to watch are the Egyptian pair, Omar Assar and Dina Meshref, who will be taking on South Korea’s Sangsu Lee and Jihee Jeon in the mixed doubles.
Taekwondo - women’s 49kg, men’s 58kg
Plenty of talent from the region on the opening day of Taekwondo. The biggest name is Iranian world No 5 Armin Seighalani in the men’s 58kg weight class. Also look out for 20-year-old Moroccan Oumaima Bouchti, ranked world No 15 in the women’s 49kg, and gold medallist at the African Championships this year.
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
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
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Torque: 650Nm
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Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
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Torque: 700Nm
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Mobile phone packages comparison
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Aguero 1', 44', 61'
Arsenal 1
Koscielny 11'
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
box
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
