We are now in the final stretch of the Tokyo Olympics. But that does not mean Mena fans don't have much to look forward to now.
Below are all the athletes from the region who will be fighting for glory at the Games on Monday.
Artistic swimming
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Duets from Egypt and Israel will be competing today in the Free Routine preliminary round .
Athletics
Olympic Stadium
Another busy day at the Olympic Stadium, with finals in the women’s 100m hurdles, discus and 5,000m, and men’s long jump, and steeplechase.
Two Moroccans to look out for in the final of the men’s 3,000m steeplechase. Soufiane El Bakkali is coming into the final with the season's second best time. Countryman Mohamed Tindouft finished third in the Diamond League in Florence this year, and will have to produce something extra special if we are to see two Moroccans on the podium.
Israel’s Selamawit Teferi will be running in the women’s 5,000m final.
800m semi-finalist Rababe Arafi from Morocco will be racing in the third heat for the women’s 1,500m, where she is expected to do well.
Mazin al Yassin of Saudi Arabia will be running in the men’s 400m semi-finals. Also, Qatar’s Ashraf El Seify will be competing in the men’s hammer throw qualifiers in the morning session.
Baseball
Yokohama Stadium
Israel will play South Korea in the second round of baseball.
Canoe sprint
Sea Forest Waterway
One of the busiest days in canoeing today, with some Mena talent looking to get through the first stages.
Khaoula Sassi from Tunisia and Algeria’s Amira Kheris and Egyptian Samaa Ahmed will be taking to the water in the women’s kayak single 200m heats.
In the women’s kayak double 500m heats, Tunisia will be pushing for a place in the semi-finals.
Iran’s Ali Aghamirzaeijenaghrad and Mohamed Mrabet from Tunisia will be looking for a place in the quarter-final of the men’s single 1000m kayak, as will Iranian Saied Fazloula, but representing the Refugee Olympic Team.
Sailing - various
Israeli pair Noya Bar Am and Shahar Tibi are placed in eighth going into their final races in the women’s two person dinghy.
Shooting - various
Asaka Shooting Range
Iran’s Mahyer Sedaghat and Oman’s Hamed Al Khatri are the ones to look out for from the region in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 positions tournament.
Wrestling - various
Mukahari Messe
There are several Mena wrestlers in action today in the Makuhari Messe.
In the men’s Greco-Roman 77kg class, Moroccan Zied Ait Ouagram will be up against Tamas Lorincz from Hungary, while Mohammedali Geraei from Iran grapples with Yosvanys Pena Flores from Cuba. Tunisian Lamjed Mafi will be facing off against Akzhol Makhmudov form Kyrgyzstan.
In the 97kg class, Haikel Achouri from Tunisia has his first fight against Tadeusz Michalik from Poland, and Mohammadhadi Saravi from Iran will go toe-to-toe with Algeria’s Adem Boudjemline.
Meanwhile in the women’s freestyle 68kg class, Enas Ahmed from Egypt begins her tournament against Anna Schell from Germany.
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.
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m racing. Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Onward, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep Rated Conditions (PA) Dh 125,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: AF Arrab, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 90,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Irish Freedom, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi