• ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI v MAX HOLLOWAY (featherweight title bout): If the rematch lives up to the first clash, then this should be another gripping contest. Volkanovski put on a masterclass of a performance in December, using his superb cardio and punishing leg kicks to largely control Holloway and prevail on points to become featherweight champion. It carried the Australian’s win streak to 18, yet more proof that the former rugby league player is a force to be reckoned with. Dispatching Holloway is no mean feat. The Hawaiian entered the bout having triumphed in 14 of his previous 15 competitive appearances, the lone loss coming when he moved up to face Dustin Poirier at lightweight. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Getty Images/AFP
    ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI v MAX HOLLOWAY (featherweight title bout): If the rematch lives up to the first clash, then this should be another gripping contest. Volkanovski put on a masterclass of a performance in December, using his superb cardio and punishing leg kicks to largely control Holloway and prevail on points to become featherweight champion. It carried the Australian’s win streak to 18, yet more proof that the former rugby league player is a force to be reckoned with. Dispatching Holloway is no mean feat. The Hawaiian entered the bout having triumphed in 14 of his previous 15 competitive appearances, the lone loss coming when he moved up to face Dustin Poirier at lightweight. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Getty Images/AFP
  • ... Even still, many consider Holloway the best featherweight of all time. Now, though, he has to prove himself all over again. An opportunity to recapture lost prizes doesn’t always present itself, and no doubt Holloway will need to be at his best again. Up until his first meet with Volkanovski, he seemed set to stay at the summit of the division for some time. The current champ, in contrast, says his long reign is only just beginning. Holding the belt, it’s his turn to handle the pressure of defending. Hurt by lingering doubts - from some quarters - about his star credentials, Volkanovski has vowed this time to knockout Holloway. Getty Images/AFP
    ... Even still, many consider Holloway the best featherweight of all time. Now, though, he has to prove himself all over again. An opportunity to recapture lost prizes doesn’t always present itself, and no doubt Holloway will need to be at his best again. Up until his first meet with Volkanovski, he seemed set to stay at the summit of the division for some time. The current champ, in contrast, says his long reign is only just beginning. Holding the belt, it’s his turn to handle the pressure of defending. Hurt by lingering doubts - from some quarters - about his star credentials, Volkanovski has vowed this time to knockout Holloway. Getty Images/AFP
  • KAMARU USMAN v JORGE MASVIDAL (welterweight title bout): Well, what a turn of events. Gilbert Burns withdrew from the headline bout on Saturday having tested positive for Covid-19, leaving the UFC scrambling for a last-minute replacement to take on the champion. And boy did they come up with one. Burns might be ranked the No 1 challenger in the division, but for many the principal match-up in this class was always Usman-Masvidal. There’s real enmity between the two – in contrast, Usman and Burns are teammates – while Masvidal is viewed as the greatest threat to his foe’s reign at the summit. With three wins in 2019, including the five-second victory against Ben Askren (fastest knockout in UFC history), Masvidal was rightly named Fighter of the Year. Although this marks his first official title bout, the supreme striker is one of the sport’s most popular athletes and boasts a 35-13 record. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Getty Images/AFP
    KAMARU USMAN v JORGE MASVIDAL (welterweight title bout): Well, what a turn of events. Gilbert Burns withdrew from the headline bout on Saturday having tested positive for Covid-19, leaving the UFC scrambling for a last-minute replacement to take on the champion. And boy did they come up with one. Burns might be ranked the No 1 challenger in the division, but for many the principal match-up in this class was always Usman-Masvidal. There’s real enmity between the two – in contrast, Usman and Burns are teammates – while Masvidal is viewed as the greatest threat to his foe’s reign at the summit. With three wins in 2019, including the five-second victory against Ben Askren (fastest knockout in UFC history), Masvidal was rightly named Fighter of the Year. Although this marks his first official title bout, the supreme striker is one of the sport’s most popular athletes and boasts a 35-13 record. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Getty Images/AFP
  • ... Usman, on the other hand, is enjoying one of the longest current winning streaks in UFC, with 11, meaning he’s won 15 professional bouts on the bounce. He took the belt last year from Tyron Woodley, and then displayed all of his resilience and mental fortitude in the last-minute stoppage in the blockbuster against Cody Covington at UFC 245 in December. Masvidal, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since defeating Nate Diaz in November, but is said to have been training hard despite his contract dispute with the UFC. How that impacts this fight is so intriguing, with Usman expected to utilise his superior wrestling. Expect the headline confrontation to live up to its billing. AFP
    ... Usman, on the other hand, is enjoying one of the longest current winning streaks in UFC, with 11, meaning he’s won 15 professional bouts on the bounce. He took the belt last year from Tyron Woodley, and then displayed all of his resilience and mental fortitude in the last-minute stoppage in the blockbuster against Cody Covington at UFC 245 in December. Masvidal, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since defeating Nate Diaz in November, but is said to have been training hard despite his contract dispute with the UFC. How that impacts this fight is so intriguing, with Usman expected to utilise his superior wrestling. Expect the headline confrontation to live up to its billing. AFP
  • PETR YAN v JOSE ALDO (bantamweight title bout): The strange situation brought about for the UFC by the coronavirus felt all the more bizarre recently, with a number of top athletes either announcing, or threatening, retirement. Henry Cejudo was one to leave the game - at the time of writing, anyway - the two-division champion breaking the shock news directly following his win at UFC 249 in May. Now, the chief benefactors at bantamweight will battle it out in Abu Dhabi for the vacant crown. Aldo is hoping he’s the one to emerge champion. The acclaimed Brazilian, a guarantee for the UFC Hall of Fame, was actually supposed to take on Cejudo this summer, but visa issues derailed the match-up. However, despite his reputation, many have questioned his choice to face Yan, coming so soon after Aldo's bantamweight debut in December ended in defeat. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Getty Images/AFP
    PETR YAN v JOSE ALDO (bantamweight title bout): The strange situation brought about for the UFC by the coronavirus felt all the more bizarre recently, with a number of top athletes either announcing, or threatening, retirement. Henry Cejudo was one to leave the game - at the time of writing, anyway - the two-division champion breaking the shock news directly following his win at UFC 249 in May. Now, the chief benefactors at bantamweight will battle it out in Abu Dhabi for the vacant crown. Aldo is hoping he’s the one to emerge champion. The acclaimed Brazilian, a guarantee for the UFC Hall of Fame, was actually supposed to take on Cejudo this summer, but visa issues derailed the match-up. However, despite his reputation, many have questioned his choice to face Yan, coming so soon after Aldo's bantamweight debut in December ended in defeat. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Getty Images/AFP
  • ... Yan, on the other hand, has fast proved an elite at that class, blitzing to six consecutive victories since his promotional bow two years ago. The explosive Russian only emphasised his prowess in his most recent appearance, making light work of the previously durable Urijah Faber. Yan has his first shot at a title, while Aldo is a former champ at two weights. Stylistically, this promises fireworks. Yan possesses genuine knockout power. At 33, Aldo has time left, but he arrives in the capital on the back of two losses. A third would represent uncharted, and unwanted, territory. Getty Images/AFP
    ... Yan, on the other hand, has fast proved an elite at that class, blitzing to six consecutive victories since his promotional bow two years ago. The explosive Russian only emphasised his prowess in his most recent appearance, making light work of the previously durable Urijah Faber. Yan has his first shot at a title, while Aldo is a former champ at two weights. Stylistically, this promises fireworks. Yan possesses genuine knockout power. At 33, Aldo has time left, but he arrives in the capital on the back of two losses. A third would represent uncharted, and unwanted, territory. Getty Images/AFP
  • JESSICA ANDRADE v ROSE NAMAJUNAS: The second rematch on the card, this could be equally as enthralling as the other. The two met in a memorable strawweight championship tussle at UFC 237 in May last year, when Andrade turned the contest on its head – quite literally. Then champion, Namajunas had dominated through the opening exchanges before Andrade lifted and slammed her onto the canvas in a second-round stoppage that made for difficult viewing. The intervening period has been a complicated one. Namajunas hasn’t fought since that defeat, her comeback stalled because earlier this year when two of her relatives died because of Covid-19. The American had been slated to go up against Andrade in April. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... AFP
    JESSICA ANDRADE v ROSE NAMAJUNAS: The second rematch on the card, this could be equally as enthralling as the other. The two met in a memorable strawweight championship tussle at UFC 237 in May last year, when Andrade turned the contest on its head – quite literally. Then champion, Namajunas had dominated through the opening exchanges before Andrade lifted and slammed her onto the canvas in a second-round stoppage that made for difficult viewing. The intervening period has been a complicated one. Namajunas hasn’t fought since that defeat, her comeback stalled because earlier this year when two of her relatives died because of Covid-19. The American had been slated to go up against Andrade in April. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... AFP
  • ... Meanwhile, her Brazilian counterpart has spent only 42 seconds more in the octagon, losing her first title defence, last August. That said, it was to Chinese superstar Zhang Weili. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how a clash between former champions plays out. Both have something to prove, with most observers of the sport probably more invested in Namajunas, given what she has gone through recently. There’s much at stake, too, since the winner is likely to stake their claim for a shot at reigning titleholder Weili. Namajunas is a natural striker with expert footwork; Andrade retains dangerous power and is does her best work on the inside. AFP
    ... Meanwhile, her Brazilian counterpart has spent only 42 seconds more in the octagon, losing her first title defence, last August. That said, it was to Chinese superstar Zhang Weili. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how a clash between former champions plays out. Both have something to prove, with most observers of the sport probably more invested in Namajunas, given what she has gone through recently. There’s much at stake, too, since the winner is likely to stake their claim for a shot at reigning titleholder Weili. Namajunas is a natural striker with expert footwork; Andrade retains dangerous power and is does her best work on the inside. AFP
  • AMANDA RIBAS v PAIGE VANZANT: The opening slot on the main card carries with it its own compelling storyline, chiefly for VanZant. The American has for some time had her detractors, given her rising celebrity outside the octagon. The match-up against Ribas marks the final fight of her UFC contract, with a move into Bellator, where she would join her husband Austin Vanderford, seemingly the obvious next turn on her career path. With that, VanZant will realise she’d be in a pretty enviable position should she land a victory in Abu Dhabi. Record a particularly spectacular win - a second successive triumph following her last outing in January last year - and perhaps the promotion will stump up another deal. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Zuffa LLC
    AMANDA RIBAS v PAIGE VANZANT: The opening slot on the main card carries with it its own compelling storyline, chiefly for VanZant. The American has for some time had her detractors, given her rising celebrity outside the octagon. The match-up against Ribas marks the final fight of her UFC contract, with a move into Bellator, where she would join her husband Austin Vanderford, seemingly the obvious next turn on her career path. With that, VanZant will realise she’d be in a pretty enviable position should she land a victory in Abu Dhabi. Record a particularly spectacular win - a second successive triumph following her last outing in January last year - and perhaps the promotion will stump up another deal. (CONTINUE ON NEXT SLIDE) ... Zuffa LLC
  • ... At the least, VanZant would have even greater bargaining power in the transition to Bellator. Lose, however, and Bellator holds the cards. How VanZant fares as she returns from a third fracture of the same arm remains to be seen. Ribas stands in her way. The accomplished Brazilian has suffered a solitary loss in 10 professional bouts, winning her past four. Unlike VanZant, Ribas has been active, competing three times since last summer, including a decision victory against Randa Markos in Brasilia in March. She ranks 15th at strawweight. Getty Images
    ... At the least, VanZant would have even greater bargaining power in the transition to Bellator. Lose, however, and Bellator holds the cards. How VanZant fares as she returns from a third fracture of the same arm remains to be seen. Ribas stands in her way. The accomplished Brazilian has suffered a solitary loss in 10 professional bouts, winning her past four. Unlike VanZant, Ribas has been active, competing three times since last summer, including a decision victory against Randa Markos in Brasilia in March. She ranks 15th at strawweight. Getty Images

UFC Fight Island: Assessing Kamaru Usman v Jorge Masvidal and the rest of the main card at UFC 251


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

The much-anticipated Fight Island gets under way in Abu Dhabi this month, with a stacked UFC 251 first up at Flash Forum on July 12.

In the photo gallery above, we look at the five bouts on the pay-per-view’s main card, three of which comprise title fights.

To move on to the next image, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.

Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.

Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.

When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety

RESULTS
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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

Company%20Profile
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Results

2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.

4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.

Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Fast%20X
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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

Juvenile arthritis

Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.

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.”

The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full

1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh875,000

On sale: now

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km