Ahead of Sunday's WWE SummerSlam network special, which is being held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, here is a rundown on the card and what to watch for.
The show is available on the WWE Network, which can be be watched via OSN Sports, with the action starting from 1am UAE time on Monday morning.
Roman Reigns beats Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Universal title
Fair play to WWE. Paul Heyman turning? Lesnar staying on the WWE roster? A Money in the Bank cash in? WWE has certainly given lots of unpredictable options for the fourth singles instalment of Lesnar v Reigns.
Reigns has to leave Brooklyn as champion. If he does not, and is chasing the belt again, either against Lesnar still or someone else, it shows WWE have no faith him or in him building a crowd reaction.
He has been booked badly since late 2014 but not booking him to win on Sunday is equally poor.
To give Reigns the best chance of a good reception, have his Shield brothers Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose come out to celebrate the vanquishing of Lesnar post-match. It is no guarantee it won't stop the booing, but it still gives a feel-good ending to proceedings.
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Ronda Rousey beats Alexa Bliss to win the WWE Raw Women's Championship
Rousey has been an overwhelming success on the roster since arriving in January.
The WWE swerved the audience by having Bliss prevent her winning in June at Money in the Bank when she had Nia Jax beaten.
But there is no stopping her now. She makes short work of Bliss and sets up her main event slot for the Evolution network special later in the year.
The Miz beats Daniel Bryan in a singles match
A match eight years in the making. The pair have fought before but this feels huge, given Bryan's injury problems and two-year retirement.
This feels like the start of a feud that could run all the way to WrestleMania 35.
The Miz needs to win here, and win cleanly over Bryan. It can continue Miz's rants at Bryan that he has lost a step and is no longer what he once was.
That way when Bryan bounces back and does get revenge on The Miz, be at Survivor Series, Royal Rumble or ideally, WrestleMania, it means that much more.
AJ Styles retains the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Samoa Joe
Joe deserves a run with a top belt in WWE, but the build-up to this feud has misfired a little with the central point to things being Styles being away from home so much.
This rivalry will likely carry on so Styles retains in an entertaining bout with the WWE hopefully focusing the rivalry between the pair on ring action subsequently.
Carmella retains the WWE SmackDown Women's title against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat
This feels like a classic triple threat where the champion is almost the side story.
Carmella escapes with the belt again as Lynch and Flair inadvertently thwart each other's attempts to win.
Going forward hopefully Lynch can use this as an excuse to turn heel by attacking Flair and accusing her of hogging the limelight, and allowing her frustration at missing out on being champion to take over.
Carmella's reign carries on to a possible third match with Asuka where she finally drops the title.
Seth Rollins to win the WWE Intercontinental title against Dolph Ziggler
Rollins finally gets his revenge on Ziggler, with Ambrose in his corner to deal with the threat of Ziggler's right-hand man Drew McIntyre.
Rollins did a great job elevating the Intercontinental title after he won it at WrestleMania and another run with it, leading to a feud with Ambrose when he finally turns, will be fun.
Ziggler and McIntyre can try and liven up the tag-team division after this.
Braun Strowman beats Kevin Owens to hold on to the Money in the Bank briefcase
The WWE have televised too much how easy it is for Strowman to lose the briefcase and title shot. Namely he can be counted out or disqualified and it will give Owens the win.
That means it is not happening. Hopefully it happens in such a way as Strowman wins, but chooses not to cash in on Reigns/Lesnar on the night itself.
Strowman has a title run coming his way but it should be done in a babyface fashion where he announces the cash in well in advance.
Shinsuke Nakamura retains the WWE United States Championship against Jeff Hardy via disqualification
Randy Orton is interfering here. It is just a question of how and when.
To set this rivalry up as a triple threat I think he will come out when Hardy has the match won, but attack Nakamura with a RKO.
This would disqualify Hardy and cost him the title, but also give a reason for Nakamura to be upset too going forward and move things towards a triple threat down the line
New Day to win the WWE SmackDown Tag Team titles from the Bludgeon Brothers
As effective as they are in the ring, the Bludgeon Brothers are rather stale already. The hammers were fun for a while but when there is nothing else it is time to move on.
Give the New Day another run at the top will not only be popular but it can also bring Sheamus and Cesaro, as well as Sanity, into the equation as potential challengers.
Baron Corbin beats Finn Balor in a singles match
A horrible feud that is doing nothing for Balor, who remains aimless and lost on WWE programming some 18 months after coming back from injury.
Corbin wins here to give Balor an excuse to bust out his Demon persona in the coming weeks.
Plus Corbin, as bland as he is, needs to be kept strong as he is a potential opponent for Reigns as champion.
Cedric Alexander beats Drew Gulak to retain the WWE Cruiserweight title
Gulak could well be the man that ends the Alexander reign, which began at WrestleMania 34.
But Alexander stands tall once more to prolong their rivalry, which has only just begun over the past month.
Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega beat Rusev and Lana in a Mixed Tag match
Both Almas and Rusev deserve better then this, but this is better then nothing.
Almas and Vega make for a great team and Vega is the best onscreen manager in WWE right now not called Paul Heyman.
They get the win here as Aiden English costs Rusev the win and then later reveals he did it deliberately as Rusev chose Lana over him and Rusev Day is over.
The B Team retain the WWE Raw Tag Team titles against The Revival
Pre-show filler. Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas hold on to the titles ahead of a likely loss to Ziggler and McIntyre in the coming weeks.
Axel and Dallas are a fun act but the loss of steam in the tag division on the red brand needs to be remedied and quickly.
Wonka
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Charlotte%20Lydia%20Riley%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Bodley%20Head%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20384%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The five pillars of Islam
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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.”
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
