Elano, left, and Robinho celebrate a goal when the Manchester City pair played for the Brazilian giants Santos.
Elano, left, and Robinho celebrate a goal when the Manchester City pair played for the Brazilian giants Santos.

Robinho 'can be world's No 1'



MANCHESTER // Robinho's move to Manchester City can help him become the best player in the world. That is the view of his teammate Elano, who has vowed to help his fellow Brazilian international reach the very top. Robinho's deadline day transfer to Eastlands from Real Madrid in August for a British record £32.5 million (Dh190m) stunned football, but could well prove to be the vital step that helps him challenge Kaka, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the coveted accolade.

He has made an impressive start to his City career, scoring six goals in eight games, and with more quality signings expected in the January transfer window to strengthen the side, Robinho is tipped to sparkle even more. Elano, who also played with him at his first club Santos and the national team, said: "Of course he can become the best player in the world and I am playing in the same side to try to help him become that.

"While he's had a great start to his career here at Manchester City, I still feel he plays his best football when I am also on the pitch because we have such a great understanding. "We have played before together and what will take time is the players around him will now have to learn and understand how he plays the game, how best to give him the ball or how best to spot his runs. It's something I know well.

"I can watch him and just know when he's going to take the game by the scruff of the neck and do something special; he has that ability. I feel I know him inside out and he has such great talent." Elano admits Robinho's arrival, coupled with the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, has certainly put City on the football map. While the club has endured mixed results so far in the Premier League, the midfielder, 27, is confident the future is bright.

"A lot of my friends and [Brazil] teammates have been talking about it all, asking me about the club and what is going to happen," he added. "I can say that Manchester City are now known all over the world. We have suddenly got a lot of new power, financial power, and I am excited about it. "I was here last season before all this, but it's great that the Abu Dhabi group has taken over and is turning Manchester City into one of the big powers of world football.

"I am ambitious and the first objective is to win things with Manchester City. We are improving all the time and we know how difficult the English league is. "But, obviously, our main aim in the long term is to become the champions of England."

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Lexus LX700h specs

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Transmission: 10-speed auto

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The specs

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Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

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What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

SERIE A FIXTURES

Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)

Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)

Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)

Results

5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer) 

5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud 

6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel 

6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel 

7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami 

7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.  

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5