MANCHESTER UNITED
English Premier League giants Manchester United have agreed a deal for Sporting Lisbon’s Argentine international defender Marcos Rojo with Nani heading in the other direction, the Portuguese club announced on Tuesday.
Sporting said in a statement that the two clubs had agreed a transfer fee of EU€20 million (Dh97.7m) with Nani returning to his former team on a season-long loan as part of the deal.
United followed suit later Tuesday with a brief statement on their website confirming the move.
“Manchester United is delighted to announce it has reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon to sign defender Marcos Rojo, subject to a medical and agreeing personal terms,” it read.
“A further announcement will be made when the process is complete.”
The 24-year-old Rojo, who can play in both central defence and at left-back, was one of Argentina’s standout performers at the World Cup in Brazil where he helped his country reach the final before losing to Germany.
He spent the past two seasons at Sporting having joined from Spartak Moscow in July 2012.
Nani, 27, returns to Portugal seven years after leaving Sporting for Old Trafford.
BENFICA
Brazilian international goalkeeper Julio Cesar has joined Portuguese side Benfica after being released by English Premier League outfit Queens Park Rangers, the Portuguese club announced on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old – who had a mixed World Cup being hailed for his performance in the penalty shootout win over Chile in the last-16 but conceded seven in the semi-final thrashing by Germany – has signed a two-year contract with the Lisbon club, having had his contract in London cancelled.
QPR said on their website that the player had left the club “by mutual consent with immediate effect”.
Having excelled with Inter Milan in Italy for several seasons, he raised more than a few eyebrows when he joined QPR, then in the Premier League, in August 2012.
He stayed with the club even after they were relegated, but spent the end of last season on loan to Canadian MLS club Toronto FC, and was still under contract at Loftus Road until June 2016.
SEVILLA
Sevilla say Argentina midfielder Ever Banega trained with their squad on Tuesday, confirming his transfer from fellow Spanish club Valencia.
The player, who formed part of Argentina’s World Cup squad, said it was “an important opportunity” for him when he was presented to fans at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.
The Andalucian club had reached agreement with Valencia over his transfer on Sunday, but Banega had to pass a medical examination early Tuesday.
Sevilla said on its website that the 26-year-old “was received with applause by his new teammates” at the club’s training ground.
Banega said he was very keen to place himself at coach Unai Emery’s disposal. No details of the transfer were made available by Sevilla.
Valencia placed the underperforming Banega on the transfer list in January.
NORWAY
Norway defender Brede Hangeland has quit the international stage, bringing the curtain down on a 12-year career during which he captained his country, won 91 caps and scored four goals.
“For many years I have had very high demands on my body and at the age of 33 it feels essential to make this decision,” the beanpole Crystal Palace centre half said in a statement released by the Norwegian FA on Tuesday.
“There is never a good time for this type of decision but before the start of a new qualification phase ... I am quite confident that it is the right decision.”
Norway, who take on UAE in a friendly on August 27, open their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign against Italy in Oslo on September 9.
Hangeland made his Norway debut against Austria in November 2002 and was made captain by then-coach Age Hareide six years later.
“I have great respect for his decision,” said Norway coach Per-Mattias Hogmo. “Brede is a wise man, he’s had a fantastic career in the national team and he has been a captain with a capital C.”
Hangeland joined English Premier League Palace from relegated Fulham, the club he joined in 2008, earlier this month.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
More on Quran memorisation:
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
'Peninsula'
Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: 2/5
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Company%20Profile
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