Premier League fans must kick in for new decoder


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Football fans in the UAE will be required to buy a new high-definition decoder and smartcard to watch live TV broadcasts of all 380 Barclays Premier League matches of the coming season, which kicks off on August 14. The decoders, now on sale for Dh999 at Carrefour and other hypermarkets, will provide access to the six channels operated by Abu Dhabi Sports. The broadcasts will be aired in Arabic and English.

Abu Dhabi Sports is owned by Abu Dhabi Media Company, publisher of The National. When more than four games are being played at once, other channels, including AD Sports 1 and 2, will also air matches, meaning fans will be able to watch all 380 English Premier League games live. However, contrary to previous reports, purchasing the smartcard on its own for Dh370, without the decoder, will not provide access.

To watch the games, fans in the Emirates can subscribe in three different ways: 1) Buy the new Humax HD decoder and smartcard for Dh999; 2) Upgrade existing packages through local cable providers such as Etisalat and du; 3) Sign up to watch the matches online. UAE residents wishing to subscribe to the matches from their current cable providers can call E-vision or Etisalat on 800 101 or 101, and du on 04 390 5555. Du customers can subscribe to all the new channels for Dh31 per month, while current Etisalat subscribers will receive the service for free. Cable customers can also upgrade their packages online.

Viewers in other GCC countries can gain access by contacting their local providers or satellite dealers from the first week of August. Live streaming on admcsport.com is not yet available, but future subscribers can take advantage of a newly introduced promotion rate if they register during August. Viewers in GCC countries subscribing before the end of next month can pay a promotional price of Dh270 for the season, while those outside the GCC can get online access for only Dh170.

After that, the package will cost those living in the GCC Dh370 per season - less than Dh1 per match - and Dh220 for those living outside the GCC. @Email:akhaled@thenational.ae

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

Fixtures

Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11

August 9

Liverpool v Norwich 11pm

August 10

West Ham v Man City 3.30pm

Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm

Burnley v Southampton 6pm

C Palace v Everton 6pm

Leicester v Wolves 6pm

Watford v Brighton 6pm

Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm

August 11

Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm

Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm

 

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

'Panga'

Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta

Rating: 3.5/5

MATCH INFO

Schalke 0

Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')

Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
​​​​​​​Princeton

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