As the curtain came up on a revamped 32-team Fifa Club World Cup in Miami on Saturday night, there was no doubting who the 60,927 fans at the Hard Rock Stadium had come to watch.
Such was the sea of No10 shirts filing in to observe Inter Miami’s stalemate with Egypt’s Al Ahly, you could have been forgiven for thinking it was a testimonial rather than the opening match of a global football showpiece.
At times in the build-up to the month-long tournament, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi’s involvement had seemed to be as essential to the event’s success on American soil as the round object with which the game is played.
Inter Miami are, after all, not MLS Cup champions, but rather here as hosts and recipients of the MLS Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular season record.
The fans at least got what they came for – kind of.
Yes, they were treated to a standout performance from a veteran Argentine playing for the pink-jerseyed home side. Yet, it was not Miami captain Messi but rather his 38-year-old compatriot, Oscar Ustari, the second-choice goalkeeper and one-time Sunderland stopper, who took home the man of the match award.
One of five Argentines in the Miami starting line-up, Ustari was considerably busier than his more famous compatriot during a first half that could have seen the Egyptian giants run away with the tie before the smoke from the opening ceremony’s fireworks had even cleared.
As early as the sixth minute, Ahly – making their 10th Club World Cup appearance – should have gone ahead when striker Wessam Abou Ali found himself one-on-one only to see Ustari smother his tame finish. Three minutes later, an excellent first touch from Trezeguet led to another Ahly attack, this time the goalkeeper getting down well from top scorer Emam Ashour, who went off in tears soon after holding his shoulder.
Ashou was replaced by Zizo, making his debut after becoming the first player since 2013 to cross Cairo from arch rivals Zamalek.
And he almost had an instant impact when his through-ball to Abou Ali led to the Palestinian forward successfully finding Ustari’s net. This time, Ahly were foiled by an offside flag.
The 45-time Egyptian champions’ attacks might have been proving unsuccessful, but Miami and coach Javier Mascherano must have known they were riding their luck.
Tomas Aviles proved himself the luckiest man in the Hard Rock – yes, even more fortunate than the few fans who managed to snare a pre-match selfie with their idol Messi – when he took out Trezeguet while carrying a yellow card yet was allowed to stay on the field.
Referee Alireza Faghani, as if seeking balance after his show of leniency, deemed Maximiliano Falcon to have bundled over Zizo in the box when contact looked minimal.
Trezeguet took the spot-kick, but Ustari once more was too quick, diving to his right with all the speed of the giant herons that soar and plunge along the beaches of the Sunshine State.
“We had a really good chance to win today,” said midfielder Taher Mohamed. “We missed a lot of chances, so I feel like we need to focus on our finishing because in a big tournament like this, if you don’t take your chances, it’s going to be too late.
“Of course, Messi is a big player – the best player in the world – so it’s a pleasure to play against him. It was a big chance to win today, but I feel even the way we played, being so dominant, we were able to send a good message.”
The second half was a more balanced affair with Messi finding little pockets of space and finally forcing the opposition goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into action.
Argentina’s ageing magician, returning to Fifa’s global stage for the first time since winning the World Cup three years ago in Qatar, had the vocal crowd on their feet on the hour when his curling free-kick thundered past the wrong side of the post.
And he came closer still. A 97th minute curling cross was preparing to nestle in the top corner only for El Shenawy to tip it on to the crossbar. It would prove the final notable moment of an uncharacteristically action-packed stalemate.
“Of course, I am sad after we had so many chances in the first half,” said Abou Ali. “We missed a lot of chances, including a penalty, but that’s football.
"We need to prepare now, study our next opponent, and get ready to go again. Next game we need the three points.”
Despite having to settle for a point, Mascherano heaped praise on the commitment of Messi after the game.
“It’s admirable how much love Messi has for the game,” said the Argentine of his Barcelona old teammate. “After all the matches he’s played, he’s still here, giving his all.
“Of course, we wanted to win, but I’m happy with the team’s performance today. Clearly, when we find Leo in positions and get the ball to him in the best way, that’s where we have the most options.”
Al Ahly face Brazil’s Palmeiras on Thursday, while Messi, Ustari, and Co take on Porto later that day.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
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.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
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Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
The view from The National
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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
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Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
EXPATS
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The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Bournemouth 0
Manchester United 2
Smalling (28'), Lukaku (70')
