If Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan is to beat Michel Platini in the race to succeed Sepp Blatter as Fifa president he knows he will have to be prepared to fight for the job – and all the indications are that he has taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
In May, Prince Ali politely – some might say meekly – conceded after winning 73 of the 209 votes available in the first round, allowing Blatter to secure a fifth term.
It was a thoughtful gesture from the 39-year-old Jordanian, saving his allies from the very public act of defying Blatter for the second time in a day at the ballot box.
That election was simply about whether Fifa’s congress was ready to ditch Blatter – something that never looked likely.
This time there will be very a different question facing delegates – who do they want to lead the reforms of Fifa and re-shape the organisation as it looks to leave its corruption crises behind?
As it stands, if Ali is to win, he has to persuade Fifa’s voters that not only is he a credible figure but he has to turn them away from current front-runner Platini, the Uefa president.
It is a task that looks extremely difficult for the Jordanian. The bulk of his 73 votes in May came from Europe, but with Platini standing, that electoral constituency has slipped away from him.
“I was not brought up to walk away in the face of a tough fight. Nor have I been brought up to walk away from what I believe in or take the easy way out,” Ali said as he announced his candidature on Wednesday.
It was a speech that, tellingly, was liberally laced with tough talk – in what was a clear effort to send the message that no punches will be pulled in the fight with Platini.
“I had the courage to fight for change when others were afraid. They didn’t have the guts to run, but I did,” said Ali, when referring to May’s vote, one of several not so disguised digs at Platini.
“We all face daily burdens. We must all overcome difficult challenges. Be it the fight to feed our families or the fight to stand up for what we believe in,” he added.
A wrestler in his youth, Ali spent part of his education at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and served in the Jordanian special forces where he practised free-fall parachute.
But what is firing him up for battle in this campaign is clearly a sense of having been betrayed by Platini.
During an interview at the Soccerex global convention in Manchester on Monday, Ali was careful not to make any personal attacks on Platini, focusing instead on labelling him a “protege” of Blatter.
When launching his campaign speech, however, he made it clear that he feels he was manipulated by Platini.
“I conceded that election not because I was not the best candidate, but because others were using me to make room for themselves,” Prince Ali said.
“Ever since President Blatter promised his resignation just a few days later, they have been scrambling to secure the job for themselves,” he added.
“I will not be a pawn for others. I cannot leave the field that I have cleared, only to allow a flawed system to continue.
“I am my own man, with my own beliefs. They are beliefs formed from my own experiences. I am free of influence and free of manipulation.”
It was impressive rhetoric which at the very least raised the prospect of a genuine battle for votes in Fifa – as opposed to the previous electoral practices which relied on deal-making behind closed doors, rather than public debate.
But with the leaders of his own Asian Football Confederation having thrown their weight behind the former France international, the odds are certainly stacked against the Jordanian.
He needs to persuade national associations in Asia to ignore their leader’s wishes and to get the former Blatter loyalists in Africa and the Caribbean to back a man who a few months ago was standing against their candidate.
Ali may have been the stalking horse, used to challenge and ultimately weaken Blatter’s power-base.
But now he needs to prove that he is the thoroughbred that can take Fifa over the many hurdles that it faces.
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to help or find other cats to adopt
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
