Rookie Cam Newton, left, has helped renew Steve Smith's commitment in Carolina with the Panthers.
Rookie Cam Newton, left, has helped renew Steve Smith's commitment in Carolina with the Panthers.
Rookie Cam Newton, left, has helped renew Steve Smith's commitment in Carolina with the Panthers.
Rookie Cam Newton, left, has helped renew Steve Smith's commitment in Carolina with the Panthers.

Steve Smith has caught on again for the Carolina Panthers


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Late last season, Steve Smith, the Carolina Panthers wide receiver, dropped by the home of team owner Jerry Richardson with a request: Trade me.

The spirited Smith, a Panther since joining the league in 2001, had lost his fire. Carolina were bumbling to a 2-14 record. Just before the lockout kicked in, Smith cleaned out his stadium locker, which suggested that he had no intention or desire to return.

Then the Panthers executed a move that ultimately changed Smith's mindset. With the No 1 overall draft pick, they tapped quarterback Cam Newton.

After going into remission for two years, Smith, 32, has sipped from the fountain of youth, and he ranks ninth in receptions this season.

A cocky sort, which is a prerequisite for a 5ft 9ins receiver, Smith does not hesitate to credit Newton for his resurgence. The old man not only appreciates the kid's physical prowess but a like-minded impatience for losing.

Many veterans would recoil at a newbie fresh out of college defining his mission as changing a team's defeatist attitude.

Not Smith, who said, "It doesn't bother me at all. I'd rather have a guy who is upset that we lost - obviously, handling it the right way."

"I like a guy who has the desire not to win next year, but he wants to win immediately. I think we need more of that."

Though the Panthers will close out another losing season on Sunday at New Orleans, they belong in the conversation for most improved teams. The reason is Newton, for whom the NFL has been an advanced-placement course, its lessons absorbed more quickly than anyone imagined.

While the New Oreans Saints' Drew Brees will pad the league single-season yards passing record that he seized on Monday, Newton will add to his own record in the rookies-only category. This, on top of rushing for 14 touchdowns, a high-water mark for quarterbacks past and present at any level of experience. He is Michael Vick 2.0, except he can run over tacklers.

Newton's shortcomings are obvious. His high-risk throws have accounted for 16 interceptions. After losses, he tends to wrap a towel around his head and vent his disgust - a tendency that has prompted coach Ron Rivera to call him "Mr Mopeyhead".

Such irritableness does not bother Smith who, a year ago, had his bags packed to leave town.

Soon, because of the new pitch-and-catch partner, he will load up a suitcase for his fifth trip to the Pro Bowl.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Jordan cabinet changes

In

  • Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
  • Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
  • Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
  • Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
  • Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
  • Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
  • Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
  • Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
  • Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth

Out

  • Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
  • Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
  • Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
  • Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
  • Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
  • Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
  • Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
  • Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
  • Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
  • Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
  • Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
  • Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Day 1 results:

Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)

Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Manchester United v Club America

When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)

THE SPECS

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm

Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Top speed: 250kph

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: Dh146,999

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

SPECS
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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Rating: 4/5