Beyoncé has serenaded the United Nations. She performed her song I Was Here on Friday in the UN's General Assembly Hall in honour of World Humanitarian Day on August 19. A music video of the performance will debut the same day. Anderson Cooper hosted, saying with a laugh: "Is this what happens at the UN every Friday night?" – AP
Sean Penn in talks to direct memoir
Sean Penn is negotiating a return to the director's chair since his acclaimed 2007 drama Into the Wild. Variety magazine reports the actor is in talks to helm the Warner Bros film Crazy for the Storm, based on the 2009 bestseller by Norman Ollestad, who at age 11 was the sole survivor of a plane crash. Penn is planning only to direct, not star. The filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron was previously attached to the project. – AP
Crowe struggles to reach set of Noah
Russell Crowe had to climb mountains – literally – to reach the set of his new movie, Noah, based on the biblical story. The film is shooting in Iceland. "I'm living on a vast plain of volcanic ash in the lee of a volcanic glacier. The commute to work is a hike up a mountain," Crowe posted on Twitter. "Wind tears the volcanic desert, ash and sand arching in 40 foot waves across the plain." Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Noah co-stars Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson. – IANS
Cameron Diaz working on fitness book
Cameron Diaz's latest project is all about looking and feeling good: a book on health and wellness, currently untitled and scheduled for publication next year. According to her publisher HarperCollins, the book will offer advice on fitness, nutrition and general well-being. The publisher says Diaz hopes to "engage and empower" women. Diaz, who turns 40 this month, has spoken often about the importance of fitness and her "desire to share advice". – AP
Eminem thanks fans for help in dark times
Eminem, who has battled drug addiction, thanked fans at a New York concert on Thursday for helping him get through dark times. "I wouldn't have gotten out of that dark place without you all," he said, before performing his Grammy-winning song Not Afraid. Eminem, 39, said the performance was "dedicated to anybody who's been through personal struggles". His climb to sobriety is detailed in his 2010 album Recovery. It was the year's best-selling album. – AP
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
