As a spectacle, Saturday’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid had all the nail-biting highs and lows one has come to expect from a final – with perhaps one drama too many. Perhaps the defining moment of the tie was an injured Mohamed Salah walking down the tunnel just 30 minutes in, unable to suppress his tears. It followed a crunching tackle by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, which could have shattered Salah's chances of making June’s Fifa World Cup. The incident has sparked an online furore, with many speculating whether Ramos injured the talismanic Liverpool forward on purpose. While Ramos’s true intentions are as yet unproven, he is not helped by subsequent footage of him appearing to elbow Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius in the face. Within 24 hours, more than 100,000 people had signed a petition demanding the Real Madrid captain be punished for deliberately injuring Salah, perceived to be Liverpool’s best player.
Whether Ramos intended to take out Salah or not, the incident speaks to wider issues around fair play and sportsmanship. Cheating often spurs more discussion in football than goals. In the 2010 World Cup, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez stole a deserved victory from Ghana when he handballed on the line. Similarly, Diego Maradona’s infamous "hand of God" goal against England in 1986 has gone down in history. There is a fine line between dedication and misconduct in high-stakes games. But while players have a duty to do all they can to win matches for their supporters and coaches, it should never come at the expense of fair play. It behoves the bodies that govern football to stamp out cheating and ensure that fair play remains at the heart of competitive football.
Sport is a wonderful thing, capable of displaying the best of human endeavour and uniting people. At its finest, it is Gareth Bale’s gravity-defying bicycle kick on Saturday, one of the best ever Champions League final goals. At its worst, it is a concerted attempt to bend the rules to ensure victory. Today, as the dust settles, we wish Salah a smooth and speedy recovery.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
SPECS
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
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'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5