England
England’s Football Association chairman Greg Dyke on Wednesday questioned whether Fifa’s presidential election should proceed following the arrests of seven of the world governing body’s top officials in a corruption probe.
Fifa has said that Friday’s election, when Prince Ali bin Al Hussein challenges incumbent Sepp Blatter, will go ahead despite the arrests and a separate investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
“As one of the associations who nominated Prince Ali, it will not surprise you to learn that if the election for president goes ahead, the FA will be voting for him,” Dyke said in a statement on the FA website.
“However, there must be a question mark over whether the election should take place in these circumstances.
“Clearly things are changing very quickly and our delegation to the Fifa congress in Zurich, which I am leading, will discuss the position and what we should do about it with our colleagues in Uefa when we meet tomorrow (Thursday) morning.”
Dyke, a vocal critic of 79-year-old Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term in office, described the day’s events as “very serious for Fifa and its current leadership”.
The seven Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich after the US Department of Justice issued an indictment charging 14 people with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies over a 24-year period.
The seven people, including Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb, now face extradition to the United States.
Swiss police also seized documents and electronic data after raiding Fifa’s Zurich headquarters as part of a probe into bribery allegations regarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.
Uefa
Uefa chief Michel Platini said Wednesday in Warsaw the European organisation’s executive committee would meet in the afternoon amid corruption allegations against high-ranking Fifa officials.
“Our executive committee meets this afternoon and tomorrow there is a meeting of all the national associations so there’s nothing else to say until tomorrow morning or this evening,” Platini told AFP.
Europe’s top footballing body said it was “surprised and saddened by the events that occurred this morning in Zurich” in a separate statement.
Uefa also said it was “waiting for more complete information”, adding that “other statements will be made at the appropriate time”.
Its executive committee would meet in Warsaw later Wednesday before the Europa League final.
Swiss authorities on Wednesday said a seventh top football official was arrested following a US request in a corruption probe into bribe taking for sports contracts.
Swiss officials also announced earlier their own criminal proceedings being launched into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes.
Sepp Blatter
Fifa says it welcomes the indictment of several key officials and the criminal proceedings into World Cup voting because it shows corruption is being eradicated from world football.
Speaking hours after the arrests, Fifa spokesman Walter de Gregorio said the governing body “initiated this process” by lodging a legal complaint with Swiss authorities last year.
De Gregorio says Fifa is the “damaged party” and the action by authorities in the US and Switzerland “can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football”.
De Gregorio said Fifa president Sepp Blatter “is not involved” and also ruled out a revote of the 2010 decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.
But De Gregorio says “I don’t go into speculation what will happen tomorrow.”
Russia
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko tells The Associated Press “we’ve got nothing to hide” after Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into Fifa’s awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Speaking by telephone from Zurich, Mutko says “we’re prepared to show everything” to investigators.
Swiss authorities say they are investigating the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. In a separate US investigation, 14 people were indicted on corruption charges and seven of them were arrested in Zurich.
Mutko, who played a leading role in Russia’s bid, says his country welcomes the investigation.
Mutko and 2018 organizing committee head Alexei Sorokin both told the AP they had not been contacted by investigators.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
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
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)