In his weekly column for The National, Diego Forlan writes about Barcelona in the wake of their shocking 4-0 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, and a forlorn Lionel Messi from the match graces the Sport cover for the Friday, February 17, 2017 edition.
As Forlan writes, it would be unwise to count out Barcelona now:
“There should be no excuses. Barca were poor. None of them played well. They did not look like Barca. They were flat, though a little unlucky. That happens in football. No player or team play well every week, but please do not tell me that a team with all their amazing players are finished.
“Barca were not finished when Bayern Munich beat them 7-0 on aggregate to reach the final in 2013, though that too was a terrible result.
“They happen, football is cyclical yet while Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and both Milan clubs have had far bigger slumps in the past five years, Barca have been more consistent than any other team in league and European competition.”
Also in Friday’s edition:
• The hand ball that wasn't: Steve Luckings on needed replay changes
• Impressive 19-year-old: Al Wahda's young star scores twice
• UAE rugby: Harlequins women's side looks to add to trophy haul
Pick up a copy for more.
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How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
TRAP
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