Bojan Krkic is nearing a return to action after injury curtailed his debut season for Stoke City. Rui Vieira / AP Photo
Bojan Krkic is nearing a return to action after injury curtailed his debut season for Stoke City. Rui Vieira / AP Photo

Krkic poised to make Stoke City return; Ibrahimovic keen on MLS



 Stoke City

Bojan Krkic will make his return from injury in Stoke’s preseason friendly against Brentford on Saturday. The 24-year-old former Barcelona playmaker was one of Stoke’s stand-out players until injuring his cruciate ligaments at Rochdale in the FA Cup in January. The Spaniard is now close to fitness, though, and will face Brentford along with captain Ryan Shawcross, who has had a back problem. “I don’t know what the manager’s team is at the moment, but it is extremely likely that they will get some valuable playing time,” Stoke assistant Mark Bowen said.

 United States

Zlatan Ibrahimovic would like a move to Major League Soccer before he ends his career. The Paris Saint-Germain striker, 33, is in the United States with his club on a preseason tour and says the thought of playing in America is an idea he likes. “I would like to play in the US, absolutely,” Ibrahimovic said. “I think (playing in MLS) would be an amazing experience. I see that soccer is growing a lot in the US. I was here 10 years ago and soccer was not on the level that it is today, but it’s growing. It’s growing in the right direction and I want it to be on the level of Europe. It will come here.”

 Fifa

Jerome Valcke expects to leave his job as Fifa secretary general after Sepp Blatter’s successor is elected. Valcke said it is not because he is responsible for any wrongdoing in the crisis that has shaken the governing body. Valcke has served for eight years as the top administrator at Fifa, which is at the centre of criminal investigations by American and Swiss authorities. “Whoever becomes the Fifa president should have a new secretary general because it’s the most important relationship for the organisation,” Valcke said.

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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.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Types of policy

Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.

Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.

Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.

Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.

Family reunited

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.

She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.

She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.

The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.

She was held in her native country a year later.

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BORDERLANDS

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Director: Eli Roth

Rating: 0/5

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Profile

Company name: Jaib

Started: January 2018

Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour

Based: Jordan

Sector: FinTech

Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018

Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups

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COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Letstango.com

Started: June 2013

Founder: Alex Tchablakian

Based: Dubai

Industry: e-commerce

Initial investment: Dh10 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month

The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia

When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start

Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1

Tickets: Admission is free

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle


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