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West Ham consider listening to offers for Parker and Green



West Ham United are considering offloading Scott Parker and Robert Green to fund a survival sortie into the market before the transfer window closes next week. After slumping to a 3-1 defeat at home to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday in the wake of their 3-0 opening day defeat at Aston Villa, alarm bells are already ringing in the ears of David Sullivan and David Gold, the east London club's joint owners.

During the close season Sullivan vowed that Parker, the club captain, was the one player who would not be up for sale. But, contrary to some reports last week, Parker has yet to put pen to paper to the offer of a new contract. Sullivan has maintained the former Chelsea and Newcastle United player is still not for sale. But given that Parker is well aware Tottenham Hotspur still want to sign him, he is resisting committing himself to a new long-term deal with the east-end club.

It is understood from sources close to the 29-year-old that he feels he cannot afford to miss out on the prospect of playing Champions League football with Tottenham this season which would enhance his prospects of forcing his way back into the England squad. He fears any chances of England recognition could be ruined if West Ham endure another season of survival struggle so would jump at the chance of moving to White Hart Lane.

Parker was called up into England's 30-man pre-World Cup squad, but missed the cut because Fabio Capello, the manager, felt he lacked the sort of big match international experience players get from playing in the Champions League. Spurs are expected to make a new bid for Parker this week but are unlikely to meet West Ham's £10 million (Dh56.9m) valuation. A previous offer of £5m was rejected six weeks ago.

However, given that it is clear the West Ham squad needs bolstering if they are to avoid a repeat of last season's long battle against relegation, the club's owners could now be prepared to do business, particularly if it means they could take Robbie Keane, the Tottenham striker, to boost their limited goalscoring options. The club could also be willing to sell Green, the dethroned England goalkeeper, to generate further funds.

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, is ready to offload Keane in order to accommodate Luis Fabiano, the Brazil striker who is on offer from Spanish club Sevilla. The Irishman could be presented in part exchange for Parker or even farmed out to the Hammers on loan. Keane, though, may be reluctant to move to West Ham preferring a transfer to Aston Villa, Sunderland or Celtic, all of whom are reportedly interested in his services.

In that case, should West Ham move Parker on, they may look to take Manchester City's Roque Santa Cruz on loan, providing City part funded the Paraguay striker's wages. West Ham would also try and take Nigel Reo-Coker, their former captain, back from Aston Villa to fill the hole left by Parker, especially as Valom Behrami, another midfielder, could move to Italian club Roma this week. Sullivan and Gold are due to have meetings later this week with Avram Grant, the manager, to discuss possible targets to provide a much-needed fillip to the squad.

Given that their next Premier League games are against Manchester United and Chelsea, Sullivan, who has promised the fans that the new season will be much better than last now he and Gold are in charge, suddenly fears the Hammers will be rock bottom with no points when the transfer window closes at the end of the month unless they act quickly. sports@thenational.ae

Company%20profile
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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback

Price, base: Dh315,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)

Engine 5.2-litre V10

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch

Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm

Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est) 

SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year

Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.

As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.

Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.

Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.

Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."

Company%20Profile
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The bio:

Favourite holiday destination: I really enjoyed Sri Lanka and Vietnam but my dream destination is the Maldives.

Favourite food: My mum’s Chinese cooking.

Favourite film: Robocop, followed by The Terminator.

Hobbies: Off-roading, scuba diving, playing squash and going to the gym.

 

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.


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