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Salah expected to sign with Black Sea side after nine years at LiverpoolMohamed Salah arrived smiling at an Istanbul airport on Wednesday wearing Trabzonspor’s burgundy and blue kit ahead of his expected move to the Turkish top-tier side from Liverpool, as hundreds of fans jostled to get a glimpse of the Egyptian forward.Trabzonspor announced a day earlier they were in negotiations with Salah and club chairman Ertugrul Dogan said they expected to sign the 34-year-old on a free transfer at a ceremony in the Black Sea city on Thursday. “Trabzon, are you ready? I can hear you. See you very soon,” Salah said in a video posted by the club on X.”Everywhere is Trabzon to us,” he added while wearing a Trabzonspor kit, referring to the club’s motto. Upon arriving at Ataturk Airport, Salah was met by hundreds of fans. He waved at supporters and initiated a traditional chant with them, before departing for a medical check and a later planned flight east to Trabzon.Salah left Liverpool this summer after nine years, having scored 257 goals in 442 appearances and having won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once. In the 2024-25 season, Salah scored 29 Premier League goals and provided 18 assists, equalling the league record for most goal involvements in a single season and setting the record for a 38-game campaign.He was named Premier League Player of the Season and won the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award, becoming the first player to take all three in one campaign.His output waned last season, with seven goals and seven assists in 27 league matches and he was left on the bench in Champions League games, leading to a public spat with Liverpool’s then-manager Arne Slot.Salah started his career in Europe at Swiss side Basel in 2012 and later joined Chelsea. He also had brief stints at Fiorentina and AS Roma between 2015 and 2017 before joining Liverpool.Trabzonspor – generally considered to be the fourth biggest team in Turkey after Istanbul sides Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Besiktas – finished third in the Super Lig last season and will enter the Europa League playoff round. The club’s last league championship was in the 2021-22 season. Source link
The winners of the sixth lucky draw of Safari Hypermarket’s mega promotion “Shop and Drive – Win 30 Bestune Cars” have been selected.The draw was held on August 2 at Safari Hypermarket, Ezdan Mall, Al Gharafa, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Safari management.The winners are Monir Ahamad Manik (Coupon No: SDB600054373), Jaiprakash Yadav (Coupon No: SDB601241527), Bashar Hadad (Coupon No: SDB600391854), and Poovathoor Madhavan Anilkumar (Coupon No: SDB601126106).Through the e-raffle coupon issued for every purchase of QR50 from any Safari outlet, a total of 30 Bestune cars will be given away as prizes.Four Bestune cars are awarded in each draw, while Six Bestune cars will be awarded in the final draw.The “Shop and Drive” promotion is available at all Safari outlets.The seventh and final lucky draw of the promotion will be held at Safari Mall on September 13. Source link
Morocco had previously warned Spain that a recent Spanish court ruling that migrants arriving by sea would not face immediate removal was going to create “a problem,” a senior Moroccan official said. Last week, at least 50,000 people, mostly Moroccans, entered the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, on foot or by swimming from the nearby city of Fnideq.This unprecedented influx quickly overwhelmed the Spanish exclave in North Africa, before leading to thousands of returns to Morocco. Spain’s Supreme Court ruled on July 8 that migrants arriving by sea should not be returned as quickly as others and Madrid has blamed criminal gangs for spreading misinformation about the ruling.“We started engaging with the Spanish side around July 22-23, when the networks began talking about this,” the Moroccan senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday night. “We discussed this ruling and its impact. We explained that this ruling was going to create a problem. And it did create a problem,” he said.Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz rejected the claim. “At no point was there any evidence, any report that alerted us to the magnitude of this unprecedented event,” she told reporters in Madrid. The Moroccan official argued the large movement of people into Ceuta was not a failure of Morocco’s security apparatus.“It’s simplistic to say thatMorocco should just have used force to stop them. That is to completely misunderstand this phenomenon,” he said. “Could Spain, seeing them coming, have done something to stop them simply using weapons and security forces? That’s not possible.”“At a certain point, the Moroccan law enforcement forces could no longer confront the migrants because the numbers were very large,” and because “the pull effect was very strong,” he said. “It is not Morocco’s sole responsibility” to manage migration, he said, adding that the cost of migration management for the kingdom amounted to around 500mn euros per year.He nonetheless said that Rabat and Madrid had acted “as reliable partners” and continued to work “in perfect coordination” on migration issues. “Today, it is up to Spain to find answers to the challenges posed by this ruling,” he said. “Morocco’s commitment remains the same. It accepts the return of those who manage to cross. It puts in place preventive measures to stop as many departures as possible, and it will continue” to do so, he said.Saiz said Spain’s “exceptional response in such a short period of time” to the crisis would not have been possible without Morocco’s co-operation. Source link
Bangladesh warned the country’s media not to publicise the statements of exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who is due to give a virtual address today from India to mark the second anniversary of the uprising that ousted her. Hasina has remained in India since the student-led protests toppled her government in 2024. She was sentenced to death in 2025 for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on the demonstrations, a verdict she has dismissed as legally void. The 78-year-old is due to make her first public appearance, albeit by video link, since she fled Dhaka, at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi alongside her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and other speakers. Hasina’s aides have not shared details of the contents of her address, but the former premier told Reuters last month that she and party colleagues plan to return from exile around December and present themselves in court, a move that would test how Bangladesh’s new government handles its most prominent political opponent.T Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman warned Bangladeshi media yesterday that announcing or publicising Hasina’s planned speech would violate a December 2024 order by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal that prohibits media outlets and social media platforms from publishing or broadcasting Hasina’s speeches, statements, interviews, and audio or video messages. Hasina aide Abu Obaidha Arin said the event would go ahead, adding that Dhaka’s “efforts to silence dissent cannot extinguish voices” beyond the country’s borders.Bangladesh had asked New Delhi to clarify its stance on Hasina’s planned address, warning India that allowing political activities by a fugitive could hurt improving bilateral ties. Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said today’s event was being organised by a private media entity. “The government has no involvement whatsoever in it, neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” he told a regular media briefing.The fresh tension between the neighbours comes as Dhaka continues to seek Hasina’s extradition from India.Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Bangladesh had repeatedly conveyed its concerns to India over Hasina and other Awami League leaders making political statements from Indian soil. Source link
A fish farmer sets up shade cloths over his fish farm to protect the fish from intense sunlight amid a heatwave warning, at sea off Tongyeong,…
Business travel in the Gulf has become more intensive and rapid, with executives consolidating numerous meetings, site visits, and airport transfers within one working day. In this type of planning, ground transportation is the most underestimated variable by most organizations. The car that transports a visitor from the airport terminal to the boardroom is now part of the business travel itinerary rather than an afterthought, and how this is organized can determine if the day falls apart or works.With regards to the more affluent portion of that market, the calculation has gone beyond comfort. A late arrival can reset negotiations, and an unpredictable transfer can erase hours of preparation. The premium rental segment is increasingly being seen as an operational decision involving time, reputation and cost, rather than a voluntary luxury.The Arrival and What It SignalsMost of the business sectors in the Gulf have retained relationship-driven commerce, where first impressions hold economic significance long before the actual terms of business are discussed. The type of car that a visitor arrives in is interpreted either consciously or unconsciously as a reflection of their social status and level of earnestness. Therefore, driving an expensive car creates a sense of prestige before any conversation occurs, especially during the critical period when potential business partners assess each other.Fleet depth is what makes that judgement practical rather than cosmetic. Operators in the premium tier compete on range, and a company booking through Trinity Rental can select from a fleet of more than 80 cars, most of them under a year old and barely driven, with the latest 2024 models among them. A luxury sedan suits a quiet client dinner; an exotic model may be chosen for a product launch or a visiting VIP; a discreet executive car fits a regulatory meeting where restraint reads better than a statement. The aim is appropriateness, not display, and a wider fleet gives a traveller more room to get that call right.Time and Control on a Compressed ScheduleThe most obvious benefit of a premium car booked in advance is time control. Rideshares and street taxis add time-related variables that can’t be absorbed by a tight schedule: surge pricing during peak times, drivers who do not know the specific tower or the free-zone entrance, and unexpected long wait times. An unknown situation is handled by a pre-booked premium car.Several recurring points of friction disappear once the car is booked ahead: Airport pickups timed to the flight rather than to app availability, including after a delayed landing. One vehicle held for the full day, so there is no repeated hailing between appointments. Routing handled by a driver who already knows the district, its access gates and its parking. A price fixed at booking, which keeps a transfer from inflating during rush hour.An executive who needs to rent car in Dubai for a week of consecutive meetings sees that predictability as the difference between arriving calm and arriving embarrassed. The time savings at each transfer add up over the course of a trip. It may not always be listed in an expense report, but it determines how much work is actually completed. Working En Route with a Professional DriverThe subsequent level involves the activities taking place inside the vehicle once it is operational. In this context, a chauffeured arrangement turns travel duration into an opportunity for work, allowing an executive to attend to calls, go over paperwork, or prepare for the upcoming meeting instead of dealing with traffic. During an entire day of travel between different districts, these regained time spans accumulate to an addition of productive capacity instead of a loss of hours. There is also a dimension of confidentiality. An isolated cabin is a more private space than a public vehicle where a stranger could be listening to the conversation about the figures being discussed. Moreover, a driver who understands the flow of the city can predict and avoid congestion, thus the passenger can concentrate on the conversation instead of the driver. As such, booking a car with driver is more about scheduling than it is about luxury, and a professional driver can be supplied on request for this very purpose. The same booking can switch to self-drive in case the schedule becomes more relaxed, so a manager driving between day meetings is also able to take the wheel in the evening for some personal time. One booking indeed provides two different travel options without a second contract. Predictable Cost and Corporate Cash FlowThe cost of premium rentals is where they earn a place on the finance team’s ledger. With regard to executive travel, the common complaint is rarely about the headline rate. Instead, it is the underlying and ancillary costs, deposits, excess-mileage charges, insurance “add” fees, and tolls that only appear on the final invoice. Total charge transparency addresses those concerns and transforms a variable cost into a fixed cost.A client can rent without a deposit, which means the corporate card is never ring-fenced, and the balance remains usable for the business instead of being parked as a guarantee. What the daily rate from Trinity car rental already covers is set out plainly and not added later: Included in the daily rateTreatmentToll-road chargesCoveredVATCoveredDaily distance300 km before any extraInsuranceFull coverTwo more administrative details that close the gap even further are the fuel policy and payment options. Each vehicle is delivered with a full tank at no charge, removing a persistent reconciliation item at return. In regard to payment, invoices can be paid via cryptocurrency, Visa or Mastercard, and even cash (which accommodates both a company card and a principal who wishes to pay privately). For a finance function, this results in a ground-transport line that can be proactively forecasted instead of being reactively reconciled post-event.Flexibility Across a Multi-City Gulf ItineraryIt is uncommon for a regional trip to remain in a single location. An itinerary might open in Dubai, then move to Abu Dhabi for a government meeting, and then close with a private engagement somewhere else in the emirate, meaning that the transport must keep up with each leg. Delivery makes this possible; an executive will never be left behind between segments of a journey. This is because a vehicle is brought to the hotel forecourt, the head office, or the arrivals terminal.A dedicated manager makes those logistics a single point of contact. Changes in plans, earlier flights, additional stops and other changes that would normally require a new booking can all be managed via one message. Continuity is essential for a compressed schedule and this is the elite service level corporate travelers have come to expect. They do not want a transaction at every city, but instead a flexible arrangement that enables them to make changes as their plans shift. A Changing Default for Ground TransportWhat used to be considered an incidental cost is now budgeted with the same attention to detail as flights and accommodation. With the Gulf’s increasing competitive business environment and expanding calendar, a reserved, all-inclusive vehicle is quickly becoming the working automotive default, rather than the exception, for those traveling to negotiate and close deals. Source link
Unbeaten colt Alkrar maintained his perfect record with a determined victory in the Group 1 (PA) Al Rayyan Cup (Prix Kesberoy), while HM Alchahine produced a devastating late burst to land the Group 1 (PA) Doha Cup (Prix Manganate) during a stellar afternoon of Purebred Arabian racing at Deauville, France..Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) Chairman Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiya and QREC Board Member Khalifa bin Mohammed al-Attiyah presented the trophies for the two QREC-sponsored races.Alkrar, trained by Francois Rohaut, ridden by Christophe Soumillon and owned and bred by Al Wasmiyah Racing, claimed his first Group 1 (PA) success over 2,000m after edging Balsam by three-quarters of a length in the four-runner contest for three-year-old Purebred Arabians. Settled in third for much of the race, Alkrar moved alongside the leader approaching the home straight before finding extra under pressure to seal his third victory from as many starts. Zahim finished third.HM Alchahine then showcased his trademark finishing kick to claim the fourth Group 1 (PA) victory of his career in the 2,000m Doha Cup for four-year-olds and older.Trained by Mme Jean-François Bernard, ridden by Cristian Demuro and owned by Helal Alalawi, the six-year-old was held up at the rear before unleashing a powerful run down the outside in the straight.He swept past the field to beat Laffan by one and a half lengths, with early leader Romeo At holding on for third after setting the pace for much of the race. Source link
Iga Swiatek of Poland returns a shot to Sara Bejlek of Czechia during day three of the Toronto WTA 1000 in Toronto on Tuesday. (AFP) Former world number one Iga Swiatek survived some nervy moments to launch her US Open build-up with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Sara Bejlek in her second-round opener at the Toronto WTA 1000 on Tuesday.In her first match since her Wimbledon title defense ended with a third-round exit, Poland’s Swiatek was rolling through the first nine games, appearing in total control with a double-break for a 3-0 lead in the second.But her Czech opponent dug in, using off-speed balls and some well-judged volleys to disrupt Swiatek’s rhythm, winning two straight games before Swiatek pulled off a great escape – fending off nine break points in a 22-minute sixth game to hold serve for a 4-2 lead.”It was quite a weird game I’ve got to say,” Swiatek gold Tennis Channel. “Not easy to finish it. There was much more running, much more different change of rhythm and different solutions that we used during that game.”I felt like we both were kind of changing the rhythm and the pace all the time, so sometimes it was hard to adjust to it.”I’m happy that I stayed in the game and stayed solid because I felt at the end it got pretty physical.”Swiatek has slipped from third in the world at this time last year to her current eighth.Her Wimbledon disappointment came just four weeks after the four-time French Open champion bowed out in the last 16 at Roland Garros.In fact, Swiatek has yet to reach a Tour-level final this season and is hoping a late surge over the North American hard court campaign capped by the US Open will prevent her from finishing the calendar year without a title for the first time since 2020 – the year she won the first of her six Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros.She took some of the extra time after Wimbledon to work on technical aspects of her game, saying she’s been working on her rhythm and not rushing on the court.”I feel like for sure in practices I already have these new habits in me. Sometimes during the match you’ve just got to focus even more to not let these old patterns come back.”World number one Aryna Sabalenka was due to open her campaign on Tuesday night with a second-round clash against Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima.Sabalenka is also looking to bounce back on the hard courts of North America after falling in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.The Belarusian star has dominated on the surface this year, winning 23 of her 24 matches on hard courts — the lone defeat her loss to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.In other early matches, ninth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina rallied from a set and a break down to beat Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.Ukraine’s French Open finalist Marta Kostyuk was also in action, taking on Canadian wild card Katherine Sebov. …
World number 10 Taylor Fritz held off 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 on Monday to claim his first ATP title of 2026 in the rain-delayed final at Washington.Fritz, seeded third in the 500-level hard court tournament, needed five match points to subdue the 24th-ranked teen and capture his 11th title, and his first since Eastbourne last year.After seizing control in the first-set tiebreaker, Fritz roared to a 3-0 lead with a pair of service breaks in the second.He gave back a break in the fourth game with a double fault on break point, and Jodar climbed out of a 0-30 hole to hold serve and narrow the gap to 3-2.But Jodar couldn't find another break. He held for 5-4 to force Fritz to serve it out, the American's chance delayed just slightly as Jodar had treatment on his left wrist after taking a tumble in the ninth game.The final game was a slugfest. Fritz squandered a pair of match points at 40-15 and gave himself another with a booming forehand.Jodar fought off two more match points before earning a break point that Fritz saved with another forehand winner.Fritz finally got the job done after one hour and 49 minutes, Jodar misfiring on a pair of forehands to bring it to a close.Fritz, who was playing his third final of the season, collapsed to the court when it was done before rising to salute the crowd.’It was just relief, like thank God I got it done,’ Fritz said of his reaction to sealing the win. ‘It wasn't so much as like a celebration, just thank God I'm done. I can just lay down for a second.’Fritz said wind contributed to errors from both players in the tight first set.’It was very windy in the beginning. I felt like it was very hard to control the ball,’ he said. ‘There was a lot of errors and mistakes early on, but I did a great job of just serving well the whole first set.’Even though I maybe wasn't playing amazing, I still was holding and being in the match.’I felt like I reeled it together really nicely in the tiebreaker. It was one of the better tiebreakers I have played in a while.’I think I made all my first serves and put returns in the court. Just a very, very good breaker.’Then I followed up, I played two very good return games to start the second set. That gave me the lead that I needed that I could hold onto for the match.’The contest was postponed from Sunday after heavy rain halted the WTA final between Jessica Pegula and Alexandra Eala.Jodar missed out on a second ATP title, after winning in Morocco in April. But by reaching the final he's assured of reaching a career-high 15th in the rankings.’It was a great tournament,’ Jodar said. ‘I think overall I played great matches against tough opponents. I'll take all the learning from this week to try to add it to the next week.’ Source link
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines shakes hands with Naomi Osaka of Japan after their Washington Open match in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2026. (AFP) Naomi Osaka is hoping her success last year in Montreal, where she finished runner-up to Victoria Mboko, will translate as the WTA’s 1000 event in Canada shifts to Toronto.The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan is coming off a semi-final run on the hard courts of Washington, where she fell to eventual champion Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.”I did better than last year in DC, so I’m just hoping to keep the ball rolling,” Osaka said.”I haven’t historically played super, super well here, so I’m just hoping to change that this year.”I can try to recall Montreal, but I would like to kind of treat the cities separately,” added Osaka, whose best run in Toronto – which alternates hosting duties with Montreal each year – was a quarter-final appearance back in 2019.The former world number one is seeded 11th this year and aiming to build momentum as the August 31 start of the US Open approaches.Osaka earned the last of her four major titles at the 2021 Australian Open and has yet to regain the heights she reached before taking an extended maternity leave in 2023.But she made it to the US Open semi-finals last year and reached the last 16 at the French Open for the first time this year before a career-best quarter-final at Wimbledon.”I would just hope to gain a lot of confidence leading into New York,” she said.”I lost my last match, but it’s helped me figure out what I want to do exactly, or how I want to take my tennis.”Osaka is in the same quarter as second-seeded Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina and in the fourth round she could find herself up against fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.Andreeva, who suffered a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon, will face a tricky opening match against former world number one Karolina Pliskova, who beat Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-4, 6-4 on Monday.Osaka will open against Hungary’s Panna Uvardy, who was up 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-0 against Eva Lys when the German retired because of injury in a match in which she led the second set 5-2.It was a jam-packed schedule on the second day of first-round play.Among the winners, Poland’s Magdalena Frech defeated France’s Leolia Jeanjean 7-5, 6-3 to line up a meeting with third-seeded two-time champion Jessica Pegula.Pegula beat Frech last week on the way to the final in Washington, where the American fell to Eala in the rain-delayed title match on Monday.In other early matches, American Kayla Day beat Diane Parry of France 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to book a clash with fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.World number one Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed in the tournament.After disappointing runs at the French Open and Wimbledon the Belarusian is aiming to reassert her dominance on hard courts, where her lone defeat this year was to Rybakina in the Australian Open final. …