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CAIRO: Qatari, Egyptian and US leaders called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent talks on Aug. 15 either in Doha or Cairo to bridge all remaining gaps in the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement and start implementing it without any delay, the three countries said in a joint statement on Thursday.
“It is the time to conclude a ceasefire agreement and release hostages and prisoners,” the statement added.
ABU DHABI: Sharjah Warriorz secured a six-wicket victory over defending champions MI Emirates in the DP World ILT20 Eliminator on Thursday, setting up a clash with Desert Vipers for a place in the final against Dubai Capitals.
A blistering cameo from Tim Seifert (40 off 20 balls) and a disciplined bowling effort, led by Tim Southee, helped the Warriorz past MI Emirates’ modest total of 146 for eight at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The win ensures new champions will be crowned in the third season of ILT20 as both previous title holders have now been knocked out.
Chasing 147, Sharjah got off to a flying start, with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Johnson Charles racking up 23 runs in the first two overs.
Charles, who was in sublime form, struck 36 off 20 balls before falling to young UAE pacer Muhammad Rohid, who made an immediate impact with two crucial wickets in the 13th over.
Despite this setback, the Warriorz remained in control, thanks to Kohler-Cadmore’s steady knock (40 off 40) and Seifert’s late onslaught. The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter sealed the win in style, hammering 16 runs in the 19th over.
MI Emirates had earlier struggled to build momentum after losing Andre Fletcher in the opening over. Tom Banton (29) and Nicholas Pooran (42 off 19) provided some resistance, with Pooran becoming only the third batter to surpass 1,000 ILT20 runs.
However, disciplined spells from Dilshan Madushanka and Southee kept the Emirates in check, with the defending champions ultimately restricted to a below-par total.
Reflecting on the defeat, Pooran, the captain of MI Emirates, said: “We were below par; we put ourselves in a hole. It was difficult to defend on this surface where there wasn’t much assistance for the bowlers.
“Our bowlers tried very hard; credit must be given to them. They (Warriorz) took their chances. We didn’t have an answer for them. Congrats to them. You get what you deserve; we haven’t been consistent. Looking forward to next year.”
Player of the match Seifert praised his side’s efforts, and added: “(It’s) always nice to get to that winning position. Our bowlers did a great job. (There is a) big semifinal coming up. Hopefully we can make it to the final.”
Any restaurant claiming to provide the “best Thai food in Riyadh” should be ready to stand up to comparison.
Plucky The Villa, hyped-up Thai Soi, and well-loved Baan Thai are some contenders that might take issue with the declaration.
But Azian Hauz, whose social media accounts are emblazoned with the assertion of being No. 1, might turn out to be worthy competition.
A fairly unassuming exterior in the city’s Yarmuk district gives way to an airy, bright interior replete with what feels like a forest of admittedly artificial greenery.
While the service cannot be faulted, the uninspiring chicken satay did not get us off on the right foot.
The skewered meat lacked panache and the sauce was thinner than I would have preferred.
At the same time, our lumpia rolls delivered several satisfying crunches of flavor.
For the main course, a red curry lamb shank emerged, a delectable Thai take on a slow-cooked favorite.
But the absolute standout was my companion’s beef sisig. Admittedly not a Thai dish, this incredible concoction of Filipino origin alone makes the restaurant a must-visit.
The salty, sizzling, umami-laden plate was made complete tableside by an egg freshly cracked and stirred into the liver, steak and onions to create an almost transcendent course.
This was capped off by an obligatory round of mango sticky rice, which delivered everything that could be asked of it.
So, does Azian Hauz live up to its bold claim to serve the best Thai food in Riyadh?
I think more culinary research is required before a conclusion is drawn.
Nonetheless, the restaurant is a solid all-round choice with some outstanding areas and I would not hesitate to recommend it.
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain head into the Champions League knockout phase in rude health, with their crushing domination against domestic opposition making a Ligue 1 and French Cup double look highly likely and leaving them in a strong position to keep advancing in Europe.
Luis Enrique’s team head into Friday’s home clash with Monaco with a 10-point lead over Marseille at the top of Ligue 1, with the principality side a further three points behind in third.
Even a slip-up in that game against another of France’s Champions League representatives is unlikely to stop them in their procession toward a fourth straight league title, and their 11th in 13 seasons.
In midweek they eased to an uneventful 2-0 win away to third-tier Le Mans to secure a place in the French Cup quarter-finals.
The fact that almost all of their most serious rivals domestically have already been eliminated from that competition means it would be an enormous surprise if the Parisians did not now claim a record-extending 16th French Cup triumph.
PSG have not lost to French opponents in 27 games stretching back to last May, when they were beaten 3-1 at home by Toulouse having already secured the Ligue 1 title.
That is their only loss in their last 60 meetings with domestic opponents since September 2023, a record which speaks volumes for their absolutely enormous financial advantage over the rest of French football.
The Qatar-owned club’s revenue for 2024 of almost 806 million euros ($837m) put them third in the world, behind only Real Madrid and Manchester City, in analysts Deloitte’s recently published Football Money League.
The only other French clubs in the top 30 were Marseille and Lyon, whose combined revenue totalled 551 million euros.
Put simply, no wonder PSG’s French rivals cannot compete, and it does not augur well for Brest, who must now face Luis Enrique’s team in the knockout phase play-offs of the Champions League.
The first leg takes place in Brittany next Tuesday, with the return in Paris on Feb. 19.
Brest’s entire budget for this season is reported to be just under 50 million euros.
All of which means PSG should make it through to the last 16 in Europe, where either Liverpool or Barcelona await.
Meanwhile in Paris the possibility is already being raised of PSG going through the entire season without losing a game domestically.
“Records are not an objective for us,” said Luis Enrique on Friday when asked about the possibility of establishing that new record.
“What is important is to win titles. If those come with records, that is marvellous, but that is not the aim.”
The 27-year-old’s transformation from a devilish dribbler on the wing to lethal central striker has been remarkable.
The France international has scored 14 goals in his last nine appearances for PSG, going back to mid-December. Prior to that he had scored 11 times in 59 games for the capital club since arriving from Barcelona in 2023.
Dembele scored back-to-back hat-tricks against VfB Stuttgart, in the Champions League, and Brest before being rested for the win at Le Mans in midweek to keep him fresh for the coming games.
He became the first player in PSG history to score hat-tricks in successive matches — something the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Lionel Messi were all unable to achieve.
