It's the first major event to happen with a red carpet and A-list attendees arriving in person, not just via Zoom, so the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards were always going to have an impact.
Despite being scaled back, this year's ceremony was not just about viral moments and wild red-carpet choices; there were clear themes of politics and racial justice throughout the evening.
Lady Gaga was the big winner on the night at the New York City awards. She took home three awards: Artist of the Year, as well as Song of the Year and Collaboration of the Year, both for Rain on Me, her duet with Ariana Grande.
"This has not been an easy year for a lot of people, but what I see in the world is a massive triumph of courage," Gaga said on stage as she accepted an award.
"Stay safe. Speak your mind and, I might sound like a broken record, but wear a mask. It's a sign of respect."
There was a sombre feeling to the night, too, with a stirring tribute to Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther actor who recently died of colon cancer. Host Keke Palmer, known for her role in last year's film Hustlers, opened the show with an emotional homage to the actor.
"We dedicate tonight's show to a man whose spirit touched so many," she said of the performer who portrayed James Brown and Jackie Robinson in biopics, and was the first black superhero in Black Panther.
Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd, whose wins included the coveted Video of the Year award, then launched into a performance of the hit Blinding Lights atop a viewing deck protruding from a Manhattan skyscraper, 1,000 feet in the air.
"It's really hard for me to celebrate right now," he said in accepting his moon man trophy for Best R&B.
"I'm just going to say justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor," he continued, referring to recent black victims of police violence.
It was one of many nods to the Black Lives Matter movement on the night, acknowledging a year that has featured months of anti-racism protests.
The coming US election was also a theme throughout the night. Several stars encouraged voting during the show where the Joe Biden campaign bought a number of advertisements.
The show featured sweeping pans of New York, a city devastated in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and that originally was meant to host the VMAs at Brooklyn's Barclays Centre.
In addition to the Empire State Building, performances were also held at the waterfront Skyline Drive-in theatre, with an audience watching from their cars.
Performers and crew at this year's VMAs were exempt from New York's statewide mandatory two-week quarantine imposed on travellers coming from areas with high rates of Covid-19.
The state's Department of Health said those involved with the show were required to quarantine when not working and submit to "rigorous testing".
This year's awards included new trophies recognising the tumultuous year in music, with the pandemic halting tours and festivals worldwide in a devastating blow to the industry.
The show also honoured healthcare workers with a tribute to doctors and nurses singing and dancing in crowd-sourced videos.
In a sign of the times, Grande and fellow pop star Justin Bieber won Best Music Video From Home for Stuck With U, while Latin boy band CNCO won Best Quarantine Performance for Unplugged At Home.
And while American pop regulars including Gaga, Grande and Taylor Swift all took home trophies, they were upset in their genre's primary category by Korean megastars BTS, which won Best Pop for On.
The group held a green-screen performance that placed them in front of the Brooklyn Bridge in a shot recalling the classic film Once Upon a Time in America.
Miley Cyrus, meanwhile, performed Midnight Sky while swinging on a disco ball, recalling her Wrecking Ball music video.
Colombian singer Maluma won Best Latin for Que Pena featuring J Balvin, as R&B prodigy Her won MTV's Video For Good, which honours work with a social message, for I Can't Breathe.
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion won Best Hip Hop for Savage.
The 2020 MTV Video Music Award winners:
Video of the Year: The Weeknd, Blinding Lights
Artist of the Year: Lady Gaga
Song of the Year: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, Rain On Me
Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, Rain On Me
Best K-pop: BTS, On
Push Best New Artist: Doja Cat
Best Pop: BTS, On
Best B&B: The Weeknd, Blinding Lights
Best Hip Hop: Megan Thee Stallion, Savage
Best Music Video From Home: Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, Stuck with U
Best Quarantine Performance: CNCO, Unplugged At Home
Additional reporting by Reuters
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The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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Power: 134bhp
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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Company%20profile
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
