After 18 months off, fashion’s biggest event finally returned on Monday and, as always, the Met Gala brought with it plenty of fashion division.
Twitter went into overdrive as the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for the event, which was moved from its usual spot on the second Monday in May to the second Monday in September because of the pandemic.
This year’s theme, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, was interpreted in many different ways by the gala’s guests, and some of the looks left bystanders scratching their heads.
Unsurprisingly, Kardashian’s look proved the biggest talking point, as the star chose a skin-tight black mini dress by Balenciaga, which featured attached tights that covered her entire body, including her hands, feet and face.
The outfit raised more than a few eyebrows.
“Ok. So Kim K decided to go to the #MetGala2021 as the dementor from Harry Potter,” wrote one social media user.
Others felt the look was inspired by Kardashian's estranged husband Kanye West, who is known for his out-there fashion choices.
Many of Billie Eilish's fans were thrilled to see the singer attend her first Met Gala, especially as she channelled her inner Marilyn Monroe for the occasion.
"Billie Eilish looks like a princess", wrote one Twitter user.
Another said: "We can all agree that Billie Eilish saved the Met Gala this year."
Politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also made her Met Gala debut, and she used it to send a clear message. Across the back of her ivory satin gown by Brother Vellies, the words "tax the rich" were splashed in red paint.
While some appreciated the sentiment, others thought the statement was ironic.
"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attending the $35,000-a-ticket #MetGala in a Brother Vellies gown blaring "Tax the Rich" is a complicated proposition," wrote fashion editor Vanessa Friedman.
Another Twitter user wrote: "If AOC cared about taxing the rich she would have protested the Met Gala, instead she joined the party."
However, others were supportive.
People were also confused by Frank Ocean's return to the Met Gala red carpet, for which he brought along a mannequin of a green baby.
And finally, Lil Nas X's extreme gold cape caught the attention of meme makers, who likened it to a blanket they would likely find at their grandmother's house.
Things then went into overdrive when he removed the cape to reveal a full gold robotic suit.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
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As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
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Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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