Latest updates: Follow our full coverage on the US election
With the death toll in Gaza rising and Israel's invasion of Lebanon intensifying, it was not a difficult decision for the Abandon Harris movement to endorse Green Party presidential candidate Dr Jill Stein.
“Again and again, there has been silence from the Biden administration,” Hassan Abdel Salam, the director and co-founder of Abandon Harris, told a recent press conference in Dearborn as he introduced Dr Stein. “We have with us a leader, a person of truth, a partner in truth and conscience.”
The move could have a significant impact on the US presidential election. It’s here in Dearborn, and in other Michigan cities – home to more than 300,000 Arab Americans – where the presidential election could be won or lost. President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by 155,000 votes in 2020 with a significant number of those coming from Arab and Muslim Americans.
In Dearborn, the 2020 Biden-Harris ticket beat Trump by 17,500 votes. In Hamtramck, a city of 28,000 people of whom around 60 per cent are Muslim or Arab Americans, Mr Biden won 86 per cent of the vote four years ago. That city's Muslim mayor has now endorsed Mr Trump.
Further north of Detroit, in Oakland county, where around 65,000 Arab Americans live, Mr Biden beat Mr Trump by more than 100,000 votes in 2020.
While most national polls show around one per cent of voters likely to back Dr Stein, in Michigan that number doubles. The difference may appear negligible but in a state where only a few thousand votes could decide the winner, it poses a serious problem for the Democratic Party candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We have a whole campaign of flyering, door knocking and phone banking, and we’re targeting people (across the state),” Mr Salam said. “We feel if we get 70,000 voters to vote against the Vice President, we will definitely be victorious in Michigan.”
The endorsement is a significant boost for Dr Stein.
“You serve as the conscience of the nation, demanding an end to genocide in Gaza being perpetrated in our name with our tax dollars,” she told the audience. “Abandon Harris is a moral compass for a nation that is lost at sea. You have given new life to our ailing democracy.”
For Huda Al Qouqa, whose family were displaced from Silat Ad Dhahr in what is now the occupied West Bank during the Nakba in 1948, last week's press conference was the first time she felt the need to attend an Abandon Harris event.
She said her son-in-law’s family is all in Gaza. “His cousins, his uncles all died. It doesn’t matter who you are – doctors, reporters; it’s really devastating,” she said.
The Dearborn resident said that seeing the news headlines focus on hurricanes while dozens of people were being killed in Gaza and Lebanon prompted her to get out and take part in the Abandon Harris protests.
“We need to encourage the third party more,” she said. “In the end, this is our country.”
Mr Abdel Salam said part of his motivation for advocating against Ms Harris springs from seeing first-hand how Palestinians are treated by Israel. He was detained and interrogated by Israeli police following his involvement in a pro-Palestine protest in Jerusalem in 2022.
Asked whether the Abandon Harris campaign may end up handing the White House to Mr Trump, who has claimed to be one of Israel’s biggest supporters and under whose previous administration restricted travel for several Muslim-majority countries in 2017, Mr Abdel Salam said there is a big difference between preventing people from travelling on one hand, and killing them on the other.
“Mr Trump … is a despicable candidate, an insurrectionist, a racist who spews perpetual racism,” he said. “But a lot of folks in the community now are completely persuaded that this is the only option.”
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
