Judging by the unprecedented number of early voters, millions of Americans share former president Barack Obama's assessment that the character of their nation is on the ballot in today's midterm elections. Donald Trump has catered to an apparently deep-seated American need for scapegoats by repeatedly demonising immigrants, minorities and the media. Unsurprisingly, the president has spent much of his time in the run-up to the midterms focusing on the "invasion" of central American refugees making their way towards the US. Never one to undersell a scare story, Mr Trump has deployed 5,000 troops on the border to roll out "beautiful" barbed wire in a blatant stunt. Among the "bad hombres" heading north, he has suggested, might be found "many criminals" and – a new low for fake news, for which Trump freely admits he has no evidence – "unknown Middle Easterners".
As Mr Obama told voters in Indiana on Sunday, when politicians are "shamelessly lying", democracy has gone off the rails. But there are some bright lights flickering. The Trump era has galvanised minorities to step forward, as voters and candidates, to place their faith in equality of opportunity and the democratic process. Today, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both part of a surge of minority candidates generated in response to Mr Trump's rhetoric, are almost certain to become the first Muslim women elected to the House of Representatives.
Under Mr Trump, America seems to be in danger of forgetting that its very roots are in immigration. In February, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services altered its mission statement, from fulfilling “America’s promise as a nation of immigrants” – broadly well-meaning words that do, however, gloss over the existence of the country’s indigenous population – to “fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland and honouring our values”.
The question now is whether those values remain true to the generosity of spirit symbolised by the Statue of Liberty, or whether the most divisive presidency in recent history has extinguished the flame that once welcomed the world’s “poor [and] huddled masses yearning to breathe free”.
By the time the polls close, it will be clear whether these elections have resulted in a vote of confidence in Mr Trump’s bombast or the values that truly made America great.
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%20Profile
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GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
