Republicans made the case for President Donald Trump to be re-elected in November in the Republican National Convention on Monday night.
The party made pointed attacks against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, warning of a grim future under his leadership.
Unlike the Democratic Party's convention, which was held entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Republicans opted for a mix of video remarks and actual events.
On Monday, 336 Republican delegates met in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they officially nominated Mr Trump to serve on the ballot in November. The delegates attending the event, many unmasked, were tested for coronavirus before arriving at the convention centre.
“The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election,” Mr Trump told the hundreds of delegates, repeating an unsupported claim that the Democrats are involved in a "post office scam". Mr Trump has admitted to withholding funding for the US Postal Service during a time when many Americans are hoping to vote by mail in order to avoid crowded polling stations.
At the weekend, the Democratic-led House of Representatives approved legislation that would reverse recent changes in postal operations and send $25 billion (Dh91 billion) to shore up the agency before the November election, but the White House has said Mr Trump would veto it.
The Republican Party kicked off their convention with a video praising Mr Trump for his handling of the pandemic, after Democrats spent much of their convention attacking his administration for an inadequate response. Medical professionals and small-business owners credited Mr Trump with saving lives and livelihoods.
During a prerecorded appearance at the White House, where Mr Trump spoke with several essential workers including some frontline health workers, none of the participants wore masks, which has become a partisan flashpoint despite clear recommendations from epidemiologists that masks can slow the disease's spread.
Mr Trump later appeared with six former American hostages that had been freed during his administration, as he touted his negotiation skills.
US Navy veteran Michael White, who was sentenced to ten years in an Iranian prison, used the segment to take aim at Iran's "injustice system," calling it an "oppressive, extortionist, terrorist regime."
Critics of the president pointed out that negotiations to bring home American Mustafa Kassem failed.
Before he was elected president, Mr Trump had attacked deceased senator John McCain's well-recognised record as a "war hero."
“He’s not a war hero,” said Mr Trump in 2015. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, began her address by attacking the international organisation as a "place where dictators, murderers and thieves denounce America and then put their hands out and demand that we pay their bills."
She used her speech to blast Mr Biden while applauding Mr Trump's sanctions on Iran, and his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Mr Biden said he would leave the US embassy in Jerusalem if re-elected.
Ms Haley flatly blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic that has devastated the US economy.
Addressing the national protests against racism that were sparked by the death of George Floyd, she said "America is not a racist country."
The president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr ridiculed the Democratic presidential nominee with name-calling in a fiery speech.
“In the past, both parties believed in the goodness of America,” the younger Trump said. “This time, the other party is attacking the very principles on which our nation was founded,” citing freedom of thought, speech, religion and the rule of law.
Mocking Mr Biden’s past meetings with Chinese leaders as vice president, he called the Democrat “Beijing Biden” and poked at his decades in the Senate and previously unsuccessful presidential bids by calling him “The Loch Ness Monster of the swamp.”
The younger Trump echoed Ms Haley's remarks on racism, calling the protests for racial justice lawless, violent mobs intent on toppling long-honuored past leaders.
Pushing an emerging theme of the Republican campaign, he said, “It’s almost like this election is shaping up to be church, work and school versus rioting, looting and vandalism.”
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
FA%20Cup%20semi-final%20draw
%3Cp%3ECoventry%20City%20v%20Manchester%20United%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Chelsea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20Games%20to%20be%20played%20at%20Wembley%20Stadium%20on%20weekend%20of%20April%2020%2F21.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
