It was a night like no other in the recent history of the United States capital.
The assault of a violent rabble on the institutions of the US government that followed a speech by President Donald Trump and coincided with a Congressional session to confirm the new president as Joe Biden, has drawn a huge response by the world on social media, but also by prominent figures at home in America and around the world.
What were the most striking comments of Wednesday night in Washington and during Thursday's aftermath? We run a selection here:
"We love you. You're very special." - President Donald Trump to his supporters
"To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins." - Vice-President Mike Pence
"Today is a reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile. To preserve it requires people of good will, leaders with the courage to stand up, who are devoted not to pursuit of power and personal interest at any cost, but to the common good." - US President-Elect Joe Biden
"Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected." - Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
"What the mob did to our Senate Chamber today was an utter disgrace." - US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien
"Trump and I, we had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way … all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough. I tried to be helpful." - Republican Senator Lyndsey Graham
"History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation." – Former US President Barack Obama
"This is a national tragedy and is not who we are as a nation." – Former US President Jimmy Carter
"This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic." – Former US President George W Bush
"Today, America looked into the abyss created by Donald Trump and my fervent hope is that even his enablers will now finally draw back in horror." - Former US Vice President Al Gore
"I have no doubt that... American democracy will prevail. It always has." – Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister
"It is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power." - Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister
"What happened today in Washington DC is definitely not American." - French President Emmanuel Macron
"Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld, and it will be." - Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister
"Yesterday was a dark day for the United States." - Woody Johnson, US Ambassador to the UK
"Our democratic institutions have been strong for a very long period of time, our democracy will prevail and our institutions will remain strong. Now is the time for our nation to come together as one and to respect the democratic process in the United States." - US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
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Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
