Spectators will line the streets of New York City on Thursday morning to watch the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, an hours-long carnival featuring balloons and musical performances, which start the US holiday season.
Before the parade – scheduled to run from 8.30am-12pm Eastern Time – the famous giant character balloons were inflated in New York's Upper West Side on Wednesday.
Characters including Bluey, Baby Yoda and Pikachu will make their way from Central Park West down Sixth Avenue down to their eventual destination, Macy's flagship store in Herald Square.
This year's parade will feature 25 giant character balloons, 31 parade floats. Music stars including Cher and Jon Batiste will also be taking part in the festivities.
And as usual, Santa Claus will be riding at the back of the parade.
Not always smooth sailing
Inflation is done carefully and piece by piece with every balloon to prevent damage, but that has not always been the case.
Moving large parade balloons is a treacherous endeavour, with the most recent incident involving an inflated Spider-Man crashing into a tree in 2013, ripping an arm apart.
The Kermit balloon also hit a tree in the 1991 parade, deflating the puppet's head, prompting one commentator to quip: “It's not easy being green.”
The Muppet did not return to the party until 2002.
A Superman balloon in 1985 also had its arm ripped off when it got caught on a tree branch.
In the 1957 parade, Popeye drenched parade onlookers when rainwater from its inflated hat spilt on to crowds as the balloon swayed to the side due to wind.
And a Mighty Mouse balloon in 1956 hit a street sign and broke apart, landing on the ground.
AP contributed to this report
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The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
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9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
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● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
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Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
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Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
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Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
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